"Learning from Failure"Join us at SRI for a conversation withDonald Shockey, PhD Associate DirectorDirector of SRI's Center for Fracture PhysicsMay 10, 20116:00 to 7:30 p.m.Doors open at 5:15Structural failures happen daily. Most have minor consequences and are unreported to the public, but some have high impact and are high-profile. The ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost:
Small Processors solve Big ProblemsThere's no question that computing is percolating ever more deeply into the lives of billions on people. Smart-phones, distributed applications in the cloud, and embedded intelligence in running in parallel. Unhappily, Moore's Law scaling of existing processor types isn't enough to keep up with the energy-efficiency demands of all these ...
Where: San JoseCost: $2 Donation for food and drinks
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
The Graduate School of Business' Knight Management Center: LEED + PVAn interactive presentation on the design and implementation of the Graduate School of Business' goals for sustainability at it's new Knight Management Center campus. Kathleen Kavanaugh, LEED AP and Program Director at the Knight Management Center will discuss the vision for the campus, which is seeking LEED Platinum certification from ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Thursday, 05/12/11
Sustainable Urbanism?Speaker: Peter Calthorpe, Founder, Calthorpe Associates; Author, Urbanism in the Age of Climate ChangeHow should the climate imperative change community design? What is sustainable urbanism? Will federal and state governments make long-term investments in public mobility when they are in such dire fiscal straits? What are China and other countries ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $65 General, $45 Members, $15 Student
NASA to Host Video Chat Showcasing SOFIA Science NASA invites the public to join an online video chat about viewing the infrared universe with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Project Scientist Pamela Marcum will take questions for approximately one hour at 10 a.m. PDT / 1 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 12. Participants in the live video ...
Pole PositionWill plug-in hybrids or pure electric vehicles get more traction with car buyers looking for cool and clean wheels? What are the tradeoffs of the competing technologies? What are the manufacturing and infrastructure implications? What policies and price signals would help advance all these technologies? Join us for a ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $65 General, $45 for Members
How to manage climate change in the Bay Area The climate is changing, and how we cope with reduced snowpack in the Sierras, rising sea levels on the edges of the Bay and changing weather patterns will dramatically affect planning in our region. SPUR's new report on climate change adaptation reflects two years of work evaluating climate change impacts ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $5 General, Free for SPUR members
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. Advanced reservations required.
Essentially all sustainable energy systems rely on the energy influx from the sun. In order to store solar energy it is most conveniently transformed into a chemical form, a fuel. The key to provide an efficient transformation of energy to a chemical form is the availability of suitable catalysts, and ...
In honor of the Academy's brand new exhibit, Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither, Nightlife will be slithering, hopping and crawling with scaled critters from around the world. This week, the exhibit is open during NightLife for the first time. Hear about snakes & venom from the Academy's top ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Climate Capitalism, with Hunter LovinsJoin us as we welcome L. Hunter Lovins, coauthor of the bestselling Natural Capitalism, to the Ecology Center to speak about her new book, Climate Capitalism. In it, Lovins and sustainability expert Boyd Cohen prove that the best route to rebuilding our economy, our cities, and our job markets, as ...
The James Webb Space Telescope is the next in the line of NASA's Great Observatories, a scientific successor to both the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. This space observatory will see the first galaxies to form in the universe, and explore how stars are born and give rise to planetary ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
The Wild World of FrogsHow long do frogs live? How many types of frogs are there? What's the difference between a frog and a toad? Why are frogs disappearing worldwide and what can be done to save them? Dr. Kriger answers all these questions and more as he introduces the audience to The Wild ...
Dinner, Movie and the Universe: Rub Elbows with the StarsJoin us Friday* and Saturday evenings for Chabot's evening social rendezvous: Dinner, A Movie, and the Universe. Enjoy a chef-prepared dinner, as part of a unique after-dark experience at the Center. From your table, take in the views of Chabot's telescope ...
Where: OaklandCost:
The Incredible Human Body with Science Smart KidsIn"The Incredible Human Body", children ages 7 - 12 can explore the amazing human body-from the skin (the body's largest organ) down to the bones of the human skeleton. Theywill learn about how food is digested, how the brain makes sense of the information brought in through the 5 senses, ...
Come to the Zoo and become a true wildlife biologist. Learn about researching in the field, and do a bit of research yourself! Meet one of our education animal ambassadors up close and learn about the tools it has to be successful in the wild. Explore the Zoo at night, ...
Where: OaklandCost: $45 per person
Come to Foothill Observatory and join us in the exploration of our Universe!Foothill Observatory Friday Evening ProgramCome to Foothill Observatory and join us in the exploration of our Universe!Foothill Observatory is open for public viewing every clear Friday evening from 9:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Visitors can view the wonders of the universe through the observatory's new computer-controlled 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Views ...
Join us at Muir Woods for our 11th annual International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD), a free event filled with activities and fun for all ages.IMBD is observed every year by hundred of thousands of people. Throughout the Western Hemisphere, people flock to parks, community centers, refuges, and town squares to ...
