Come work with us! The American Philosophical Society is looking for a Major Planned Gift Officer. Find more information and apply here: bit.ly/4uEeEir #Hiring #JobOpportunity

Join us! The American Philosophical Society seeks a Development Coordinator to provide critical operational and administrative support to the Development team. Find more information and apply here: bit.ly/4vhieiG #Hiring #JobOpportunity

Congratulations to APS Fellow Dr. Blake McGready for successfully defending his dissertation and earning his PhD from the @thegraduatecenter.bsky.social! Blake has worked at the APS as our David Center for the American Revolution Predoctoral Fellow and now bucked his “predoctoral” title.

Congratulations to Jill Lepore (APS 2014), who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for History for her book We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution. The Pulitzer Prize committee called the book "a lively and engaging narrative that investigates why the Constitution is so hard to amend.”

The APS and the David Center for the American Revolution are taking the semiquincentennial as an opportunity to reflect with a conference on “America’s 1776: Independence and its Enduring Legacies.” The opening keynote features acclaimed historians discussing “July 4th, 1776.” https://bit.ly/4vkQ8mF

“The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” Since 1743, APS Members have sustained its mission—speaking out with conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in the best interest of the public. Check back weekly for their words of wisdom. #UsefulKnowledge

What to do about hives and sore eyes? Diaries, notes, and more from the Wyck and Eastwick collections at the APS show a variety of recipes for addressing these conditions. Read more on the APS Blog from Alyssa Brophy, Research & Membership Assistant at the APS. https://bit.ly/3RvUd8U

Shell shock, the thousand-yard stare—It’s never been easy for soldiers to return to civilian life after combat. This Memorial Day, our Meeting talk comes from Jennifer Keene on “Experiencing World War I,” sharing how veterans of WWI were supported, or forgotten, after service. https://bit.ly/4ujGY9K

Congrats to Robert Caldwell on his new book "Choctaw-Apache Voices Volume 2." Vol. 1 and 2 were edited by Caldwell and Thomas Parrie and feature stories, history, art, and more from Choctaw-Apache people. Caldwell was an APS Library Fellow in 2025 and 2016 and teaches at the University at Buffalo.

Congratulations to Carla Hayden, who received the 2026 Champion of Writers Award from the @authorsguild.org. Hayden was the 14th Librarian of Congress at the The Library of Congress, the first African American, first woman, and first professional librarian to hold that position.

"Science is a beautiful pursuit. It allows great freedom and requires great responsibility. It requires self-criticism. It requires perseverance and self-confidence. It is progressive. It is self-correcting." Check back weekly for APS Members' Words of Wisdom.

#OnThisDay in 1778, British forces occupying Philadelphia held a huge party called the “Meschianza." They performed shows and jousts, and spent wildly while ordinary people struggled. Some wore costumes based on books like “The Man in the Moon or the History of crazy John.” https://bit.ly/4uUaLFV

“Save the bees.” Have you noticed an influx of signs, pins, or artwork with this slogan? Entomologist May Berenbaum explains why in this week’s Meeting Monday, “Bees in Crisis: Colony Collapse, Honey Laundering and Other Problems Bee-Setting American Apiculture." https://bit.ly/4um0t1w

From zebrafish to financial advice, visitors to the APS Neighborhood Fun Day had a lot of useful knowledge to share. What’s your bit of useful knowledge?

From zebrafish to financial advice, visitors to the APS Neighborhood Fun Day had a lot of useful knowledge to share. What’s your bit of useful knowledge?

Today: Join us for APS Neighborhood Fun Day! 11 am – 3 pm Inspired by our 2026 exhibition, These Truths: The Declarations of Independence, take part in a variety of activities as we welcome the spring weather and celebrate the opening months of our current exhibition.

Today: Join us for APS Neighborhood Fun Day! 11 am – 3 pm Inspired by our 2026 exhibition, These Truths: The Declarations of Independence, take part in a variety of activities as we welcome the spring weather and celebrate the opening months of our current exhibition.

