Photovoltaic solar electricity has grown much faster than was expected. Continuation of the historical growth rate would enable solar to generate as much electricity as the entire world uses by ~ 2030. California, in particular, has taken a leading role; 19% of electricity generated in 2018 in the state of ...
In "Let Them Drown," the 2016 London Edward W. Said lecture, Naomi Klein called attention, as Rob Nixon's "Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor" had done, to the nexus of climate change, (colonial) racism and poverty. But she shifted the spotlight onto the oft-overlooked low-lying island nations. Their ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Combatting Coronavirus in Our Community: What Works, Why Now -LIVESTREAM ONLYCombatting the coronavirus pandemic has quickly become a global health priority. Communities across the United States, including here in the Bay Area, are using a range of strategies to mitigate the spread of coronavirus spread. In its first program on the coronavirus crisis, The Commonwealth Club will feature two experts who ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with registration
Rivers on Fire: Working in Environmental Regulation - Livestream OnlyIn 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught on fire for the thirteenth time. This event catalyzed a decade of environmental legislation in the U.S. including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. How do water-quality and natural resource agency staff balance development and the ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
Department of Chemistry ColloquiumImposing and Exploiting Diffusional Constraints to Control Access to Active SitesSpeaker: Samuel Leung, UC BerkeleySecondary Metabolism in ABE-Fermenting ClostridiaBacteria of the genus Clostridium are obligate anaerobic organisms historically valued for bioprocessing of sugars into acetone, butanol, and ethanol (ABE). Recent genomic analyses have revealed both the diversity of ABE producers ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Diverse Perspectives on Conservation Action in CaliforniaFeaturing: Dan Gluesenkamp, Executive Director, California Native Plant SocietyHeath Bartosh, Co-Founder and Senior Botanist, Nomad EcologyBart O'Brien, Director, Regional Parks Botanic GardenHolly Forbes, Curator, UC Botanical GardenFollowing these four presentations a panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Vanessa Handley, Director of Collections and Research at the UC Botanical Garden.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free to $100
Tech & the City Series - Artificial You: AI and the Future of your Mind - POSTPONEDFrom driverless cars to neural netting, AI is infiltrating our lives at every level, raising questions of consciousness and selfhood that have resounding implications for the future of humanity. Susan Schneider examines these and other pressing philosophical questions. Interspersing provocative thought experiments - like shopping for an AI mind in ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, Free for members
In general relativity, the presence of matter can curve spacetime, and the path of a light ray will be deflected as a result. This process is called gravitational lensing, analogous to the deflection of light by (e.g. glass) lenses in optics.In rare and extreme cases, light can take different paths ...
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
After Dark: Synthetic Biology - CANCELEDTransformations in DNA synthesis are changing agriculture, medicine, and scientific research - but how, and what long-term effects will synthetic biology have on society and the environment? Find out more about this relatively new discipline and how it’s pushing the boundaries of science. And don’t miss the latest in our ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, $14.95 Daytime Members
Analog Nightlife - CANCELEDTune into NightLife and drop out of the digital world when NightLife transforms the museum into a phone-free zone with an experimental night dedicated to life in the analog.Our one-night, slow-down-and-watch-the-fishes experiment only works if we’re all in it together, so we’ve asked Yondr to help everybody place their phones ...
CANCELLED: BioFutures: Hacking the Human GenomeHaving your DNA analyzed is now as easy as spitting into a tube, and companies compete to offer genetic revelations about your ancestry and risk of disease. Are there downsides to allowing such easy access to our genetic information? Can our DNA also be translated into new to ways to connect? ...
Electrical Control of Interlayer Exciton Dynamics in Semiconducting Atomically Thin Heterostructures - CANCELEDVan der Waals heterostructures constructed of 2-dimensional (2-D) materials such as single layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have sparked wide interest because of their large excitonic binding energy, allowing the exploration of novel quantum optical effects in a solid-state system and new opto-electronic devices. In this talk, I ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Is there a Star Party in Your Future? There Should Be! - CANCELEDThe severe light pollution levels in the urban and suburban areas in which we live make it nearly impossible to see the Milky Way and greatly limits everything else that we are able to see from our backyards or even nearby parks. Light pollution filters and narrow band imaging helps ...
Where: LivermoreCost: Free
Saturday, 03/21/20
CANCELLED Science CarnivalThe Center will be closed to the public through Tuesday, March 31. All public gatherings and events at Chabot through March 31 are currently cancelled or postponed in order to keep our community healthy and safe.https://chabotspace.org/visit/keeping-our-community-healthy/March is Women’s History Month and Chabot is partnering with Scientific Adventures for Girls to honor ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with Admission
Frog Docent Training - CANCELEDDocents monitor habitat conditions for and educate hikers about native foothill yellow-legged frogs. The required training begins at the Sky Oaks Headquarters in Fairfax with a discussion of frog biology and population threats, radio training and methods for engaging the public. At noon we take a 3 mile round-trip hike ...
Saturdays in the Garden - CANCELEDInterested in learning more about the Bay Model waterfront? Stop by the Native Plant Garden on Saturdays to enjoy the garden and learn the latest about natural resources and recreational opportunities on Richardson Bay. Be sure to visit us on these Saturday afternoons for special activities.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Trekking the Model - CANCELEDJoin 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
Sunday, 03/22/20
Cancelled: Marine Science Sunday: The Big, The Small, and The WeirdThe health of our staff, volunteers and guests is The Marine Mammal Center’s top priority. Due to concerns regarding COVID-19, the Center has made the decision to close to the public starting Saturday, March 14 until further notice.The theme this month is Celebrating Our Oceans: The Big, The Small, and The ...
The explOratorium will be closed to the public, effective at 5 p.m. on March 12 until the end of March. We tend to think of “home†as the building in which we live, or the town or city where we reside. Voyage to the edge of the known universe, and gain ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with Admission
Monday, 03/23/20
Deep generative models for scientific applications - Web EventOf all machine learning methods, generative models are particularly interesting for scientific applications because of their probabilistic nature and ability to fit complex data and probability distributions. However, in their vanilla forms, generative models have a number of shortcomings and failure modes which can be a hindrance to their application: ...
Invisible Threats: COVID-19 and Climate Change - Live StreamWhy does an invisible, life-threatening virus prompt a nationwide emergency, but invisible, life-threatening gases don’t? Experts have been emphasizing the dangers of unchecked climate change for years, underscoring the need for rapid, bold action early-on to avoid the worst impacts. Now, health experts are pushing the same level of global ...
Where: Cost: Free
The Northern Resident Orcas and Bringing Corky Home - CANCELEDAt the tender age of four, Corky, a member of the A5 pod of Northern resident orcas, was captured and taken from her family for use in the theme park industry. