How does the structure of the critical zone - especially below shallow soils and into saprolite and weathered rock - control water storage and release to California forests and streams? In this talk, I will address this question with a synthesis of observational and modeling results from three intensively studied ...
A real scenario: A high voltage 15,000 Volt electrical cable suddenly faults interrupting power: a factory halts production; a city is darkened; or the failure starts a wildfire's storm of destruction. Sudden utility cable failures can be massively destructive events. Yet, an impending failure is typically internal to the cable, ...
Where: MilpitasCost: Free
Smart Cities, Smart Cars, Smart People: Hope or Hype?Foresee the near future with panelists Shekar Ayyar, Joxel GarcÃa, Paul Gupta and Mike Weber. The number of Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices is expected to increase from 20 billion to 55 billion over the next five years. What will that mean, in terms of new opportunities and new ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members, $8 Students
The primary focus of image capture technologies have been focused on capturing a moment for a person to view, store, share or revisit. This has driven the focus on image capture to initially provide an image that mimics the scene as closely as what the user was viewing, and now ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Sustainability by Design: Innovation for a Circular EconomyJoin us for a discussion on the role of designers in actively shaping the path towards a more equitable planet. Alongside design experts from the Bay Area and Switzerland, we explore the question of social responsibility around consumer goods - and how design can incentivize people to live and act ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Healing a Trashed World- At 25 Cents a Cup?Martin Bourque, executive director of Berkeley’s Ecology Center, takes us on a tour through the gritty world of the international trash trade, why it isn’t working- and how Berkeley, despite its small size, can continue to be a force steering things right.
7:00-7:25: Lisa K Blatt(Photographer) on "Seeing the Invisible"'Photography and video to explore how landscape may be defined by what is not visible...Read more7:25-7:50: Adrienne Mayor(Stanford/ Classics and History and Philosophy of Science) on "Gods and Robots"Who first imagined robots, automatons, human enhancements, and Artificial Intelligence?...Read more7:50-8:10: ...
Human beings tend to prefer cross-species measurements that put us at the top of the scale. Intelligence is one such measure. Are humans really the most intelligent creatures on the planet? Should this be obvious given our problem-solving ability and big brains? This presentation will look at some examples of ...
Where: Castro ValleyCost: Free
Wednesday, 01/15/20
Navigating MDR/IVDR Implementation in the Wake of Brexit (RAPS) Developing new medical devices is more challenging than ever before given the need to relabel existing products and navigate new regulatory pathways and increased competition for Notified Bodies.Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society speakers will share with you their stories and key learnings of how they are navigating the changes in this challenging regulatory ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $40 General, $30 Members, $15 Students
Designing Babies: How Technology is Changing the Ways We Create ChildrenSince the first test-tube baby was born over 40 years ago, in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies have advanced in extraordinary ways, producing millions of babies. An estimated 20 percent of American couples use infertility services to help them conceive, and that number is growing. Prospective parents routinely ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members, $8 Students
Toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) - A Silicon Valley Meetup The precursors to the machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) of today have been in place for more than 400 years. It all started with the quest by humans to model the real world in a way it could be understood. Ravi Chityala, senior software development engineer and instructor with the UCSC Silicon ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost:
2020 Technology Trends and PredictionsIt is the beginning of another year, 2020!What are the technology trends that will dominate, and what are some of the technology predictions for 2020?In this two hour seminar talk, Dr. William Kao will report on what the tech industry is predicting for 2020. This seminar will cover what major ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Big Data Modeling Challenges and Machine Learning with No CodeWhat are the Big Data model challenges in today's field? With a few best practice recommendations and Machine Learning approaches, I will use Knime to show the modeling advantages for Big Data with the following themes:.Performance: Good data models can help us quickly query the required data and reduce I/O ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Imaging Exoplanets: From Adaptive Optics to Starshade In SpaceDirect imaging of exoplanets - “seeing†the planet as a separate point of light near a star - is extremely difficult, and several decades ago, scientists used to say that it would be impossible to image Earth-like exoplanets. Today this seems possible, using some combination of adaptive optics technology, coronagraphs, ...
Bina Venkataraman is the Director of Global Policy Initiatives at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, and a lecturer in MIT's Program of Science, Technology, and Society. She previously served as Senior Advisor for Climate Change Innovation in the Obama White House, and is a former journalist for The ...
 This presentation highlights how a group of amateur and professional astronomers (The NGC/IC Project) have re-examined the source material used to compile the original NGC in 1888 and have produced a corrected NGC that reflects the original visual discoveries.The NGC and IC objects were discovered over 100 years ago, but ...
Biotechnology Vendor Showcase ™ @ Mission Bay Crazy About Research? So Are WE!  Save Research Time!Finding More Efficient ProductsNetworking with Industry ProfessionalsInteracting Across Departments Get Fresh Research Ideas:By Seeing the Latest Technologies • By Asking Technical SpecialistsBy Sampling New Products Get Answers to Your Research Questions Professors, PI’s, Post-Docs, Laboratory Researchers, Graduate Students and Purchasing Agents are invited ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Opening the 21 cm Window on Our Cosmic Dawn21 cm cosmology promises to become a revolutionary new 3D probe of our early universe. With it, we can uncover the astrophysics of the "Cosmic Dawn" - the era of the first stars and galaxies - and test our standard model of cosmology with exquisite precision. Realizing the potential of ...
Dr. Tibshirani will discuss the hot area of supervised learning, focusing specifically on the lasso method for obtaining sparse models. He will also describe some applications of these methods to his own collaborative work, including prediction of platelet usage at Stanford Hospital.Editor's note: This talk has been moved to January ...
Feeling is Believing? With Zeke Kossover6:30, 7:30, and 8:00 p.m. | Osher Gallery 1 Demo StationYou won’t believe your hands-experience this demonstration of surprising tactile illusions.Science of the Sense With Sophia Rose Williams 7:00 p.m. | Osher Gallery 1, Kanbar ForumGet in touch with the science in your skin! Researcher ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, $14.95 Daytime Members
Earthquakes in our BackyardThe Hayward Fault, in our East Bay backyard, is a big earthquake hazard. What have we learned recently? What are we doing to improve earthquake outcomes? What can you do to be prepared? Come learn more from Dr. Peggy Hellweg (UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory)
Where: El CerritoCost: Free
Scalable Deep Neural Network Accelerator Design and MethodologyMachine learning systems are being widely deployed across billions of edge devices and datacenter across the world. At the same time, in the absence of Moore’s Law and Dennard scaling, we rely on building vertically integrated systems with domain-specific accelerators to improve the system performance and efficiency. In this talk, ...
Heermann’s Gulls were thought to breed exclusively on small islands in the Gulf of California and off the Mexican coast, where their numbers are declining due to warming seas and overfishing. But in 1999, a few nested on a man-made island on Roberts Lake in Seaside, California - the only ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Friday, 01/17/20
Biotechnology Vendor Showcase ™ @ UCSF Parnassus Crazy About Research? So Are WE! Save Research Time! Finding More Efficient Products Networking with Industry Professionals Interacting Across Departments Get Fresh Research Ideas: By Seeing the Latest Technologies • By Asking Technical Specialists By Sampling New Products Get Answers to Your Research Questions Professors, PI’s, Post-Docs, Laboratory Researchers, Graduate ...
The extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: clustering measurements, lessons, and prospects In this talk, I will present the clustering analysis of the ELG (Emission Line Galaxy) sample from the eBOSS (extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey) program of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and review the other clustering analyses of the eBOSS program, dedicated to Luminous Red Galaxies and Quasars. I will ...
Leonard D'Avolio, Ph.D. shares lessons learned from 15 years of experience designing, developing, and deploying machine learning-enabled systems in academic, government, philanthropic, and industrial healthcare environments. This talk is a painfully honest view of the promise and potential of machine learning in healthcare as well as the cultural, economic, and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Did comet impacts jump-start life on Earth?Recent observations confirming the presence of the protein-forming amino acid glycine in comets lend support to cometary impact as a possible source for delivering simple amino acids to early Earth. Little is known regarding the survivability or reactivity of glycine during impacts, especially considering that condensed phase chemistry at extreme ...
Still looking for the perfect holiday gift? Our January Sanctuary Explorations trip makes a great experiential gift for you or your loved ones!Witness the mighty gray whale migration on this half-day cruise. Join our sanctuary naturalists as we venture into the migration path of the gray whales as they head ...
Where: Half Moon BayCost: $70
Mushroaming Along the Presidio Coastal BluffsGet your caps on and be prepared to enter our mycelium/fungus season in the Golden Gate National parks! Come and join us in the underbrush of the Presidio Coastal Bluffs as there is much to explore and learn about the fungus in our parks! We welcome everyone of all ages ...
'In the Woods: Who’s Been Here?'Join us for story time at YSI! This month hear the story of Cammie and William as they explore a forest and encounter some of its mysteries and inhabitants. Then after the story, meet an animal from our Nature Center!
Where: Los GatosCost: 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 ...
As humans, our appreciation of the natural world is tied to our senses and the sights, sounds, and smells we experience. Recent scientific research however has shown just how limited this viewpoint is. The majority of life on earth use sights, sounds, and smells that are imperceptible to humans and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Twilight Marsh WalkExperience the salt marsh at twilight on an easy stroll along Tidelands (1.3 miles) 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. Call 510-792-0222 ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Sunday, 01/19/20
Fishing for Conservation Solutions: Protecting Manta Rays from Our Seafood SystemManta and devil rays are a group of charismatic and biologically fascinating ocean icons. Unfortunately, they also face enormous threats from wildlife trafficking, plastic pollution, and accidental entanglement in fishing gear. A unique collaboration of scientists, fisheries managers, and industrial tuna fisheries is out to document and understand this accidental ...
Many disease states are characterized by molecular level changes that occur before detectable symptoms have begun to manifest. In order to maximize treatment outcomes it is essential to accurately detect such alterations at an early stage. Chemical probes designed to selectively image such molecular processes have the potential to not ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Discovery and Future of CRISPRFrom basic biology to a genome editing revolution, the story of CRISPR is one of curiosity, teamwork, and endless possibilities. Join Jennifer as she recounts the early stages of CRISPR research on Berkeley's campus and the moment she grasped the full potential of CRISPR technology. Moderated by Ron Vale of ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
A Hybrid Deep Learning Approach to Cosmological Constraints From Galaxy Redshift Surveys I will present a new technique for accurately determining sigma_8 and Omega_m from mock 3D galaxy surveys. The method is a hybrid technique; it merges deep machine learning with physics. The method is trained and tested on mock surveys that are built from the AbacusCosmos suite of N-body simulations, comprising ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Recurring and triggered slow slip events near the trench along the Nankai subduction thrustSlow slip events (SSE), non-volcanic tremor, and very low-frequency earthquakes (VLFE) are well documented down-dip of the seismogenic zone of major faults, yet similar observations for the shallowest reaches of subduction megathrusts are rare. We document a family of repeating strain events in the Nankai subduction zone, updip of rupture ...
Dr. Tibshirani will discuss the hot area of supervised learning, focusing specifically on the lasso method for obtaining sparse models. He will also describe some applications of these methods to his own collaborative work, including prediction of platelet usage at Stanford Hospital.Editor's note: This talk was originally scheduled for January ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Unintended Consequences of Autonomous VehiclesSelf-driving cars are coming to your neighborhood, and your commute, but what are the unintended consequences to this intersection of technology and human behavior? Adam Millard-Ball is at the forefront of efforts to identify problems before they hit our streets. His latest research reveals that autonomous vehicles will snarl inner-city ...
Where: SunnyvaleCost: Free
We're Not Doomed! Restoring a Safe and Healthy ClimateFaced with dire predictions and warnings about the current and future effects of climate change, many of us are working hard to mitigate and adapt to this existential threat. Others have given up, feeling that it’s “too late, we’re doomedâ€. Fear does not absolve us of our obligation to our ...
Peggy Orenstein’s Girls & Sex broke ground, shattered taboos and launched conversations about young women’s right to sexual pleasure and agency. It also had an unexpected effect on its author: Orenstein realized that talking about girls is only half the conversation. In Boys & Sex, Peggy Orenstein reveals how young ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $18 Members
The Mushroom Hunter's Kitchen and DemoChad Hyatt has made a name for himself in Northern California and beyond by sharing his delicious spin on wild mushroom cookery at public and private events. Both an expert forager and classically trained chef, he has cooked in a variety of restaurants and private clubs around the San Francisco Bay area, ...
For the inaugural lecture in this new series, Prof. Raja Sengupta will present an introduction to the future of aviation and the exciting work being done on campus in the related fields of aviation data science.
As Earth continues to warm due to anthropogenic emissions, weather patterns are predicted to become more extreme. There is a need to understand how these regional changes will manifest, as any changes can have dramatic impacts on water resource management, hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, and disaster planning. In this seminar, ...
Where: Moss LandingCost: Free
Port of San Francisco - Geotechnical Challenges and Approach for Risk-Based Seismic AssessmentThe three-mile long Port of San Francisco northern Seawall was built more than a century ago to reclaim hundreds of acres of tidal mudflat and transform them into a major deep water port. The Seawall was constructed by dredging a trench through soft Young Bay Mud, hundreds of feet bayward ...
California and China have a long-standing history of climate and environment partnership through the dozen MOUs between the governments, as well as policy exchange and joint research initiatives, ranging from air-quality, carbon market, energy efficiency, renewable energy innovation to long-term climate goal setting. What motivates and what has worked in ...
My lab is interested in engineering micro systems and automation tools to address questions in systems neuroscience, developmental biology, and cell biology that are difficult to answer with conventional techniques. Micro technologies provide the appropriate length scale for investigating molecules, cells, and small organisms; moreover, one can also take advantage ...
Digital technologies have accelerated the pace of change demanding a mindset shift.How can we future-proof ourselves to navigate that accelerating change?Immerse yourself in a range of new insights that will help you as an individual, as a team and as an organization to navigate the ambiguity in order to truly ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Broad-Spectrum Electronic Biomolecular SensingConventional electronic biomolecular sensors use charge transfer across an electrically biased electrode-electrolyte interface as the detection mechanism. Specificity to a single analyte molecule is possible by functionalizing the electrode with an engineered protein. Recent research at Stanford has introduced a new type of electronic biomolecular sensor, in which the interface ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Peninsula Gem & Geology Society ProgramThe next meeting of the Peninsula Gem & Geology Society will feature club member, Sonja Loban. She will share a dvd chock full of photos from her trip to Ireland. There will be a door prize drawing and many items available by silent auction. Free parking and free admission.
