Soil Health Series: Drought, Climate Change, & SoilsCalifornia's drought discussions have been dominated by media attention and public discourse about the supply of water while the impact on soil resources has been largely ignored. Hear Stephen Andrews (UC Berkeley Professor specializing in soils) discuss climate change and drought through a soils lens, and learn how soil depletion ...
taste of science: The Science of MagicWith a deft sleight of hand or a mind-boggling trick, magicians have enthralled and captivated audiences over the centuries. What is really going on that tricks your mind into seeing something appear out of nothing or vanish into thin air? Are there limitations of our brain that magicians are using ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $8 Advance, $15 at door
Diabetic Eye DiseaseDiabetic eye disease is a group of eye conditions that can affect people with diabetes. Early detection, timely treatment, and appropriate follow-up care of diabetic eye disease can protect against vision loss. This lecture will include discussion about the risks of these conditions, prevention and treatment.Speaker: Diana Do, MD, Stanford
7:00-7:25: Carrie Hott(Media Artist) on "Nets for the Unweighable: a Brief History of Nets"From the earliest known nets to the development of the electric grid...Read more7:25-7:50: Blair Kaneshiro(Stanford CCRMA) on "Musical Engagement through Discovery"Salient musical events drive an increase in queries during a song...Read more7:50-8:10: BREAK. Before ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Crafting a New Natural History for the PresidioOur final spring Bay Currents talk brings the fascinating story of bringing back nature while honoring history in San Francisco's Presidio -- a fort since 1776. Michael Boland, Chief of Park Development and Operations, regates us with tales of "reconciliation biology" -- re-creating dunes and marshes, freeing a creek buried ...
Where: AlbanyCost: Free
Wednesday, 04/11/18
Practical Garden Design for the Home GardenerSpend the morning turning your garden dreams into a reality! Join horticulturist for the Garden's Australasian and California collections, Clare Al-Witri, for a perennial garden design workshop. Come with a garden design project in mind and receive advice on steps you can take to create the garden you desire. You'll ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $20 General, $15 Members
Impact of seawater desalination on the marine environment. What do we know (and don’t)?With 18,000 desalination plants in 150 countries and an installed capacity to produce 86 million liters per day of fresh water, the desalination industry invests large amounts in the planning and construction of plants as well as in technological research and development. A wealth of publications exists in the scientific ...
How do parental endowments shape the economic prospects of their children? Using a newly constructed dataset from the U.S. Census Bureau linking survey, Census and administrative records, we evaluate the effect of early childhood pollution exposure on the long-run effects of the individuals directly affected, as well as the persistence ...
Computer Vision at the Edge and in the Cloud: Architectures, Algorithms, Processors, and ToolsComputer vision is rapidly becoming ubiquitous. From autonomous robots, vehicles and drones to smart buildings to home assistants that can advise you on your fashion choices, vision is showing up everywhere.A key architectural choice underlies this ubiquity: should vision processing be done at the edge, in the cloud, or a ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $5 General, Free for members
7:00-7:25: Liat Berdugo (Media Artist) on "Technologies of Power, Access, and Freedom"We live in a world saturated with glowing rectangles...Read more7:25-7:50: Ronald Zuckermann(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) on "The Molecular Building Blocks of Life"How did they emerge and organize themselves?...Read more7:50-8:10: BREAK. Before or after the break, anyone ...
Kristy Kroeker, PhD, will speak on the ecological effects of climate change on the oceans and the vital role oceans play in mitigating impacts. She is assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Â She holds a PhD in Biological ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $10
Thursday, 04/12/18
Uncovering Massive Galaxy Protoclusters in the Early Universe with the South Pole TelescopeThe sub-millimeter galaxy (SMG) population represent the most intense stellar nurseries in the Universe. Their high star formation rates of 200-2000 Msun/yr (compared to the Milky Way’s 1 Msun/yr) pose a unique challenge for cosmological simulations of how galaxies form and evolve, particularly in the first few billion years after ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
From Sustainability to ProfitabilityIs the path to sustainability in the open market? Our panelists will speak to how mission-driven companies can make an impact but also be incredibly profitable. Hear from a panel of innovators on starting, funding and scaling businesses in the sustainability space.
