Pairings: PeanutsTo reserve a seat and something to eat, pick up free tickets onsite at the Observatory. Seating is limited to 120.7:00 p.m.  Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Physiologie du Gout, 1825Join us for robust presentations and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General; $10 Members; Free for Lab Members
Nursery Series: Growing for RestorationDid you think that we just go to our local nursery and pick up the over 100,000 plants to use in restoration projects each year? Wrong.To kick-off the nursery series, join Alisa Shor (Director of Park Nurseries) to learn what is involved in producing our native plant crops each year, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Donations encouraged
From Hot Neptunes to Temperate Earths: Observing the Atmospheres of Small PlanetsSubstantial resources have been dedicated to characterizing the handful of planets with radii between Earth’s and Neptune’s that are accessible to current telescopes. Observations of their transmission spectra reveal a diversity of worlds, some shrouded in clouds and others with molecular features. I will discuss the types of clouds and ...
Speaker: Brienne Ghafourifar, Co-Founder, Entefy, Inc.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Lecture 2: Mathematics and Computation (through the lens of one problem and one algorithm). Proving Algebraic IdentitiesIn numerous mathematical settings, an object typically has several representations. This leads to the “isomorphism problem†or “word problemâ€: when are two given representations equivalent. Such problems have driven much structural and algorithmic research across mathematics. We will focus on the algebraic setting, where our objects will be polynomials ...
How to catalyze communities to environmental action?Environmental problems have the potential to affect us all. Combating them will require changing individual behavior, from the food we eat to the way we travel. But it also will require community action: protesting to change policy, for example, and working with neighbors to ...
Stephen J. Gould described humans as “the primates who tell stories.†Psychologist Robyn Dawes took it one step further, arguing that we’re "the primates whose cognitive capacity shuts down in the absence of a story.†Why are we so motivated to find a good story or explanation? Is this tendency beneficial? Cognitive ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
'Chasing Coral' screening & Lecture"Chasing Coral" - Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called “coral bleaching - a sign of mass coral death - has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea ...
Where: TiburonCost: $9.00
Noise Pop NightLifeNightLife resumes its role as the official pre-party for the Noise Pop Music and Arts Festival as the bastion of Bay Area independent music takes over for an evening exploring the science of sound.-----> In the Piazza, catch a DJ set from a local favorite - chillwave originator, vocalist, and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
The Science of Cannabis: The Genetics of Cannabis Breeds - SOLD OUTThere is a rich informal taxonomy of Cannabis strains with exotic and evocative names. How do these breeds reflect the genetic relationships among different strains, and how do those genetic relationships reflect the chemical properties of the specific plants? This is critical information for the commercialization of cannabis, and there ...
How We Know It Was Climate Change: Connecting Extreme Weather Events with Global WarmingHeat waves, hurricanes, wildfires - extreme climate events are on the rise in the US and worldwide. Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh, Kara J Foundation Professor and Kimmelman Family Senior Fellow at Stanford University, examines the connections between global warming and extreme events and asks the question, did global warming contribute to ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $10 General, Students Free
Friday, 02/09/18
Riparian Restoration Using WillowsBrian Hildebidle (Associate Director of Conservation Research and Stewardship for the Presidio Trust) will lead this very hands-on field workshop that will cover techniques and uses of willows in riparian restoration projects!The class will initially meet at Presidio 1216 and then continue on to various Presidio sites. Please bring your lunch and dress ...
An Isenthalpic-Based Framework for Nonlinear Thermal SimulationThermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR) involves the interplay of mass and energy transport with complex phase behavior. Hydrocarbon-water interactions govern the behavior of these systems in which components partition across multiple fluid phases as a function of composition, pressure and temperature. In this work we develop a thermodynamically consistent framework ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Leveraging Big Data to Improve Operational Performance, Reliability, and EfficiencyThe existing public transit infrastructure in the United States already generates a tremendous amount of data, however, this information is often not used as effectively as it could be. In this session, we will discuss some of the ways that Swiftly is leveraging billions of data points to help transit ...