Where: Los AltosCost: Free
Skeptics in the Pub: MillbraeScience and Reason with Skeptics in the Pub West Bay, Fiddlers Green, Millbrae sponsored by Bay Area Skeptics.If ye value critical thinking, and if ye scorn the film-flam man, and if ye drink, drink with us, your friends. If ye shun the brewer’s art, at least help us lay waste to bangers & mash!Skeptics ...
Where: MillbraeCost: Free
What Does a Black Hole Look Like: How We Got our First PictureBlack holes are one of the most remarkable predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity: so much material is compressed into such a small volume that nothing, not even light, can escape. Black holes have also captured the public imagination, and are commonly featured in popular culture, from Star Trek to ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free (free parking in Lot 1)
Fungal Cooperation and ConflictAltruism is defined an individual acting at a cost to themselves but benefiting, another individual, without the expectation of reciprocity (self-sacrifice). Self-sacrifices include complex behaviors, such as meerkats, that watch for predators while other members of their family forage  or may be relatively simple, as in bacteria that absorb peptides ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Thursday, 01/23/20
The Magnetic Milky Way in Three DimensionsMagnetic fields thread our Milky Way Galaxy, influencing interstellar physics from cosmic ray propagation to star formation. The magnetic interstellar medium is also a formidable foreground for experimental cosmology, particularly for the quest to find signatures of inflation in the polarized cosmic microwave background. Despite its importance across scientific realms, ...
Flights of the Hummingbirds With Ashley Smiley7:30 p.m. | Bechtel Gallery 3, Wattis Webcast StudioNamed for the audible sound created by their wings, hummingbirds boast many unique traits. As a researcher with the Animal Flight Lab at UC Berkeley, Ashley Smiley studies these high-frequency fliers, conducting field research that aims ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95, 14.95 explO members, AD members free
Cities: Smart, Connected, Autonomous...Or Not? Autonomous mobility could introduce transformative change to cities, but not all cities have the same goals regarding the future of transportation. While some want to dramatically diminish non-transit car networks, others are banking on the benefits of AV services and new forms of mobility. How should cities adapt, what do ...
Get a second chance to kick off the new year when NightLife rings in the Year of the Rat with a night devoted to Lunar New Year traditions. Begin the celebration with a powerful lion dance performance and ceremony by SF’s own Jing Mo Athletic Association, a Chinatown-based martial arts ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
Is California’s Climate Progress Going Up in Smoke?California has been at the forefront of America’s climate fight since Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the country’s first major climate law in 2006. The state’s suite of policies for decarbonizing the economy survived industry-funded attacks in court and at the ballot box, and remained largely consistent under Democratic and Republican ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
2020 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, Free IEEE CE
 Every astronaut to set foot on the Moon trained with the USGS in Flagstaff and we are currently training the next generation of astronauts. Science staff conducts cutting edge research related to the major planetary bodies in the Solar System. It is a world-wide resource for planetary geologic mapping and naming of ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Friday, 01/24/20
Two KIPAC Tea TalksMagnetic turbulence in multiphase interstellar gasSpeaker: Susan Clark, IASHydroX: Hydrogen-doped Liquid Xenon for Dark Matter SearchesSpeaker: Alden Fan
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Clustering measurements in the final eBOSS quasar sample and their cosmological implications In this talk I present the clustering analysis of the final extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) quasar sample at redshift 0.8< z< 2.2, which bridges the redshift gap between the eBOSS LRG and Lyman-alpha measurements. Mapping the evolution of the expansion and growth of structure histories of our Universe ...
Controlling the exact atomic structure is an ultimate form of materials engineering. Atomic manipulation and atom-by-atom assembly can create functional structures that are hard to synthesize chemically. Defects at the one- or few-atom-scale have intriguing properties that can be applied to fields like quantum engineering (e.g. nitrogen vacancy center, single ...
Lyft’s mission is to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. Self driving vehicles have the potential to deliver unprecedented improvements to safety and quality, at a price and convenience that challenges traditional models of vehicle ownership. While the transportation industry is deep in the process of developing fully ...
How did the recent revolution in the science of halide perovskites begin? The chemical versatility and structure diversity in the class of hybrid organic inorganic main metal halides is astounding. The interplay of weak covalent and ionic bonding in the inorganic framework allows the formation of an amazingly broad variety ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Saturday, 01/25/20
Hike the Mallard SloughLook for birds, mammals, and animal tracks as we explore along the water’s edge on this 3.7-mile nature walk. Bring binoculars and your favorite field guide to help enjoy the views. Have at least one liter of water, snacks, and appropriate clothing. Rain will cancel this hike due to possibly ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Science Saturday: Amazing MigrationsJoin us for January’s Science Saturday, Amazing Migrations, as we investigate the world of long-distance animal travels. Whales, birds, insects, and more will be the focus of our deeper look at these natural phenomena. Learn about the many amazing migratory birds that visit Monterey County every year and celebrate another ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Shoreside IchthyologyA Shoreside at MSI promises to be a fun morning of exploration and discovery! At our beach front facility participants will work as a team to pull in a large seine (net) to catch local fishes, identify common Bay fish, touch and examine local sharks, and learn the difference between ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: From $20
Tilden Fungal FairCelebrate the fruits of winter! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, mingle with the mycological community, and enjoy presentations by guest speakers at this free day-long special event. All ages welcome. No registration required. For information, contact Trent Pearce at (510) 544-2233.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Wild Northern California WatershedsNorthern California is made up of whole areas that resemble large funnels. The rainy season can turn a babbling brook into a natural force that is both exciting and dangerous. Can the tides impact the natural flow of fresh water? Join Ranger Linda and learn more about our incredible geologic ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Fox Stories: Indicators that Fox are in Your AreaDo 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 ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Pacific FlywayOur wetlands are an important stop on the Pacific Flyway, a major bird migration route. Stroll with docent Laurel Stell to learn why birds migrate, why they stop along the San Francisco Bay, and to spot the birds in action. Trail is easy and level. All ages and abilities welcome. ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: 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.
Concerned About Climate Change? - Want to be part of the solution? Join the Volunteer Community at the California Academy of Sciences to explore, explain, and sustain life. There are several volunteer options with schedules to accommodate your availability (weekends, weekdays, evenings). Come explore how you can be involved at our ...
Awaken your senses in this wonderful exploration of spices! We will journey into the Tropical House to see some of the plants that give us our favorite spices-- such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, black pepper, nutmeg, turmeric, and more. (We'll check in on our "chocolate tree" too!) Learn about where ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $18 General, $12 Members
Salmon Spawning Field TripAfter the first big winter rain, Coho Salmon make their way up Lagunitas Creek in Marin County to spawn. We will start from the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. From there we will search for spawning redds in the creek and look for mushrooms ...
Where: LagunitasCost: $20 suggested donation
Tilden Fungal FairCelebrate the fruits of winter! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, mingle with the mycological community, and enjoy presentations by guest speakers at this free day-long special event. All ages welcome. No registration required. For information, contact Trent Pearce at (510) 544-2233.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
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.