The Magic Scale of Galaxy FormationThis talk will address the preferred mass and time for galaxy formation, in dark-matter haloes similar to that of the Milky Way but when the Universe was a few Gigayears old. It is proposed that this is due to the interplay between two mechanisms, first supernova feedback that removes gas ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
When Science was a HabitToday, science means many things - methods and institutions, publications and practitioners. In the nineteenth century, it was also something else: a habit. This talk asks how science came to seem habitual and how that status affected its authority. New human sciences like psychology and anthropology helped turn the scientific ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Hello, World: The Rise of Tech DiplomacyDiplomacy is no longer limited to states. Today, tech companies engage more people than any given nation, and some are responsible for decisions and impacts once limited to governments. In turn, governments are taking on new forms of diplomacy to stay at the forefront of innovation, to secure the rights of ...
"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, 1825  Made from salted, pressed, and fermented anchovies, fish sauce is a classic condiment, found in American cookbooks for centuries though you may know it better by its original name, ketchup. Follow ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: 17.95 advance, 19.95 door, AD members free
SpaceToday NightLifeThe future is now: Space Month continues with a night dedicated to the ideas of today that are propelling space exploration into tomorrow’s frontiers. Lectures presented by Computer History Museum -----> Elizabeth Lopatto, Science Editor at The Verge, moderates two talks presented by Computer History Museum about private companies in the space ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
All Bay Area Skeptics love Jeopardy! C’mon, yes you do! This admitted, you’ll really love “Skepardy!†Come one, come all to the next SkepTalk and test your skeptical mettle as Alex Skeptek, aka Bill Patterson, channels (yes, literally) the real Jeopardy! interlocutor for some fast-paced fun. Bill has been quizzing ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Friday, 04/13/18
Nursery Series: Growing Plants from CuttingsCome learn the secrets of cloning plants by cutting off branches and encouraging them to root! Meghan Steinharter (Fort Funston and Oceana Nurseries Manager) and Robin Binaoro (Marin Headlands Nursery Assistant) will discuss the science behind clonal propagation: what's going on inside the plant and how rooting hormones work. There ...
Understanding, Utilizing, and Predicting Human Mobility Data
Large scale human mobility data can be collected from mobile phones, car navigation systems, location-based applications, social media, Wi-Fi, and traffic cameras. Turning such raw data into knowledge can provide insights in social science, urban problems, and prevention health, and can also benefit applications in transportation, advertisement targeting, and urban ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
'A Plastic Ocean'There will be a free screening at ARC of the critically acclaimed documentary, A Plastic Ocean. Along with being endorsed by the United Nations, this film showcases the true strain that we put on our planet’s oceans and native sea life through our production and use of plastic. We will ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
From Mars to the MultiversePowerful instruments had led to astonishing progress in tracing the emergence of atoms, galaxies, stars and planets from a mysterious 'beginning' 13.8 billion years ago. An exciting development has been the realisation that many other stars are orbited by retinues of planets -- some resembling our Earth (and capable of harboring life). Looking further afield, ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Green Friday:Life and Legacy of John MuirThis month's Green Friday presentation will be a treasured walk through the life and legacy of John Muir led by Devin Jackson MA.Ed, a 6th Grade Middle School Science/Engineering Teacher, currently in his 6th year at Foothill Middle School in Walnut Creek, CA in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $3 donation requested.
Saturday, 04/14/18
Learn about Solar & Opportunity for Volunteering to Install Rooftop PV with a NonprofitInterested in helping with rooftop installations as a volunteer? Thinking of putting solar on your home?  In either case, consider attending either or both of two free workshops being offered on at the San Mateo Library by SunWork Renewable Energy Projects (sunwork.org).                   * Apr 14 (Sat), 9am - noon, VOLUNTEER SOLAR INSTALLATION ...
The Bay Model Wants You!!! Become part of Sausalito’s very own attraction known around the world!We have a variety of volunteer positions that are suited for people just like you! Greet visitors, lead tours, work with school groups, and more! Come and be a part of one of the largest working hydraulic models in existence. ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
TinkerfestTinkerfest is a one-day festival that celebrates the creative, curious, and innovative spirit in all of us. Tinkerfest brings together makers, artists, and tinkerers to showcase their work while inviting attendees of all ages to join in DIY fun. During the daylong event, the entire Center will be activated, both ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Chemistry at Tule PondsJoin us for this once a year Open House at Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon and learn about water as one of the most important compounds known to humans. Different experiments will be provided in the classroom so families can experiment with water. Outside we will have bubble stations and ...
