Surviving Ourselves â€' Making the Most of Earth’s ‘Anthropocene’ Age of HumansAndrew Revkin is a leading environmental journalist, author and educator who has spent more than 30 years covering global change, from the North Pole to the White House to the Amazon, mainly for The New York Times. As Pace University’s Senior Fellow for Environmental Understanding since 2010, he has developed ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Meet the Birds at Lake MerrittMigrating birds are here! See what winter visitors are currently at Lake Merritt, the nation's oldest wildlife refuge. A naturalist from the Rotary Nature Center will lead a short walk along the lake. Learn about the Pacific Flyway and how to identify some winter migrants as well as year-round residents.We'll begin ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free!
History of Clays on Mars: How we found them + Astrobiological ImportanceDetecting clays on Mars has had a rocky history over the past 4 decades, but detecting them on the surface today is becoming commonplace. This presentation describes the instruments used for identification of clay minerals, where we have found them, and what their presence means. Most phyllosilicates require abundant liquid ...
Working with wet watercolor and aquarelle will help your journal sketching become more lively and spontaneous. Instead of carefully drawing lines and then coloring them in, we’ll invert the process, splashing down loose watercolor and then drawing into it to define shapes. We’ll also explore some special effects you can ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Suggested donation $20.
Safety Verification of Deep Neural NetworksDeep neural networks have achieved impressive experimental results in image classification, but can surprisingly be unstable with respect to adversarial perturbations, that is, minimal changes to the input image that cause the network to misclassify it. With potential applications including perception modules and end-to-end controllers for self-driving cars, this raises ...
Coastal changes resulting from dam removalâ€'Elwha River, WashingtonDam removal in the United States is increasing as a result of structural concerns, sedimentation of reservoirs, and declining riverine ecosystems. The largest dam removal project in history involved the deconstruction of two dams on the Elwha River in Washington, USA, with the intention of restoring salmon spawning runs. During ...
Where: Moss LandingCost: Free
Meet the Birds at Lake MerrittMigrating birds are here! See what winter visitors are currently at Lake Merritt, the nation's oldest wildlife refuge. A naturalist from the Rotary Nature Center will lead a short walk along the lake. Learn about the Pacific Flyway and how to identify some winter migrants as well as year-round residents.We'll begin ...
Iridium, The World's Most Complex Satellite SystemJoin author John Bloom and panelists Dan Colussy, Ray Leopold and Dorothy Robyn for a lively conversation about Iridium�"the world’s most complex satellite system�"and its transformation from commercial blunder to life-saving network bringing phone service to war zones, disaster areas and other remote settings around the globe.
The application of product-life cycle assessment (LCA) in a policy context highlights the need for a distinct so-called “consequential†LCA (CLCA). Central to the spirit of CLCA is a model of the economy within which the new technology or product is embedded. This statement raises two further questions. One is that what is meant ...
GivePower Foundation is Solar City's contribution to bringing power to people in the poorest areas of the world that just can't get it done by themselves. Such countries as Nicaragua, Haiti, Mali, and Nepal have been provided with power generation capabilities thru the foundation. Please join us on November 10, ...
Where: SaratogaCost: Free
Meet the Birds at Lake MerrittMigrating birds are here! See what winter visitors are currently at Lake Merritt, the nation's oldest wildlife refuge. A naturalist from the Rotary Nature Center will lead a short walk along the lake. Learn about the Pacific Flyway and how to identify some winter migrants as well as year-round residents.We'll begin ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free!
BIG DATA ON A NETWORK: MASSIVE INTEGRATION OF DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE FOR DRUG REPURPOSINGThe time and resources spent in drug development are exorbitant. In parallel, the probabilities that a given lead compound makes it to the clinic are minuscule. Even with the discovery of a few repurposing strategies, the search for a potential repositioning example is still very much trial and error. A ...
Our ancestors evolved a frightened brain for survival in harsh conditions. Today, unnecessary and unwarranted fear can make it harder to speak from the heart, dream big dreams and stand up to the manipulations of advertisers and demagogues. Dr. Hanson will explore the practical neuroscience of courage in ourselves, our ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, Free Students
Rancher John Wick will share the results of 8 years of peer-reviewed research, and the development of a suite of restorative agricultural practices known to be net-climate beneficial. John has been working with agricultural agencies, organizations, and institutions to create a version of agriculture that removes atmospheric carbon, optimizes soil ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $10 General, Free for members
Friday, 11/11/16
Sounds and Stories at Little SulphurFor folks who love wild areas but can't hike; others are welcome too. Enjoy quiet time with bird calls, the splashing of Little Sulphur Creek, a few nature stories or poems about Pine Flat, and conversation with Dave Self, ACR Resource Ecologist. This is a non-hiking event.
Where: GeyservilleCost: Free
DNA Science DayTake a personal trip into your own cells and discover how DNA influences the unique traits that make you who you are. Isolate your own cheek cell DNA, make a DNA bracelet that reflects your traits, and see how biological processes can be used to create medicines, biofuels and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with admission ($10 - $12)
Meet the Birds at Lake MerrittMigrating birds are here! See what winter visitors are currently at Lake Merritt, the nation's oldest wildlife refuge. A naturalist from the Rotary Nature Center will lead a short walk along the lake. Learn about the Pacific Flyway and how to identify some winter migrants as well as year-round residents.We'll begin ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free!