Does other intelligent life exist in the universe? Can SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) researchers detect radio, infrared, or optical signals from other civilizations? Current and future SETI projects, including the new $100-million Breakthrough Prize Foundation "Listen" project, may provide an answer. UC Berkeley astronomer Dan Werthimer will describe the rationale for past and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Monday, 01/27/20
Stellar Property Statistics of Massive Halos: Common Kernel Shapes from Multiple Cosmological Hydrodynamics SimulationsIn the last decade, the astrophysical processes driving galaxy formation in a cosmological context at kpc scales have been incorporated, largely independently, into multiple codes developed by different simulation teams. Each simulation solves the complex evolution of baryon components (principally cold/warm/hot gas phases, metals, stars, and supermassive black holes) coupled ...
Proppant is small material such as 40/70 or 100 mesh sand which is placed in hydraulic fractures of geothermal or hydrocarbon reservoirs. The main role of proppant is to keep open, or prop, newly formed fractures in rock mass for enhancing hydrocarbons or geothermal fluid flow during reservoir exploitation by ...
The ability to prepare a physical system in a desired quantum state is central to many areas of physics, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, quantum simulators, and quantum computing. Yet, preparing states quickly and with high fidelity remains a formidable challenge. I will introduce reinforcement (RL) learning ideas to manipulate ...
Robert Frank on the Psychology of Climate Change - 'Under the Influence'“After more than three decades, the public is finally beginning to grasp what a serious threat global warming poses. What’s missing from the climate conversation now is a plausible narrative about how we might parry this threat. Drawing on ideas from his recently published book, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure ...
The motion of electrons in molecules and solids occurs on the subfemtosecond timescale. Consequently, the study of ultrafast electronic phenomena requires the generation of laser pulses shorter than 1 fs and of sufficient intensity to interact with their target with high probability.Since the first lasing of LCLS much progress has been made to ...
The promise of quantum computers is that certain computational tasks might be executed exponentially faster on a quantum processor than on a classical processor. A fundamental challenge is to build a high-fidelity processor capable of running quantum algorithms in an exponentially large computational space. Here we report the use of ...
It is very unlikely that climate damages can be reduced to an acceptable level by the end of the century relying only on emissions reduction. A conceptual model is presented that includes four climate change control strategies: emissions reduction, carbon dioxide (CO2) removal from the atmosphere, adaptation to climate change, ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
SLAC on Tap: A battery walks into a bar...X-ray vision might sound like the stuff of superheroes and science fiction, but at SLAC it’s what allows scientists to peer inside batteries and see what makes them tick. Join us for SLAC on Tap where PBR (Pushing the Battery Revolution) expert Johanna Nelson Weker will share how she and ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: free
Dancing with Robots: Expressivity in Natural and Artificial SystemsMovement seems to encode information. How does this work? We know that animals, including humans, use the motion of counterparts to produce coordinated, social behaviors. But how do we resolve the discrete measures of communication and information theory with the continuous laws of motion and mechanics? Answering these questions is ...
Nerd Nite East Bay: Dadbot, West Oak Archive, Synthetic BiologyFrom DAD to DADBOT: How Virtual Immortality Preserves People and PersonalityCan technology save the voices of people you love after they pass away, and create new conversations? Hear how the Dadbot was created and preserved the conversation style and stories of James Vlahos’ father, and how near future voice computing ...
Where: OaklandCost: $8 Advance, $10 at door
Tuesday, 01/28/20
Two KIPAC Tea TalksTesting the CDM paradigm: constraining DM properties with CMB dataTo date, all evidence for Cold Dark Matter (CDM) is still purely gravitational and thus the CDM paradigm remains to be thoroughly tested. In calculations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies, CDM is usually modelled as pressureless perfect fluid. In ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Wonderfest: The Most Famous EquationAround the world, people recognize that E=mc^2 oozes cosmic insight. But what does this "most famous equation" really say? What are energy and mass? And what makes the speed of light, c, so important? [Hint: mass, moving at speed c, doesn't turn into energy!] Using little more than common experience ...
Where: Corte MaderaCost: Free
Stellar Property Statistics of Massive Halos: Common Kernel Shapes from Multiple Cosmological Hydrodynamics Simulations In the last decade, the astrophysical processes driving galaxy formation in a cosmological context at kpc scales have been incorporated, largely independently, into multiple codes developed by different simulation teams. Each simulation solves the complex evolution of baryon components (principally cold/warm/hot gas phases, metals, stars, and supermassive black holes) coupled ...
Tetrasubstituted cyclobutyl structures are precursors to, or core components of, many important bioactive molecules, including prospective drugs. Light-driven [2+2] cycloaddition is the most direct strategy for construction of these structures. [2+2] photocycloadditions that proceed through the triplet excited state can be triggered with visible light through excitation of a triplet ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Twisty fun in 2D materialsProf. Abhay Pasupathy of Columbia University will give the Applied Physics/Physics colloquium
Where: StanfordCost: Free
SF Green Film Festival: ICE ON FIRE by Leonardo DiCaprioProduced by Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio, George DiCaprio and Mathew Schmid and directed by Leila Conners, Ice on Fire is an eye-opening documentary that focuses on many never-before-seen solutions designed to slow down our escalating environmental crisis. The film goes beyond the current climate change narrative and offers hope that we can actually ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Nerd Nite Silicon Valley: Space Junk & Internet ResearchGrab a drink and see science fiction turned into science fact! Ever wonder about all the stuff that’s been launched into Earth’s orbit? Do you REALLY know how to “Google†something? You’ve got questions, our speakers have answers! Be there and be square!27,000 Kilometers Per Hour in the Wrong LaneSince ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Curious World of SeaweedMarine algae are the supreme eco-engineers of life: they oxygenate the oceans, create habitat for countless other organisms, and form the base of a food chain that keeps our planet unique in the universe as we know it. In this beautiful volume, Josie Iselin explores both the artistic and the ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Astronomy lecture: Taking snapshots of planets around other starsDr. Gaspard Duchene, Associate Researcher and Lecturer at UC Berkeley, will discuss the methods used to obtained the first images of planets around other stars. Dr. Duchene also will review the development of techniques and instruments over the past few years that have been used to perform large-scale surveys of ...
The nature and origin of dark matter are among the most compelling mysteries of contemporary science. There is strong evidence for dark matter from its role in shaping the galaxies and galaxy clusters that we observe in the universe. Still, for over three decades, physicists have been trying to detect ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Wednesday, 01/29/20
From drones to urban air mobilityIn his talk, Some learnings from drones to urban air mobility, Sudip Mukhopadhyay will tell a story on drone application development, starting in 2007, of a select few customized end users applications. He will discuss the mistakes made and all the learnings that came along with development, such that it will ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Ocean engineering for exploratory science, education, and communicationPhil Bresnahan’s research seeks to build novel devices in order to enable cutting-edge oceanography as well as to design systems for use in educational and outreach settings. In this seminar, he will describe a range of engineering projects that cross the disciplines of chemical and physical oceanography. Projects include microfluidic ...
