Silicon photonics has emerged as a compelling platform technology for photonic integrated circuits, with applications ranging from optical interconnects to optical routers and signal processors. High-speed modulators and transceivers have been successfully commercialized. However, silicon photonics is inefficient in switching optical signals. The refractive index change of free-carrier plasma, or ...
The construction of new nuclear plants in the U.S. and OECD countries has slowed substantially due to the low cost of natural gas, incentives for deployment of wind and solar, and especially due to the high cost of nuclear power plant construction and safety concerns after Fukushima. The fleet is aging and significant retirements are ...
7:00-7:25: Anna Davidson(UC Davis/ Plant Sciences) on "It's Alive!"A brief history and overview of Bioart...Read more7:25-7:50: Hideo Mabuchi(Stanford/ Applied Physics) on "Creative Process in Applied Science and Art"Scientific research follows a process similar to that of artistic exploration...Read more7:50-8:10: BREAK. Before or after the break, anyone in the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Tuesday, 01/12/16
Life in the Universe - the Breakthrough InitiativesOn July 20, 2015, the 46th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced in London, UK a new initiative to study life in the universe. The announcement was made by Silicon Valley billionaire Yuri Milner and physicist Steven Hawking. The Breakthrough Initiatives currently consist of ...
At the Eastern gateway to our Bay, where California's two great rivers mingle with tides, wildlife-rich marshes, farms, and water supplies for millions hang in the balance. Also at stake: six endangered fish species, as well as homes, highways, pipelines and power lines.Award-winning nature-interpreter Mike Moran, supervising naturalist at the ...
Where: AlbanyCost: Free
The Seven Deadly Sins Committed by FungiTom Volk is a Professor of Biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He teaches courses on Mycology, Medical Mycology, Plant-Microbe Interactions, Food & Industrial Mycology, Advanced Mycology, Organismal Biology and Latin & Greek for Scientists. His website, Tom Volk's Fungi has a popular "Fungus of the Month" feature, and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Wednesday, 01/13/16
SFMS Workshop in Microscopy TechniquesSFMS will be presenting a hands-on workshop in basic specimen preparation (by Peter Werner), Kohler illumination and alignment using a mirror and external lamp, and, if time allows, a demo of making and installing darkfield and Rheinberg filters (by Peter Werner). Peter Werner will also lead a tour of the ...
An Evening with Neil DeGrasse TysonJoin us for an evening with Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, award winning- astrophysicist, author, and host of FOX's Cosmos for an evening of engaging conversation on science, exploration and the world as we know it. Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $73.50 - $268.50
Michael Shermer: Skeptic: Viewing the World with a Rational EyeFor fifteen years, Michael Shermer has written a column for Scientific American magazine that synthesizes scientific concepts and theory for a general audience. His trademark combination of deep scientific understanding and an entertaining writing style has thrilled his huge and devoted audience for years. Now, in SKEPTIC: Viewing the World ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $12 advance, $15 door.
Thursday, 01/14/16
Electron and ion heating, acceleration and energy partition during magnetic reconnection Magnetic reconnection converts energy into high-speed flows, thermal and energetic particles in a broad range of systems both in the heliosphere and the broader universe. The most detailed measurements are within the heliosphere, which therefore acts as an effective laboratory for many issues related to reconnection. While the mechanisms for ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Overgrowth of eelgrass by an invasive tunicate in Tomales BayThe invasive tunicate Didemnum vexillum has become widely distributed in estuaries in western North America over the past decade. It has recently invaded eelgrass meadows in a central California estuary, growing directly on shoots and rhizomes. This invasion is of concern due to the important role of eelgrass as a ...
Where: Point Reyes StationCost: Free
Internet of Things and InfoSecThe Internet connects the people and the computers of the world. The Internet of Things is an extension to include toasters, gas pumps, ATM machines, refrigerators, cars, tractors, factories, and everything else where a computer or controller is embedded and might be more functional if it were connected to other ...
Judy Irving, director of documentary films The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill andPelican Dreams, will join The Bay Institute and Aquarium of the Bay to look into the lives of parrots, pelicans, people, and other creatures as they struggle to survive in both urban and wild environments. The evening will include clips from ...
