2013 California Cognitive Science Conference This conference brings together world famous scholars, educators, inventors, and students from all over the world for a day of featured talks, workshops, and presentations. This year, we are excited to explore "Learning and Memory: The Enlightened Mind," through the lens of Artificial Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Neurobiology, Cognitive Linguistics, Education, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $25 General Admission, $20 Students
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of Audobon Canyon Ranch's 535-acre Bouverie Preserve. Participants are divided into small groups and paired with a trained Bouverie volunteer to explore the mixed evergreen forest, flower-carpeted oak woodland and rugged chaparral. Guided Nature Walks range from two to five miles. Visitors of all ages are ...
In the early years of aviation, airplane technology advanced in leaps and bounds-yet airport development lagged behind. Into this void came the seaplane, an aircraft able to fly without need of runways to any destination near an ocean or lake.By the 1930s seaplanes held absolute speed records and inaugurated air ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free with admission
Space DayCelebrate space! Train like an astronaut, blast off to Mars in a simulated mission in our Challenger Learning Center, explore cutting edge telescope technology, and engage in hands-on activities. Dr. Maria Kazachenko, Assistant Researcher at UC Berkeley, will lead an interactive discussion on advances in telescope technology and how it ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Stevens Creek History HikeLearn about the first people to live in this area and how things changed over time as European settlers came and impacted the land. Hike about 2 miles to explore various features and discover how this park's namesake played a pivotal role in the settlement of California. Meet at the ...
Where: CupertinoCost: Free
Starry Night HikeEnjoy twilight, stargazing, and the nighttime environment on a 3.6-mile hike. Discover how to find night sky "objects" with binoculars and hear legends associated with spring constellations of the Northern Hemisphere. Meet at the Sandy Wool upper parking lot (near dog park) with sturdy footwear, layered clothing, and water. Bring ...
Where: MilpitasCost: Free
A family Scrapbook of the UniverseMay 4 Public Astronomy Program At Muir Heritage Land Trust Please join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for a May 4th astronomy program at Muir Heritage Land Trust, 1075 Christie Road, Martinez, CA 94553. Event is from 7:45 to 9:30 PM. "A family Scrapbook of the Universe"See stars, nebula, galaxies, clusters, the ...
Where: MartinezCost: Free
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, 05/05/13
Lecture - From I to We: People and the Plants and Animals that Accompany Us on EarthWhat matters more: our human communities or the natural world? This question, or a variant of it, drives environmental debates, and also drives a wedge between progressive movements. Brent Plater, founder and director of the Wild Equity Institute, will describe what his organization is doing to get past this dilemma ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
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 ...
In less than a decade, China has become the world's largest maker of solar panels. Now China's solar industry is bleeding - the result of a too-fast expansion, a global recession, and a pullback in government subsidies from Europe, traditionally the world's largest solar market. China's furious ramp-up of solar-panel ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
BAASICS.3: The Deep EndMay 6, 2013, 7-9pm (doors @ 6:30)Psychiatric and neurologic conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, and dementia have been associated with genius or prophetic insight since antiquity. In the fourth century B.C.E., Aristotle claimed "that all men who have attained excellence in philosophy, in poetry, in art and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Tuesday, 05/07/13
Postcards from Chelyabinsk Meteor astronomer Dr. Peter Jenniskens participated in a two-week Russian Academy of Sciences fact-finding mission to , just three weeks after the event, to collect data on the February 15 asteroid impact and the extent of the damage caused by its shock wave.Dr. Jenniskens will talk about his trip ...
SFMC Teachers' Circle, Bruce CohenSFMC is sponsoring monthly dinners just for teachers with a special Math Circle speaker.Join us for our next event (May 7, 2013) for a presentation by SFUSD teacher Bruce Cohen. SF Math Circle Teachers' Circle meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month to share great math with wonderful Bay area ...
The Chicxulub Impact crater is the best-preserved multi-ring impact basin on Earth, and it has allowed scientists to study one of the most important and dramatic geological events in the Universe. In this seminar, I will be talking about the history of the science that led to the discovery of ...
Where: Moss LandingCost: Free
Nutrients in San Francisco Estuary: connecting science and managementSpeakers: Dr. David Senn, SFEIThe RTC Seminar Series brings leading local, national, and international scientists to a public forum at RTC to speak about the latest advances in science, and provides an opportunity for graduate students to present research in progress. The Series is open to the public. Join us ...
Building computers from bacteriophage: data, communication, logic within biologocal cellsModest amounts of computing within living systems would be useful. I'll review work published over the last 12 months introducing rewritable digital data storage within chromosomes, cell-cell communication via engineered DNA messaging, and Boolean logic gates that control the flow of RNA polymerase along DNA. A free and frank discussion ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to LeadThirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women's voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives. In Lean In, Sheryl ...
Bring your inner sixth grader to a meeting of the Bay Area Skeptics! Good teachers have used claims of the paranormal to teach scientific reasoning to elementary and middle school students. Join Bay Area Skeptics as Dr. Eugenie Scott guides you in formulating experiments to test paranormal claims. Audience participation ...
