Many events are being cancelled due to concerns related to COVID-19. While we strive to make sure information here is accurate, please check the host's website for up to date event details.
68th Annual Pacific Orchid ExpositionThe San Francisco Orchid Society presents this year's Pacific Orchid Exposition: "2020 - Orchids in Focus."Friday February 21 - Sunday February 23, 2020, is the main event - a show and sale with thousands of orchids on display, award judging by the American Orchid Society, educational hands-on demonstrations and information ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15
Marine Science Sunday: Marine Mammal Parents and PupsIn preparation for Valentine's Day, this month we celebrate love under the sea with Marine Mammal Parents and Pups in a fun, educational way for both kids and adults. We recommend teaming our free classroom program with a Guided tour at 11am, 1pm or 3pm for a truly immersive marine mammal experience.FREE Classroom ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Monday, 02/24/20
Uncovering the nature of dark matter with stellar streams in the Milky WayStars orbiting in the halo of our galaxy, the Milky Way, are a window into the distribution of dark matter. Tidally disrupting star clusters are especially valuable tracers, because in pristine conditions they produce thin stellar streams of nearly uniform density. I will present maps of stellar streams based on ...
For nuclear waste repository assessments, there has been a challenge of integrating two models at disparate scales: (1) complex thermal-hydrological-geochemical processes in engineered barrier systems (EBS) around each canister at the scale of meters and (2) overall performance assessment (PA) models at the scale of kilometers, including more than ten ...
Neural network and machine learning artificial intelligences (AIs) need comprehensive data sets to train on. Those data sets will often be composed of images, videos, audio, or text. All those things are copyrighted. Copyright law thus stands as an enormous potential obstacle to training AIs. Not only might the aggregate ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Fundamental particle physics with trapped molecular ions Precision spectroscopy of molecules is complementary to studies with high-energy colliders in the pursuit of physics beyond the Standard Model. Our search for an electric dipole moment in an electron (eEDM) constitutes a background free measurement of T-symmetry violation, attempting to explain the matter/antimatter asymmetry in the Universe. We choose ...
This talk presents a socio-historical anthropology of power in the high-stakes environmental justice struggle of a Black Caribbean autonomous society. Jamaican Maroon contemporary political transformations and sovereignty aspirations stand in opposition to bauxite mining that threatens their highland forest traditional territory. Although Maroon political systems were founded in the context ...
Nanomaterials and Light for Sustainability and Societal ImpactMetallic nanoparticles, used since antiquity to impart intense, vibrant color into materials, then brought to scientific attention in the 19th century as “Faraday’s colloid”, have more recently become a central tool in the nanoscale manipulation of light. When excited by light, metallic nanoparticles undergo a coherent oscillation of their conduction ...
Mark Coalmer is a 27-year veteran of project management and leadership. As CCUS Projects Director, he and his team at the $1B+ Climate Investments fund identify and advance promising projects and technologies to reduce atmospheric CO2. Mark has designed and led projects as an engineer and project manager and also ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
What the 2030 Climate Deadline Really MeansFor years, scientists and politicians have been saying that the climate battle will be won or lost in the next decade. That narrative was boosted by the IPCC, which contends global emissions must be halved by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to avoid climate catastrophe. Politicians moved quickly ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
Wonderfest: Black Hole PortraitBlack holes are among the most remarkable predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity. So much material is compressed into such a small volume that nothing, not even light, can escape. In Spring 2019, the multinational Event Horizon Telescope released the first real picture of gas around a massive black hole ...
Where: NovatoCost: Free
Stanley Black and Decker: Edge Streaming Deep Learning for Scrap ReductionStanley Black & Decker is the world’s largest tools and storage company and the world’s second-largest commercial electronic security company. Stanley Black & Decker intends to be not just a leader, but to embrace technological change to become a disruptive force among global diversified industrials. They are pursuing this goal ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Nerd Nite East Bay: Animal Toxin Evolution, Brain Fonts, and More!Their Chemical Romance: How Animals Create, Escape and Steal the Most Potent Poisons on EarthWhy don't poisonous animals poison themselves? Learn how poisonous frogs evolved genetic resistance to their own toxins, and why you should never, ever touch a Phyllobates terribilis. See the clever ways that insects deal with man ...
Where: OaklandCost: $8 - $10
Tuesday, 02/25/20
Two KIPAC Tea TalksDESI - the largest galaxy spectroscopic surveySpeaker: Albert Chuang, KIPACUsing field solvers to simulate astrophysical plasmasSpeaker: Andrew Eberhardt, KIPAC
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Limitations to the 'basic' HOD model and beyondWe make use of the IllustrisTNG cosmological, hydrodynamical simulations to test fundamental assumptions of the mass-based Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) approach to modelling the galaxy-halo connection. By comparing the clustering of galaxies measured in the 300 Mpc TNG box (TNG300) with that predicted by the standard (``basic'') HOD model, we ...
Energy storage is at the center of transformative technologies including electric transportation, wind and solar electricity, energy management for utilities and customers, replacement of gas peaker plants, and electric flight for air taxis, package delivery and short-haul passenger service. These emerging uses require next generation batteries custom designed for the ...
