Bird Watching for BeginnersIn this beginner’s program, we will go over the use of binoculars, how to use a bird guide, and identify the birds we see on the trail. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Wear comfortable shoes. A limited number of binoculars are available to borrow. Led by Carmen Minch.
Where: FremontCost: Free
Solar Energy Training: Free Workshop on How to Install Rooftop PV SystemsJoin others who are interested in helping save the environment one rooftop at a time! This workshop is offered by SunWork (SunWork.org), a Bay Area nonprofit that installs rooftop PV systems on small-energy-footprint homes (those that use less than $100/mo, excluding electric vehicles). You'll learn the basics of rooftop solar ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: free
Maker Faire Bay AreaCome celebrate Maker Faire's 12th anniversary in the Bay Area, showcasing creative and resourceful people in the areas of science and technology, engineering, food, and arts and crafts.For details, event schedules and tickets, see the web link.
Where: San MateoCost: $25 - $80
Shark DayMSI loves sharks! Our special Shark Day invites one and all to learn about these amazing creatures, from the great whites that swim just off our ocean shores, to the gentle Leopard sharks that are common in our Bay. We will be feeding and touching our local Leopard sharks in ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: $20
Turtle TimeDo you know what time it is? Why it’s “Turtle Timeâ€! Join Aquarium of the Bay as we set up shop at the Sea Lion Center on PIER 39, where kids will meet and greet with turtles, enjoy themed crafts, and be treated to a sea turtle story time with one of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15.00 - $25.95 See website for details
Wildflowers! To know them is to love them. It’s springtime, and all throughout California the wildflowers are beginning to bloom, including in your very own Golden Gate National Parks. We invite you to come and enjoy the huge variety of both native and exotics on display and prepare to be ...
Join Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) and the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society (SCVAS) for a FREE day of adventure, science, birding, hiking, and discovery! Play all day or just stay awhile! Learn about local birds, insects, and bats. AT THIS FREE EVENT YOU CAN: Learn to geocache and search ...
What’s a Geo PDF map? How do you use it? A Geo PDF map is a map you download and store on your smart phone. Use the free app called PDFMaps to view and navigate from the stored map in your phone. Use it on hikes or bike rides to log your distance, start time, ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Plankton Exploration!Visitors will have an opportunity to collect, examine, and identify plankton from the San Francisco Bay. This program will underscore the importance of plankton as the foundation of the food web with the help of a "Plankton Jenga" activity and show how some of the world's largest animals depend directly ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Stirring Up Science: Family Learning WorkshopYou and your child will experiment with mixing common ingredients to explore how substances change and transform. Children will experiment like scientists by observing, predicting, comparing, and using scientists’ tools (such as magnifying lenses, eyedroppers, and measuring spoons).Workshop discussion and activities are for 3 - 5-year-olds with a participating adult.
Allow me to ask you a question: Can you recall the last time you woke up without an alarm clock feeling refreshed, not needing caffeine? If the answer is “no,†you are not alone. Two-thirds of adults fail to obtain the recommended 8 hours of nightly sleep. I doubt you ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Bot Like MeAs more humans turn to apps and websites to find relationships, a growing non-human presence is rising to meet them. The “Bot Like Me†symposium explores the dangers, possibilities, and transformations emerging from this new frontier of human-chatbot relationships. The swissnex Gallery’s exhibition Desperate times call for desperate measures, lol ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 - $30
Walking through Time: History of California NurseryThe importance of this site spans from the Ohlone, Mission and Rancho Era. The people associated with this site helped to transform the State of California into an agricultural giant. Learn how Niles agriculture had a strong tie to San Francisco and Fresno.Lecture will go over the buildings that are ...
Where: FremontCost: $15 (ages 10+)
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
'The Internet is Not the Answer'Called the "Christopher Hitchens of the Internet," Andrew Keen describes the ways in which an expanding circle of wealthy "monopolistic" companies like Amazon, Uber, Airbnb, Spotify and others are disrupting in ways that are hardly as noble as they want us to believe.Watch the provocative book trailer HERE (http://www.ajkeen.com/) and ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: $20 General, $40 including book
SupernovaWhy do some stars explode ? Which star is next ? Take home a sky map of stars that will explode as supernovae.Excitement for the whole family! Participate in hands-on astronomy activities followed by supervised observing through the many different telescopes of MDAS members. See stars, nebulae, galaxies, clusters, the ...
Where: ClaytonCost: Free
Andrew Fraknoi 'performs' with the Peninsula Symphony OrchestraFoothill College Astronomy Professor Andrew Fraknoi will be â€performing†with the Peninsula Symphony during their concerts (despite the fact that he doesn’t play an instrument and can’t sing a note on tune.) The Symphony is doing an astronomy themed concert, with Gustav Holst’s The Planets Suite and Nancy Bloomer Deussen’s ...
