The talk will describe (technically, but in laymen's terms) what happened at the Fukushima reactors during and after the disastrous March 11 earthquake and tsunami, what the radioactive releases have been and what they mean, and what the path forward seems to be at the site. The potential implications that ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Open Space Authority presents: Outreach to the Outdoors!Come learn all about the mysterious and beautiful plants and animals that live right here in your open spaces. See what we have in store for Fall hikes and adventures for you, your friends and your family. Come meet the people who love to show you the nature in your ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Neptune NightGetting the blues never felt so good. Mark the anniversary of Neptune's first solar orbit since its discovery. This blue-themed event will be fun for all ages as visitors enjoy hands-on activities, point telescopes to the sky for some nighttime viewing and engage in conversations about the blue planet.
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
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 ...
In celebration of National Public Lands Day, entry is free today to Muir Woods National Monument.For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/muwo.
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
San José Clean Energy ShowcaseCome see the latest in solar, wind turbine, electric vehicle and solar hot water technologies. Bring the family and get everyone excited about clean energy! The time for clean energy is now! With money-saving rebates from the State, making home energy improvements has never been easier or more affordable. Come ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Kids Bird Count in the PresidioDid you know that the Presidio is a birding hotspot in the Bay Area? After a short "binocular bootcamp and birding basics" kids and their families will join experienced birders in teams on different routes throughout the Presidio. After an easy 2 hour walk counting observed bird life, groups will ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
MechanicrawlSpend a delightful day exploring the mechanical marvels along San Francisco's North Shore. See giant running steam engines, turn-of-the-century automata, mechanical computers, a wave organ, an 8 foot high mechanical planetarium, vintage steam boats and more...You'll be able to map your own route for the event and spend as much ...
Join Aquarium of the Bay and others at AnimalPalooza. Come to a wild celebration of animals that brings you closer to nature than ever before. Experience up-close, hands-on encounters with animals from around the world. Touch a shark jaw, hold a beetle, stroke a millipede, hug a python, befriend a frog, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $16.95 Adults, $10 Children & Seniors, $46 Family
Gold Fever: How the Gold Rush Forever Changed SF BayIn 1848 gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, luring people by the thousands to California. Join Ranger Tammi to find out how this event changed San Francisco Bay forever.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
FIRST Robotics LeagueWhat the Olympics are for sports and the Nobel Prize is to science, FIRST Robotics is to kid's engineering.Take part in the most prestigious robotics competition for youth in the world this fall by joining Celsius and Beyond team. You will learn about project management, computer programming, robotics design, analytical ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $950 advance, $330 per month
Come to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands and get an up-close view of the fall raptor migration with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO), a cooperative program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service.A GGRO docent gives an hour-long talk about hawk monitoring and identification ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Robert Ferguson Observatory - Public Solar ViewingSeptember 24 Solar: Noon - 4:00 PM Observatory Admission: Solar Viewing and Planet-Walk are FREE.Docents will be on hand to safely show you our only star; the Sun, through specially filtered telesccopes and other devices. This is both a fun and safe experience for the whole family! Tours of the observatory ...
Where: KenwoodCost: Free - Donations accepted.
Could a Biblical Ark Flood Strike California?Is there really evidence to support that there are times when it can actually rain as long as 40 days and 40 nights in CA? Where will all that water go? Meet Ranger Linda at the reception desk, and find out more.
The Marine Mammal Center is a nonprofit veterinary research hospital and educational center dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of ill and injured marine mammals. In 2009, the center opened a new facility in its original location in the Marin Headlands, a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. ...
Where: SausalitoCost:
NASA Interplanetary Missions with NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric NorrisNASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric B. Norris will present an exciting multimedia look at current NASA interplanetary missions, including the Dawn mission to Vesta, the Juno mission to Jupiter, and the soon-to-be-launched Mars Curiosity Rover. Eric will also update us on other missions throughout the solar system from Mercury to Pluto.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Robert Ferguson Observatory - Public Observing NightThe Robert Ferguson Oservatory (RFO) is open to the public at least once a month, usually on a Saturday near the time of the New Moon. Solar telescopes are set up during the day so you can safely look at and listen to the Sun.Starting at dusk, the observatory's three ...
SMCAS Star Party Come out and bring the kids for a mind expanding look at the universe.Setup of telescopes begins around sunset, with observations beginning about 1 hour later.
Come to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands and get an up-close view of the fall raptor migration with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO), a cooperative program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service.A GGRO docent gives an hour-long talk about hawk monitoring and identification ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Raptors HikeJoin a Park Ranger on a hike to explore our local winged hunters in the sky. Learn about a raptor's role in the environment and how to easily identify these hawks, falcons and eagles. Bring water, sun protection and sturdy hiking shoes. Field guides and binoculars recommended. Meet at the ...
Where: SaratogaCost: Free
Passive House California MeetingTerry Nordbye, builder of the CLAM 2 Passive House, will share details of his current retrofit project. We'll then facilitate a group discussion of the September 9 Passive House Retrofit Event: what were key highlights and lessons learned? what questions remain, and what are your ideas for future presentations, training, ...
