Surfing Mavericks: Call of the Data Join Exploratorium educator Lori Lambertson, an avid surfer, for a talk about the data and weather forecasting that goes into calling the Mavericks surf contest and the unique features of the famed break. This exciting big-wave contest, held 25 miles south of San Francisco, requires perfect conditions that only come ...
Think global, #TravelLocal? Harnessing social media for sustainability.  Every year, 124 million Americans take vacations. They’re traveling farther than ever, averaging 1,200 miles per trip. Transportation -- particularly airplane travel -- is a leading source of greenhouse-gas emissions. But can blurring the status signal associated with long distance travel lead ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Issues of Human Interface DesignGary will present some challenges of human interface design, using prosthetic limbs as the springboard for discussion.Speaker: Gary Berke, prosthetist and an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Prosthetics in Stanford's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Where: StanfordCost: Free
A Life Among Fishes: The Art of GyotakuJoin us as Christopher Dewees presents his book, A Life Among Fishes: The Art of Gyotaku, sharing a half century of printing fish and shellfish to full color. We will follow Chris's evolution from being exposed and fascinated by gyotaku as a graduate student, to his status now as an internationally recognized ...
 The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system will begin limited operations this year.Alerts could save lives and properties but several challenges remain.With millions at risk, why isn't full public alerting happening yet?Speaker: Douglas Given, USGS
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 (6:00 - 10:00)
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with After Dark Admission
The way you sense the world around you is very different from how the spider on the web on your porch experiences its world. In fact, the senses used by that spider on the web are very different from the senses of the jumping spider hopping around your garden. At ...
It is more apparent every day that science informs international cooperation and relations. We need our future leaders to be prepared for this reality. This is a great opportunity for 12 to 90 year olds to learn together.The world has just made its biggest ever promise to itself. Our leaders ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: see website
Fire on the MountainJoin ACR Education Specialist Dave Self as we look for evidence of fire and its effects on the landscape. You’ll learn about fire in the geologic past and the use of fire as a tool employed by Native cultures in the management of useful plants and habitats. We will also discuss ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: $20 General, $15 Members/Students, Free < 18
Marin Pollinator WorkshopMMWD and San Francisco State University have begun inventorying pollinators, primarily bees, on the mountain this spring. This will be the first time this part of Marin has ever been surveyed for pollinators. Researchers will also generate a historical species list and review plant species currently known to be extirpated ...
Where: Corte MaderaCost: Free
Back in Time18,000 years ago there was no San Francisco Bay Estuary and the delta was in a whole different location. Watch an accelerated time lapse and see how one of the world’s largest natural estuaries and one of the few inverted deltas on the planet were created. You will see how ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Science Saturday: Amazing MigrationsWe peer into the fantastic world of wildlife migration. We will also be celebrating Sandy the Whale's birthday, and are excited to host Larry Foster - the artist who made Sandy - for a talk and Q & A about the beloved whale on the Museum's front porch. Kids and ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Whalefest Monterey SymposiumRunning in conjunction with Whalefest Monterey at the Old Monterey Wharf, a 2-day symposium is being held. See weblink for speakers and abstracts, as well as additional information.
Where: MontereyCost:
Agar Art Contest 2018 - Learn How to Make Bacterial ArtCounter Culture Labs is proud to be hosting the American Society for Microbiology Agar Art Contest.Come and learn how to make colorful and unique living art. Design your own art piece using our colorful bacteria and then submit your piece for a chance to win.We will be hosting several workshops, ...
Where: OaklandCost: $20
Outfall TourHave you ever wondered where your indoor water ends up? If you live in the south bay, it probably goes to the San Jose- Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility to be cleaned. Join us on a tour of the Facility’s Outfall and see firsthand how it helps keep the San ...
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 ...
Join us for a new presentation by renowned photographer Frans Lanting and his partner, Chris Eckstrom, about the wonders of wild Africa. During many journeys over the past 30 years, they have documented the wildlife and natural heritage of some of the most celebrated landscapes on earth.INTO AFRICA is based on ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: $25 General, $20 Seymour Center members
Oceans Aglow: Family Night Hike & CampfireJoin NatureBridge Golden Gate as we discover one of the most amazing natural phenomenon, bioluminescence. We will hike out to Rodeo Beach and explore the sands for twinkling plankton. Where did they come from? Why are they blinking? Are they here all the time? We will try and answer all ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $15 per person
Jazz Under the StarsCome peer through our telescopes and see craters on the Moon, the visible planets, 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 are available on the Maps, Directions & Parking page.
Join us for a new presentation by renowned photographer Frans Lanting and his partner, Chris Eckstrom, about the wonders of wild Africa. During many journeys over the past 30 years, they have documented the wildlife and natural heritage of some of the most celebrated landscapes on earth.INTO AFRICA is based on ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: $25 General, $20 Seymour Center members
San Francisco City Star PartyCome join us for our monthly San Francisco City Star Party. SFAA members provide telescopes for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check the SFAA website for the latest updates…bad weather or overcast skies will cancel!
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Sunday, 01/28/18
Sunrise Tour of Muir WoodsYou are cordially invited to attend a sunrise guided tour through Muir Woods National Monument. While the early hour may seem uncivilized, if not down-right obscene, sunrise is a particularly beautiful time to visit an old-growth redwood forest. Participants will be introduced to the local plant and animal residents (more ...
This month we celebrate the animals that are the champions of the cold: Animals of the Arctic. We recommend teaming our free classroom program with a Docent-led tour at 11am, 1pm or 3pm for a truly immersive marine mammal experience.Program SummaryFREE Classroom Programs: Animals of the Arctic- 12 PM and ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Whalefest Monterey SymposiumRunning in conjunction with Whalefest Monterey at the Old Monterey Wharf, a 2-day symposium is being held. See weblink for speakers and abstracts, as well as additional information.