There is renewed interest among companies these days to implement and deploy AI models in their business processes either to increase automation or to improve human productivity. AI models are making their way as chatbots in customer support scenarios, as doctors' assistants in hospitals, as legal research assistants in the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Characterizing coral skeletal proteins: Traditional and novel techniquesStony corals precipitatetheir calcium carbonate exoskeleton in a highly controlled biomineralization process mediated by a variety of macromolecules including proteins. Fully identifying and classifying these proteins-a part of the ‘biomineralization toolkit’-and their functions is crucial to understanding their rolesin exoskeleton formation. To date, approximately 30 such proteins have been identified ...
This presentation focuses on Mobility on Demand (MOD) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS). This includes key definitions, concepts of operation, a census of MOD public-private partnerships in the U.S., analysis of business models and use cases, and key takeaways from this analysis. The presentation also focuses on the critical ...
Over the past decade, first-principles computation has emerged as a powerful complement to experiment in the discovery of new catalysts and materials. In many cases, computation has excelled most in distilling rules for catalyst structure-property relationships in well defined spaces such as bulk metals into descriptors or linear free energy ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Computational Origami in Science, Art, and DesignComputational origami is an emerging field that combines mathematics, computer science, and engineering to study the ways that flat materials, including paper, can be folded. In this series of talks, three leaders in the field will describe their research and how they invent new ways to make things by folding.5:30 ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
Electric Cars 101: Everything You Need to Hit the RoadOur Electric Cars 101 workshop will discuss the wide variety of vehicles on the market today, and their respective ranges. Other topics include home and public charging, rebates and incentives, special programs for lower income drivers, buying and leasing, and tips for finding the right plug-in car for your lifestyle. ...
Where: El CerritoCost: Free
California's Rise to Water Resiliency: What Will It Take?Join Felicia Marcus, former Chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, to discuss how we can improve water resiliency in the years to come. The talk will describe California's challenging water context, how it’s being addressed, and what else is needed in the face of climate change.
Where: SunnyvaleCost: Free
Migration Pathways: Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts and SolutionsJoin award-winning Conservation Photographers Josh Asel and Morgan (Mo) Heim for a conversation on what two visual storytellers will go through to document wildlife who try to traverse roads and highways. Fraser Shilling, Co-Director of the UC Davis Road Ecology Center, is going to kick off the presentation with a ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $8 - $10
Astronomy on Tap: Silicon ValleyHow a Research Idea Becomes a Scientific DiscoverySpeaker: B-G Anderson, SOFIA Science CenterCan you Terraform Mars with Nukes?Speaker: Carver Bierson, UC Santa Cruz
Cosmic Extremes: Time-Domain Astrophysics in a Multi-Messenger WorldTime-domain astrophysics provides a unique opportunity to study the most extreme physical processes in the Universe, including the deaths of massive stars, the destruction and creation of compact objects like neutron stars and black holes, and the tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes. I will discuss my recent ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Social-Emotional Skills in the Digital AgeOECD published the latest PISA results in December. Besides the students’ academic performance, also well-being results were gathered, and they showed concerning development. Only two-thirds of students were satisfied with their lives, a share that shrank with almost five points from 2015 to 2018. Almost a quarter of students reported ...
Marisa Elena Duarte (Pascua Yaqui/Chicana) is an Assistant Professor of justice and social inquiry in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on Native American and Indigenous peoples approaches to information and communication technologies, specifically for the purpose of advancing sovereignty and resisting colonialism. Her ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Policies to Respond to the Next Influenza PandemicThe 1918 influenza pandemic resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths worldwide, with three subsequent influenza pandemics of variable severity in the past century, most recently in 2009. Influenza pandemics typically result in many hospitalizations and deaths worldwide, with enormous public health, economic, and societal impact. The threat of the ...
Radioactivity: With Ron Hipschman 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. 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? Get the facts about this ubiquitous, somewhat controversial topic.Â
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95, 14.95 explO members, AD & Donors free
CRISPR Genome Editing: Emerging Technologies and ApplicationsThe impact of genome editing on technology, science and entrepreneurship is profound and promises to alter the way we address medical and agricultural problems.At this event, designed for a general audience and anyone interested in biotechnology and life sciences, our speakers will discuss the biology of CRISPR and emerging applications ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Dynamic Talks: Voice Platforms, Conversational Commerce, and NLUFlower Genie: how to build cool and useful Alexa-enabled e-commerce applications using Dialog FlowIn this talk, we describe how to build conversational e-commerce applications for the growing market of voice-powered AI devices using Dialog Flow. This talk demonstrates the capabilities of "Flower Genie," a teaching-oriented chatbot that can recommend a ...
New year can-do: Let NightLife help you be a better you with a night of how-to, hands-on demos, and workshops. Go home armed with both useful crafts and new skills for “adulting.â€Ripped jacket? Instructors from WorkshopSF will be on-hand to show you how to repair your clothing artfully with sashiko ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
What Ada Lovelace, Tom Paine, and the Paris Commune Can Teach Us About Digital TechnologyWhen we talk about technology we always talk about tomorrow and the future -- which makes it hard to figure out how to even get there. With engaging, sparkling prose, public interest lawyer and digital specialist Lizzie O'Shea argues that we need to stop looking forward and start looking backwards. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, Free for members
Dr. Matthew Tiscareno (SETI) studies how things move (dynamics) in the solar system. In many cases, he applies dynamical methods to Saturn’s rings and other planetary ring systems. He is a Participating Scientist and an Imaging Team Associate for the Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn since 2004. ...
What makes us who we are? What combination of memory, history, biology, experience and that ineffable thing called the soul defines us?In 2016, celebrated writer and memoirist Dani Shapiro took a genetic test on a whim, believing that she knew her history well - the daughter of Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $30 General, $27 Members
Immortality Inc: The Quest to Live ForeverCan we live forever? Science journalist, Chip Walter reveals the ground-breaking research and visionaries who are trying to answer that very question.Find out more from Walter and leading rejuvenation, stem cell research and genetic experts who are redefining our understanding of life, aging and mortality.Speakers: Aubrey de Gray, SENS Research ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25 General, $15 Member
Friday, 01/31/20
Two KIPAC Tea TalksLessons from O3: Optimizing the search for gravitational wave counterpartsSpeaker: Kate Alexander, NorthwesternBICEP/Keck Array telescopes: search for primordial gravitational wave imprints in the CMB polarizationSpeaker: Jae Hwan Kang, Kipac
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
The origin of the Moon within a terrestrial synestiaThe giant impact hypothesis has been the leading theory for the origin of the Moon for decades, but current models struggle to explain the Moon's composition and isotopic similarity with Earth. I will present a new lunar origin model based on the discovery that highâ€energy, highâ€angularâ€momentum giant impacts can create ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Saturday, 02/01/20
Mushroaming Along the Presidio Coastal BluffsGet your caps on and be prepared to enter our mycelium/fungus season in the Golden Gate National parks! Come and join us in the underbrush of the Presidio Coastal Bluffs as there is much to explore and learn about the fungus in our parks! We welcome everyone of all ages ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Bay Rocks for KidsJoin volunteer and geologist, Malcom Pringle, to learn about why rocks rock! What makes up the hills and habitats that surround San Francisco Bay? Bang, scratch, nick, view, (even chew?) rocks from the hills and crystals from the Bay! Ponder how and where they could have formed -- are those ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Nature Walk for HealthTake a break from your busy schedule and refresh your spirit with nature at the refuge. Take a guided nature walk on the Tidelands Trail and hear what makes this National Wildlife Refuge unique. The approximately one mile walk traverses through endangered species habitat and offers great views of south ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Jazz under the StarsJazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday after the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us on the 4th floor planetarium for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Night of IdeasThis seven-hour marathon of philosophical debate, keynotes, panels, performances, and interactive experiences is designed to spur dialogue and creative participation on the theme "Living on the Edge."We live in a world balanced on the edge between immense challenges and even grander possibilities. How do we reckon with these tensions and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Sunday, 02/02/20
Point Reyes 15th Annual Fungus FairJoin us for the 15th annual Point Reyes National Seashore Fungus Fair. Attend free lectures in the Bear Valley Visitor Center Auditorium. Learn about fungi and their role in the many Point Reyes habitats, from grasslands to redwoods. See the remarkable colors and shapes of wild mushrooms collected in the ...