March for Science San Francisco joins with March for Science Silicon Valley and Oakland Coalition for Science to organize a single event:THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT WITH RALLY, SPEAKERS, MUSIC, PARTNER BOOTHS, INTERACTIVE DEMONSTRATIONS, FOOD TRUCKS, AND CHILDRENS' ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.THE MARCH FOR SCIENCE CHAMPIONS ROBUSTLY FUNDED AND PUBLICLY COMMUNICATED SCIENCE ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Trekking the ModelJoin a Ranger or docent on a 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. Â
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Sunday, 04/15/18
Aero Workshop: Distance GlidersPut your engineering skills to the test in the Aero Workshop! Each session is a special 2-hour mini design challenge designed for children ages 8-12. Each workshop centers on a particular problem in aerospace illustrated by a pair of hands-on experiences. Participants then work in small teams of 3-5 to ...
In honor of Earth Day, we take a special look at our country’s first national park. How do you study an animal that is rarely heard or seen? What does it take to track down one of the most elusive species in some of America’s harshest winter environments? For many ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Monday, 04/16/18
Edge of darkness: The splashback radius as a physical halo boundary The radii and masses of dark matter halos are an essential input for models of galaxy formation, and for the interpretation of numerous observations. These radii are typically defined through an arbitrary overdensity threshold, largely because the density profiles of halos are thought not to have a well-defined edge. In ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Insights into Supermassive Black Hole Mergers, Stalling and Demographics with Pulsar Timing ArraysGalaxy mergers are a standard aspect of galaxy formation and evolution, and likely all large galaxies contain central supermassive black holes (SMBH). Here I discuss a new bottom-up approach to identifying continuous nanohertz gravitational wave (GW) host galaxies by using massive elliptical galaxies in the 2 Micron All Sky Survey, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Network dynamics of fixed and flexible passenger transport under operational and behavioural uncertaintyThe metropolitan passenger transport landscape is shifting due to a combination of technological and social developments which enable both service providers and service users to become increasingly adaptive. Service providers can manage their resources to better cater for prevailing demand patterns, while service users can adjust their behaviour in response ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Nanoscale Excitations in Space and TimeThe static and dynamic properties of matter depend largely on its inherent heterogeneity in the mass, charge, and spin distributions. Excitations within and coupling of matter to its environment would be expected to exhibit spatial and temporal dependences. Because matter is assembled from individual atoms and molecules, a viable approach ...
Neutrinos are the most numerous matter particles in the universe, but the least understood. The peculiar properties of neutrinos suggest connections to many of the big mysteries of particle physics, including the possibility that the matter we are made of originated from neutrinos. Today a host of new experiments are ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
ELECTRONICS AND OPTO-ELECTRONICS WITH TWO-DIMENSIONAL ATOMIC CRYSTALSTwo-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals are recently discovered materials that are only atoms thick, and yet can span laterally over millimeters. The diverse family of such materials includes graphene: a semimetal with massless relativistic charge carriers, and monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2): direct band gap semiconductors ...
Otherlab is a research and development firm focusing on renewable and clean energy, robotics, automation, digital fabrication, adaptive textiles, advanced manufacturing, and computational design tools. Similar to an accelerator/incubator, but with internally developed ideas, we nurture projects through the initial R&D phase, to forming entities within Otherlab, and eventually fundraising ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Cooperative Interactions as a Route to High Temperature SuperconductivityHigh-temperature superconductivity in copper and iron based materials, with critical temperature well above what was anticipated by the Bardeen-Copper-Schrieffer theory, remains a major unsolved physics problem today. The challange of this problem is symbolized by a complex phase diagram that consists of intertwined states with unusual properties in addition to ...
Anthropologist Nina Jablonski will explore the troubling lack of evolution, diversity, and race education in American classrooms, and how this absence manifests as an adult population ill-equipped to tackle thornier issues at the intersection of science and identity. Jablonski's research indicates that children do grasp these complex concepts, offering a glimmer of hope that effectively leveraging early ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free RSVP required in advance
Kepler's Literary Foundation Presents William T. VollmanWilliam T. Vollmann is the author of ten novels, including Europe Central, which won the National Book Award. He has also written Rising Up and Rising Down and Imperial, both of which were finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is the recipient of a Whiting Writers Award and the Strauss Living Award ...
