A number of policies are advocated to accelerate de-carbonization of the electricity sector. Too often the consequences of these policies for the operating characteristic of the electricity sector are not thoroughly examined. This lecture will consider a very simple electricity sector model consisting of three competing generation technologies - natural ...
Women at the Center: Linking Population, Health and Environment for a Healthy WorldWomen are disproportionately affected by poor environment, health conditions and infrastructure. Empowering women and girls is central to improving not only their lives but also for effective and long-lasting community development and conservation.Learn how supporting women’s rights and linking multiple sectors such as conservation and health can better address the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Doubt, Deny or Defend: Republicans on Climate Change - SOLD OUTPresident-elect Donald Trump is giving plum jobs to Republicans who deny or downplay the risks of climate disruption. That's a big shift from the time of President George W. Bush, when U.S. Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham pursued climate-fixing legislation.Bob Inglis, former Republican congressman and executive director of RepublicEn, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
New immersive and object-based multichannel audio formats for cinema, entertainment and cinematic VRIn recent years, several audio technology companies and standardization organizations (including Dolby, Auro, DTS, MPEG) have developed new formats and tools for the creation, archiving and distribution of immersive audio content in the cinema or broadcast industries. These developments extend legacy multi-channel audio formats to support three-dimensional (with height) sound ...
Where: SunnyvaleCost: Free
Famed Geologist Walter Alvarez: A Most Improbable JourneyOne in a million doesn’t even come close.Not when we’re talking about the odds that you would happen to be alive today, on this particular planet, hurtling through space. Almost 14 billion years of cosmic history, more than 4 billion years of Earth history, and a couple million years of ...
Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original studies that unraveled our assumptions about the decision-making process. Their papers showed the ways in which the human mind erred, systematically, when forced to make judgments in uncertain situations, and created a new field of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $29
Wednesday, 01/25/17
Transforming High School Computer Science: The Beauty and Joy of ComputingOur Beauty and Joy of Computing course was chosen as one of the national pilots for the new Advanced Placement (AP): Computer Science Principles (CSP) course to broaden participation in computing to traditionally underrepresented groups. Locally offered as a non-majors computing course, BJC was the first introductory CS course in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Discover Marine LifeDid you know that organisms from all over the world make their home in Lake Merritt? Join us for this hands-on experience with marine invertebrates that live on the boat docks. Come learn about mussels, sea squirts, sponges, and more! We'll talk about how to find these organisms and why they're ...
At a time when all of our progress on climate change seems at risk, what do ERGies have to offer the world? A lot it turns out.Starting with the ERGan legacy within the Obama Administration, this talk will review some of the key skills and contributions ERGies have made and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Climate Action in the New AdministrationOur nation’s political landscape is changing, and with it comes an attitude that challenges the legitimacy of climate action. For this reason, our efforts must be greater than ever, effecting change on a more comprehensive scale.Our work must be universally appealing, crossing political boundaries, and creating results without added taxation. ...
Where: Corte MaderaCost: $10 Pre-registration, $15 at door General
OF THE SEA an encore screening of 2016 Green Film Festival favoriteJoin Green Film Fest at the SF Public Library for a free, encore screening of 2016 Festival favorite, Of the Sea.OF THE SEA synoposis: Fishermen are the stewards of some of the last wild food on our planet: fish. But few California fishing families remain, due to complex regulations, high cost, and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Addressing California’s Tsunami HazardCalifornia faces tsunami threats from both local and distant sources. North of Cape Mendocino, large earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone have the potential of causing tsunamis greater than 50 feet high as they travel onshore. For areas south of Cape Mendocino, smaller offshore reverse and thrust faults as well ...
Where: OrindaCost: $5 General, $1 students & K-12 Teachers
If ye value critical thinking, and if ye scorn the flim-flam man, join us, your friends. We are a group who informally discuss the latest in science or pseudoscience over good eats & ale. HOW:  Presented free by the Bay Area Skeptics.WHY:  Because science is fascinating!