UC Berkeley historian Carla Hesse and chemist Jeffrey Long have been elected to the American Philosophical Society (@amphilsociety.bsky.social)—the oldest learned society in the United States. news.berkeley.edu/2026/05/13/t...

#OnThisDay in 1836, Philadelphians were captivated by an annular solar eclipse. APS Member-scientists documented the eclipse from multiple local spots, including Philosophical Hall, which still stands and houses our Museum today. View their notes here: https://bit.ly/4fp0ltn

Congratulations to Rachel Gabara, 2018 Franklin Grant recipient and University of Georgia professor, on her publication of "Documentary Objectives: Filming Africa from Colonialism to Independence" with Indiana University Press. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/42BPMvE

Congratulations to historian Richard L. Kagan, jurist and legal rights scholar Angela R. Riley, neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall, and legal scholar Patricia J. Williams , who have recently been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences!

“Nothing replaces looking.” Check back weekly for APS Members' words of wisdom. #usefulknowledge #wordsofwisdom

The latest episode of the APS "Useful Knowledge" podcast is now live on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Tune in to hear from the Honorable David Tatel (APS 2007) about his career in law and justice and navigating his work while coming to terms with his blindness. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4fgc9Or

Through our 283-year history, only 5,896 Members have been elected to the APS. Some have been forgotten to time. This blog post by Vincent Femia is an intro to historic APS Member and Salem businessman Nathaniel Bowditch, an incredible, but underrepresented intellect. https://bit.ly/4tk4Jxj

New gig! Excited to join the wonderful staff of @amphilsociety.bsky.social, helping the members and alumni spread useful knowledge, which APS has done since its founding in 1743.

Airing tomorrow: the latest episode of the APS podcast “Useful Knowledge!" Hear the Honorable David Tatel discuss life as a civil rights lawyer, circuit judge of the US Court of Appeals, and author of a memoir about doing it all while coming to terms with his blindness. Apple podcasts and Spotify.

📱 Technology is more complicated than ever, and its impact on teens is a point of concern for researchers. This talk comes from Carrie James, Harvard Graduate School of Education, who works to find out how teens really use tech. @harvardeducation.bsky.social https://bit.ly/49kQBMV

Congrats to José Celestino Guarcax González on his award by the University of San Carlos of Guatemala for his international scholarship! He was awarded by CNAIR's Indigenous Community Research Fund in 2025 to research Guatemalan materials.

Professor Ingrid Brioso Rieumont has been awarded a Franklin Research Grant from @amphilsociety.bsky.social, the oldest learned society in the U.S., for her book project, which examines how slaveholders used absolute metaphysical claims to justify slavery in 19th-century Cuba and Brazil.

Congratulations to author, paleontologist, and evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, who has been honored by the The National Center for Science Education with the Stephen Jay Gould Prize. This award is conferred to those who have worked educated the public about evolution and the value of its study.

"There are times in which the scholar and scientist should have a larger influence in our legislative halls." Since 1743, APS Members have spoke out with conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are in the best interest of the public. Check back weekly for their words of wisdom.

In writing Common Sense, Thomas Paine hoped to set the colonies apart from Britain legally and philosophically. Some argued he borrowed his ideas from British philosopher John Locke. This week’s blog post from Daniel Gomes de Carvalho analyzes Paine’s pointed response. https://bit.ly/4tEJya5

Congratulations to CASBS fellows elected as 2026 Members of the American Philosophical Society 👏🙌👊🤩 @amphilsociety.bsky.social announcement: www.amphilsoc.org/elected-memb...

