Hawk Identification Field ClassJoin Step Wilson (Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawkwatch Manager) for this unique outing in the field to practice your hawk identification skills with the fall migration! Meet at the trail head gate to Hawk Hill at the top of Conzelman Rd at 11am. After a steep and gravelly 250 yard ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Donations encouraged
The Simulation of Droplets, Bubbles and InterfacesDroplets, bubbles and interfaces offer fascinating physical and mathematical problems and are a key part of the microscopic modeling of multiphase flow in porous media and other contexts. The talk will describe how to address these problems numerically, using tools such as the Volume of Fluid method. In particular, I ...
Research and Development at the Toyota Research InstituteToyota Research Institute (TRI), established in 2015, has four initial mandates: 1) enhance the safety of automobiles, 2) increase access to cars to those who otherwise cannot drive, 3) translate Toyota’s expertise in creating products for outdoor mobility into products for indoor mobility, and 4) accelerate scientific discovery by applying ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Making Robots Work to Help us Work RemotelyA panel of experts, Leila Takayama, Susan Herring, Dallas Goecker and Victoria Bellotti, will debate the state and future prospects of mobile telepresence robotics. More and more, companies around the world are exploring ways to support and empower employees to work remotely while still “being" and “feeling†present and successful. ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
A Spider Sampler: Arachnid Biology and Local FaunaSpiders elicit fear and disgust in many humans, but closer acquaintance with this ecologically vital order of arachnids can transform these reactions into more positive attitudes. I ll divide my talk into an introduction to spider biology and a bestiary of species that you might run into on the San ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Extraterrestrial NightLifeExplore the mysteries beyond our solar system with a night dedicated to the search for extraterrestrials.Join experts from NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View for fascinating talks on exoplanets and life beyond Earth - including what it might look like to live on Mars:Â Ed Bendek and Rus Belikov will ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
In 1973, National Audubon successfully restored a breeding colony of Atlantic Puffins on an island in the Gulf of Maine where they had been extirpated in the early 20th century. They relied on social attraction an innovative use of decoys and audio playback that since then has helped restore seabird colonies ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
Sonoma County Mycological Assoc. monthly meeting - CANCELEDCome identify mushrooms (and bring your mushrooms for identification), and hear a guest speaker. This month's speaker is SOMA board member Kingman Bond Graham. Open to the public.
BAMS Co-Founder Debbie Viess aka Amanitarita will talk about the broad array of toxins found in the genus Amanita. You will learn how to recognize the various sections of the Genus Amanita, which sections may contain toxins and which never do, what those toxins are and how they affect us ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Everything Matters: ChromiumCome be in your elements with Exploratorium host and scientific raconteur Ron Hipschman. Follow tales of intrigue and invention, join in dynamic demonstrations, and uncover fascinating connections between individual elements and our collective human experience.Learn more about the series, Everything Matters: Tales from the Periodic Table.Explore the colorful past of a transition metal best ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with After Dark Admission
Friday, 10/20/17
Scientists at Work: What Are Local Seabirds Eating?How do scientists learn what Bay Area birds are eating? Come see for yourself, as biologists from Point Blue Conservation Science invite visitors to watch them while they work. They’ll be studying the diets of local cormorants by dissecting the indigestible pellets coughed up by these birds. Each pellet contains ...
Kat Taylor is co-founder and co-CEO of Beneficial State Bank and develops its social and environmental objectives. Beneficial State Bank is a community development financial institution whose mission is to bring beneficial banking to low-income communities in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. We invite you to come hear her perspective ...
Shark DayCome join us at the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge for Shark Day. Help us appreciate our finned friends of the bay. Enjoy guided wildlife hikes and live demonstrations by the Marine Science Institute. Make a spectacular shark or ocean themed craft. And, try some sun spotting too!Priority ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Geology Rocks on the HillsEver wondered why the Coyote Hills rise up out of the surrounding marshland? Take a walk with Dr. Malcolm Pringle around the hills of the refuge. Observe rocks that formed deep in the ocean during the time of the dinosaurs. Ponder how they could have joined North America, then been ...
