The lack of a formal framework to link local mechanism to larger scale patterns challenges our capacity to understand and monitor pelagic ecosystem responses and feedbacks to global change. I will describe three case studies where we apply the hierarchical patch mosaic paradigm of landscape ecology to the study of ...
Robotics WorkshopHands on activities include:*Experimenting with interactive robots*Building simple robotic cars *Learning the basics of robot programming *Adapting your robot to an obstacle courseSee website for additional details
As California faces an historic statewide drought, we must also recognize the role of global water resources in sustaining California's population and economy. In this talk I will outline the contours and trends of California's water footprint, that is, the water required to support our consumption of everyday products, from food ...
Writing a program involves three tasks:Deciding what the program should do.Deciding how the program should do it.Coding: Implementing these decisions in code.Too often, all three are combined into the process of coding. This talk explains why they should be separated, and discusses how to perform the first two.Speaker: Leslie Lamport, ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Conversations About Landscape The Lexicon of Carbon FarmingJoin Douglas Gayeton from the Lexicon of Sustainability, and Jeff Creque and Torri Estrada from the Marin Carbon Project and the Carbon Cycle Institute, in a conversation on new techniques for carbon sequestration. And learn how the food we eat can contribute to or combat climate change.Conversations About Landscape brings ...
7:00-7:25: Lily Alexander(UC Santa Cruz) on "Counterculture, Collectivity, and the Aesthetics of Early Communications Art at the Western Front and Beyond"The confluence of avant-garde performance, postmodern dance, experimental video and sound in the early development of communications media projects...Read more7:25-7:50: Melanie Swan(Founder, Institute for Blockchain Studies) on "Bitcoin/Blockchain ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Building Community - Food SecurityWhat is food security, and who are the hungry in Marin County? Speakers will discuss the impacts of food insecurity on communities. Agency and individual efforts to address food security through food banks, food redistribution, and agricultural production. Speakers will also discuss environmental impacts of drought and climate change on local ...
Where: San RafaelCost: $10 Advance/$15 at Door General, Free for members
Encountering the First Dwarf PlanetNASA's Dawn mission has now arrived in orbit around Ceres-the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt and also the first dwarf planet to be discovered. Ceres is among the last uncharted worlds in the solar system, and one of the largest "left-overs" from the formation of our solar system. We are about ...
With new breakthroughs in neuroscience, combined with insights from thousands of years of contemplative practice, we are beginning to understand how we can actively shape our own brains for greater happiness, love, and wisdom. Rick Hanson combines modern science with ancient teachings to show you how to have greater emotional ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $27 General, $24 Members
Thought leaders around the world define sustainability as meeting the needs of people today without compromising the well-being of future generations. Current circumstances and trajectories present a significant challenge to achieving that goal. In just fifteen years the world population is expected to increase by 1 billion to more than ...
New Developments in the Treatment of Amatoxin PoisoningS Todd Mitchell MD, MPH is the Principal Investigator of an FDA sanctioned nationwide clinical trial regarding the treatment of patients with deadly Amatoxin Mushroom Poisoning. This is the first prospective trial ever conducted with regards to AMP and is also in that it is being conducted through Dominican Santa ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Thursday, 04/09/15
Getting the Most out of a Black Hole As black holes accrete surrounding gas, they often produce relativistic, collimated outflows, or jets. Since jets form near a black hole, they can be powerful probes of strong-field gravity.However, how jet properties (e.g., jet power) connect to those of the accretion flow (e.g., mass accretion rate) and the black hole ...
Dr. Jonathan Foley leads the greenest museum on the planet and one of the most future-focused scientific institutions in the world. His work focuses on the sustainability of our planet and the ecosystems and natural resources on which we depend. Throughout his career, he and his colleagues have contributed to our understanding of worldwide ...
Go straight up spacey this week as NightLife celebrates cosmo-pioneer Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.Groove to an out-of-this-world live DJ set by Space Cowboys, a sonically-inspired SF collective and Burning Man favorite.Take a (rare) sip of Ground Control, a limited-edition beer by Ninkasi brewed with yeast that has ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Herding Cats and Teaching Science | A SkepTalk in BerkeleyHerding Cats and Teaching Science: What I Learned About the Reluctance to Embrace Life, the Universe, and EverythingWhen Secular Students Alliance regional organizer Dan Pemberton began his work with secular student groups, he expected to see a battle for science literacy with clean lines of science advocates vs. religious fundamentalists. He ...
Rodolfo Dirzo, Bing Professor in Environmental Science, teaches ecology courses and leads the Dirzo Lab in the Department of Biology. He holds masters and doctoral degrees in ecology from the University of Wales (UK), and a B.S. in biology from the Universidad de Morelos. He has published numerous refereed articles and scientific chapters in ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Round Table and Panel on the Future of Automated DrivingITS Director Alexandre Bayen will moderate "Round Table and Panel on the Future of Automated Driving" featuring Francesco Borelli, UC Berkeley, Jerry Jariyasunant, Automatic, Inc., Megan Ryerson, University of Pennsylvania, and Randell Iwasaki, Contra Costa Transportation Authority
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Green Friday: Why renewable energy can't replace fossil fuelGREEN FRIDAY meets on the second Friday of the month in the Sierra Club Office, 2530 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley. Doors open 7pm; the program runs from 7:30 to 9:30 including questions and discussion. Refreshments are served. $3 donation is requested. Our programs present speakers and topics discussing the most ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $3 Donation
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna FallThe explosion of a small asteroid near Chelyabinsk in 2013, and numerous near-misses since then serve as reminders that we live in a cosmic shooting gallery. We'll look at the threats posed by Near Earth Objects (NEOs), the strategies for mitigating these hazards, and the key roles that amateur astronomers ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
March 10th. Stargazing At Larkey Park with the Lindsay Wildlife MuseumFree Public Stargazing at Larkey Park with the Lindsay Wildlife Museum. MDAS members will setup telescopes to view Planets from our Solar system, our moon, and other objects. Bring kids, binoculars, warm clothes (temperature can drop), snacks, water. No need for a flashlight but if you must bring one cover ...
