I propose a framework to estimate demand and analyze welfare in water markets using transactions data. To infer preferences from observed choices in an existing market, this framework overcomes two key empirical challenges. First, it can recover marginal valuations in the presence of unobserved transaction costs, which lead observed prices ...
Air pollution is a vexing problem for emerging countries that strike a delicate balance between environmental, health, and energy for growth. We examine these difficulties in a study of disparate levels of exposure to pollution from coal-fired power generation in India, a country with high levels of air pollution and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Nonequilibrium Dynamics in Colloidal Semiconductor NanomaterialsStructure, surface chemistry, and energetic disorder can dramatically affect excited state dynamics in low-dimensional systems. Using a combination of ultrafast laser spectroscopy, time-resolved optical microscopy, and kinetic modeling, I will show how these effects manifest in assemblies of colloidal quantum dots (QD) and atomically thin 2D semiconductors, which are promising ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
8th Annual San Francisco Green Film FestivalNumber of Films Forecast: 50 films in 8 daysNumber of Guest Speakers/Filmmakers Forecast: 100+ guest speakers including filmmakers, environmental experts, and global partners.Venues: Venues across San Francisco including Opening & Closing Nights at the Castro Theatre, with additional screenings at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center, YBCA, Koret Auditorium at ...
Join an interdisciplinary panel of Bay Area experts, featuring museum educators, scientists, resilience designers, and governance and policy leaders. Participants will share approaches to climate change adaptation and engagement that help create a better future for the Bay and its communities. Topics for this lively discussion will include:Large-scale investment in ...
Radio AstronomyKeith Payea will discuss the basics of radio astronomy and how it relates to visual astronomy. He will also inform us how amateurs can do meaningful radio astronomy with simple backyard equipment or by on-line remotely accessible radio telescopes. We are receiving radio signals all of the time from our ...
Julia Galef is the president and co-founder of the Center for Applied Rationality, a nonprofit organization focused on improving reasoning and decision making through building new tools and strategies and connecting interested people to them. Galef also sits on the board of the New York City Skeptics and hosts the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: See weblink
Thursday, 09/13/18
SciComm Studio 009: Melting Ice, Melting BarriersClimate change affects everyone, from businesses to scientists. How can we use climate data to influence business decisions in the future? How can scientists and science communicators help businesses and policymakers understand the complexity of climate change - and to suggest actionable solutions?Meet the creator of the Arctic Basecamp at Davos, ...
Polycentric Planning for Climate ChangeMany believe that a global approach is the best way to tackle climate change, but compliance with global emissions treaties is uneven and the system can be gamed. However, a “polycentric†approach - a bottom-up effort led by local, participatory multi-stakeholder groups - might be more effective; it could reach ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10 General, Free for members
Drought Tolerant Native Plant GardeningCome learn about landscaping with natives, with special emphasis on water management. Rebecca Blanck-Weiss (Presidio Nursery Operations Coordinator and Landscape Designer) and Desmond Murray (Presidio Nursery Community Programs Manager) will go over how to do site evaluations, picking appropriate plant communities, and how to calculate the amount of water they ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Donations encouraged
'Genesis 2.0'California Premiere - On the remote New Siberian Islands in the Arctic Ocean, hunters are searching for the tusks of extinct mammoths. Thawing permafrost releases an intact mammoth carcass in addition to the precious ivory, which sets genetic scientists on a controversial quest to clone a living mammoth. Winner of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $13 Member, Free Students, $14 Senior
Connecting Galaxies and the Intergalactic Medium Near ReionizationThe reionization of hydrogen was a landmark event in cosmic history. Within one billion years of the Big Bang the first galaxies emitted enough ultraviolet photons to ionize the gas in deep space, permanently transforming the Universe. Determining exactly when and how reionization occurred is therefore central to our efforts ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
8th Annual San Francisco Green Film FestivalNumber of Films Forecast: 50 films in 8 daysNumber of Guest Speakers/Filmmakers Forecast: 100+ guest speakers including filmmakers, environmental experts, and global partners.Venues: Venues across San Francisco including Opening & Closing Nights at the Castro Theatre, with additional screenings at Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center, YBCA, Koret Auditorium at ...
Data shows that our climate is changing. Find out how scientists know what they know, learn how to dive into the data for yourself, and consider three artists' responses to our shifting environment.It’s All About the Data With Ron Hipschman7:00 p.m.  | Kanbar ForumWelcome to Your Warming World With Lori Lambertson9:00 p.m. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General; $10 Members; Free for Lab Members
Panelists Dava Newman, Nathalie Cabrol and Jennifer Heldmann will examine what researchers are doing right now that will make it possible to put people on Mars in the future.Humanity is becoming interplanetary. Recent space science missions to Pluto and Jupiter, the discovery of thousands of exoplanets, and orbital missions to monitor Spaceship Earth offer lessons ...