There’s no perfect way to count votes. To paraphrase Ulysses S. Grant and Richard M. Nixon, “Mistakes will be made.†Voters don’t always follow instructions. Voting systems can be mis-programmed. Ballots can be misplaced. Election fraud is not entirely unknown in the U.S. And the more elections depend on technology, the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
GGRO Hawk Talk & Raptor ReleaseOur Hawk Talks and Raptor Releases occur every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2 pm (weather permitting - heavy fog or rain cancels) during September and October, except for Fleet Week weekend. The Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Fish DaysLearn about fresh water fish that are found in local ponds and rivers. Games show native and non native fish and how they arrived at Tule Ponds. Compare fishing ponds for people versus fishing ponds for wildlife.  Explore how the early peoples of area went fishing as well as the ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Safari West - CANCELEDThe mission of Safari West is to actively promote conservation, environmental education, and share knowledge that will help each individual make personal choices in regards to the environment and conservation efforts. They'll be joining us for a presentation and hands-on exploration of environmental education and conservation.Ages 6 and up (with parent)
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free with admission
OUR PLACE IN THE GALAXY: What is our Milky Way Galaxy and where is our place in it?The program starts at 7:30 (enter the park at least 45 minutes earlier) at the lower summit parking lot. See the center of our galaxy. Tour our galaxy - and others - through the telescopesSee stars, nebula, galaxies, clusters, the moon and planets through member telescopes. Bring kids, binoculars, warm clothes ...
Where: ClaytonCost: Free; $10 park entrance fee
Sunday, 10/22/17
Free Community Day at the ExplOratoriumAdmission to the ExplOratorium is free today.Entry is subject to capacity; admission is not guaranteed. We don’t accept group or field trip reservations; group entry is discouraged due to large crowds.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
GGRO Hawk Talk & Raptor ReleaseOur Hawk Talks and Raptor Releases occur every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2 pm (weather permitting - heavy fog or rain cancels) during September and October, except for Fleet Week weekend. The Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman: Science Fiction Turned FactScience fiction has predicted many things. Some have come true (think touch screens, submarines, bionic limbs), others, not so much - or at least, not yet. If you’ve ever wondered where your flying car or rocket belt is, or why you don’t yet have a robot servant, find out at ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
About Virtual RealityWhat is Virtual Reality? What are it's implications for training, travel, education, gaming, and a host of other activities? Hear from Virtual Reality @ Berkeley, a Cal organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of virtual reality, providing developer resources, and promoting dialogue about the applications and implications of VR. And, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Accessible Lake Merritt: Pop-Up Aquarium and Birding!Who's living in Lake Merritt? Let's find out by exploring above and below the surface of everyone's favorite estuary. We'll take a short walk along a paved path to look for birds who are migrating through for the winter, and we'll host a pop up aquarium to highlight the underwater creatures ...
Batteries are ubiquitous. However, today’s batteries are expensive, range-limited, power-restricted, die too quickly, charge too slowly, and susceptible to safety issues. For this reason, model-based battery management systems are of extreme interest. In this talk, we discuss eCAL’s recent research on electrochemical-thermal battery models, optimal experiment design for parameter identification, ...
HISTORY, TECHNOLOGY AND ART OF SWORDSWilliam Imler will discuss the history and technological development of swords from ancient times through modern days. Topics covered include a brief treatment of bronze, iron and steel metallurgy, proper heat treatment and alloying of steel for different purposes, and the development of pattern welding from the early efforts by ...
Lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous in everyday life, and are transforming mobility through electric vehicles, and electricity grid through the storage of intermittent renewables. Metrics such as energy density, lifetime and safety are controlled by phenomena that span enormous length scales, ranging from sub-Angrostroms to centimeters and beyond. Despite the significant ...
A group of people are claiming that the Earth is flat. Â Meanwhile, much of humanity believes the Earth is round. Â Who is right, and who is wrong?Folks: we live in the Internet age, which means we can test these ideas with an EXPERIMENT. Â To participate, all you need are three ...
