Travel Program
Travel Program
Vietnam
May 10 to 21, 2025
From the lush landscapes and sparkling waters of Halong Bay to the majestic Imperial City in Hue and the floating markets of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam is an enchanting confluence of history, culture, and modernity. Journey through this vibrant Southeast Asian nation with Brian Jacobson, a professor of visual culture. An optional two-day extension in Cambodia is available.
We begin in Hanoi, where we'll visit Văn Miếu, the historic Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius, and traverse the city's Old Quarter on a three-wheel Cyclo, a relic of the French colonial period. Next, we'll arrive in Halong Bay and embark on an overnight luxury cruise. We'll also scout the local caves, fly above the bay on a seaplane, and take a fruit and vegetable carving class. Our time in Hue begins with the restored temples and palaces of the Nguyen Dynasty, followed by a float on the Perfume River and the spiritual tranquility of the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda. Craftsmanship is on display in Hoi An's Ancient Town. We'll cross the 16th-century Japanese Bridge, visit a home where 14 generations have lived, and meet visionary tailor Ms. Quynh. On the Cai Be Princess cruise in Ho Chi Minh City, we'll gain cultural insights as we glide past floating markets, witness bustling river life, and visit traditional craft workshops. On the optional two-day extension to Cambodia, we'll see iconic Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.
LIGO: Ripples in Space-Time
November 3 to 6, 2025
Join us for an exclusive tour of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), where history was made on September 14, 2015. The twin LIGO detectors in Hanford, Washington, and Livingston, Louisiana, made an incredible breakthrough when they both detected gravitational waves produced by the merger of two black holes. Albert Einstein had predicted gravitational waves in his 1915 general theory of relativity, and this observation by LIGO confirmed the prediction 100 years later.
In 2017, MIT's Rainer Weiss and Caltech's Barry C. Barish, the Ronald and Maxine Linde Professor of Physics, Emeritus, and Kip S. Thorne, the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves." We will tour the facility with Rana Adhikari, professor of physics, and Yanbei Chen (PhD '03), professor of physics, who earned his doctorate under the supervision of Professor Thorne.
We will also visit the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a leading center for scientific discovery in chemistry, data analytics, Earth science, and sustainable energy. The itinerary includes experiential lunches and private wine tastings at three local wineries.