Happy Creepy Hall-oweenStart your Halloween early and celebrate all weekend long during Happy Creepy Hall-oween.From pumpkin lifts in the Ingenuity Lab to giant trebuchet demonstrations with UC Berkeley’s Pioneers in Engineering program, you’re sure to find the perfect way to celebrate with science.Learn more about each day's events: http://hallsci.org/82gj304TLE7
You are invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of a UCSF Parasitology Lab where you’ll have the chance to see live parasites (worms and protozoa)!You’ll learn about the world of parasitic worms and protozoa that infect humans and have the chance see live parasites with a microscope!Restrictions: First Come, First Served (No RSVP). Children ...
The Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and what we do here at the GGRO. Midway through, a banding volunteer brings up a newly banded hawk, talks about the banding program, shows everyone the hawk, and lets it go in front ...
Where: MarinCost: Free
Synthetic Dreams: Artificial Intelligence And The Human BrainMight it someday be possible to manufacture sentient machines? Can we provide humans with android bodies or upload their minds into artificial brains? What are the similarities between brains and computers? Should we fear machine intelligence?To address these questions, we’ll start by reviewing the neuroscience that’s taking us closer to ...
Join us for a very special Eureka! that will be part of the Bay Area Science Festival!We will be hosting Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at SETI Institute(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute), who will discuss the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe. How does one go about detecting alien civilizations across interstellar ...
To prepare for an urban influx of 2.5 billion people by 2050, it is critical that cities are sustainable: Â low-carbon, resilient, and livable. Dr. Deborah Sunter will discuss options for sustainable urban energy systems by reducing energy consumption and providing robust, decentralized, and renewable energy. Through technical advancements in power ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Deep Robotic LearningThe problem of building an autonomous robot has traditionally been viewed as one of integration: connecting together modular components, each one designed to handle some portion of the perception and decision making process. For example, a vision system might be connected to a planner that might in turn provide commands ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
What Physicists DoDr. Sue Carter of UC Santa Cruz will discuss her work, which includes explorations of climate change and entrepreneurship.
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Innovation in Stationary Electricity Storage: The Liquid Metal Battery Massive electricity storage would offer huge benefits to today’s grid, reducing price volatility, improving stability against loss of power, increasing utilization of generation assets by enabling us to design towards average demand instead of peak demand, and deferring the costs of upgrading existing transmission lines. When it comes to tomorrow’s ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Science at the Library: Bones, Bones, Bones, A Million Bones There are 4 activities at each presentation after a show presentation. Parents work with their children to learn about science. Recommended for elementary age children. Families are encouraged to attend. Limited seating. Funding provided by Lam Research Foundation and free.Register at weblink
Join naturalists from the California Center for Natural History on a creepy-crawly night hike at Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland hills. We’ll find spiders, moths, and night-dwelling creatures that glow under UV light.  Bring your headlamp, drinking water, warm layers, and sturdy hiking shoes. Please no pets on this walk!
Where: OaklandCost: $20 Donation suggested
Tuesday, 11/01/16
Collective Work and Play in Ant ColoniesAnts are an amazingly diverse group of more than 14,000 species that live in every conceivable habitat on earth. Like many distributed systems, both natural and engineered, ant colonies operate without any central control. No ant can assess what needs to be done. Each ant responds to its interactions with ...
Geological field trip to Gale crater, Mars: a view from the ChemCam on MSLLocated on Curiosity's mast, the ChemCam instrument ("Chemistry and Camera") uses a laser to provide the elemental composition of geological features along the rover's path. Since 2012, it has contributed to the investigation of geological units that record a time when on Mars, at Gale crater, liquid water was present ...
