Relating neurons to perception in stereo visionStereo "3D" vision refers to the depth perception we have by virtue of viewing the world through two slightly offset eyes. This ability is receiving attention at the moment because advances in digital technology have made it much easier to display high-quality stereo media. While the basic geometry underlying stereo ...
Some of the biggest changes sweeping the technology world today are new forms of network and computer-enabled cooperation. It was easy enough to see this pattern in open source software development or Wikipedia, a bit more challenging to see how it powered Web 2.0 giants like Google and Amazon, but ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Two graduate student Biology presentations1.Growth and toxicity of (microscopic alga) Heterosigma akashiwo as a function of nutrients, temperature and salinity--RTC graduate student Chris Ikeda2. Predicting impacts of global climate change to native and invasive submerged aquatic vegetation in the San Francisco Estuary--RTC Graduate student Evyan BorgnisThe RTC Seminar Series brings leading local, national, and ...
The Why and How of an All-Flash Enterprise Storage ArrayEnterprise storage is an $30 billion a year industry dominated by spinning disks. Flash storage is poised to take a large chunk of the market, having grown significantly in capacity and production, driven by consumer electronics. Flash's technical advantages over disk promise storage arrays that are faster and easier to ...
Last month twenty-one Stanford GSB students traveled to the end of the earth to explore the past, present, & future of climate change. Come hear their tales of adventure from the high seas and lessons learned during their journey to the last continent.
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Affordable Care Act: What Health Professionals and Consumers Need to KnowGain an understanding of the structure, politics and likely economic impact of the Affordable Care Act within the context of rising costs for the health care system as a whole. Specific topics include the mandate to purchase insurance; the expansion of Medicaid coverage; and the effects of the ACA on ...
Energy is the foundation of modern life. Our transportation, commerce, food, water, housing, medicine, communications and computing all depend on it. Yet energy is in a sweeping period of transition. Renewables are entering the landscape, and unconventional sources of gas and oil are changing our ideas about supply. Opinions on ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free for Members
Bay Area-based journalist Nathanael Johnson discusses All Natural: A Skeptic's Quest for Health and Happiness in an Age of Ecological Anxiety ($25.99). Johnson explores the way we react to what he calls "our overall ecological anxiety" - how many of us are drawn to natural solutions and organic lifestyles while ...
Dr Shizuru will review definitions of both tissue stem cells and "pluripotent" stem cells. She will review the work leading to the recent award of a Nobel Prize to a stem cell biologist. She'll conclude giving an overview on near term, promising therapies from the field of stem cell biology.Speaker: ...
Houge Park Start PartyMeet with members of San Jose Astronomical Society for a Star Party, weather permitting.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Oaks For the Future: Sonoma County's Oak Conservation StrategySonoma County's majestic oaks are evocative of our region's rich ecological history and continue to provide amazing beauty today. But how will we ensure our grandchildren will still have these graceful landscapes to enjoy? Local scientists and oak lovers have developed a "Voluntary Oak Woodland Management Plan for Sonoma County" ...
The last decade has seen a revolution in scientific thinking about astrobiology – the study of possible life beyond earth. Multi-disciplinary research, from extreme environments such as the high Andes Mountains on earth, as well as exploration results such as from MER (Mars Exploration Rover), MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter), Cassini ...
Our ocean coastline is filled with maritime treasures, and we love leading classrooms on our explorations of the magical habitats that ring our shores. In 2013 we begin offering these programs to the public. Come join us as we explore the secrets of sandy beach habitat, then move inland through ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: $20 General, $10 Members
Hiking with a chemist?admiring plants through a chemist's eyesJoin us for our popular series of free public lectures on a broad array of topics related to plants and natural history. Named in honor of its founder, the Wayne Roderick Lecture Series takes place in the Visitor Center of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden. These illustrated presentations are enjoyable for ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Groundhog's Day CelebrationYou're invited to journey into the hills of the Marin Headlands as we take a closer look into the science of weather folklore. Visit a nation of newts, discover the secret lives of groundhog relatives in the Headlands, and learn how weather plays a part in the nature around us.