Where: Point Reyes StationCost: Free
Monday, 02/03/20
Testing inflation and constraining cosmology with cosmic microwave background measurementsInflation -- the leading model for the earliest moments of the time, in which the Universe undergoes a period of rapid, accelerating expansion -- generically predicts a background of primordial gravitational waves, which generate a B-mode component in the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The measurement of such ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Bright (active) Galaxies in Dark Matter halosThe bright galaxies comes in different colours and show different activities. Some are red, some blue and others have angry supermassive blackholes. These galaxies acts as the doorway to the cosmological universe we live in. Our understanding of inner working of universe and its mysterious dark components of matter and ...
Complex models in Earth Sciences refer to the combination of multiple properties, scales, observations, and physics relating the various model components for the description of geological objects. As natural objects the reservoirs, earth crust or planets require a multidisciplinary description. Formulating such a description into a joint numerical framework is ...
The Hubble Hunter’s GuideThere appears to be a significant discrepancy between Lambda CDM predictions of the Hubble constant and measurements of the Hubble constant. I will review the evidence that this discrepancy arises due to a faliure of LCDM, and discuss the challenges to resolving the discrepancy with various LCDM extensions.Speaker: Lloyd Knox, ...
Understanding the physics of the rupture process of giant earthquakes, such as those that occur around the Pacific ring of fire, from its preparatory phase to its destructive effects, is a major science question with socio-economic implications. Owing to important efforts, in the last few decades, in the development of ...
The particle nature of dark matter is a driving question of contemporary physics, with astrophysical experiments leading the search for dark matter annihilation or decay signatures. Sterile neutrinos, which could provide an elegant solution to the puzzle of the observed active neutrino masses and mixing, are among the most well-motivated light ...
Society faces the dual challenge of providing reliable and affordable energy while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the risks of climate change. By 2040 the global population will grow from 7 to more than 9 billion and energy demand is likely to increase by 25% even with efficiency ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Conversations at the Library: What Every Parent Should Know About VapingOver 2500 people in the United States have contracted EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury), and more than 50 have died from it. Adolescents and young adults are using e-cigarettes more often than combustible cigarettes.Stanford School of Medicine Professor Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher will discuss her research on young ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Wonderfest: Ask a Science Envoy: Optimization, Ecology, & SupernovaeWonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with special communication skills and aspirations. Following short talks on provocative modern science topics, these three Science Envoys will answer questions with insight and enthusiasm:UC Berkeley industrial engineer and operations researcher Caleb Bugg on "Engineering in an Apocalyptic World"Stanford Earth systems scientist Sami Li ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Tuesday, 02/04/20
Botany Series: Basic BotanyHow do plants work? If it’s been way too long since that high school biology class, come take a step back with Annette Russell (Presidio Senior Nursery Manager). We will learn the basic processes that plants go through in life, how they have adapted to the changing earth environment over ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Donations encouraged
Two KIPAC Tea TalksCosmology using Galaxy Clusters in DESISpeaker: Christopher Bradshaw, UC Santa CruzTBASpeaker: Zhanpei Fang, Stanford
Jupiter’s moon Europa is a fascinating world and a prime candidate for life within our Solar System. I will focus on the outer ice shell of the satellite where the dissipated tidal energy sustains a subsurface ocean. If the ice shell allows for exchange processes, exogenic material deposited on the ...
Join us for this important movie for our time.Racing Extinction is a documentary about the ongoing Anthropogenic mass extinction of species and the efforts from scientists, activists and journalists to document it by Oscar-winning director Louie Psihoyos, who directed the documentary The Cove (2009). The film received an Oscar nomination, for Best Original Song, and an Emmy nomination for Exceptional Merit in ...
Where: Castro ValleyCost: Free
Science at the Library: Magnetic MagicThere are 4 activities at each presentation after a show presentation. Parents work with their children to learn about science. Recommended  for elementary age children.Â
Discovery Station: Chocolate and VanillaDoes chocolate really grow on trees?! Did you know vanilla comes from an orchid?! Come discover where two of our favorite foods come from, learn about the process of making chocolate, and find out how animals, such as monkeys, help these plants in their native tropical habitats. Docents will have ...
The modern day National Airspace System (NAS) is powered by System Wide Information Management (SWIM) which is a real-time digital data sharing infrastructure that provides a high fidelity view of the lifecycle of a flight. The newly available data within the SWIM feeds can be leveraged to help drive efficiencies ...
Recent advances in perception technology, fueled by progress in deep learning, have materially changed the degree of situational awareness one can expect from robots engaged in the real world: in addition to perceiving the geometry of the world around them, robots can now also reason about its semantics, and communicate ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Investigation of the Feijao Tailings Dam Failure near Brumadinho, BrazilAt approximately 12:28pm local time on January 25, 2019, tailings dam B-1 at Vale S.A.’s Corrego do Feijao Iron Ore Mine, located 9 kilometers north-east of Brumadinho, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, suffered a sudden failure resulting in a catastrophic mudflow that travelled rapidly downstream resulting in significant ...
Professor Kate O'Neill discusses how wastes have become globalized, but also how a single move by one country - China's decision not to import paper and plastic scrap - can affect all of us right down to weekly chores such as taking out the trash.Free for OLLI@Berkeley members, UC Faculty, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $10 General
Four Graduate Student Research in Progress TalksLaura Hollander (Boyer Lab) Effect of salt marsh plant species diversity on community response to sediment augmentationChristian Tettelbach (Boyer Lab) Effects of climate change on the herbivory of eelgrass (Zostera marina) by an invasive grazer in San Francisco BayCarl Hendrickson (Boyer and Nielsen Labs)Pisaster disaster and other tales from the ...
As American society continues to have a growing older population, understanding all aspects of aging is a critical national priority. Perhaps no subject is more important than understanding what happens to our brains as they age and what people can do to enhance cognition as they get older. And there ...
Toward Maps of Exoplanet SurfacesPerhaps the simplest question that one can ask of a distant star or planet is, "What does it actually look like?" Even the best interferometers can only give us limited information about the surfaces of select giant and/or nearby stars, while the direct imaging of exoplanet surfaces is all but ...
'Call of the Baby Beluga'One day in Quebec, a baby beluga whale washes up on a gravel beach along the St. Lawrence River, still vigorously alive. This baby whale’s story takes us on a larger journey through the world of the St. Lawrence beluga whales and of the scientists who are working to help ...
