Upcoming Events
Horror Films and the Culture That Makes Them
with Andrew Bateman
February 18, 2026
cerebral brewing HighlandsHorror films do more than scare us… they reveal what we fear.
Professor Andrew Bateman teaches film at CU Denver, and he's going to show you how horror works as a cultural mirror, how these films expose the social tensions, moral conflicts, and anxieties of the moment they're made. How engaging with the unsettling and taboo on screen tells us as much about ourselves and our society as it does about the 'monsters'.
About Andrew: Andrew Bateman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Film & Television at CU Denver. He's taught horror film classes in Denver and Beijing, and developed a course on International Horror Film and the US Remake.
Penetrating Culture: A Cottage Colloquium on Heated Rivalry
with Lynn Schofield Clark & Rachael Liberman
February 25, 2026
ROOM FOR MILLYJoin Professors Lynn Schofield Clark and Rachael Liberman from the University of Denver to examine the explosion of global interest surrounding the "it” queer romance of the moment, Heated Rivalry. Why has this adapted television series hit so hard for so many, and why now? As scholars in Media & Gender Studies, we'll explore issues such as fandom, mediations of sexual intimacy and consent, celebrity culture, the (un)official responses from the NHL and professional athletes, and trends that we’re seeing on social media. Bring your questions and share your pleasures - guilty or not!
About Rachael: Dr. Rachael Liberman is a Teaching Professor of Media Studies at the University of Denver. Her teaching and research focus on digital media culture, sexual subjectivity, and critical theory, and she has been published in journals such as Feminist Media Studies and Porn Studies.
About Lynn: Lynn Schofield Clark is a Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Estlow International Center for Journalism & New Media at the University of Denver. She's the author of Young People and the Future of News and her research focuses on young people, digital media, and civic engagement.
From Colorado to the Cosmos: NASA's Search for Life Outside the Solar System
with Dr. Kevin France
March 12, 2026
Cerebral Brewing - Aurora ArtsAre we alone in the universe? Can we just find a better planet than Earth? Are there green people there?
Fun fact: basically every star has planets. We've found thousands of them. Now the question is: which ones could support life, and do any of them already have it?
Dr. Kevin France hunts habitable planets for NASA. He'll share the coolest discoveries so far, explain how scientists figure out if a planet could support life, and tell us about the massive telescope NASA's building to answer the big question—the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Plot twist: a lot of this work is happening right here in Colorado. CU is building tech, training the next generation of space scientists, and helping lead the search for life beyond Earth.
About Dr. Kevin France: CU professor, NASA mission leader, Hubble collaborator, and professional planet hunter. He's led approximately 10 NASA rocket and satellite missions and is helping develop future observatories to find habitable planets beyond our solar system.
The Polarization Problem: What’s Really Happening & What We Can Do
with Dr. Leaf Van Boven
America feels fractured. Talking about politics feels impossible. The divide between left and right seems unbridgeable.
So what's actually going on with our political beliefs? CU Boulder psychologist Dr. Leaf Van Boven has spent his career studying political polarization from every angle—how we form our political views, what makes partisan division worse, and crucially, what might actually help us understand each other across party lines.
This isn't just about understanding the problem. It's about finding pathways forward. Join us for an honest conversation about why our political beliefs drive us so far apart and what psychology tells us about bridging the gap.
Dr. Van Boven is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder, where he directs the EDJI Lab studying how social and political psychology shapes our decisions on polarization, climate change, and public health.
APRIL 8, 2026
LOCATION: TBD