Summit to SeeA monthly cross-country hike to a high point or other highlight of the sanctuary with natural history, photography, birding, etcPlease dress for the weather and bring at least one quart of drinking water. You may also wish to bring a hat, an extra layer, and a snack. There are no ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: Free
May LASER Event6:45pm-7pm: Socializing/networking.7pm - 7:25pm: Lucia Ayala Asensio (UC Berkeley) on "Fluid Skies - or how to combine art, history and cosmology"A collaboration between an art and astronomy historian, an astrophysicist and an artist.7:25-7:50pm: Sara Loesch-Frank (Lettering Artist) on "Follow the Glow: Metallic Leaf and Unusual Media in Art"Many people are ...
Cheryl Strayed's writing has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies including The New York Times Magazine, Vogue and The Best New American Voices. Her debut novel, Torch, was a finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award and selected by The Oregonian as one of the top ten books of 2006 ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: $22
Tuesday, 05/14/13
Life before genetics: autogenesis, information, and the outer solar systemThe investigation of the origins of life has been hindered by what we think we know about current living organisms. This includes three assumptions about necessary conditions: 1) that it emerged entirely on Earth, 2) that it is dependent on the availability of liquid water, and 3) that it is ...
3D Printing and Beyond: Disrupting Manufacturing through Incremental Fabrication?3D printing enables the fabrication of parts directly from digital models an effort mostly of independent of geometric complexity and with straightforward design rules. Its widespread adoption is creating a new ecosystem for designers, engineers, and kids alike, with new tools, business models, collaboration opportunities, and much more.No longer limited ...
This talk will provide an overview of major data mining areas and their practical application. It will cover the history of the development of data mining and will detail key techniques such as: Recommender Systems, Machine Learning, Graph Mining and Text Mining. Each technique will be illustrated with a practical ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Jaron Lanier, author of 'Who Owns the Future?' & 'You Are Not a Gadget'Lanier's expertise in computer science, music, and digital media helped him develop a profound understanding of technology and its impact on society.But with advancements come hardships and according to Lanier, we are facing greater challenges than ever before. The rise of digital networks has not only forced our economy into ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $12 - $40
The Modern Origins Story: From the Big Bang to Habitable PlanetsThe scientific understanding of our origins began in earnest with Copernicus, Galileo, Darwin, and others, and has since evolved into a rich, detailed, and well-tested model. Direct observations of the infant universe now show that it was remarkably smooth compared to what we see around us today, with only tiny ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Mathematics as metaphor: From curved spaces to quantum topologyMathematics seems to develop by revisiting a few basic motifs over and over again. This talk will describe some of these classical and modern motifs, their appearances in astronomy, chemistry and architecture, and their echoes in the paradoxes currently facing physics. It will be accessible to an audience of all ...
The true puffballs, or Lycoperdaceae (Agaricaceae, Basidiomycetes), are an extraordinary group of fungi. They are edible, medicinal, and have very fascinating ornamentation and characters. Stephanie Jarvis has been working on a monographic study of the puffballs of California for almost six years, recently becoming her Master's Thesis from San Francisco ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Social Network Effect Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. Is it possible that the popular social networks of the modern day net are having profound impacts on the neural networks of our brains and on our psychological functioning? How are our virtual, social worlds changing ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22/27 General, $20/25 Members
Wednesday, 05/15/13
Software-Defined Networking at the Crossroads SDN was developed over five years ago, amidst much hope and naivete. In this talk I will discuss both SDN's past and future, highlighting the follies of our youth and outlining the challenges ahead. Given Stanford's role in the advent of SDN, I recognize that this talk is a massive ...
Being a Mars Rover: What It's Like on the Surface of MarsOn Aug. 6, 2012, many people around the world gathered around TVs and computers to await news of NASA's latest mission to Mars. The complex, yet flawless landing of the rover Curiosity led to worldwide acclaim. What has NASA's youngest robot been up to since then, and what has it ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 Parking)
Chroniclers of Technology: An Evening with David Kirkpatrick, Steven Levy & John Markoff David Kirkpatrick, Steven Levy and John Markoff are three of the most prolific tech writers in the country and have been friends for almost 30 years. Levy is a senior writer for Wired Magazine and the author of seven books, many of them bestsellers, on everything from computer hackers and ...
Throughout the history of Homo sapiens, skin pigmentation has been a highly labile trait, and similar skin tones have evolved independently numerous times. Skin pigmentation results from an evolutionary compromise between the conflicting demands of protection against ultraviolet radiation and production of vitamin D, and represents one of the best ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, 10 Seniors, Free for members
Brian J. Ford 'The First Microscopes: What Could They Truly Reveal?'If you have had the pleasure and privilege of hearing Brian Ford speak, you know that he always surprises his audience with his insightful presentations on science, and microscopy in particular. We have invited Brian to speak about the astonishing views that early microscopes presented to scientists of the ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Multiple Universes & Cosmic Inflation - The Quest to Understand Our Universe and Find OthersAbout a decade ago, scientists established a broad and deep understanding of how the observable universe has evolved from a hot, dense state 13.7 billion years ago. This understanding points to an early epoch during which the universe expanded at a stupendous rate to create the vast amount of space we ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Thursday, 05/16/13
STEM Speakers Series: Gaming/RoboticsAttendees will have the opportunity to hear about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) classroom integration from experts in the field as well as use the STEM Center equipment for hands-on exploration.Each night the agenda is: 3-4pm Open House, 4-5pm Speakers Series, 5-6pm Open HouseSpeakers: Angela Sveda, Rolston Middle School; ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
BIGBOSS: A STAGE IV DARK ENERGY REDSHIFT SURVEYBigBOSS is a Stage IV dark energy experiment based on proven techniques to study the large-scale mass distribution of the universe and to provide experimental data for validation of competing cosmology models. BigBOSS will search for stalled baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) waves, remnants of the early universe, which serve as ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Built for Speed NightLifeSatisfy your need for speed at the NightLife premiere of the Academy's latest exhibit, Built for Speed, which explores what it takes for animals and boats to be fast in fluid. Take part in a Q&A with the designers behind the boats of ORACLE TEAM USA, the America's Cup defending ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
'Who Owns the Future?'A Renaissance Man for the 21st century, Jaron Lanier (You Are Not A Gadget) is a computer scientist, composer, visual artist, musician, and author who writes on numerous topics, including high-technology business, the social impact of technology, the philosophy of consciousness and information, Internet politics, and the future of humanism. ...