Molecular understanding of biological recognition processes is surely a major prerequisite for future drug design. Protein-ligand binding is favorable when the change in free energy G=H-TS is negative. Therefore, calorimetry is a very powerful biochemical tool. Up to now, calorimetric measurements are all based on heat transfer and are thus ...
Until recently, it was widely believed that the brain was hardwired from childhood and resistant to any remodeling in adults. Breakthrough research and clinical practice has recently shown that our brains are remarkably plastic across the human life span. Neuroplasticity accounts for functional self-improvement at any age, often remarkable recoveries from ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members, $8 Students
Natalie Batalha made Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people on Earth. She has discovered approximately 4,000 new planets - some of which may turn out to be capable of supporting life. She was recently elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Nerd Nite Silicon Valley #11- Nerd Nite Meets NASADestination Station: Sharing the wonders of YOUR International Space StationWant to hear from an astronaut about his experience on the International Space Station? Nerd Nite is excited to host NASA Astronaut Nick Hague and team members from the ISS National Lab. Be there and be square!
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga Angustirostris) of Point Reyes National SeashoreJoin us for a captivating evening exploring the world of Northern elephant seals with Professor Doreen Gurrola of Dominican University of California, and five of her students.Northern elephant seals, once a highly endangered species along our coast, are now found in many rookeries from Northern California to Baja California, Mexico. ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
The Autonomous Revolution - SOLD OUTFor the third time in the history of humanity, civilization is undergoing epic cultural transformation - a cultural phase change.Artificial intelligence and virtual environments are creating a world of abundance in which our institutions are changing form, obey different rules, use different methods, and behave contrary to our intuition.We are ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
How to build a personal planetariumPlease join the Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for our general meeting featuring award-winning educator and MDAS member Jeff Adkins, who will conduct a workshop on how to build a simple pinhole-based planetarium projector. Adkins, who teaches astronomy and physics at Deer Valley High School in Antioch, and at Los Medanos ...
There is an increasing interest in applying methods based on Machine Learning Techniques (MLT) to problems in aviation operations. The current interest is based on developments in Cloud Computing, the availability of open software and the success of MLT in automation, consumer behavior and finance involving large database. Historically aviation ...
The internet has been hailed as a leveling force that is reshaping activism. From the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street to Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, digital activism seemed cheap, fast, and open to all. Now this celebratory narrative finds itself competing with an increasingly sinister story as platforms ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Alma Project: Cultivating cultural capitals in STEM through reflective journalingReflective journaling has been shown to promote positive, meaningful learning experiences.At San Francisco State University, the AlmaProject was created to support connections to the life experiences of STEM students through reflective journaling. Pulling from frameworks in Ethnic Studies and social psychology, the Alma Project aims to make learning STEM inclusive ...
Me vs. We: What Matters Most for Climate Action?Where does change begin? Addressing the climate challenge requires incremental and transformational change on both personal and systemic levels. That means altering our personal habits as citizens, consumers, employees and parents.At the same time, society needs to fundamentally modernize the food, transportation, building and energy systems. That mind-blowing amount of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
Tectonic Setting and Structural Analysis of Mt. Diablo and VicinityIt has long been recognized that many of the geologic features exposed in the eastern Coast Ranges of the San Francisco Bay Area are due to a component of Pacific-plate-boundary contraction. This study uses regional cross sections, constrained by surface geology, petroleum wells, and map analysis, to infer the geometry ...
Where: OrindaCost: $5 General, $1 Students & Teachers
Racing the Clock to Document Biodiversity in Africa’s EdenThe pace of life in the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is perhaps best encapsulated by the local saying “leve leve,” which roughly translates to “slow and easy.” And with a total population of fewer than 200,000 people and only a few flights a week between the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with RSVP
Mind, Matter, and the Search for MeaningWorld-renowned physicist Brian Greene offers a captivating exploration of the cosmos and our ongoing quest to understand it.Greene takes us on a journey across time - from our most refined understanding of the universe’s beginning to the closest science can take us to the very end. He also explains the ...
The Renaissance of Astrophysics: a landscape of opportunities in the era of Time Domain Multi-Messenger investigationsAstronomical transients are signposts of catastrophic events in space, including the most extreme stellar deaths, stellar tidal disruptions by supermassive black holes, and mergers of compact objects. Thanks to new and improved observational facilities we can now sample the night sky with unprecedented temporal cadence and sensitivity across the electromagnetic ...