Join us for an evening at the intersection of neuroscience, art, and virtual reality, as we gather experts to explore how our body shapes our sense of self and guides our actions within real and virtual worlds.After a keynote from Walter Greenleaf, Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University’s Virtual Human ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Buzzed NightlifeCelebrate one of life’s most classic combos - coffee and chocolate - in a tribute to two of the Bay Area’s favorite ways to get buzzed.Sip and taste samples from local roasters and chocolatiers while learning everything there is to know about caffeine, beans, that unique bitter taste, and the ...
Watch science come to light at After Dark. Light brings energy and color to our world, and photonics is the study of how it’s generated and the varied ways it can be modulated, amplified, and detected. Learn about industrial applications through LASER and fiber optics as well as the manipulation ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $17.95 adv, $19.95 door, free with A.D. membership
Meet the New Technologies Shaping Our WorldIf you live in Silicon Valley, you can hardly avoid hearing about new technologies that are changing the way we live our lives, transforming industries and creating positive disruption. You've heard mentions of the Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning and Deep Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Edge and ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Biofuture/ Biohistories: Growing Brain Organoids in the LabUsing stem cells - like those found in our earliest embryonic selves - scientists have learned to grow miniature brain-like structures, called brain organoids. How similar are organoids to a real human brain, and what can we do with them? So far, scientists have seen brain organoids send signals in ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 (includes museum admission)
Friday, 02/07/20
Two KIPAC Tea TalksTBASpeaker: August Evrard, Univ. of MichiganLots of Fun With TRAPPIST-1Speaker: Rodrigo Luger, CCA, Flatiron Institute
SF Beer Week runs from Feb. 7-16 2020 in venues around the Greater Bay Area. Some of the many festive events pair fresh craft beer with science!For example, on Sunday, Feb 9, Jim Brown, Director of Fermentation Science at the UC Davis Brewing School will talk Yeast and Brewing Science. Beer Science ...
Where: Cost: Some ticketed, some pay as you go events.
The Materials Project and Data-driven Materials DesignThe powerful combination of supercomputing resources, robust algorithms for solving the laws of physics, and state-of-the-art software infrastructure are enabling rapid, systematic calculations of real materials properties from quantum mechanics across chemistry and structure. A result of this paradigm change are databases like the Materials Project (www.materialsproject.org) which is charting ...
The physical properties of matter change dramatically as atoms assemble into extended solids. Tracing the evolution of these properties as a function of material scale presents formidable challenges. Fortunately, low-dimensional materials can provide a vital link between these extremes of scale if their size, shape, and structure can be finely ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
First Friday: The Sound of ScienceHello science our old friend, we’ve come to learn about sound again. Make some noise at this phonic First Friday! Explore the elements of sound and how living things experience them through hands (and ears)-on interactives lead by our community partners. Loud, quiet, annoying, beautiful: all sounds are welcome!
Where: OaklandCost: $5
Woodside First Friday: CuriOdyssey's Executive Director Rachel MeyerThis month's presentation will be about CuriOdyssey - a science playground & zoo creates a world-class science museum for tomorrow’s innovators. Executive director Rachel Meyer will talk about its history and roots as the Champion of Early Science Learning and why it is so Important. How they do what they ...
Where: WoodsideCost: Free
Satellite Galaxies and Dwarfs in the Local GroupOur Local Group of galaxies is composed of our Milky Way; its twin galaxy, Andromeda (M31); and the dozens of small “satellite†galaxies orbiting around each of them. Satellite galaxies are thought to be the building blocks of more massive galaxies, therefore tracking the orbital histories of satellite galaxies in ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Saturday, 02/08/20
Bay Rocks for KidsJoin volunteer and geologist, Malcom Pringle, to learn about why rocks rock! What makes up the hills and habitats that surround San Francisco Bay? Bang, scratch, nick, view, (even chew?) rocks from the hills and crystals from the Bay! Ponder how and where they could have formed -- are those ...
Where: FremontCost: 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.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Low Tide WalkMSI takes to the tidepools for a treasure hunt of nature's beautiful intertidal secrets. We'll spend our time taking advantage of the low tide to reach the outer edges of Fiddler Cove, a super secret locals spot between Pescadero and Bean Hollow. This quiet piece of coast offers a wealth ...
Where: PescaderoCost: From $20
Twilight Marsh WalkExperience the salt marsh at twilight on an easy stroll along Tidelands (1.3 miles) 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. Call 510-792-0222 ...
As of today, only two objects have been observed, which can be definitively identified as of interstellar origin & destination: I1/‘Oumuamua & 2I/Borisov. ‘Oumuamua was an enigmatic object, visible only for about 2 weeks. While the high eccentricity of its orbit certainly makes it interstellar, it cannot be pinned down ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Shark DayOur special Shark Day invites one and all to learn about these amazing creatures, from the great whites that swim just off our ocean shores, to the gentle leopard sharks that are common in our Bay. We will be feeding and touching our local leopard sharks in our teaching aquarium, ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: From $20
Monday, 02/10/20
Simulating galaxy imaging surveysNumerical simulations of weak gravitational lensing play an important role in statistical analyses of modern galaxy imaging data.In this talk, I will introduce our recent developments to simulate galaxy imaging data. We developed a method to produce synthetic data by utilizing full-sky lensing simulations for a given galaxy catalog. We ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Welcome to the era of fast radio burst “cosmologyâ€! Fast radio bursts are frequent, bright millisecond bursts of radio emission that have fortunately turned out to not be from microwave ovens or alien light sails, but rather to be some new extragalactic phenomenon likely associated with neutron stars. Radio astronomers are beginning to localize these bursts to specific galaxies, ...
The evaluation of petroleum systems via basin modeling, mapping, geochemical analyses, etc., is now a mature field due to codification of the petroleum system concept coupled with the development of sophisticated basin modeling software. Even so, evaluating petroleum systems with numerical techniques remains primarily a deterministic process resulting in non-unique ...
Microscopic robotsOver fifty years ago, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman claimed that a revolution was underway where information, computers, and machines would be shrunk to incredibly small dimensions. History has proven him mostly right: Moore’s law have given us microelectronics, the internet, and artificial intelligence. But the third leg of ...
The knowledge of the earliest time dynamics in molecular photophysics and photochemistry are critical because their role is to harness the energy from photons, initiating electronic and nuclear motion which is fundamental in many areas of science. Our ultimate goal is to understand the coupled electronic and nuclear dynamics induced ...
California is progressing toward the deployment of 5 million Zero-Emission Vehicles by 2030, a critical measure necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. In addition, California has set targets to serve the state with 100% clean energy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The California ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas for a Sustainable FutureCan hip-hop help bridge the divide between communities of color and environmentalism? Are strong regulations making fracking safer and cleaner? Environmentalists probably nod at the first question and bristle at the second. But tackling climate means taking everyone outside their comfort zone.  In the new book A Better Planet: 40 Big Ideas ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
February Prof & A Pint: Bioengineering for Social Good Our world and the unexplored worlds around us are bathed in nano-scale systems (living cells) that convert their molecular surroundings into useful energy stores, building blocks, information storage, sensors, and secreted drones that detect, manipulate, control and harvest. As BioEngineers, we work to understand and influence these nano systems to ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Wuhan Novel Coronavirus of 2019: Applying the lessons of the past to protect us in the presentDr. Mark Finch, Sr., who received his medical degree from the University of California San Francisco, is an infectious disease specialist with Diablo Infectious Disease Group. Dr. Finch and Diablo Infectious Disease Group provide clinical infectious disease, infection control and antibiotic stewardship advice to several hospitals in Alameda County.