Where: MontereyCost:
Full-Spectrum Science: RadioactivityWhat'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.Speaker: Ron HipschmanPresentations at 1:00 and 3:00
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with Admission to the Exploratorium
Thinkers and DrinkersGet ready for two of your favorite things: booze & science! You get to ask a diverse panel of brilliant scientists life's toughest questions; they get to play a drinking game and deliver answers. What's a bitcoin? Why are we attracted to jerks? Is karma real? What’s under San Francisco? Do blondes have more fun? ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15
Monday, 01/29/18
Measuring masses of galaxy clusters using CMB-cluster lensingGalaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound objects in the Universe and are excellent cosmological probes. Their power as cosmological probes, however, is currently limited by the systematics involved in the measurement of their mass. In this talk, I will discuss the method to estimate their masses using the weak-gravitational ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Timely “Big Problemsâ€, Computation, and InventionThere are significant engineering challenges ahead of us at the nexus of water, energy, and the environment. At the systems-scale, computational models can empower the study of process physics that will form the foundation for game-changing innovations to address some of the "Big Problems" of our time. In systems of ...
The Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics is hosting a film showing of "That's the Story".This film - produced by Professor J.I. Latorre (University of Barcelona) - features interviews with Professor Roy Glauber (Harvard University) who is the last surviving member of the Los Alamos Theory Group together with original material from the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Safety-Critical Control for Dynamic Legged and Aerial RoboticsBiological systems such as birds and humans are able to move with great agility, efficiency, and robustness in a wide range of environments. Endowing machines with similar capabilities requires designing controllers that address the challenges of high-degree-of-freedom, high-degree-of-underactuation, nonlinear & hybrid dynamics, as well as input, state, and safety-critical constraints ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Startups in the Baltics : Small Autonomous Robots for Urban DeliverySession Three presents a global leader in small autonomous urban robots from Estonia. Headquartered in Tallinn, CEO Ahti Heinla will discuss the history and vision of Starship; the challenges of building a disruptive AI/Robotics startup in a country not known for deep robotics and AI expertise; operating experience gained to ...
The electric power industry is undergoing a profound transformation toward a low-carbon future to address climate change. The pace of technological change has opened up new and exciting opportunities to do business better and cleaner. Customer choices are changing and expanding. Edison International (EIX) is committed to helping the State ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Nerd Nite East Bay: Firescaping, AR Vision, Bay Cocktail HistoryFlora Firewall: Fighting Fires With FlowersWildfires can burn at a rate of nearly fifteen miles per hour, so human understanding of how different plants respond to fire conditions is crucial. Firescaping looks at how aesthetic concerns interact with safety, and how a deeper knowledge of plant physiology and classification can ...
How do heritage and memory communities share collections, research and expertise with a broad public? The most mission aligned and visible internet platforms for doing this are Wikipedia and its sister projects which include the linked-open data platform Wikidata and free-media platform Wikimedia Commons. Alex Stinson will talk about the ...
IEEE Consumer Electronics Society 2018 CES DownloadThis is our annual sharing of the new and unusual things seen at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. This event has proven to be a very popular one to attend for people that are in the industry or just have a curiosity. See photos and hear explanations about ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $10 General, $5 IEEE Members, CES/IEEE Stud. Free
The Role of Krill in the Food Web rescheduled from 1.23.17Dr. Baldo Marinovic, a research biologist at Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz studies zooplankton ecology and the dynamics of ocean food webs. MS Marine sciences UCSC, PhD Zoology University Western Australia.Since 1997, he has been conducting surveys in Monterey Bay to understand what determines the distribution, ...
The high standard of living we enjoy today is made possible by catalysts Â- behind-the-scenes agents that promote chemical reactions in the vast majority of industrial processes, including production of fertilizers, gasoline and other essential products. But we have only a poor understanding of how catalysts actually work. At SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Wednesday, 01/31/18
Total Lunar EclipseThe observatory deck opens at 3 am in the early morning hours of the 31st for viewing as the "Blue Moon†turns red in this total Lunar eclipse. A Lunar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. Bring binoculars, blankets and warm clothes. The total ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Lunar Eclipse Viewing PartyStart your day with the super blue lunar eclipse! On Wednesday, Jan. 31, from 4-6 a.m. in the Foothill College Observatory, astronomy professor Dr. Geoff Mathews will guide us through this extraordinary event. For the first time since 1866, a blue supermoon will coincide with a lunar eclipse, giving ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
Bots and Tots with Hal VarianMany observers speculate that automation will reduce the overall demand for labor in the near-term future. This may or may not be the case, but it is virtually certain that changes in the demographic composition of the population will reduce the supply of labor in most developed countries over the ...
Why Did the Robot Cross the Road? A Discussion of Social Interaction with Autonomous Technologies of the Future This presentation will discuss how human interaction with technology informs the design of non-humanoid robots such as automatic doors and autonomous vehicles. David Sirkin’s research on the design of physical interactions between humans and robots, and on autonomous vehicles and their interfaces, has been covered by The Associated Press, The Economist, New ...
Where: OrindaCost: $5 General, $1 Teachers/Students
taste of science: Illusions and Cell DeathThe virtual reality machine inside your head: Using illusions to learn about the brainWhile it may be fun to throw on an Oculus and dive to the depths of the ocean or fly through space, it’s more fun to realize that you have your own state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment! In ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: $5
To see a world in a grain of sand: Yucatan climate recorded in microfossilsCurrent climate change is the product of warming on a global scale, but it is regional climate that dictates local weather patterns and rainfall. Models of regional climate are useful in predicting changes to future resource availability but are only as good as the data on which they are based, ...