Green Friday: River Otter Ecology ProjectOur presenter will be Robert Aston of the River Otter Ecology Project (ROEP). River otters are charismatic carnivores, and make wonderful ambassadors for river and wetland restoration and conservation efforts. Once extirpated in the San Francisco Bay area, little is known about their current population, range, and seasonal eating habits. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $3 donation requested
Saturday, 11/12/16
Parent Prep: STEM (Addressing Perception, Misrepresentation, and FoundationTHE STEM AMBASSADOR, BIOLOGIST, AND SPEAKER CAT BOBINO IS HOSTING A SEMINAR“Parent Prep: STEM (Addressing Perception, Misrepresentation, and Foundationâ€Â Television’s premier scientist and STEM Ambassador, CaT Bobino, is coming to Hayward to host a seminar for parents on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The seminar will take place at California State University ...
ake a walk with docent Gregg Aronson around the wetlands of the wildlife refuge and learn about their history. See examples of salt collection ponds and learn what is being done to convert them back to their original, natural salt marsh state. Hear how wildlife is affected by the two types of habitat, and why it ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Surgical Tools and TechniquesGet the scoop on surgery from members of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). These fascinating demonstrations will illustrate lifesaving surgical tools and techniques. Come perform surgery on a pumpkinâ€"using real instruments to remove slippery gummi bears and worms!
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Pacific FlywayOur wetlands are an important stop on the Pacific Flyway, a major bird migration route. Stroll with docent Laurel Stell to learn why birds migrate, why they stop along the San Francisco Bay, and to spot the birds in action. Trail is easy and level. All ages and abilities welcome. Meet at the SF2 trail ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Twilight Marsh WalkExperience the salt marsh at twilight on an easy stroll along Tidelands (1 1/3 mile) Trail. At the setting of the sun we will observe the beginning of nature's night shift. Come discover the sights, sounds, and smells of the refuge as night descends. Not suitable for young children. RESERVATIONS ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Marinship Walking TourWalk back in time in this 1½ hour guided tour of Sausalito’s historic Marinship. The Bay Model and surrounding area was a major WWII shipyard, which had a significant role in winning the war and influencing social changes in Marin County. Come and learn about the history, the extraordinary Marinship ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
New Horizons, NASA’s Pluto-Kuiper Belt MissionIn 2006, NASA dispatched an ambassador to the planetary frontier, The New Horizons spacecraft. After 10 years and more than 3 billion miles, on a historic voyage that has already taken it over the storms and around the moons of Jupiter, New Horizons has shed light on new kinds of ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Sunday, 11/13/16
Beginning BirdingExperience the birds of summer in the Marin Headlands by joining volunteer Jane Haley for an easy walk along Rodeo Lagoon. Bring field guides and binoculars. Meet at the Marin Headlands Visitor Center. For ages 8 and up; no pets allowed.
This month we celebrate Thanksgiving by highlighting the amazing feeding and hunting strategies of marine mammals! Find out about how orcas have learned together to wash seals off the ice in Antarctica, humpback whales use bubbles to trap fish and otters use tools to crack open their favorite foods!Program Summary FREE Classroom Programs: An Ocean Feast- 12 ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
A Tour Through Town: Reimagining HierakonpolisHierakonpolis has long been famous as the home of the palette of King Narmer, a potent icon for the birth of Egyptian civilization at c. 3100 BC. However, on-going work at the site is now extending back our view of its development by some 500 years. Explorations in the elite ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: free, but donations are welcomed
From Aristotle to Einstein, fine minds have failed to grasp key ideas in basic physics. Join the Sonoma JCC for lunch AND for an exploration of the juiciest misconceptions that plague our “common-sense†understanding of how the world works:The Earth moves through space."Now" has universal meaning.The "Old One" does not play ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free
Structure, Uncertainty, and the Flexibility of Human ThinkingHuman cognition is incredibly flexible, partly because common-sense knowledge is uncertain but highly structured. Probabilistic programming languages (PPLs) provide a formal tool encompassing probabilistic uncertainty and compositional structure. I will show that PPLs allow us to model human reasoning and language understanding. I will describe several experimental studies of reasoning ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Gamma-ray VisionDr. Kai Vetter of UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will discuss his group's work towards "gamma-ray vision" and how it relates to their activities on Fukushima in Japan and here in CA (e.g. Radwatch & DoseNet).
Climate-Wise Choices in a World of Oil AbundanceIn the last five years, commercial-scale application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has opened up large resources of so-called “tight oilâ€.  At the same time, a decade of investment in unconventional resources such as the Canadian oil sands has allowed production from enormous deposits of low-grade hydrocarbons.  This abundance ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Sunset/Full Moon Walk to the Point Bonita LighthouseJoin park staff and docents for a tour down the Point Bonita Trail, through the hand carved tunnel and out to the Lighthouse. We will walk along a half-mile trail which is steep in places. Arrive early as parking is limited. Meet at the Point Bonita Lighthouse trailhead. Dress warmly ...
7:00-7:25: Mitch Altman(Noisebridge) on "The Hackerspace Movement: Socializing in the Post-Social World"There are now thousands of hackerspaces in the world...Read more7:25-7:50: Peter Walter(UCSF/ Biochemistry and Biophysics) on "Unfolding the Unfolded Protein Response"A large number of human diseases is tied to disrupted protein transport in cells...Read more7:50-8:10: BREAK. Before ...
Over the past sixty years, computers have shrunk, networks have spread and flickering bits of information have ever more thoroughly infiltrated all aspects of our lives. The boundary between the virtual world of information and the physical world we ultimately inhabit has been slowly fading to the point that it ...
