Kepler: Are There Any Good Worlds Out There?The Kepler Mission began its science observations just under two years ago on May 12, 2009, initiating NASA's first search for Earth-like planets. Initial results and light curves from Kepler are simply breath-taking, and they reveal as much about the instrument as they do about the stars Kepler observes. The ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
What's So Small to You is So Large to MeNew developments in physics have the potential to radically revise our understanding of the world: its makeup, its evolution, and the fundamental forces that drive its operation. The Large Hadron Collider, which houses a 27 km ring accelerating protons to enormously high energies 100 meters underground, contains the most extensive ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Book Club: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A HatNeurologist Sacks, author of Awakenings and A Leg To Stand On , presents a series of clinical tales drawn from fascinating and unusual cases encountered during his years of medical practice. Dividing his text into four parts"losses" of neurological function; "excesses"; "transports" involving reminiscence, altered perception, and imagination; and "the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Fashioning Apollo - Spacesuits, Cities, and How to Dress TomorrowWhen Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface in July of 1969, they wore spacesuits made by Playtex: twenty-one layers of fabric, each with a distinct yet interrelated function, custom-sewn for them by seamstresses whose usual work was fashioning bras and girdles. This talk is the story ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Tuesday, 03/15/11
Marine Mammal Research TourGo behind the scenes at Long Marine Lab. Learn about the work of scientists and their studies of dolphins, seals, sea lions, and whales. Tour is best suited for adults and children over 10 years of age. Space limited. Reservations required: (831) 459-3800.
The Solar System Decadal Survey report for 2013-2022 will be made public in a presentation on March 7 at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, and the document will be available on the website of the National Research Council from that time onward.The Decadal Survey report is advisory ...
Please note the date change from 3/8 to 3/15.A Cubic Mile of Oil is a call for an informed public debate on energy. The book describes how much energy the world uses and from which sources, where we are headed, and what it would take to utilize alternate methods for generating energy. ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Dobsonian Telescope MakingBuild a telescope the Dobson way. You will learn about John Dobson and his reflector telescopes, as well as how these telescopes work. You'll learn the step-by-step method for grinding and polishing the mirror, building the mount, and assembling a complete telescope. Seeing the rings of Saturn, the moons of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $170 + materials & supplies
Wednesday, 03/16/11
Free Wednesday at Cal AcademyFree admission is available to visitors on the third Wednesday of every month, through the generosity of The Bernard Osher Foundation. Admission is on a first come, first served basis, and early arrival is recommended due to the likelihood of high demand. Also, please note that final entry to the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Human Biospecimens in the Era of Personalized MedicineModern biomedical research requires continuous supply of legally and ethically acquired high quality human biospecimens and associated data. Preservation of pre-analytical biospecimen variables, significantly confounding research of the disease biomarkers and development of modern diagnostics, will be discussed. Other topics include: collection of biospecimens using standard protocols versus custom protocols; ...
Where: San JoseCost: $30 Advanced, see web site
Consumers and Sustainability: Can Transparency in the Marketplace Advance Sustainable Behaviors?Dara O'Rourke has spent the last 20 years researching the environmental, labor, and health impacts of global production systems. He is the co-founder of GoodGuide, which provides free and easy access to the most reliable information on the health, environmental and social impacts of products and the companies that manufacture ...
Google Innovation: Culture and PracticesAs a company, Google clearly relies on innovation to keep our business alive and growing. Translating that desire into a continual innovation practice is central to the outlook and world-view that Google has as a corporate culture. Innovation isn't just for the futurists, but a part of what everyone in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Robustness in Nature: Challenges and Opportunities for the Systems Biology CommunityRobustness, the ability to maintain performance in the face of perturbations and uncertainty, is a key property of living systems. While 'homeostasis' has long been recognized as an important phenomenon, the molecular and cellular bases of robustness have only recently begun to be understood. Biology and engineering employ a common ...
Marc d'Alarcao is a professor in the chemistry department. His research involves the use of synthetic organic chemistry to shed light on questions in biology and medicine, including treatments for type II diabetes and cancer.This event is free! All are welcome!For additional information about the University Scholar Series, please go ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Before the Levees Break: Lessons Learned Abroad in Flood Risk Perception, Management, and Risk CommunicationDespite a national policy aimed at reducing risk, flood damages and loss of life in the United States are ever-increasing. In California, we encounter the precarious situation where residents living in sub-sea-level developments behind certified levees are "removed" from the official regulatory floodplain and subsequently unaware of and unprepared for ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Health Care and the New EconomyHealth care reform and the recent economic downturn are placing unprecedented pressure on the health care system to provide consumers with value. Patients, purchasers, regulators, and other key stakeholders are demanding that care be readily accessible, proactive, and focused on improving health while containing costs. Many in the health care ...