Solar Eclipse Extravaganza, Part IIPlease join us for some FABULOUS eclipse photos and videos taken by our PAS Members from various locations along the eclipse path! Several world-renowned eclipse chasers will be among those presenting their images. This should be a great meeting! And it might help kick-start your ideas for how to view ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
Saturday, 02/10/18
SWOOP - Drone Racing & Raptors in Flight (First Weekend of 2 Weekend Event)CuriOdyssey’s extraordinary exhibition, SWOOP - A Celebration of Flight, opens on the evening of February 9 and runs for two weekends, February 10-11 and February 17-19, 2018. This unique avian and aeronautical festival will thrill curious kids and families with exciting indoor drone races and nature’s aerial experts, live raptors, ...
Where: San MateoCost: $9.50-12.50
Fixit Clinic CCLV (255) Castro Valley LibraryFixit Clinic CCLV (255) Castro Valley LibraryFixit Coaches will be training in residence at the Castro Valley Library and available for consultation on your broken items.Celebrating repair by conveying basic troubleshooting skills, Fixit Clinics are do-it-together hands-on STEM-oriented fix-n-learn community-based exploration and discovery workshops staffed by volunteer Fixit Coaches who ...
Where: Castro ValleyCost: Free
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
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
Science on the Screen: 'Wall-E'Curious about robotics? Science on the Screen creatively pairs cutting-edge science presented by leading science and technology experts with classic science fiction films. The series reveals the science of everyday living, explores where science and art connect, and inspires students to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $18 General, $10 Students & Teachers
10-11am: Agart ArtCome 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 in the American Society for Microbiology annual Agar Art Contest.We will be hosting several workshops, as well as ...
Where: OaklandCost: $10-$20
Marine Science Sunday: Marine Mammal Parents and PupsIn preparation for Valentine's Day, this month we celebrate love under the sea with Marine Mammal Parents and Pups in a fun, educational way for both kids and adults. We recommend teaming our free classroom program with a Docent-led tour at 11am, 1pm or 3pm for a truly immersive marine mammal experience.FREE Classroom ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Randall Museum Grand Reopening Family FestivalCelebrate the grand reopening of the Randall Museum, a one-of-a-kind art and science education center. All three floors of the Corona Heights facility have been revitalized, reimagined, and refreshed. Explore the Randall’s state-of-the-art STEM lab, the new geology/seismology exhibit, and the habitat-based live animal enclosures. Discover what’s new in the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
SWOOP - Drone Racing & Raptors in Flight (First Weekend of 2 Weekend Event)CuriOdyssey’s extraordinary exhibition, SWOOP - A Celebration of Flight, opens on the evening of February 9 and runs for two weekends, February 10-11 and February 17-19, 2018. This unique avian and aeronautical festival will thrill curious kids and families with exciting indoor drone races and nature’s aerial experts, live raptors, ...
Join us for a delicious all-you-can-eat bagel brunch, with a talk by guest speaker Dr. Jeffrey Silverman on "Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the Runaway Universe." Some of the most energetic and fascinating objects in the Universe are exploding stars known as supernova. Observations of distant supernova provided the first ...
Where: AlbanyCost: $10
CRISPR, A New Genetic Engineering Technology: Promises and PerilsAnnual Darwin Day CelebrationGenetic engineering technologies, prior to CRISPR, were expensive and time-consuming.  CRISPR has resulted in the ability to precisely edit the genome of nearly any organism, and consequently, has revolutionized biology, medicine, and agriculture. From curing deadly genetic disorders to engineering drought-resistant plants, CRISPR genome editing technology will reshape modern ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: The lecture is free.
Monday, 02/12/18
Surprises in the small scale Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB)Information about the late-time Universe is imprinted on the small scale CMB as photons travel to us from the surface of last scattering. Several processes are at play and small scale fluctuations are very rich and non-Gaussian in nature. I will review some of the most important effects and I ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
National Engineers Week: AviationLaunch a journey in innovation and prepare for National Engineers Week!This year’s exploration into the Engineering Design Process will explore the challenge of spaceflight as participants learn the science of rocketry and built a water-powered rocket able to meet a challenging altitude goal!Programs are designed for Grades 4-8 and participants will ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
COSMOS EPISODE 1 - 1980The 1980 COSMOS series has inspired many for generations. We will be looking at the first episode in the original series, and comparing the contents with developments in astronomy since its broadcast.
