To Build an Eliptical GalaxyI discuss two essential aspects of elliptical galaxy formation: how they get their stars, and how they lose their gas. For the former, I use integral-field observations of local massive galaxies to study the stellar populations and kinematics of stars at large radius, to understand the origin of the size ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Long Term CareAs aging adults look to the future, questions regarding long term care abound. Long term care provides assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and eating. It is neither medical nor is it independent living. This talk will address long term care options, including the types of plans available, payment options, ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION (THE MOST DANGEROUS SECRET) AND ITS REMEDIATIONOcean acidification is a consequence of the Industrial Age's emissions of CO2, which gradually dissolves in seas, forming carbonic acid. Sea life performs the net carbon sequestration for the planet via calcifying organisms that build shells or skeletons from the calcium carbonate ions in seawater. When these organisms die, they ...
Dr. Steven Chu is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University. Prior to his role at Stanford, Dr. Chu served as the 12th U.S. Secretary of Energy under President Barack Obama from January 2009 until April 2013. As the longest serving Energy ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Leonard Susskind & Art Friedman: Quantum Mechanics - The Theoretical Minimum Come hear physicist Susskind and data engineer Friedman present a lively and accessible introduction to a famously difficult field, the theory and associated mathematics of quantum mechanics, which attempts to understand the behavior of sub-atomic objects through mathematical abstractions. Susskind and Friedman offer crystal-clear explanations of the principles of quantum ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students
Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman: The Last DoublingIs growth always good? The biggest threat to our existence on planet Earth isn't asteroids-it's us. Why can't our population continue to grow? Learn about the exponential function and the conclusions we can draw from it.18 and over only.
Meteor ShowerHang out on the hill with us as we watch the Camelopardalids light up the night sky. Astronomers were taken by surprise with this meteor shower as there is little evidence that it has ever been visible! Conversation with scientists, hot drinks for sale, the night sky ablaze-what a great ...
Where: OaklandCost: $5
Seals and Slippers: Sleep under the stars at The Marine Mammal CenterLast fall we piloted our first ever sleepover at The Marine Mammal Center. Five lucky families camped out under the stars accompanied by the sounds of barking sea lions. Parents and children took part in a variety of educational programs including fish dissections in the Necropsy Lab, they watched a ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $85 each (parent and child)
Saturday, 05/24/14
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
Saturn V - The First 700 SecondsWatching the launch of the Apollo missions, who can forget the countdown, ignition sequence, and images of furious gas at blastoff? What we saw - the extent of what was broadcast on the daily news - is a very small fraction of all that led to NASA's greatest achievements. Engage ...
Where: OaklandCost:
Sunday, 05/25/14
Lynch Canyon Field TripEnter into Lynch Canyon's 1,039 acres to explore rolling grasslands, spring wildflowers, oak woodlands and spectacular views. The area is rich in human history – from Native Americans, to pioneers, to the not-so-distant past when Lynch Canyon was slated to become a landfill, to today with its permanent protection and ...
Where: VallejoCost: $5 per vehicle
Saving Species: Endangered Marine MammalsThis month we celebrate the endangered and threatened marine mammals found along the California coast and Pacific Ocean, including the massive blue whale, Steller sea lions, fur seals, and the rarest seal in the United States, the Hawaiian monk seal. Docent-led tours will take you around the hospital showcasing some of the ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Junior Academy: Naturalist Know-howCalifornia Academy of SciencesSundays at 2pm – 2:45pm (sign-up at 1:30pm) Naturalist Center / Lab (Level 3 across from the Planetarium exit)This program is designed for youth ages 8 to 11. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited to 20 youth with attending adults. Onsite registration is ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with Academy admission
Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman: The Last DoublingIs growth always good? The biggest threat to our existence on planet Earth isn't asteroids-it's us. Why can't our population continue to grow? Learn about the exponential function and the conclusions we can draw from it.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Carol Tavris Meet & Greet: BerkeleyDr. Carol Tavris, Social Psychologist, author, TAM favorite, and friend to the Bay Area Skeptics is just having a nice social unstructured evening. Please come and join the conversations.Her books include:Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts (Tavris and Aronson, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: free
Monday, 05/26/14
All About ButterfliesCelebrate Memorial Day Weekend at the Lawrence Hall of Science by making it all about butterflies! See our new 3-D film, Flight of the Butterflies. Make butterfly wings to wear, and pick out butterfly tattoos and stickers. The first 200 families to visit can take home milkweed seeds. Our Planetarium and Animal ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Most activities free with admission
Nerd Nite East Bay #19: Burnside's Lemma, Artificial Photosynthesis, and ParamedicsI don't need a counting theorem to let you know that the three talks featured at this month's Nerd Nite East Bay will be nothing less than nerd-a-licious. First, Nathan Ilten will offer one of the cooler pieces of group theory to show how you can count things. Then Alexandra ...