Where: CampbellCost: $10 - $45
Sunday, 05/21/17
Maker Faire Bay AreaCome celebrate Maker Faire's 12th anniversary in the Bay Area, showcasing creative and resourceful people in the areas of science and technology, engineering, food, and arts and crafts.For details, event schedules and tickets, see the web link.
Where: San MateoCost: $25 - $80
Monday, 05/22/17
Detection of leaks in carbon storage operations from above-zone pressure monitoring dataWhile efforts should be made to reduce the risk of leakage in carbon storage operations; if there is a leak it will be important to quickly detect, locate and characterize it in order to maximize the effectiveness of remedial strategies. One of the most promising methods for early detection involves ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
How Do Our Brains Construct Thoughts?Three goats wearing vintage roller skates boarded an aircraft carrier. You have never before encountered the previous sentence, and yet you instantly grasped its meaning. You had some concepts ready to go in your head (aircraft carrier, goat, roller skate, boarding, vintage, three), and you put them together in just ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Is an Electric Vehicle Right for You?Are you considering leasing or buying an electric vehicle (EV) and want real information versus a sales pitch? Come hear from a panel of local, long-time EV drivers and experts on their experiences. Get your questions answered on the difference between all-electric and plug in hybrid EVs; EV charging (home, ...
The energy industry has undergone a number of radical changes and we are on the cusp of fundamental shifts in the way energy is produced and consumed. New York State Public Service Commissioner Diane X. Burman will offer her unscripted personal remarks on the future of energy in New York and ...
Over the past decade, data analytics and machine learning have emerged as an important research areas with practical applications in a range of fields, including engineering, social networking, and commerce. Many companies and researchers are using the abundant data available today to recommend purchases to consumers, predict the results of ...
What goes on in a human brain the second before the body reacts? Which sights, sounds, and smells trigger the nervous system to produce that behavior? Which hormones act hours, or sometimes days, in advance  to stimulate the nervous system to respond? How do features of an individual’s environment, upbringing, genetic makeup, and culture, plus thousands of ...
Deep learning is based on technical advances made by the neural network revolution in the 1980's.  Why did it take so long for neural networks to recognize speech and objects in images at human levels?  What were the breakthroughs that made deep learning possible?  Which industries will deep learning disrupt?  How will deep ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Coherent Defects in DiamondSpeaker: Nathalie de Leon, HarvardApplied Physics/Physics ColloquiumEditor's Note: This lecture was originally listed for May 16.
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Science Speakeasy No. 1 - Out of This World: From Caves to SpaceIn this Science Speakeasy prepare for some extreme science! First, we’ll explore the depths of our past with Alia Gurtov, one of six “underground astronaut†archaeologists who excavated the newly discovered Homo naledi fossils in Rising Star Cave in South Africa. Then we’ll explore the far reaches of our future ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Mary T. Crowley, Project Kaisei & Ocean Voyage InstituteProject Kaisei is the ocean clean-up initiative of Ocean Voyage Institute , a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. It was established to focus on major ocean clean-up and to raise awareness regarding the global problem of marine debris/ocean trash. Since its inception in 2009, Project Kaisei heralds the need ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $5 suggested donation
Astronomy Lecture with Clio Sleator (UCB)Please join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for the May 23rd. general meeting. The meeting starts at 7:15 and ends at 9:15. Our monthly meetings begin with a short “What’s Up†presented by one of our members, followed by a speaker. This month’s speaker is Clio Sleator of the UC Berkeley ...
Eureka! is an interactive science comedy show where scientists talk, comedians crack jokes, and audience members win fun, silly prizes.Science doesn't just live in the lab. Last April hundreds of thousands of people marched to show that science is political too. And there's no more politicized subject of research than climate ...
Theoretical physicist Geoffrey West was president of Santa Fe Institute from 02005 to 02009 and founded the high energy physics group at Los Alamos National Laboratory. His current areas of research are cities, scaling, & sustainability and the hidden laws that pervade complex biological & social phenomena.
Spiritual Life in Palliative Care: Meaning Making for Both Patient and ClinicianKerry Egan is a hospice chaplain and a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Her hospice work has been featured on NPR, PBS and CNN, and her essays have appeared in Parents, American Baby, Reader’s Digest, andCNN.com, where they have been read more than two million times.ON LIVING distills the wisdom ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: free
Conversations About Landscape In 2017, we present Landscapes of Hope and Imagination, a series of conversations about the variety of responses to current social and political challenges, including individual expression, community organizing, scientific research, and place-based activism. ​Conversations About Landscape brings together practitioners from the fields of geography, ecology, environmental sciences, policy, design, and ...