NuStar was launched into orbit in June of 2012. The telescope was lofted into orbit with a Pegasus rocket, which was itself dropped from the belly of an L-1011 airliner before igniting its rocket and going up, way up! The NuStar mission is to explore the high energy X-ray cosmos ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free
The Future of FoodThe Future of Food is about the intersection of food, politics, the environment, and personal health. Bittman will discuss "non-foods, like soda, and their impact, as well as how policy pushes foods, like wheat, meat, and dairy, that may be in no one's best interest" as well as "the sticks ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Thursday, 05/09/13
TEDxHayward: Applied Peace InnovationIn the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded ...
Go 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, free with admission. Reservations required: (831) 459-3800.
Fraud in PhotographyIn this talk, Mr. Edwards discusses the history and current status of photographic fraud and detection. Case studies range from the earliest forged photographs to historically famous cases to current fraud. Also considered are borderline cases where fraud may have been preformed or the photographer may have just wanted to ...
How can the relationship between scientists and politicians be improved, and how can that relationship benefit public policy? Award-winning journalist, author, and science educator Ira Flatow and a distinguished panel of scientists, social entrepreneurs, elected officials, and policymakers will discuss how public perceptions of the authority and reliability of science-and ...
Open your ears and your soul-this week we're exploring the intersection of sound and emotion with help from swissnex San Francisco. At interactive stations set up by scientist Eduardo Coutinho, listen to a plant make music, and explore how emotions are expressed differently in music and the human voice. See ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Women and Under-represented Students of Color in STEM EducationThe global competitiveness of the United States and of California has been attributed, in part, to our aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). We are losing this lead. Despite the high demand and compensation in many STEM fields, there is a scarcity of women and under-representation of students ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 standard, $8 members, students free (with vali
Our Changing Seas: Voyage to an Earth that No One Has Seen Before Howard Spero, PhD, is a professor and Chairman of the Department of Geology at the University of California, Davis. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, American Association for the Advancement of Science and the California Academy of Sciences. Dr. Spero conducts research at the interface between ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
'Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal' talk and book signing with Mary RoachBest-selling author Mary Roach returns to The Bone Room Presents for a talk and signing of her latest book "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal."In "Gulp," "America's funniest science writer" (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on a unforgettable tour of our insides. The alimentary canal is classic Mary ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: free
Hack the Sky? A Public Debate on Geoengineering Since the scale of the climate change crisis became clear, our response has focused on trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to maintain the climate at something like the pre-industrial status quo. But what if that is no longer possible? With the world's nations unwilling to reduce their emissions, a ...
Shark Attack and Attack on SharksDavid McGuire is Founder and Director of Sea Stewards. As a Research Associate of the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Sciences, McGuire conducts a shark research program that includes population studies, movements, and fisheries impacts. This presentation will include a showing of McGuire's new short film and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Friday, 05/10/13
National Public Gardens DayCome celebrate National Public Gardens Day with UCBG! National Public Gardens Day is a celebration of America's public gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation and education. Better Homes and Gardens magazine offers BHG readers a free admission coupon for two to ...
Join Ira Flatow for the live broadcast of National Public Radio's Science Friday, the weekly science radio program broadcast to more than one million listeners across hundreds of NPR's affiliate stations. The program's slogan is "making science radioactive."Berg Hall
Our world's most pressing challenges, such as Climate Change, energy insecurity, water insecurity, social inequity, and food insecurity are integrated challenges that are marked by scale, complexity, and urgency. In some ways, the state of the crisis is a manifestation of our current approaches and institutional structures. Our disciplines work ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Exploratorium: A Learning Laboratory for the 21st CenturySite, science and architecture converge to expand our notions of place, learning and landscape. The Exploratorium, the world-renowned museum of science and learning laboratory, founded and based in San Francisco, opens in April at its new location along the Embarcadero waterfront. Architect L'Italien and artist Lani will discuss how this ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free Members, $7 Students
History of the DeltaLearn about the history of the delta - from the early 1800s up to 2012 - from framing, discovery of gold, railroad building, and levee building to the present time with Ranger Bill. 1,000 miles in scope, 60-80 man made islands, and a population that exceeds 500,000! Historical. Educational. Informative.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Rocks Don't Lie: Noah's Flood and the History of the EarthSpeaker: David R. Montgomery is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he leads the Geomorphological Research Group and is a member of the Quaternary Research Center. Montgomery received his B.S. in geology from Stanford University in 1984, and his Ph.D. in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Green Expectations: Current Effects of Anticipated Carbon PricingMarkets respond not just to current emission policies but also to expectations of future emission policies. We show that a future carbon pricing policy has an anticipation effect which, in theory, increases emissions prior to the policy's start date. We then identify this anticipation effect in energy markets: coal futures ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Problems with and solutions to global sustainability: culture, biology, and sociopolitical practicesThis is the final event in the Berkeley Sawyer Seminar series on "Speciesism and the Future of Humanity," funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, featuring lectures and discussion with Paul Ehrlich and Clive Hamilton. Please RSVP to ematthes@berkeley.eduFeatured Speakers: Paul Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies and Director of ...
Join three certified science fiction and space nuts in an evening illustrating how storytelling and science come together in the most natural of ways. Structured around the "Scientific Method of Story," Jim Capobianco, Kevin O'Brien and Derek Thompson, an Apollo triumvirate of story knowledge, will illustrate their talk with images, ...
Where: OaklandCost: $23 General, $20 Members in advance; $29 at door