Learn the many ways to make color-from neon signs to oil slicks to rainbows and more. You'll learn all about light, how it's made, and how it interacts. Ron will demonstrate many of the concepts, and you'll take away materials to build your own spectroscope. You'll see color in a ...
Did you know that Alaska supports more than 80 percent of all the seabirds nesting in the United States? And that close to a third of the world's shorebird species come to Alaska to breed? Nils Warnock will talk about the many ways that Alaska is important to different bird ...
Professor Brian A. Barsky from UC Berkeley will present an overview of his research combining computer graphics with optics, optometry, and photography. This research has investigated mathematical models to describe the shape of the cornea and algorithms for cornea measurement, scientific and medical visualization for the display of cornea shape, ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Rethinking Invasive Species in San Francisco BayCould a new non-native mud shrimp be good for the sub-tidal ecosystem? Michael McGowan, fisheries oceanographer and aquatic ecologist, will discuss how an invasive species may actually be beneficial.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Friday, 05/17/13
History of the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersJoin Ranger Bill to learn about the "When/Where/Why/What/ How," the diverse, complex, many faceted missions, goals and objectives of the USACE's "Birth" in 1775 under General George Washington.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
A Newton Workshop"Philosophy, Theology, and the Problem of the Earth's Motion"Andrew Janiak, Duke Universityand"A Tale of Two Treatises: Newton's Scientific and Prophetic Work in the Late 1680's"Robert Iliffe, University of Sussexfollowing discussion led byGeorge Smith, Tufts UniversityMichael Friedman, Stanford UniversityPaula Findlen, Stanford UniversityRoom 307
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Night School: PromThe 2nd Annual geeked out prom is here! Join us to make new memories and relive the old. Dressing up is not a must, but we think you'll have more fun! Music, drinks, live shows and beautiful views every third Friday.21 and over.
Where: OaklandCost: $12 General, $5 Members
Houge Park Start PartyMeet with members of San Jose Astronomical Society for a Star Party, weather permitting.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Saturday, 05/18/13
Endangered Species Day: National Wildlife Refuge's Warm Springs Unit TourDid you know that 2013 is the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act? Register for this exclusive tour of our normally closed Warm Springs Unit. This unit specifically protects threatened and endangered species like Contra Costa goldfields, vernal pool tadpole shrimp, and California tiger salamanders. Hear how the Act ...
At the very small scales the Standard Model of Elementary Particles explains the building blocks of the nature and their interactions. Although the model is very successful (e.g. prediction of Higgs Bosons recently discovered at CERN), it is incomplete! A new physics beyond the Standard Model is indeed required to ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
An Evening with AstronautsExplore the world of asteroid hunters with Astronauts Ed Lu and Rusty Schweickart, co-founders of the B612 Foundation - a private foundation dedicated to protecting the Earth from asteroids. Lu and Schweickart will share the latest information on new technologies that help protect our Earth and plans to build, launch, ...
Where: OaklandCost: $23 general, $20 Members; $29 at door
May 18 Public Astronomy Program On Mt DiabloPlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for the May 18th astronomy program. Lower Summit Parking Lot of Mt. Diablo State Park. The program starts at 7:30 (enter the park at least 45 minutes earlier) at the lower summit parking lot. Although there is no fee for this program there is ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: $10/ car park admission
See the Rings of SaturnHere's your chance to see Saturn and the moons of Jupiter through a telescope.You'll make a Solar System model to keep in your pocket and then explore the rest of the universe as you tour the telescopes.
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
The Solar Wind Speaker: Christopher Chen, PhD, Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley
Join us for a celebration of the California red-legged frog at its Mori Point home!Hear from other Bay Area organizations that play a role in protecting this threatened amphibian.Activities will include games, a raffle, tours of the frog ponds, and more! Don't miss the chance to learn and enjoy a ...
Fundamental questions in marine ecology have stumped scientists for decades: How do populations replenish themselves? How are they maintaining stable numbers? How far do fish larvae travel, and Where are they going? Behavioral ecologists have long debated the nature of sequential hermaphroditism in fishes (changing sex at some point during ...
Learn the many ways to make color-from neon signs to oil slicks to rainbows and more. You'll learn all about light, how it's made, and how it interacts. Ron will demonstrate many of the concepts, and you'll take away materials to build your own spectroscope. You'll see color in a ...