A Green Infrastructure Vision for Coyote ValleyConservation planners, water resource managers and climate resiliency experts are partnering to implement a new vision to protect and restore Coyote Valley’s wetlands, floodplains, groundwater recharge areas and wildlife corridors. Come learn how nature-based solutions can contribute to the region’s environmental sustainability and resiliency.Speakers: + Robin Grossinger / San Francisco ...
Where: San JoseCost: $10 General, Free for Members
Communication in Serious Illness: Getting to YesHigh-quality care for seriously ill patients depends upon communication that is patient-centered, clear, attends to the central role of affect in the medical encounter, and results in care consistent with patients’ goals. This talk will describe an evidence-based approach to effective serious illness communication that allows patients, families, and clinicians ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, $7 Students
'An Inconvenient Sequel'Film screening of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power plus Q&A with the film's creators.
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Astronomy on Tap South BayJoin us at Uproar Brewing Company for astronomy talks, trivia (with prizes), and answers to all of your astronomy questions (well, most of them)! There is also amazing food and drinks for purchase! Our guest speakers will be: Amy Furniss (CSUEB): The universe’s most extreme environments James Radomski ...
Why do the whales come to San Francisco? What are they eating and why are they so close to shore? What other cetaceans do we see? What can we do to protect them and encourage their return? These questions will be answered and more! Join local naturalist Nicole Larson on ...
We humans are a puzzling species. No other animal comes close to our capacity for violently harming each other; yet at the same time, no other comes close to our capacity for cooperation, altruism, or compassion. Most challengingly, the same motoric behavior can count as appalling or noble, depending on ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Wonderfest: The Unconscious MindPsychologists are discovering that unconscious motivators dominate human behavior. The pervasive influence of the unconscious mind affects every aspect of our lives: from where we scratch (of course!) ... to whom we love, what we buy, and how we vote. Nevertheless, our fates are not sealed. These same psychologists can ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Fast transient event - Magnetars and morePlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for the October 24th general meeting. Our monthly meetings begin with a short “What’s Up†at 7:15 presented by one of our members followed by a speaker. This month’s speaker is Dr. Casey Law, UC Berkley
See the universe from Pier 17 in San Francisco with a Unistellar eVscope!  SETI Institute astronomer Franck Marchis will be there to demo the prototype.Join us to share views through our evScope and other telescopes of nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, double stars, and other objects visible in the night sky (weather permitted of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Wednesday, 10/25/17
Sea change: Scaling up the emergent ecological effects of global changeMy research examines the ecological effects of climate change and ocean acidification on marine communities and ecosystems. This talk will focus on the importance of incorporating interactions - between multiple stressors and species - in the study of the emergent effects of global change, with examples from rocky intertidal, seagrass, ...
Rey (UCB ’96) is a scientist, entrepreneur, and investor. He specializes in the early commercialization stages of innovation, with a focus on startups working for a positive impact on society and the environment. He has successfully developed and commercialized new materials for industrial and consumer goods. Rey holds degrees in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Black holes, BPS jumping, and special lociI discuss, in an elementary way, special loci in the moduli spaces of string compactifications where the numbers of BPS states jump. In simple examples, these loci are also related to natural objects in number theory. Understanding of these loci leads to new results or conjectures about refined BPS partition ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Four presentations at Romberg Tiburon CenterJillian Burns Examining larval longfin smelt diets in shoals and tidal marshes of the San Francisco Estuary Stephanie Owens Investigating the Impacts of Freshwater Flow Pulses on a Managed Floodplain Jessica Wilson Phytoplankton bloom composition in Drakes Estero before and after the removal of a commercial oyster farm Mandy-Tanita Brinkmann ...
When did our ancestors look the way we expect them to have looked? When did they behave in the way we expect them to have behaved?The search for what defines the genus Homo has spanned decades and is still debated among scientists today. In this talk, paleoanthropologist Dr. Bernard Wood ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members and Seniors
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 basics of cancer invasion (with slime demo!)Cancer spreading to other parts of body is the cause of 90% of cancer-related death. Cancer invasion is the first key step in this process, in which cancer cells break through the tumor border and into neighboring tissues. Recent research from our group ...