Tonight's Menu: Citrus AppealWhat is an orange, exactly? Get to know the Citrus family tree with Tracy Kahn, curator of the University of California, Riverside's Citrus Variety Collection, one of the world's most diverse living collections of citrus and related types with approximately 1,000 different varieties.Also:Golden Oldies: Live Music and Historic Films ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General; $10 Members; Free for Lab Members
Laugh your face off as SF Sketchfest takes over the Academy for a knee-slapping night of creatures, cocktails, and comedy, part of the annual SF Sketchfest Comedy Festival.SCHEDULE OF EVENTS"It's Almost Science" Hall(African Hall) 6:30 - 9:30pmJoin us in "It's Almost Science" Hall for Fake Ted Talks with guests Paul & ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
The Bay Area is a site of hemispheric significance for an astonishing array of migratory birds, as well as year-round resident. How can we protect so many species, with such varying sets of needs, in the midst of an ever-growing urban metropolis of 8.5 million people? Learn how one of ...
A Keen Delight: The Lick Observatory Historical Collections ProjectTony Misch of Lick Observatory will be our speaker. Tony's presentation highlights the history of astronomy as written in the evolving technologies, tools, and methods used by observational astronomers. As each generation of observers gives way to the next, its tools are replaced by more precise and efficient ones. In ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
An Evening with Neil DeGrasse TysonJoin us for an evening with Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, award winning- astrophysicist, author, and host of FOX's Cosmos for an evening of engaging conversation on science, exploration and the world as we know it. Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated ...
John Hafernik, Ph.D.Concern about threats to honey bees is mounting. In the U.S., hive failure rates have increased as honey bees deal with introduced mites, diseases, pesticides and other stressors. Recently a new threat to honey bees, the parasitic phorid fly Apocephalus borealis (AKA the Zombie Fly), was discovered in San ...
Zoovie Nights Finding Nemo"Looking for a fun, family friendly way to start off the new year? Put on your jammies and enjoy an evening of Zoovie magic at Oakland Zoo. Snuggle up in our auditorium for snacks, a movie, and a chance to meet some of our education animals. Complimentary hot chocolate and ...
Where: OaklandCost:
The History and Science of Lick ObservatoryLick Observatory, wholly owned and operated by the University of California, was the first astronomical observatory purpose-built at altitude. It demonstrated the practicality of large-scale glass substrate reflecting telescopes for research. It was the fulcrum upon which the United States pivoted to dominance in observational astronomy at the close of ...
Where: LivermoreCost: Free
Saturday, 01/16/16
Suddenly JanuarySuddenly it's January, did El Nino arrive in Muir Woods? Coho salmon, fetid adder's tongue, mushrooms, and spiders, follow Ranger Lou on this woodsy expedition to find clues of the season in the forest. People of all ages and abilities welcome. Baby backpack carriers preferred over strollers. Dress in layers. ...
Josef Albers was one of the most influential artist-educators of the twentieth century. As a member of the Bauhaus in Germany in the 1920s; a teacher at Black Mountain College during the 1930s and 1940s; and Chairman of the Department of Design at Yale University beginning in 1950, Albers developed ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Open House at the Marine Science InstitutePlease bring your friends and family to visit our site. Feel fre to explore our discovery classrooms, view live fish and invertebrates in our aquarium, and pack a picnic lunch to nibble on whilst enjoing our Bay front location. Staff will be around to answer questions and give you a ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
Development of a long endurance tail-sitter VTOL UAVSteve Morris is the CTO of Martin UAV LLC of Santa Clara, California and is a well-known authority in the design and operation of small UAVs. Dr. Morris has been the lead engineer for the design, development, and testing of airframe, flight control, and flight software for more than 50 ...
While Dungeness crab captured headlines, the story is really about the record levels of the neurotoxin domoic acid. In 2015, researchers found unprecedented levels of the algal toxin in a wide range of marine organisms and for the first time in several commercial fish species.Investigations led by scientists at the ...