Simple connectivity is complicated: an introduction to the Dehn functionA lot of good math starts by taking an existence theorem and asking ``How many?'' or ``How big?'' or ``How fast''. The best-known example may be the Riemann hypothesis. Euclid proved that infinitely many primes exist, and the Riemann hypothesis describes how quickly they grow.I'll discuss what happens when you apply ...
The solar cell field is changing. We are finally approaching the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) limit for single junction solar cell ~33.5% efficiency under the standard solar spectrum. Previously, the record had been stuck at 25.1%, during 1990-2007. Why then the 8% discrepancy between the theoretical limit 33.5% versus the previously achieved efficiency?It ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Tuesday, 09/27/11
Celebrating the Jewish New Year: Our Role in our Planet's HealthAt Rosh Hashanah, Jews celebrate the world's birthday, and take stock of our year, recognizing our role in our ecosystem's perpetuation and in its harm, vowing to improve. This session will examine why sustainability matters, the role of food and water systems in a sustainable ecosystem, and the vital role ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Nuclear Energy After FukushimaThe media and public reaction to the nuclear accident at Fukushima involving light water reactors and their associated spent-fuel storage pools threaten to cripple the nuclear renaissance that is humanity's best hope for mitigating climate disruption, Shu contends. He will review how light water reactors and the "once-through" fuel cycle ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $10 General, IEEE members varies
NASA Interplanetary Missions with NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric NorrisNASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric B. Norris will present an exciting multimedia look at current NASA interplanetary missions, including the Dawn mission to Vesta, the Juno mission to Jupiter, and the soon-to-be-launched Mars Curiosity Rover. Eric will also update us on other missions throughout the solar system from Mercury to Pluto.
The Search for the Dark Matter of the UniverseAstronomers infer that the universe contains huge amounts of a mysterious, invisible substance called "dark matter". To account for the structure of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, the universe must contain six times more dark matter than ordinary atomic matter. We do not know what this stuff is made of. ...
With the Environmental Protection Agency under attack on Capitol Hill and national climate legislation rotting in the compost pile, it is a challenging time for environmentalists. Some organizations have shifted their sights away from Washington, D.C., to states and cities, where they see better prospects, albeit on a smaller scale. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General
Cassini/Huygens results for the Titan HazeDr. West will review what is known about Titan's massive global haze. Most remarkable is the behavior of a thin high layer which has undergone a large-amplitude seasonal change in altitude, returning to the altitude observed by the Voyager cameras almost 30 years (1 Titan year) earlier.Dr. West is an ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Adapting to sea level rise in Alameda County The Bay Area is already working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but mitigation alone will not adequately address impending sea level rise and other climate change impacts. We must take action to reduce our vulnerability to these impacts, a niche partially being filled by the new Adapting to Rising Tides ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10 General, Free Members
IBM has been pioneering the application of the science of information for 100 years and played a major role in inventing and shaping a new industry. As part of its Centennial Celebration, IBM is partnering in 2011 with leading universities around the globe to explore how the world has changed ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Energy Storage: A Current AssessmentEnergy storage -- such as batteries, compressed air and pumped hydro facilities -- has been called the "Holy Grail" of the electricity grid. These technologies can balance intermittent solar and wind energy, reduce peak energy demand and provide important grid services, among other roles. But barriers such as high costs, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Interplanetary Missions with NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric NorrisNASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Eric B. Norris will present an exciting multimedia look at current NASA interplanetary missions, including the Dawn mission to Vesta, the Juno mission to Jupiter, and the soon-to-be-launched Mars Curiosity Rover. Eric will also update us on other missions througout the solar system from Mercury to Pluto.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Science and Reason with Skeptics in the Pub, West BaySkeptics in the Pub, West BayFiddlers Green, MillbraeIf 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 in the Pub is a monthly ...
Where: MillbraeCost:
What's in Our Genes?: How our genes make us who we areMarin Science Seminar for Teens, Educators & their Families presents:What makes us male or female? What makes us susceptible to disease? What makes us different from each other? And what makes us different from other animals? Come learn the answer to these questions. It's all in our genes!Dr. Gitschier's laboratory ...
Open Space Authority presents: Outreach to the Outdoors!Did you know that within your county you have thousands of acres of preserved land just waiting for you to come explore? Come meet the people who can tell you all about the plants and animals that live here. Let us show you what you're missing! Everyone is welcome for ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
'The Other Saber-tooths' book signing with John BabiarzJohn Babiarz will be signing his new book, "The Other Saber-tooths: Scimitar-tooth Cats of the Western Hemisphere". After a short talk starting at 7 P.M., John will sign copies of his book. Mark Hallett's art will be up through October.
Where: BerkeleyCost: FREE
Sea Otter Awareness Week: Two Free LecturesSurf, or Turf? Investigating Infectious Disease Dynamics in the Near-shore EcosystemNearly extirpated by fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters now persist in fragmented populations that extend from Russia to California. Infectious diseases have been implicated as an important cause of sea otter mortality. Determining the source, ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Triumphing Over Type 1 Diabetes: Tips & Tricks for Control & FreedomA team of physician, and 3 Certified Diabetes Educators/Registered Nurses & Dieticians will share the latest thinking on nutrition, exercise, and continuous glucose monitoring to empower a Type 1 diabetic with the knowledge & skills necessary for a life of control & vitality. Speakers include Marina Basina, MD, a clinical ...