Since Fall 2002, the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering has hosted the Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium (SVLS). The Symposium hosts industry and technology leaders to talk about business and technology trends. It also features prominent leaders who discuss broader societal and political issues that shape our life and society.Speaker: ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Nursery Series: Seed Treatment and GerminationGrowing native plants often involves getting dormant seeds to germinate. Based on habitat and adaptation, seeds may require a variety of physical or chemical conditions to begin germination. In this class, we will discuss seed biology, seed dormancy, and the physiology of seed germination. There will be plenty of hands-on ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Donations encouraged
Goat NightlifeNightLife goes to the goats with a tribute to these jumping, climbing farm-favorite animals.We’ll have very special bovid guests from Little Explorers and Goatlandia, a farm animal sanctuary and rescue that focuses on sustainable landscaping practices and eco-farming.Meet Goatlandia’s founder, Deborah Blum, and learn about the story behind her sanctuary, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
Dinner meeting and panel discussion with ISS US National LaboratoriumThe American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory invite you to a unique event on February 27, 2020 to discover how YOU can help improve life on Earth through research onboard the ISS. In an engaging panel discussion, learn how the ISS ...
The idea of the ‘human’ dates back to the founding of modernity, now hurtling towards collapse. As this process intensifies it may bring about a fundamental reconsideration of modern ideas regarding which entities possess such attributes as agency, speech, and reason. If so what kinds of narratives and knowledge traditions ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
From California to Cambodia - Surface Water Mapping Using Cloud-Based Remote SensingWith cloud based remote sensing we can now access, process, and analyze terabytes of satellite imagery remotely via the internet. Satellite images and streamgages are the two most common measurement tools used to assemble a record of historical surface water changes. Weekly to monthly snapshots of surface water from satellite images can ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Skeptics in the Pub: MillbraeScience and Reason with Skeptics in the Pub West Bay, Fiddlers Green, Millbrae sponsored by Bay Area Skeptics.If ye value critical thinking, and if ye scorn the film-flam man, and if ye drink, drink with us, your friends. If ye shun the brewer’s art, at least help us lay waste to bangers & mash!Skeptics ...
Speaker: Camilla Sattania, StanfordThis talk was originally scheduled for Feb 14
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Unique Aspects of Chirality in Inorganic NanocrystalsThe geometric property of chirality relates to objects that cannot be superimposed onto their mirror images. It is fundamental across all hierarchies of nature, from interactions of elementary particles to macroscopic living systems. It is related in biology to recognition between biomolecules and structure-function relations. Most biological molecules ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
What Can Electron Microscopy Tell Us Beyond Structure and Composition? - CANCELEDSpherical aberration correction marks a milestone in the development of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which allows the quantitative determination of 3D structure and composition of nanostructures with atomic resolution. In combination with in-situ techniques, one can follow the phase transformations, chemical reactions, and dynamic behaviors of materials in ...
Molecular, and more recently, macromolecular synthesis has evolved to an advanced state allowing the creation of remarkably complex organic molecules and well-defined polymers with typical dimensions from 0.5 nm - 10 nm. In contrast, the ability to prepare materials in the 10 nm - 100 micron size regime with controlled ...
2020 San Francisco Middle School Science Fair Awards Ceremony and ExhibitionFor nearly 40 years San Francisco student scientists have been wowing Randall Museum visitors with their inventive, thoughtful, and quizzical projects exploring an outrageous array of scientific inquiries. The entries in the Annual SF Middle School Science Fair will be on display at the Randall Museum February 25 through March 6, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Hayward Fault tourThis family tour is great for elementary age children and their families. It shows the power of an earthquake without fear. In Earthquake Country knowledge of earthquakes is important. Classes include a tour of the features in Central Park. Learn how Stivers Lagoon and Lake Elizabeth were created. Other faults ...
Where: FremontCost: $15
Monarchs: How We Can HelpLearn about monarchs, causes for their decline and how our local efforts can support their populations to flourish again on the West coast. Special guests, Mia Monroe, volunteer with The Xerces Society, Oakland’s Pollinator Posse, and Bob Pacelli, who is featured in a short film, “Butterfly Town USA,” about his ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Science Saturday: Animal AthletesThis highest jumping, fastest flying, strongest biting Science Saturday of the year focuses on the Olympians in the animal kingdom. From falcons to mountain lions, and beetles to beavers, every athlete has a story to tell. Join us for crafts, activities, and science as we sprint, jump, and dive into ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Shoreside Bay CreaturesJoin your kids in a morning of scientific fun! Participants will work as a team to pull in a large seine (net) to catch local fishes, set a mud grab to gather bottom samples and invertebrates, and learn the difference between the two groups of animals. This event is perfect ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: From $20
Trekking the ModelJoin a Ranger or docent on a guided tour of the Bay Model, a 1.5-acre hydraulic model of the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Discover the stories of the two major operations that took place at this location between 1942 - 2000.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Indicators that Fox are in Your AreaDo you sometimes see paw prints in mud or scat (poop) on the trails and assume that a dog left it? It could be from something else. Come along with me and I will show you how to distinguish and identify the markings of a gray fox. Gain some insights ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Exoplanets and How To Find ThemWe're currently in the midst of a golden age of astronomy. The confirmation of planets around other stars has given way to finding countless strange and fascinating worlds and stellar systems very unlike our own. What are some of these planets and how were they discovered? What techniques do astronomers ...
Where: San BrunoCost: Free
Jazz under the StarsJazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday after the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us on the 4th floor planetarium for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own ...