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Fast Computation of Reachable Tubes for Provably Safe Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic ManagementThere is a pressing demand to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly termed as drones, in the national airspace to enable a plethora of services such as package delivery, infrastructure monitoring, news and sports coverage, and precision agriculture. Recent research and development efforts in industry, Government and academia have focused on designing a ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
THE QUANTUM AND THE COSMOS: THE QUEST FOR THE ORIGIN OF ORDINARY AND DARK MATTER - RESCHEDULEDStefano Profumo will explain why modern cosmology is a scientific theory, and introduce the two key ingredients that this scientific theory is based upon: dark matter and dark energy. Stefano will argue that it is far more interesting to think about what the dark matter is, as this is the ...
Increased demands of high energy density, long lasting batteries, low cost and safe batteries for applications in consumer electronics, electric vehicle and grid with renewable energy integration present great opportunities and challenges to the society. This seminar will review the status of existing battery technology and present the challenges, opportunities ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Science vs Cinema: ALIENThe crew of the merchant vessel Nostromo answers a distress call on an abandoned moon. There are no life forms on the surface to speak of, except for a field of eggs and a giant structure...An "old dark house" mystery updated for the jittery nerves and wounded psyche of the ...
Power Shift: The End of Gasoline Cars?Have gas cars peaked? Last year, Volvo announced it would stop making gas-only cars by 2019. Then, India, France and the United Kingdom said they will phase out cars that run on petroleum in the next couple of decades. When China moved in the same direction, automakers put the pedal ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
Carl Pope: Climate of HopeCarl Pope is a veteran leader in the environmental movement and spent nearly 20 years as the executive director of the Sierra Club. He offers an optimistic look at the challenges of climate change, the solutions that hold the greatest promise and the practical steps that are necessary to achieve ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $25 General, $15 Members, $8 Students
The Human Heart The heart pumps blood through a system of veins and arteries to bring oxygen throughout our body. What happens if the heart does not work right. Learn about Rita Anselmo and her struggle with a broken heart. Story: A Broken Heart
Where: FremontCost: Free (RSVP required)
Insider Secrets of a Robotics & Consumer Electronics Design ConsultancyA small robot flashes lights while scurrying across a carpet while it’s being tested for its ability to avoid obstacles such as walls and people. Laughter comes from the lab, with talk and banter about which replacement part to use in the company’s latest project. “Dude, make sure that sensor ...
Where: MilpitasCost:
Astronomy on Tap San FranciscoLove is in the air this time of year, but the folks at Astronomy on Tap SF are more concerned with the the neutrinos and gamma rays passing through the atmosphere! Come to DNA Lounge on Tuesday, February 13th for another night of talks from local scientists, Astronomy in the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
CONSCIOUSNESS & CREATIVITY: The Power of Meditation - SOLD OUTCity Arts & Lectures Conversations on Science SeriesStress affects everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, and income, and many believe that stress levels have only increased in the modern world. Could meditation be an effective antidote to our anxieties? A teacher of Transcendental Meditation for over forty five years, Bob Roth believes ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
The Universe Continues to Reveal SurprisesOver the past few decades, astronomers have for the first time identified the major constituents of the universe. Unexpectedly, the universe hardly resembles what we thought only a couple of decades ago. The universe is filled with dark matter more abundant than ordinary matter and dark energy that is causing ...
Gina McCarthy is the former administrator for the United States Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama and one of the leading national experts on environment and public health impacts of climate change. She has been advocating for strategies to protect the environment and public health for over thirty years. ...
Our work has emphasized creating both healthy and diseased model organ systems, we call microphysiological systems or ‘organ chips’, to address the broken drug discovery process. The average time to develop and launch a new drug is 10-15 years, and costs ~ $5b. The poor efficiency and high failure rates ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Integrating Social Science into Global Environmental Change SolutionsThe social and behavioral sciences are critical for informing the development of policies to meet the challenge of global environmental change. Policies for mitigating environmental change or reducing the harm that it causes inevitably make assumptions about the behavior of the people who must execute or respond to those policies. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
An Aqautic Evening - Newt LoveJoin fellow nature lovers on a Valentine’s Day walk to remember. Amphibian amplexus, spermatophores, and nuptial pads await. Meet at the Tilden Golf Course. Adults 21+
7:00-7:25: Mikey Siegel(Consciousness Technologist) on "The Art and Technology of Human Connection"Towards technology-augmented meditation retreats...Read more7:25-7:50: David McConville(Buckminster Fuller Institute) on "TBA"Abstract forthcoming...Read more7:50-8:10: BREAK. Before or after the break, anyone in the audience currently working within the intersections of art and science will have 30 seconds ...