Low Tide Walk and Seal Rookery - Bean HollowMSI takes to the tidepools for a treasure hunt of nature's beautiful intertidal secrets. We'll spend our time taking advantage of the low tide to reach the outer edges of Bean Hollow, and take in spectacular views as we slowly retreat to shore. Will we find crabs, sea stars, eels ...
Solar energy plays a huge role in our sustainable future. Watch custom-made solar vehicles race across our plaza as the Society of Women Engineers and middle school students design, build, and race their solar-powered creations!***In case of rain, event will be held May 2, 2015***
Program:The Hive -- Movie -- Dark Universe, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson (First-come-first-served)Talks (6:00 - 8:30, 20 minutes each) (First-come-first-served)Extrasolar planetsThe Beating Hearts of GalaxiesWeighing GalaxiesSolar Telescopes (Day)Star Viewing (Evening)Lensing Booth - Gravitationally lens your own face and print it out! Galaxy ZooCosmic PuzzleSpectroscopy DemonstrationInflatable Dome Planetarium -- No infants or ...
Crazy about crafting and technology? Come sample digital making activities by making a dancing flower, a robotic bug, a light-up letter, or a 3D printed bunny.Ages 10 and up.Register here.
Where: BerkeleyCost: $40
Judaism & Science SymposiumJudaism & Science Symposium: An Exploration of the Convergence of Jewish & Scientific ThoughtJoin us for a provocative exploration of how Jewish thinking has influenced scientific inquiry and achievement. A book signing will follow the event.Our Esteemed PanelFeaturing: Lord Rabbi Jonathan SacksAuthor of The Great Partnership: Science, Religion and the ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
Monday, 04/13/15
From On Body to Out of Body User ExperienceThere are many urgent problems facing the planet: a degrading environment, a healthcare system in crisis, and educational systems that are failing to produce creative, innovative thinkers to solve tomorrow's problems. I will illustrate how we are addressing these grand challenges in our research by building systems that balance innovative ...
Integrating large quantities of wind and solar energy is often considered a challenge due to the intermittent nature of renewable generation. I present evidence on the costs and benefits of renewable power based on data from the Iberian Electricity market, which as of 2012 produces over 20% of its electricity ...
Ursula K. Le Guin, one of America's most prolific and celebrated authors, has published a dizzying array of novels, short stories, and poems. In books like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Farthest Shore, she explores themes of environmentalism, gender, and politics. In 2014, she received the National Book ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: $22
Tuesday, 04/14/15
Viewing Solar System Orbital Architecture through an Extrasolar LensThe statistics of extrasolar planetary systems indicate that the default mode of planetary formation generates planets with orbital periods shorter than 100 days, and masses substantially exceeding that of the Earth. When viewed in this context, the Solar System, which contains no planets interior to Mercury's 88-day orbit, is unusual. ...
The STEM Career Showcase for Students with Disabilities is an educational event where attendees meet role models with disabilities who have thriving careers in STEM fields. Students leave with a better understanding of the many professional possibilities available and the inspiration to pursue STEM careers. http://bit.ly/1CdGBQp
Where: BerkeleyCost: No cost to register. Pre-registration is required.
Mark Fuller, described by The New Yorker as "the world's only fountain genius," is co-founder and chief excellence officer at WET and creator of the fountains of Bellagio, Lincoln Center, and Waters Park for the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. In this Meet the Maker session, Mark will discuss his work ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Migratory BirdsSome birds are sedentary. Others fly famously long distances from their breeding grounds to winter ranges in milder climes. As global climate patterns change with increasing severity, and human population in the west continues to grow, the threat to the Pacific's migratory birds will grow, too.Join the Audubon Society at ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
The Impact of The Rim Fire and the Future of our Foresthe Rim Fire was one of the nation's worst disaster's and one of the worst fires California has ever had. Come see an amazing and powerful presentation, and ask questions about The Rim Fire and its effects on the land we love so dear by the US Forest Service, as ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $11.54
How the East Bay Got its ForestWhen European settlers arrived, the Bay Area was mostly open grassland. Builders of cities, industries, and military reserves turned much of this into an urban forest thick with non-native eucalyptus and Monterey pine. In the East Bay, this transformation was mostly the work of one remarkable man! What became of ...
Where: AlbanyCost: Free
The Long Arc of Moral ProgressSteven Pinker writes: "Shermer has engaged the full mantle of moral progress and considered how far we have come and how much farther that arc can be bent toward truth, justice, and freedom.""Through copious data and compelling examples Shermer shows how the arc of the moral universe, seen from a ...
.jpg)