Where: MillbraeCost: Free- Pub is open for business
The Monster Black Hole at the Center of the Milky Way GalaxyImprovements in technology allow astronomers to use large telescopes to track the properties of stars in places where gravity overwhelms everything. By measuring the rapid orbits of stars near the center of our galaxy, Dr. Ghez and her colleagues have made the case for a supermassive black hole at the ...
Transforming SF: THE FUTURE OF WORK: Ken Goldberg and John Zysman in conversationWhat are the social and economic impacts of technology, robotics and AI on work and employment? Will human beings be completely replaced in the work force? What new jobs will be created and which industries most effected? What will we do with time on our hands and how will we ...
In California, nearly three-quarters of the coastline consists of eroding sea cliffs or bluffs. Cliff retreat often happens suddenly and without warning: wave impacts can undercut and destabilize sea cliffs, causing rapid collapse. Cliff collapse and retreat can be hazardous, but it also gives rise to spectacular coastal features such ...
Where: Point Reyes StationCost: Free
Resilient, Sustainable Cities from the ‘Neighborhood Up’: Low-Carbon Districts and CommunitiesAs cities undergo the biggest growth of the past 100 years, significant investments are being made to build and revitalize neighborhoods and commercial districts. With rapid growth, however, often comes an expanding equity gap in terms of income, education and health. While neighborhoods offer some of the most complex challenges ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: See weblink
The End of Life Option Act: Legal and Clinical ImplicationsUnderstand the basics of the End of Life Option Act. At this event, our speakers dispel some common myths about the act's implementation, address the status of institutional policy development around California and discuss research data from the Oregon/Washington experience. These policy leaders also address some of the challenges encountered ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
NightlifeThis week, NightLife celebrates the best of the Academy with an evening of after hours science inside the greenest museum on the planet.In the aquarium, enjoy nighttime dive shows in our Philippine Coral Reef tank, learn about Claude the albino alligator during a special Swamp Talk, then gaze at the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
Not all tsunamis are generated by earthquakesTsunamis can be caused by volcanoes, landslides, and even atmospheric disturbancesData from tide gauges can help unravel the complex physics of these sourcesSpeaker: Eric Geist, USGSÂ
Join Exploratorium scientist Ron Hipschman for colorful explorations of the physical world.What's going on inside the nucleus of an atom? Why does it spit out radiation? Did you know that you are exposed to radioactivity every day? Learn the facts about this somewhat controversial topic.Part of After Dark, which runs ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Friday, 01/27/17
Wildflowers of the PreserveJoin ACR Resource Ecologist Dave Self on a field excursion to see what wildflowers are blooming this month, and to photograph them for a 'flower show' the next day (3pm-4pm) at the ACR Conservation Center. You'll also learn about the ecology of these winter bloomers, their pollinators, and their uses ...
Lichen: A Closer LookThis easy 1.5-mile out-and-back nature walk will explore habitats where lichen communities thrive. Learn to identify some of the most common forest lichen and discover ways these fascinating organisms benefit both wildlife and the environment. Meet at the Wood Road parking lot. Severe rain cancels. Questions? (408) 918-7770
THE FUTURE WILL BE EPICThe future of our world is being created every day, in offices, labs, garages, and classrooms. While some talking heads spread fear about what lies ahead, we’ve seen the future and can't wait for it to arrive.Join us for a whirlwind two-day festival filled with technology, futurist ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $45 early bird to $120
7th Annual Whalefest MontereyThis free fun and educational, interactive family event for all ages celebrates the migration of the gray whales! The event also benefits many local and national marine organizations that educate, inspire, and empower the public to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.Among the highlights will be a symposium with ...
Bair Island is now open! On this 1.5-mile walk, witness wetland restoration in progress. Hear the story of Bair Island and see how we are turning the former salt pond back into a healthy tidal marsh. RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED. Go to http://innerbairtour.eventbrite.com. Questions? Call Julie at 408-262-5513 ext.104.
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
Science Saturday: MigrationsCome see what it’s like to travel hundreds, or even thousands, of miles, as you learn what migration is like for different animals. Discover the incredible migratory journeys of whales, birds and salmon (and even humans!) during Science Saturday: Migrations. In honor of Sandy the Whale’s birthday, we’ll dive into gray ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Wetlands Walking TourOur refuge consists of salt marshes, salt ponds, tidal and non-tidal sloughs. How do humans and wildlife depend on our wetlands? Come enjoy a 0.5 mile walk through the wetlands, while be depict the life and death struggles of our marsh inhabitants. Open to all ages but best suited for ...