Feeling stressed at work? If so, you’re not alone: the 24/7/365 nature of Silicon Valley work life can take a toll on performance, health, and happiness. Join us to learn science-based practical ways to reduce and manage stress; cultivate resilience; enhance energy and focus; and boost performance, productivity, and job satisfaction.Speaker: Jay ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Friday, 09/14/18
Broadband Intensity Tomography: Spectral Tagging the Cosmic UV BackgroundMost of the photons ever recorded by astronomers are in the form of imagesâ€"or broadband intensity mapping, while the photons’ redshift and frequency information has largely lost. I will introduce a data-driven technique to recover these otherwise collapsed dimensionalities by exhausting information in the spatial fluctuations. As the first application, ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Love bytes and intimate machines: Analysing news media representations of human- robot interactionsResearch on human-robot interactions (HRI) has surged in recent years with a number of studies debating the social, ethical, psychological and philosophical implications of intimate robotic companions in the form of sex robots. Despite increasing scholarly interest in these relationships, how news media represent HRI is little analysed (Correa et.al. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Techniques and Materials for Van der Waals HeterostructuresArtificial van der Waals heterostructures of two-dimensional materials offer the possibility of creating layered structures with a wide variety of starting materials and control of composition at the single atomic layer limit. To create such structures, we developed a van der Waals transfer technique which largely eliminates interfacial contamination. ...
Our research focuses on solution-processable chemical systems capable of sunlight absorption, color-pure emission, charge transfer, and fuels generation. Towards this end we seek to address fundamental challenges in the field of inorganic chemistry, specifically controlling the composition, structure and function of nanoscale light absorbers and molecular catalysts, and controlling the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Douglas R. Tompkins: ON BEAUTY - Exhibition OpeningOn Beauty honors the life and work of businessman and conservationist Doug Tompkins. This photography exhibit considers how the pursuit of beauty became a central, animating force in Doug’s intellectual development and informed his entire worldview. The exhibition, which premiered at the David Brower Center, explore several key themes: how ...
Where: ValejoCost: Free
Green FridayThe Green Friday program will be the showing of the DVD Before the Flood, presented by National Geographic. Before the Flood features Leonardo DiCaprio on a journey as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, traveling to five continents and the Arctic to witness climate change firsthand. He goes on expeditions with scientists uncovering ...
Global Climate ChangemakersJoin us when we launch Global Climate Changemakers. Whether you are already doing good work, or want to know where to begin, you'll hear from fellow changemakers in education and climate action, and you'll roll up your sleeves to work on on some big and new design challenges. Designing resilient ...
Where: OaklandCost: varies
California Coastal Cleanup Day - Marin CountyTake part in the 34th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Join others around the State to make a difference on Saturday September 15th from 9am to Noon. With over 40 sites in Marin County, check the Bay Model website for a volunteer opportunity near you. http://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/BayModelVisitorCenter/CCCD.aspx
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Coastal Cleanup Day - Rodeo BeachThe Marine Mammal Center will host a beach cleanup at Rodeo Beach on behalf of International Coastal Cleanup Day. Bring gloves, a bucket, and a friend! After the cleanup you are also welcome to join all Marin County volunteers at the Bay Model in Sausalito for a free BBQ from noon to 2pm. ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Hayward Fault Walking TourOver the last million years, the natural beauty of Fremont has been shaped by the Hayward Fault. Instructors will be leading these 'ground breaking' tours and exposing the science and beauty of the Hayward Fault. This fault is one of several active faults in the world actually creeping at 5 ...
Where: FremontCost: $15
Restoring Inner Bair Island Walking TourCome witness this historical wetland restoration in process. On this 1.5 mile walk along the new flat trail hear the story of the transformation of Bair Island back into a healthy tidal marsh. Pets are not allowed on Bair Island to protect wildlife and endangered species habitat. See weblink to ...
Where: Redwood CityCost:
Artificial Intelligence and the long-term future of humanityThe news media in recent years have been full of dire warnings about the risk that AI poses to the human race, coming from well-known figures such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk. Should we be concerned? If so, what can we do about it? While some in the mainstream ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawk TalkThe Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and what we do here at the GGRO. Conditions permitting, a banding volunteer will bring up a newly banded hawk, talk about the banding program, and release the hawk in front of the crowd. ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Tarantulas on Mount DiabloEvery fall, at dusk, male tarantulas walk across the slopes of Mount Diablo and look for mates, so CCNH is taking a special trip to a secluded trail to look for these adorable fuzzy denizens of the east bay! We’ll hike about 2 miles round trip and take in the ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: $15
Searching for Aliens, Finding OurselvesAre we alone? Humans have been asking this question throughout history. Since the middle of the 20th century, we have had tools that permit us to explore this question scientifically. As we look up and look out, we are forced to see ourselves from a cosmic perspective. This perspective is ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
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.
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Coastal Cleanup DayAll over California, volunteers help clean up coastal areas during this annual event. If you are interested in volunteering, go to the weblink and look for a site near you. Click on the map indicator for details about that specific event.