The Grid: Integration of Renewable EnergyIntegrating renewable energy into the U.S. power grid has become an important issue. The peak power periods for wind and solar energy differ but they both exhibit natural variability that must be managed before they can supply a substantial portion of the country's energy needs. Join an expert panel discussion ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Interdisciplinary Green Chemistry: A Catalyst for ChangeIn keeping with the first-quarter theme of "Environment" for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, and as a preview of the March 24th conference being organized by the Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry (BCGC) on "Green Chemistry: Collaborative Approaches and New Solutions", the Director of the BCGC will present an ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $28 (free if attending only presentation)
Knee replacements More than 800,000 total knee replacements are performed yearly, and that number continues to rise. Stone is pioneering biologic joint repair – a surgical technique that uses a patient's own stem cells and donor meniscus cartilage to forestall or avoid invasive surgeries such as total knee replacement. He has been ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members
'A Crude Awakening' Yet in the big picture the "oil age" will be remembered as a mere 200-300 year "blip" in human history – a brief orgy of cheap energy. This is a limited commodity and when gone we are unlikely to have a good replacement. Alternate energy sources lack oil's cheap abundance ...
Where: OaklandCost: $5 Donation
ARCAS Wildlife Rescue in Guatemala!Guatemala is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the Americas. However, this biodiversity is under serious threat by the spread of the agricultural frontier, forest fires, hunting and poaching for the illegal pet trade.The Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Association (ARCAS) has been working for the last 20 years ...
Where: OaklandCost: $12-$20 General, $10-$20 Members
Lunar evidence of Late Heavy Bombardment has been interpreted to suggest that large-body impacting declined rapidly after about 3.8 Ga and that by 3.5 Ga the terrestrial bombardment rate was not much greater than the impact rates of today. In 1986 and 1989 Dr. Lowe and colleagues described four major ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Virus Hunting Joseph DeRisi will discuss new technological approaches to the study of infectious disease, especially viruses. He will use examples from his own work to illustrate the rapidly changing landscape of emerging viral illness.
Where: BelmontCost: Free
Nerd Nite SF #10: Visualization of Science, Undersea Internet, & the Art of VideogamesIdes of March got you down? Come, distract yourself from any lingering sense of foreboding (or other mid-month malaise) with beer and brainpower, as we assimilate this month's presentations on the defense of videogames as art; the very long internet cable under the sea; and the wicked-cool technology behind the ...
Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., is the 18th Surgeon General of the United States. As America's doctor, she provides the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. In this lecture, Dr. Benjamin will discuss her recommendations for a ...
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: Raghib ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Data and Compute-Driven Transformation of Modern ScienceModern science is undergoing a profound transformation as it aims to tackle the complex problems of the 21st Century. It is becoming highly collaborative; problems as diverse as climate change, renewable energy, or the origin of gamma-ray bursts require understanding processes that no single group or community has the skills ...
Dr. Brian Nosek is a renowned social psychologist and scholar of unconscious bias, i.e. thoughts and feelings that are outside of a person's conscious awareness. In this talk, Dr. Nosek will explain what research has to say about where unconscious biases come from and how to measure them. He will ...
James Webb Space Telescope: Science Opportunities and MissionJames Webb Space Telescope: Science Opportunities and MissionAstrophysics Colloquium by John Mather (NASA GSFC)-Nobel Winner!The James Webb Space Telescope, the planned successor for the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope, is making excellent technical progress. It will carry four instruments to cover the wavelength range from 0.6 to ...
The Sun's outer atmosphere or corona is heated to millions of degrees, considerably hotter than its cool surface or photosphere. Explanations for this long-standing enigma typically invoke the deposition in the corona of non-thermal energy generated by the interplay of convection and magnetic fields. However, the exact physical mechanism driving ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Mammal Teeth with Ron CaubleRon will present an expanded version of the lesson he gives on mammal teeth to new employees, covering extant, terrestrial mammals with emphasis on carnivores. A $10 prepaid fee will be charged, and the attendees will be given several skull parts to keep. The course will start at 7 P.M.
Where: BerkeleyCost:
Friday, 03/18/11
Clean Power, Healthy Communities ConferenceBay Localize and the other members of the Local Clean Energy Alliance present their Second Annual Clean Power, Healthy Communities Conference. Join the Local Clean Energy Alliance as they connect community leaders, policy makers, and business innovators with leading-edge clean energy solutions. Continental breakfast, lunch, and conference materials will be ...
