Carlene Stephens, curator at the National Museum of American History, will present “Connecting the World in Time” at the Mystic Seaport’s Stars of the Smithsonian Lecture Series. Programs are at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the River Room, Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern.

The museum’s new exhibit “Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest For Longitude” tells the story of the race to determine longitude at sea and how one of the greatest technical challenges of the 18th-century was eventually solved.

As a Smithsonian affiliate, Mystic Seaport is bringing nationally recognized curators and scholars from the Smithsonian Institution to the museum to speak about their fields of study.

Tickets are $15 for members, $20 for non-members, and students are admitted for free. Register by calling (860) 572-5331.