Californians are accustomed to living through wet times and dry times, but lately things are getting more extreme and much more difficult to predict. After five years of severe drought, Californians are now talking about what it means to have too much water. The end of the drought is a ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
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 Sky Event of the DecadeOn August 21, a total solar eclipse will cross the entire country for the first time since 1918. Foothill astronomy professor Andrew Fraknoi will discuss the importance of this event at the last lecture series of the year. All attendees will receive a free pair of viewing glasses, courtesy of ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
Thursday, 05/25/17
Scientists at Work: Unraveling the Diet of Least TernsResearchers from Point Blue Conservation Science will be analyzing the diets of Least Terns, examining dropped fish, feces, and regurgitated pellets collected from local bird colonies.
 Least Tern diets are being used as indicators of the success of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). By comparing the diets of tern colonies inside MPAs ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with Admission to the Exploratorium
Rounding Up the Facts on GMOsAre genetically modified food advocates the new "flat-earthers"? Are their opponents the new climate deniers? As with many issues these days, the two sides are working from different sets of facts. Monsanto, the agrochemical company, and other supporters of foods that include genetically modified organisms (GMOs) say using GMOs can promote more ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
The DaSH Project - Building a 'Simple' Human Powered Airplane The DaSH PA project stands for "Dead Simple Human Powered Airplane", the idea: to take as simple and efficient an approach as possible to building a successful HPA -- a plane that flies powered solely by its human pilot, and that performs well while doing so. It was started by a group ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Alongshore sediment transport, rip currents and erosion in southern Monterey Bay.This lecture is part of "Sea Below the Surface," which celebrates 25 years of protecting our estuarine, nearshore, offshore, and seamount environment. Thornton's lecture is part of a four-part series brought to you by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration and the National Marine Sanctuaries - Monterey Bay.Speaker: Dr. Ed ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: $5 suggested donation
Nightlife SpotlightGet your late night science fix with a celebration of the best of the Academy and sip cocktails in the company of 38,000 live animals.SCHEDULE OF EVENTSProtecting Endangered WildLife (African Hall) 8:00pm, Catch a special presentation by Damien Mander, a former naval special operations sniper for the Australian Defense Force ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
Plastic Waste: A Path from Garbage to Healthy ResourcesPlastic is everywhereâ€"in single and multiuse products and packaging. Almost all plastic ends its short, useable time in litter, waste, dumps, trash, rivers, oceans, soil or landfills. This ultimately leads to unhealthy plastic degradation and causes harm to environments throughout the world. Join us in this important discussion about Recology's mission ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, Free for students
Functional Neurological DisorderWith functional neurological symptom disorder, a patient experiences neurological symptoms inconsistent with a neurological disease. Doctors Bullock and Lockman will discuss this little known but common diagnosis.Speakers: Kim Bullock, MD and Juliana Lockman, MD
 Underwater imaging provides a unique opportunity to study urban fault hazards.How do we link surface structures to depths where earthquakes occur?How does "acoustic trenching" help us understand earthquake history?Speaker: Janet Watt, USGS
What is sound? How high a pitch can you hear? Can you measure the speed of sound with a yardstick? Can two sounds add up to no sound? Explore these questions and more in this resonant presentation.Part of After Dark (6:00 - 10:00)
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with After Dark Admission
Friday, 05/26/17
Alcatraz Historic Garden TourBeginning in 2003, the Garden Conservancy formed a partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the NPS to rehabilitate the Historic Gardens of Alcatraz. Join Shelagh Fritz (Project Manager of the Gardens), to learn about the preservation process of a cultural landscapes: through the planning stages, preparation of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Donations encouraged
Wildflowers of the PreserveJoin ACR Resource Ecologist Dave Self on an excursion to see and photograph (or sketch, paint, or write about) wildflowers on the Modini Mayacamas Preserves. You're encouraged to share your best for a 'flower show' the next day from 3:00pm-4:00pm at ACR's Conservation Center. Dave will coach beginners on close-up flower ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: $20 General, $15 Members/Students, Free < 18
Reboot Reality Opening WeekendReboot Reality: A digital experience lab opens at The Tech May 26.In this experimental space at The Tech Museum of Innovation, come play and create with virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.You’re the artist and explorer in these cutting-edge experiences, many of which you’ll find only at The Tech. ...
Where: San JoseCost: Kids/Seniors: $19, Adults: $24
Economic losses and fatalities caused by hydrological extremes, i.e. droughts and floods, are dramatically increasing in many regions of the world, and there is serious concern about future risk given the potentially negative effects of global changes. Over the past decades, numerous socio-economic studies have explored human responses to floods, ...
 Come learn about cutting-edge research from the graduate student and post-doc community at UC Berkeley in a relaxed, sci-fi-themed cafe setting. This month features neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Johnson.The audience is encouraged to interrupt and ask questions and engage in discussion with our speakers. Arrive at 6:30 pm and enjoy a ...