Where: AlvisoCost:
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.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Fungi and autoimmunity: Talk by Martin Laurence, Shipshaw LabsMany strong links between fungi and diseases involving chronic inflammation have been found recently. This talk reviews the evidence linking fungal infections to Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, seronegative spondyloarthropathies (ex: reactive arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis) and multiple sclerosis. It focuses on multiple sclerosis, where the evidence is strongest. The hypothesis of ...
Do you sometimes see paw prints in mud or scat (poop) on the trails and assume that a dog left it? It could be from something else. Come along with me and I will show you how to distinguish and identify the markings of a gray fox. Gain some insights ...
THE FUTURE WILL BE EPICThe future of our world is being created every day, in offices, labs, garages, and classrooms. While some talking heads spread fear about what lies ahead, we’ve seen the future and can't wait for it to arrive.Join us for a whirlwind two-day festival filled with technology, futurist ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $45 early bird to $120
Docent Orientation: Become a Docent for Coyote Creek!The Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition is looking for volunteer docents! We are launching a new docent training program to promote education and stewardship of the Coyote Creek watershed.- Train with a professional naturalist- Learn about the ecology of Coyote Creek- Learn about the wildlife and plants of the watershed- ...
Where: San JoseCost: FREE!
7th Annual Whalefest MontereyThis free fun and educational, interactive family event for all ages celebrates the migration of the gray whales! The event also benefits many local and national marine organizations that educate, inspire, and empower the public to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.Among the highlights will be a symposium with ...
Where: MontereyCost: Free
Coyote Point Field TripJoin the Nature Journal Club at Coyote Point for great opportunities to sketch waterfowl and shorebirds. The mud flats opposite the Marina are heavily used by migratory shorebirds and the marsh at the southern end of the Coyote Point golf course is a good place to look for ducks. We will ...
Where: San MateoCost: $20 suggested donation
Tilden Fungal FairWinter rains make the East Bay hills come alive with mushrooms! View local mushroom specimens, enjoy a presentation on fungi, and peruse our favorite guidebooks at this mini-fungus fair.RSVP requested at weblink
Water Birds at Lake MerrittMigrating birds are here! See which winter visitors are currently at Lake Merritt, the nation's oldest wildlife refuge.  Join us for 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 the walk in front of the ...
Former SF Environment Director Jared Blumenfeld is coming to SFE to talk about his hike from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Bring your lunch and come listen to his talk. There will be props, gear and lots of pictures from his hike. Read more about his ...
The initiative to curtail greenhouse gas emissions that President Barack Obama has made a centerpiece of his second term and that our president-elect will hopefully make it as a priority in his yet-to announced energy policy, has been spurred great interest among automotive companies to expand their portfolio with new ...
The second law of thermodynamics states that for a thermally isolated system entropy never decreases. Most physical processes we observe in nature involve variations of macroscopic quantities over spatial and temporal scales much larger than microscopic molecular collision scales and thus can be considered as in local equilibrium. For a ...
Electricity companies around the world use complex pricing schemes to promote affordable basic electricity services while also encouraging conservation for those who use more electricity. Unfortunately, the basic goals of such pricing systems risk being undermined by their sheer complexity: if households do not understand how they are being charged ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Electron Superhighway: a Quantum Leap for ComputingFor the past 60 years, progress in information technology has been governed by Moore's law, which states that the number of transistors on a semiconductor chip doubles every 18 months. However, this remarkable trend is drawing to a close, mostly because the electrons that carry current in chips move like ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Nerd Nite East Bay #49: Asteroid Law, Dragonflies, and Cognitive DissonanceSo You’d Like to Buy an Asteroid: The Law of Property in Outer Space by Kevin UnderhillGrowing up Dragonfly: the Weird, Wild and Wonderful Life of a Nymph by Christopher BeattyCognitive Dissonance: What’s Feeding Your Inner Zombie by Maren Connary