Where: OaklandCost: $8
Tuesday, 05/27/14
A Search for Dyson Spheres using IRASInterstellar archaeology, searching for cosmic-scale signatures of intelligence, is a different way to look for intelligence beyond our solar system. Unlike most radio SETI approaches, interstellar archaeology does not require intent to communicate on the part of the sender. Interstellar archaeology signatures include non-natural planetary atmospheric constituents, stellar doping, and ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Free Workshop: Zero Waste & Be a Sustainable CitizenThis workshop is all about taking you to the next level – beyond basic recycling – and arming you with information and simple, meaningful actions you can practice immediately so you can promote zero waste and become a "sustainable citizen."This interesting and engaging class explains how we are all part ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Beam Plus, by Suitable TechnologiesFrom robotics research to consumer product. How Suitable ended up with the latest device Beam Plus, recently revealed at CES 2014 with a retail price tag of $1995. Curt will present the concepts he used to select the components for Beam, ranging from electric motors and batteries to motherboards. How ...
Exoplanets and Life Elsewhere in the UniverseEver wonder what real scientists think about other planets and the possibility of extraterrestrial life? Come listen to Prof. Lynn Rothschild give a talk on her research in speculative astrobiology.
Where: StanfordCost: Free
National Geographic Live: Endangered Species and Landscapes: A World Worth SavingJoel Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher, and a contributor to National Geographic magazine. His hallmarks are a sense of humor and a Midwestern work ethic. Joel's assignments have taken him to every continent and to the world's most beautiful and challenging environments, from the High Arctic to the Antarctic. Simply ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: $46 - $68, series price available
The Anomalous Coastline - New Brighton Beach to the Pajaro RiverGeologic Consultant, Gerald Weber, explains the geologic events and settings that have protected the coastline from New Brighton Beach to the Pajaro River from erosion over the last 150 years. He will take us back 250-300 years when a release of extra sand near Ano Nuevo widened the beaches and ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: $5 Members $10 Public.
How to search for invisible particles: towards direct detection of dark matterThe LUX Dark Matter experiment is a 370 kg liquid xenon time-projection chamber that aims to directly detect galactic dark matter in an underground laboratory 1 mile under the earth, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA.Speaker: Dr. Peter Sorensen, Lawrence Livermore National LabsThere is no fee for visitors ...
X-rays Reveal Secret Life of BatteriesMaking the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable energy sources for the world's automobile fleet will require dramatic improvements in rechargeable batteries: They will need to be lighter, less expensive, run 300-plus miles on a single charge and last the lifetime of the vehicle. While lithium-ion batteries promise to ...
Where: StanfordCost: free preregistration is required
Wednesday, 05/28/14
Extinction's Greatest HitsSpecies of plants and animals are disappearing 100 times faster than they should. In a six-part series for The New York Times scheduled to run this May, the science and environment writer Mary Ellen Hannibal tracks how the science of conservation biology developed to engage the problems of extinction. Her talk on ...
Applying Mainstream Design Approaches to Spacecraft CommunicationsSpace is difficult and unusual. Many of the things we take for granted on the planet's surface don't work for engineering spacecraft. Because of this, we've built an edifice of space design techniques to mitigate the challenges with high probability. The problem is, this edifice causes spacecraft to cost hundreds ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Science and Reason with Skeptics in the Pub, West BayIf 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 meeting for discussion of topics of science, ...
Where: MillbraeCost: Free
The Seventh Warren William Chupp Distinguished LectureJoin us at the Lawrence Hall of Science for a special evening as a panel of science innovators-Danielle Feinberg, Robert Full, and Ashok J. Gadgil-share their passion for innovation and take part in a conversation about the importance of encouraging young people to explore, invent, and become scientifically literate.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Bald Eagles: Repatriation of an Iconic Bird to the Central CoastForty years ago the bald eagle was in danger of extinction. In 1973, it was placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act. Shortly thereafter, Glenn Stewart teamed up with the Ventana Wildlife Society to create a bald eagle recovery plan for central California. Stewart and a team of biologists ...