Benjamin Cravatt has been elected to the American Philosophical Society in recognition of developing activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), redefining how scientists study and target disease-relevant proteins and enabling the discovery of inhibitors and drug candidates. https://ow.ly/1lNZ50YTGuk

Do music, nature, and science have anything in common? For composer and @ucsandiego.bsky.social Professor of Music Lei Liang, they are inseparable. He and his colleagues work together to capture the sounds of nature and put them to music. Learn more in this Meeting Monday. https://bit.ly/4tc5RD9

How Gene Likens identified the problem of acid rain and, despite serious challenges from the industry, managed to improve water quantity. youtu.be/bj9E66Q46-s?...

Congratulations to Terrence Sejnowski, who has been honored with the inaugural World Digital Technology Academy Award from The Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Learn more about Sejnowski’s work and honor here: https://bit.ly/4ujArf1

Join us on April 30 for an Indigenous Learing Forum with Fatima Valdivia, Indigenous rights defender and CNAIR Postdoctoral Fellow, discussing continuity of colonialism in Mexico and its connection to drug trafficking, based on her doctoral research. https://bit.ly/4eHjYfT

"It is another aphorism that no one knows everything about anything. That need not dull the pleasure and fascination of the fact that a great deal is known about some things." Check back weekly for APS Members' words of wisdom.

Last week, the APS hosted over 300 elected Members and distinguished guests for 3 days of talks and collaboration. APS Members are leaders in a variety of fields and frequently publish for scholars and a general audience. Find some of their recent publications here: https://bit.ly/4vQxJzg

I contributed to this course via the "Investigating Indentured Servitude" project case study @amphilsociety.bsky.social and I'm excited to see this summary article about putting the whole thing together! The folks at @dariaheu.bsky.social did a great job.

Ben Franklin: Founding Father, polymath, postmaster. This week’s blog post by Eva Molina Flores, APS Press Editorial Fellow, explores some of the work done by Franklin on the first printed map of the Gulf Stream during his time as postmaster. @evamolinaflores.blsky.social https://bit.ly/41PLQad

In the spirit of global intellectual collaboration the APS is hosting programs with international learned societies in 2026. Join us and @britishacademy.bsky.social on May 12 for Dame Linda Colley's talk, “Rome and America: Edward Gibbon and the American Revolution.” https://bit.ly/4u4GBzr

What does a scientist's fieldwork look like in the middle of the forest? In this Meeting Monday, biologist Merlin Sheldrake talks about it. Watch his talk, "Entangled Lives: Fungi, Ecology, and Us" to learn more about fungi, including its history, intelligence, and uses. https://bit.ly/4vHOgVQ

Congratulations to Timothy Bowers Vasko, Barnard College Assistant Professor and 2019 Mellon Foundation NASI Postdoc Fellow at the APS, on his new book "Making All the World America: Native Information and the Doctrine of Discovery" published April 14: https://bit.ly/4tmDWBg @pennpress.bsky.social

Congratulations to Francis Collins, recipient of the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal. Collins is a physician and former Director of the National Institutes of Health, best known for his work on the Human Genome Project. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4vCQvdc

The APS is pleased to present Glory M. Liu, Georgetown Provost’s Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Assistant Professor, with the Henry Allen Moe Prize in the Humanities. Learn more about Liu and her award here: https://bit.ly/4tU8bzi Liu's 2023 talk: https://bit.ly/41EP3Jy

In 1953, some APS Members and guests watched Meeting lectures on short-circuit TV on the APS campus. But in 2026, you can tune in via livestream on our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/@amphilsociety Full program here: https://www.amphilsoc.org/members/meetings/april-2026

“For me, the sources from the past, primary or secondary, are not a prison. They are a magic thread that links me to people long since dead and with situations that have crumbled to dust." Check back weekly for APS Members' words of wisdom.

During this week's APS Member Meeting, we are pleased to award the Honorable Guido Calabresi with the 2025 Henry M. Phillips Prize. This prize recognizes outstanding lifetime contributions to the field of jurisprudence. Learn more about Judge Calabresi and his award here: https://bit.ly/4dVAuc1