Sometimes it is the little things that count... like Plankton! We'll catch plankton with you from our dock, and take a closer look on our 10' screen in the Marine Science Center at these amazing creatures. Better than science fiction, we'll learn how these plants and animals survive and build ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: $20/Family, $10/Member Family
Rainwater Catchment, Greywater, Earthworks Tour at the EcoHouseTurn your house and yard into a water saving site with greywater systems, rainwater catchment, earthworks, and appropriate landscaping choices. You'll learn about the greywater system at the EcoHouse, the first permitted residential constructed wetland/greywater system in the State of California and the first greywater system in Berkeley to be ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $15 General, $10 Members
YSI Insect FairWalking sticks, silkworms and hissing cockroaches will be there, so why not you? At this family-oriented hands-on affair children and adults get an up-close look at live insects, spiders, scorpions, millipedes and more. YSI instructors and volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions and help you get hands-on. ...
Where: SaratogaCost: Free, donation requested, $6 park admission
See the world through the eyes of the mission blue butterfly, on this guided walk with park experts through different types of habitat that these endangered butterflies inhabit. With Susie Bennett (NPS Natural Resource Specialist), Claire Beyer (Parks Conservancy Project Coordinator and Resource Specialist), and Caroline ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
History of the Bay ModelJoin Ranger Thomas for an in-depth look into the history of the Bay Model from its beginning to the present. The program will look back at the purpose of the Bay Model and how it was instrumental in helping scientists understand the hydrology of the San Francisco Bay.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Physics Fun for Kids 5+Dr. Gunjan Chakravarty, PH.D will wow and inspire your kids with Physics all around you! This fun workshop will show kids how they are experiencing physics everyday naturally. For ages 5 and up.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Traveling Reptile Program by the East Bay VivariumThis one hour program features between 20 and 30 reptiles and other CREEPIES, CRAWLIES and CRITTERS (ex. Tarantula, frogs, lizards, snakes). They teach natural history, animal husbandry and safety.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
'SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories'Everywhere you look in Southern Louisiana (SoLa) there's water -- bayous, swamps, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico. And everyone in Cajun Country has a water story, or two or three. SoLa's waterways are also home to the biggest economies in Louisiana -- a $70 billion a year oil ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Traveling Reptile Program by the East Bay VivariumThis one hour program features between 20 and 30 reptiles and other CREEPIES, CRAWLIES and CRITTERS (ex. Tarantula, frogs, lizards, snakes). They teach natural history, animal husbandry and safety.
Make Your MarkUse science to inspire art.The world around us provides a myriad of tools to make artistic marks on paper and canvas- from sticks to water, leaves to air. First we'll consider Exploratorium exhibits such as Aeolian Landscape and Icy Bodies as works of art. Then we'll try some less traditional ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $80/family ($55/family for members)
Take an easy stroll with Nike Veteran David Bridgman along Pacifica's Milagra Ridge--former gun emplacement, Nike missile site, and now the last stand for a quarter-sized endangered butterfly.Turn north (uphill) at the traffic light at the intersection of Sharp Park Road and College Drive, and meet at the gate.Leashed pets ...
Where: PacificaCost: Free
ALIENS VS: VAMPIRES: Adaptations in fish predation"There are times when life imitates art. Then there are times when life imitates science fiction," noted Carl Zimmer of the New York Times. "One of the most famous monsters in film history is the extraterrestrial beast of the "Alien" series. It slowly opened its glistening fangs to reveal a ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Animals of the Garden Children's WalkChildren, with their parent or chaperones, are invited on this journey to discover the many wonderful creatures living in the Garden. On our animal hunt, we will learn about newts, birds, butterflies, frogs, lizards, snakes and more! Hone your skills of observation and learn how plants and animals live together.
Where: BerkeleyCost: $10 each adult and child
Monday, 05/16/11
Laser Plasma Accelerators: From Dream Towards RealityAccelerators are essential tools of discovery and have many practical uses. More than three decades ago, lasers were proposed as power sources for driving novel accelerators based on plasmas as the accelerating medium. An overview will be presented of the basic principles of laser plasma accelerators (LPA) and of the ...
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is developing chalcogenide glass fibers for applications in the IR wavelength region from 1-12 µm. The chalcogenide glasses (i.e., glasses based on the elements S, Se, and Te) are transparent in the IR, possess low phonon energies, are chemically durable, and can be drawn into fiber. Purification techniques have been developed to make ...
This talk discusses a plan to power 100% of the world's energy for all purposes with wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) within the next 20-40 years. The talk starts by reviewing and ranking major proposed energy-related solutions to global warming, air pollution mortality, and energy security while considering other impacts ...
Our understanding of the universe is about to change. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest particle accelerator, is being used by physicists at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland, to discover the Higgs boson, which some have referred to as the God particle, since it is required for particles to ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free for Members, $7 Students
Attached: The Science of Romantic RelationshipsAccording to psychiatrist and neuroscientist Levine and social psychologist Heller, authors of "Attached", one's adult romantic partnerships have patterns similar to those one has as a child with one's parents. Our need for attachment, they conclude, is hardwired into our brains but each of us expresses it differently. Focusing on ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Free 3-Session Climate Action WorkshopPut the gloom and doom of climate change aside for a moment. Instead, imagine living in a resilient community where your bills are smaller, your air is clearer, and your personal and national security are protected. That world is possible, and the Ecology Center invites you to co-create it. Minimize ...