Where: OaklandCost: $75
High Performance Computing Challenges for Magnetic Fusion SimulationsSpeaker: Eric Sonnendrucker, Université de StrasbourgPart of the Spring 2011 i4Energy Seminar Series. Live broadcast at mms://media.citris.berkeley.edu/webcast; Questions can be sent via Yahoo IM to username: citrisevents. The schedule for the spring i4energy series is at http://www.citris-uc.org/events/i4energy-spring2011.
Greening apartment BuildingsIn our built-out city, retrofitting existing buildings to conserve water, energy and materials is a key sustainability challenge. In 2010, SPUR convened a task force to identify opportunities to "green" multifamily apartment buildings - which contain more than two-thirds of the city's housing units. Join us for an exploration of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $5 General, Free Members
Contemporary NMR and MRI instruments are big, immobile, hazardous and expensive. I shall describe recent advances in our laboratory aimed at translating some of the capabilities of NMR and MRI onto a mobile microfluidic chip platform. Components of the converging methodologies include optical pumping and detection, functionalized Xenon biosensors, and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
A Family/Group OvernightSpend a night under the stars or with some really cool exhibits. Join us for Slumber with the Stars, Chabot's newest family night out. An overnight in our Center that includes games, exhibit exploration, hike in the Redwoods, a live planetarium show and viewing through our renowned, large telescopes.* An ...
Where: OaklandCost: $85 General, $75 Members
Full Moon HikeJoin us for a full moon hike through the redwoods. As you explore the forest, your guide will discuss planetary orbits, seasonal changes in the sky, and the importance of the "Hunters' Moon." You will also learn how to predict which planets will be visible in the night sky. After the ...
Bedtime with the Beasts is a special overnight program for youth groups (ages 6-18) and their chaperones. An Oakland Zoo education specialist will lead your group on an evening hike around the zoo where you'll get a look at what the zoo is like after all of the guests leave. ...
Where: OaklandCost: $60
Nuclear Crisis in JapanJoin event co-sponsors Green Action Japan, International Forum on Globalization (IFG), Earth Island Institute, David Brower Center, and INOCHI for a talk by IFG's Japan Fellow, Aileen Mioko Smith, of Green Action Japan about the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan. Are Japanese officials are doing enough to protect civilians from ...
California Marine Biodiversity: Knowing the Past and Planning for the FutureThe California coast includes some of the most diverse marine habitats in the world, but the health of our coastal habitats is at risk. Climate change, pollution, and overfishing threaten to diminish the vitality of the marine ecosystems which play ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
Open MakeOpen Make is a monthly program at the Exploratorium, in collaboration with Make Magazine and Pixar Animation Studios, to highlight the tools, techniques, and ingenuity of local makers. Visitors are invited to participate in tinkering and making activities in the museum's new Tinkering Studio. Makers from the bay area will ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Sun Earth DayCelebrate the spring equinox at the Hall! Visit our Planetarium for demonstrations and activities about the Sun, the Earth, and their magnetism. Learn what makes the equinox so special and why the days get longer and shorter throughout the year. Understand seasonal changes in the shadows cast by the Hall's ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with admission
The Current Status of Climate Change - A Non-Partisan AnalysisBecause of its huge economic and political implications, Climate Change is rarely presented without spin. This will be an attempt to do that. I'll discuss the physics of the greenhouse effect, and the data that indicate global warming. Among key topics are: Copenhagen -- why did we fail to get ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Horticultural Walk: Southern AfricaSpring is always an exciting time in the UC Botanical Garden and one that ends much too soon. After the winter rains, early annuals and spring flowering bulbs fill the Southern African Area with color. Come and see the floral display in full bloom before it is gone for another ...
Explore the evening magic of Muir Woods, learning about the secret nightlife of an old-growth redwood forest.This special walk begins one hour before sunset and will conclude with the dark of night! We'll listen for owls, look for bats, and use our senses to guide us through the trails.This is an ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
Saturday Night StargazingSee the Moon, Planets, Stars, Galaxies and More* Stargaze through astronomical telescopes* Ask questions and talk with amateur astronomers* Learn how to use a star map to find constellations* Share in the wonder of the universe with your friendsStargazing is always weather permitting-be sure to dress warmly. Foggy and overcast ...
Science Sunday: Beneath the Antarctic Ice: Scientific Diving and ExplorationDiving in Antarctica involves cold water and adverse weather conditions. Divers in cold water have a higher air consumption rate, expend more energy, and can become more fatigued. These conditions, and the special gear needed to dive safely, require advance training and experience, the kind that Steve Clabuesch and Cecilia ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Wetlands Restoration: The 50-year Journey Follow the progress of the largest wetlands restoration project on the West Coast. Learn about the 50-year plan to restore a mix of wetlands habitats to the South Bay. Program will begin indoors but will move outside via an easy 0.25-mile trail to a view of the salt ponds. All ...