Did you know that California has over 50 earthquakes per day and that Los Angeles and San Francisco are getting closer to each other every year (at about the rate that your fingernail grows)?Join us for this 4-hour workshop and learn about plate tectonics, seismic waves, earthquake magnitude & intensity, earthquake hazards, and ShakeAlert ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25
Christiana Figueres: Mindfulness and the Paris Climate AgreementWhen Christiana Figueres was herding 196 countries into the historic Paris climate accord, she tapped a secret source of personal sustainability. After the pact was finished, she told a reporter in Davos, Switzerland that the teachings of Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh “literally fell into my lap†when she was ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $35 General, $27 Members, $17 Students
Join us in kicking off the beginning of Sea Otter Awareness Week at The Marine Mammal Center!Did you know that the sea otter is the furriest animal in the entire world? The smallest marine mammal is also one of the most special with adaptations to stay warm, find food, and ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawk TalkThe Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and what we do here at the GGRO. Conditions permitting, a banding volunteer will bring up a newly banded hawk, talk about the banding program, and release the hawk in front of the crowd. ...
Drought, wind, rain. Wildfire, flooding, crop failure, species extinction. Changes in the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events are likely the most serious consequence of human-induced global warming. Understanding what the future portends is vital if society hopes to adapt to a very different world.Speaker: Michael Wehner, LBNL
Correlated multi-particle excitations in reduced-dimensionality systemsWith the experimental isolation of atomically thin materials, it is now possible measure a variety of charged and neutral multiparticle excitations (trions, biexcitons, etc.) in these systems, many of which display large binding energies. On the theory side, however, while quasiparticle and neutral optical excitations have been successfully treated in ...
Speaker: Cristina Torres Duarte is a biochemical scientist in the Environmental Technology Unit, CIATEJ (Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco), Guadalajara, Mexico.
People and Robots SeminarFor the past several decades, consumer applications of robotics have been more science fiction than reality. However, recent developments in deep-learning, cloud AI, and plummeting prices of both computation and sensing have created the necessary components for a rapidly growing consumer robotics industry to finally emerge. In this talk, I’ll discuss the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
PLASMA SPECTROSCOPYDr. Milka Nikolic, University of San Francisco, will present her work in combining laser diagnostics with widely used optical emission spectroscopy techniques to obtain fundamental plasma properties.
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Quantum Computing with Trapped IonsIndividual atoms are standards for quantum information technology, acting as qubits that have unsurpassed levels of quantum coherence, can be replicated and scaled with the atomic clock accuracy, and allow near-perfect measurement. Atomic ions can be confined by silicon-based chip trays with lithographically-defined electrodes under high vacuum in a room ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Hardcore Natural History: The Making of HoneyBees have been fascinating to humans for millennia, from their hive behavior to the honey they produce. Join us as we celebrate National Honey Month with Jake Reisdorf of Carmel Honey Company. Jake brings his experience as a beekeeper and passion for the insects as we delve into the process ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: $10 General, $5 Members, $15 at door
SciComm Studio 010: Bite-Sized ScienceScience communication is all about getting ideas into people’s heads. But what about their mouths? Join us for insights from the edible future - see working robots designed to eat, and learn how the Exploratorium crafts hands-on science experiences through food. How can scientists and communicators tell stories through the ...
New Insights into Cosmology and the Galaxy-Halo Connection from non-linear Scales Current and future galaxy surveys have the potential to transform our understanding of galaxy formation. Information on small, non-linear scales holds the greatest statistical power and potential insight into the galaxy-halo connection. In this talk, I will concentrate on constraints derived from galaxy clustering, galaxy-galaxy lensing and satellite kinematics, showing ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Data and Sustainability Science and PracticeThe energy-information nexus has become a key tool and research area in efforts aimed at decarbonizing energy systems, enabling and operating the ‘smart grid’, which Dan Kammen argues encompasses the utility-scale system, mini-grids, and off-grid energy systems. In this talk he will review a range of theoretical models and practical ...
Odd Salon: AbsurdLeonard Apeltsin ~ Albert Camus’ Absurdist Guide to Finding Meaning in our Cruel and Sh*tty UniverseAaron Doran ~ ARE YOU READY FOR so. much. football: Georgia Tech vs Cumberland’s 222-0 GameBrianne Hughes ~ White & Nerdy: 100 Years of American Novelty MusicLin Lawhn ~ Emperor Bootikins and His Italian Stallion: ...
It is about time that researchers communicate their findings in an understandable, entertaining and yet scientific way.The first Bear Slam at UC Berkeley strives to do exactly that: six scientists from various disciplines will present their research to a broad audience in an understandable, creative and fun way. Each slammer ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Mycology in local high school classrooms Fungi are often the forgotten Kingdom when it comes to high school classrooms in the United States. A few teaching modules exist that slyly allow teachers to hit standards while getting to talk about fungi, but they are adopted by only a few. Some local teachers less constrained by ...