Calling all Citizen Scientists! – California Phenology Project Become a scientist and contribute to a project studying the timing of plant life cycles throughout the seasons. Are plants responding to climate variability? Come learn about projects being set up in the South Bay and how you can participate. We will begin with an indoor presentation followed by practicing plant monitoring outside, weather permitting. For ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Trekking the ModelJoin a ranger guided tour of the Bay Model, a 1.5 acre hydraulic model of 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
Fish Feeding FrenzyHelp Ranger Bill feed the hungry inhabitants of our fresh and saltwater tanks. Watch the different feeding styles of rock cod, sea stars, and steelhead trout.
Where: SausalitoCost: F
San Mateo County Astronomical Society Star PartyThe City of San Carlos Department of Parks and Recreation and the San Mateo County Astronomical Society have open Star Parties. These events are held in Crestview Park, San Carlos California. Dates and Sunset times are below. Note that inclement weather (clouds, excessive wind and showers) will cause the event ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
Sunday, 02/03/13
Free Day of ScienceFirst Sundays are FREE! OMCA is free all day the first Sunday of every month. Tour the building with members of the Museum's Council on Architecture at 1 pm and enjoy a Docent-led tour of the Gallery of California Art at 2 pm. Grab lunch or a snack at Blue ...
Taking sunlight and converting it to chemical bonds and then to electricity is one of the most promising carbon-neutral energy cycles. At the Chueh group, we are developing new materials to electrochemically convert energy between sunlight, fuel, and electricity. We take a rational approach towards materials discovery and optimization. Using ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
SFMC Teachers' Circle, Alissa CransSFMC is sponsoring monthly dinners just for teachers with a special Math Circle speaker. This program supports a professional learning community built from the strong foundations of the SFMC. Join us for a presentation by MSRI's Alissa Crans. SF Math Circle Teachers' Circle – meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month; to see more details ...
Join Megan Isador, co-founder of the River Otter Ecology Project, for a beautifully illustrated talk about the exciting return of river otters to the Bay Area, what these elusive hunters mean to habitat and healthy watersheds, and how you can help.An avid naturalist and wildlife rescuer, Megan has led volunteers ...
Learn about how an iota of space-time 13.7 billion years ago grew into 100 billion galaxies, including everything we know and love. The big bang is the scientific story of creation and it's supported by a web of evidence pointing to an extremely hot and dense early state for the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $8 Members
Social Prosthetics: Technology and the Human FormWhat gizmo can we use to read our minds, expose our hearts, or settle disputes? What gadget can improve our communication with house plants or buildings or glaciers? We are rapidly reinventing the ways in which we relate to each other and the world around us. Working with communication and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Stories told by RocksEvery rock is a record keeper and has a story that's millionsof years old.Speaker: Dr. Joyce Blueford, Math/Science Nucleus.
Where: OaklandCost: $7 Donation
Tuesday, 02/05/13
Brown Dwarfs, Planetary Mass Objects, and their Disks in the Nearest Star-Forming RegionsObjects with masses (<0.08 solar masses) too small to sustain hydrogen fusion were theorized to exist five decades ago, and discovered 30 years later, due to their extreme faintness. Even less massive (<13 Jupiter or <0.01 solar masses) are the planetary mass objects (PMOs, so-called because they are not orbiting ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Africa's Food Systems in 2030Paul Collier will talk about how to manage the difference between helpful and damaging commercialisation, and puts forth three arguments. First, we need to face the tough reality that African food production has failed to keep pace with demand over the course of several decades, suggesting that there is a ...
Leonard Susskind: The Theoretical Minimum – What You Need to Know to Start Doing PhysicsEver wish you knew more about physics? Want to know how to think like a physicist? Here is your chance. Come listen to world-class physicist Susskind, a father of string theory, to discuss the Theoretical Minimum – an alternative to the conventional go-to-college method. Susskind will discuss what you need ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students
Through all the growing pains and political attacks, the U.S. solar industry is still moving ahead. Costs are down, new financing models are removing capital barriers for residential and commercial buyers, and sun energy is no longer just for hippies. What is the solar forecast for 2013? How will the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Student