Laurence Tubiana is France’s lead climate negotiator and a key architect of the international climate agreement forged in Paris last December. Founder of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris, Tubiana is Professor and Director at the Sustainable Development Center at Sciences Po Paris. This is the first ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Vulnerability of the tropics to future changes in drought and fireIn the future, changes in precipitation across the tropics may have profound consequences for the survival of tropical forests and their vulnerability to fire and other agents of global change. I will discuss how the physiological response of forests to increasing CO2 is a primary mechanism responsible for this pattern, ...
Christopher Bollas, the most influential psychoanalyst writing in English today, asserts that mental life is innately hazardous. The steps we take through childhood are marked by mentally painful episodes that constitute ordinary breakdowns in the self. Adolescence stands as the most painful such period, during which some of the major ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Low (Car)bon CommunitiesWith an increasing awareness of the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and a recognition of the social benefits of car-free and car-light living, more and more city planners, advocates and everyday urban dwellers are demanding new ways of building cities. The book Low Car(bon) Communities examines case studies from ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
BASF: Nerd Nite at The Tech MuseumNerd Nite Silicon Valley returns to The Tech Museum! We celebrate the Bay Area Science Festival with two talks from Stanford genetics Ph.D.s Alex Dainis and Lisl Esherick. Coral sex and animal hearts, oh my! We'll have games, drinks, a little nerdy trivia and lots of nerdy fun. Food, beer ...
Health Policy Forum | Mental Illness: A Global ChallengeMental illness is the leading cause of disability and mortality around the globe. Even in wealthy countries, only about half of people with mental illness receive adequate care. In low and middle income nations, almost all mental illnesses are left untreated by trained mental health professionals. Yet many other healing ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Healthcare: Strategies That Move Disruptive Innovations To ScaleInnovations in healthcare have far outstripped the ability of large, established delivery systems to adopt and scale them, even when they arguable improve patient care, reduce costs and make populations healthier. What strategies can help developers optimize their early stage work to speed adoption? How is the market shifting - ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
UNMANNED SYSTEMS NETWORKS FOR OCEAN RESEARCH & MONITORINGField campaign results and future capabilities are reported for networked systems of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) off the California and Iberian coasts, in both arctic and Antarctic ecosystems, and for coral reef ecosystems. We highlight how Integrated networks of unmanned ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
Recent Environmental Victories: Elements of Success and ChallengesWorking in the environmental field for several decades, at EDF and the EPA, has allowed Diane Regas to be part of several big wins and big challenges. In her colloquium, she’d like to share a few of the elements of success to reach long-term solutions that benefit people and the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
BASF: Nerd Nite: SCIENCE MEETS CINEMAComing soon to a theater near you: Nerd Nite and the Bay Area Science Festival take over the Alamo Drafthouse for a special night of science, history, and booze! Celebrate the New Mission Theater’s 100th anniversary in all its newly restored glory, as we get a thrill out of cult ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15
The Discovery of Gravitational Waves and the High Energy UniverseOne hundred years ago Albert Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity, which predicts the kinds of changes in the universe that produce gravitational waves–which travel at the speed of light, but are much harder to detect than light waves. On September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) ...
Correctness and Control for Human-Cyber-Physical SystemsCyber-physical systems deployed in societal-scale applications almost always interact with humans, e.g. semi-autonomous vehicles interacting with drivers in the car or on the road, semi-autonomous aerial vehicles interacting with human operators, or medical robots interacting with doctors. Due to the safety-critical nature of these human-cyber-physical systems (h-CPS), we, asdesigners, need ...
What were Albert Einstein's first wife's contributions to his extraordinary productivity in the first years of his career? A first biography of Mileva Marić was published in Serbian in 1969 but remained largely unknown despite being translated first in German, then in French in the 1990's. The publication of Mileva and ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
EVERYTHING SLIPS: Design of Novel Omniphobic NanocoatingsLiquids entrapped within a nanostructured solid begin to exhibit unique behaviors often providing the surrounding material with unprecedented properties. Recently we have introduced a new technology to create self-healing, anti-fouling materials (so-called Slippery, Lubricant-Infused Porous Surfaces, or SLIPS). These bioinspired coatings that mimic slippery surfaces of a pitcher plant outperform ...
My address will look to assess the outlook for Saudi Aramco’s IPO, Saudiâ€Iranian Rapprochement, as well as key developments involving Iraq, Syria, and Libya. This to be evaluated in the context of slowing global economic growth and an aging conventional resource base.Speaker: Thomas Petrie, Petrie Partners
At depths up to 2,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface researchers are unlocking mysteries of the deep, viewing areas largely unexplored by any human. Join us as we premiere spectacular new footage of California’s ocean wilderness, taken from a robotic submarine well below diver depths. Dirk Rosen, ocean engineer and ...
Where is the line between persuasion and manipulation? What are the tools of propaganda and can they be used for honorable as well as deceptive intentions? While the art of persuasion has existed since antiquity, propaganda has thrived with the rise of mass communications.Justice for Our Lives and Wheatpasting 101Â With ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General; $10 Members; Free for Lab Members
Being Human: The Power ParadoxHow do we get power? How does power change our behavior? Join psychologist Dacher Keltner on November 3rd and learn about how enduring power comes from empathy and giving.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Cafe InquiryMeet up with rationalists, skeptics, and freethinkers south of San Francisco
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Discover Plasma at Plasma Sciences ExpoWhat is Plasma Sciences Expo? Plasma Sciences Expo is an exhibition that focuses on hands-on science education. It is for students at all levels, parents, teachers and the general public. Examples of activities are:•Make lightning with a Van de Graaff generator.  •Observe your fluctuating body temperature on a special monitor. ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech WorldWe are living in extraordinary times. Rapid advances in information technology continuously transform our lives in countless ways. But we are now aware that our increasingly information-saturated world, coupled with growing expectations of constant availability and immediate responsiveness, can place excessive demands on our brains. The consequences can include detrimental ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, $7 for Students
The Power ParadoxHow do we get power? How does power change our behavior? Join psychologist Dacher Keltner on November 3rd and learn about how enduring power comes from empathy and giving. In this talk Dr. Dacher Keltner will detail the evolution of power over human history and how it influences basic social thought ...
We’ve all been fooled. Understanding how and why we’re fooled is the beginning of wisdom. Wonderfest, the Bay Area Beacon of Science, presents experts in physics, psychology, and magic to help us avoid getting fooled, again.Our speakers/performers are: Dr. Luigi Anzivino, neuroscientist; Marc "Zeke" Kossover, physicist; Robert Strong, master magician.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
A total solar eclipse, when the Moon fully covers the bright disk of the Sun and reveals its breathtaking corona, is one of nature’s most magnificent spectacles truly an awe-inspiring experience that moves some people to tears. On August 21, 2017, for the first time in 38 years, the very narrow ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: free
The Soul of a New Camera: The design of Facebook's Surround Open Source 3D-360 video CameraAround a year ago we set out to create an open-source reference design for a 3D-360 camera. In nine months, we had designed and built the camera, and published the specs and code. Our team leveraged a series of maturing technologies in this effort. Advances and availability in sensor technology, ...
Where: SunnyvaleCost: Free (donations for food)
Friday, 11/04/16
Birds and BotanyHike the forests, meadows and hills around Pine Flat and up Redhill with ACR Volunteer Patrick Woodworth & ACR Resource Ecologist Dave Self. We’ll be watching (and listening) for birds on the hike out. After lunch, we'll botanize as we consider the seasonal interplay between bird foods, habitat history and current activity ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: Free
Student Plasma Expo 2016 and Public Expo Open HouseIntroduction to Plasma Sciences ExpoWho should attend?Middle and high school students and teachers can register to attend during school hours. A special evening Expo for the general public will be offered on Thursday evening from 6 pm -8:30 pm. There is no registration required for the Thursday evening Expo. (See registration ...
Where: San JoseCost:
Teacher Workshop: Biogeology - integration of biological and geological principles that create soilCollecting data on energy release from compost;Â decomposers found in compost; soil classification; creating soil from biological and geologic componenets; measuring food waste that turns to compost and record observation; learn how to make a compost lab on campus while preventing food waste going to landfills.Editor's note: Rescheduled from 10/20.
Where: FremontCost: Free
Public Talk '“Water in the Universe: from the Milky Way to Distant Galaxiesâ€Water is widely believed to be the key  to the existence of life. Water was discovered in the interstellar space  in 1969, and is now known to be wide-spread  in the universe, from nearby star-forming regions to distant galaxies. Dr. Kaufman will discuss how we study water in the space. Public Stargazing Night: Enjoy a free public ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Charon: Pluto's Fascinating Moon Updates from the New Horizons MissionCharon is Pluto's large companion, and in the summer of 2015 it went from a distant point of lightto a full-fledged world in human understanding. Join us as we discuss the interesting fracturedgeology of Charon. Dr. Ross Beyer, member of the New Horizons team and a Research Scientist atthe SETI ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Saturday, 11/05/16
Accessible Birding at MLK Jr. Regional ShorelineThis bird-watching event is geared towards anyone who wants to get started with birding. The walk is fully ADA accessible and appropriate for people with mobility limitations.Winter bird migration is underway, and we expect to see hundreds of birds along the shoreline of Arrowhead Marsh at the MLK Jr. Regional ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free!
Foss Trail Hike on History & HabitatJoin ACR Resource Ecologist Dave Self for a hike on the scenic and historic Foss stagecoach trail of the late 1800's. You'll learn about local history and influences on habitat by Native Cultures, Clark Foss and the Geysers Resort, the quicksilver boom, the short-lived town of Pine Flat, ranching, and ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: Free
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of this 535-acre preserve. Our half-day guided nature walks are on Saturdays throughout fall and spring. 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 ...
AT&T Park becomes a science wonderland when the Bay Area Science Festival concludes again with this FREE science extravaganza. The entire ballpark is packed to the rafters with science content: on the field, at every entry/exit, and every level of the ballpark. With more than 150 hands-on exhibits, get ready to unleash ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Marshlands of DreamsJoin Paul Mueller on a 1-mile walk of the LaRiviere Marsh Trail to find traces of the past. Prior to marsh restoration, learn how Californians utilized the area for farming, quarrying, salt production, and transportation. Â There will be opportunities for bird watching as well.
What do you want to be when you grow up?Girl Scouts of Northern California's When I Grow Up! STEM career exploration event for girls and their families is the perfect place to hone interests, meet inspiring women in STEM, and learn more about turning career dreams into reality.Open to K-12 ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost:
Guided Baylands HikeJoin us for a special guided Baylands hike! All ages welcome. The Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve is one of the largest tracts of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay. With a unique mixture of tidal and fresh water habitats, the Baylands is home to a diverse population of native flora ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Donations accepted
Randall Museum Animals’ Journey Home Celebration Mission Art Center has provided a safe haven for the Randall Museum's live animal collection during its big renovation. This November the animals will begin their journey home and return to the Randall.  Join in the celebration of the animals journey home with a send-off party and live animal ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: FREE
Trekking the ModelJoin a Ranger guided tour of the Bay Model, a 1.5 acre hydraulic model of the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Discover the stories of the two major operations that took place at this location between 1942�"2000.Â
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Jazz Under the StarsCome peer through our telescopes and see craters on the Moon, the visible plants, star clusters, and more while we listen to CSM's very own KCSM Jazz 91 FM. Dress warmly.  Free parking in Marie Curie Lot 5.  Directions here.
Where: San MateoCost: Free
San Francisco City Star PartyCome join us for our monthly City Star Party. SF Amateur Astronomy members provide telescopes for your viewing pleasure.