Our solar system teems with asteroids and comets, which range in size from tiny dust particles to gigantic mountains that are worlds in their own right. While most of these objects remain in stable orbits that whirl them around them Sun for billions of years, every now and again something ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members & Seniors
During the last few years we established the synthetic and analytic infrastructure required to develop a promising new class of materials that operate on the basis of their structurally programmed molecular motion. Having a combination of static and rapidly moving components, we refer to them as being amphidynamic. They can ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Cosmology from the diffuse baryons between galaxies The field of cosmology has to make do with a theory of structure that is incomplete in the ``ultraviolet'' -- we lack a precise understanding of the cosmologically minute scales on which galaxies form and affect their surroundings. I will review methods to circumvent this limitation, with a particular focus ...
The hydrothermal systems that form at mid-ocean ridge (MOR) spreading centers represent perhaps the largest and most impactful geochemical phenomenon on Earth. There is 65,000 km of MOR encircling the globe, and the flow of water through the hydrothermal systems amounts to the entire volume of the oceans every 600,000 ...
Advancing the Science: The Latest in Alzheimer’s ResearchAlzheimer’s disease is a global health problem with more than 5.8 million people living with the disease in the United States alone. The only way to solve that problem is through research, and this talk will focus on the scientific advancements and progress in the field. Tremendous gains have been ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members, $8 Students
Engram Preservation: Early work towards Mind UploadingIs it possible to preserve and read memories after someone has died? Robert McIntyre thinks it is, and that the technology is closer than most people realize. His company Nectome is working on documenting the physical properties of memory formation, and studying ways to preserve those physical properties after death. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25 - $100
Data Science, Beer & SPORTSIn celebration of SF Beer Week, come enjoy Standard Deviant’s great beers and listen to a few talks with USF’s Data Institute. This is USF’s fourth annual Beer + Data Science event and this year our focus will be on Sports Analytics. Hear from practitioners, professors and students as they ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Stories of a Changing Planet -- Environmental Documentaries in Transformative TimesFriends of Five Creeks' free Bay Currents talks present author and filmmaker Stephen Most who has scripted and co-produced environmental documentaries including Oil on Ice, Green Fire, River of Renewal, and Wilder than Wild.  His book Stories Make the World reflects on storytelling and the art of the documentary. Showing trailers from his ...
Real time observations of particulate fluxes, their compositions, related biogeochemical cycles, and distribution patterns of trace metals in deep open ocean waters are extremely rare, and more so in the context of continuous, highly resolved records. The Gulf of Aqaba (GOA), northern Red Sea, is a deep oligotrophic water body ...
My work uses data science to characterize how humans interact with the built and natural environments, seeking to plan for more sustainable and livable cities. Given the increasing ubiquity of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the Bay Area, I present a study that aims to assist in planning decisions by ...
This session discusses the intersection of 5G, edge computing and AI/ML technologies for realizing IoT use cases. It discusses technology, architectural evolution and use cases.Speaker: Mallik Tatipamula, Ericsson
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Living on the Edge: Reproductive physiology, behavior, and recovery of southern sea ottersNearly hunted to extinction during the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, the recovery of southern sea otters along the coast of California has been a slow and meandering journey. As a physiological oddball among marine mammals and a vital keystone species in coastal nearshore ecosystems, much can ...
In the U.S., the large-scale water infrastructure that radicalized safe drinking water access in the early 20th century is now beyond its design lifetime, compromising water quality and increasing costs. Safe drinking water is essential to our ability to thrive, but historically, efforts to ensure that households can afford drinking ...
In this talk, Stephen McCabe, Emeritus Director of Research of UCSC Arboretum, will focus on recent poaching of the native succulent Dudleya plants from the California coast, as well as mentioning other succulent poaching that is a side effect of the current succulent plant craze. In one bust alone, about ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Thursday, 02/13/20
Near-Field Cosmology with Stellar AbundancesThe first stars and galaxies fundamentally transformed the universe. They formed in the smallest dark matter halos, produced large amounts of ionizing photons, and polluted the universe with the first heavy elements. Near-field cosmology probes this early era through detailed study of nearby relic galaxies that have survived from ancient ...
Since Fall 2002, the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering has hosted the Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium (SVLS). The Symposium hosts industry and technology leaders to talk about business and technology trends. It also features prominent leaders who discuss broader societal and political issues that shape our life and society.Speaker: ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Hidden Life of Massive Elliptical GalaxiesThis talk will show the results of very high resolution simulations of massive systems that discovered formation in all of them of cold, dense central discs hosting star formation.Speaker: Jerry Ostriker, Princeton Univ.
Join us for Newt Nite & Nature Trivia - it’s our fifth year hosting this event!Take a short walk to see mating newts, and join us after for nature-themed trivia with other nature nerds at the Grizzly Bar and Grill. Dress warmly and bring a headlamp or flashlight. Food and drink ...
Josiah will talk about advances in CRISPR technology for gene editing as well as current controversies over its use in medicine. Josiah is a well-known biohacker who believes that technologies like CRISPR should be in the hands of as many people as possible to allow scientific exploration and discovery to ...
Sex involves the transfer of genetic information that has resulted in evolution and specialization - and one of the hottest evenings in town, scientifically speaking. Discover some surprising ways that sperm and eggs come together. And, on this eve of Valentine's Day, taste the classic aphrodisiac - oysters - at ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: 17.95 advance, 19.95 door, AD members free
Farm to Table: 2030The planet is poised for a food revolution: concerns over the environmental costs of feeding our world are transforming what we eat, how we raise it, how we source our nutrition, and how we handle excess. How can we keep food delicious, sustainable, and healthy? For this event, we take ...
Prior to 1995, there were no known planets around sun-like stars beyond the solar system. Once the first discovery was announced, many others quickly followed. We now calculate that, on average, nearly every star has a planet. What if the discovery of intelligent life beyond the Earth follows a similar ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
SF Beer Week NightLifeSip your way through the museum-turned-beer hall when NightLife celebrates SF Beer Week and our local craft brewing community.Get to know a dozen local breweries during an evening celebrating beers as diverse as the creatures at NightLife: Standard Deviant, Pond Farm, Barebottle, and Original Pattern make their Academy debut alongside ...
7:00-7:25: Krishna Shenoy(Stanford/ Neuroscience) on "Brain-machine Interfaces: From basic science and engineering to clinical trials"Brain-machine interfaces aim to restore lost functions due to brain disease or injury by converting neural activity from the brain into control signals...Read more7:25-7:50: Lars Steinmetz(Co-Director, Stanford Genome Technology Center) on "Emerging ...
The world-wide explosion in data is driven by three important trends: The increasing digitization of the world, in which people and the environment have been outfitted with sensors that generate digital data; enough inexpensive storage technology to keep vast amounts of information that was previously discarded; and large-scale computing systems ...
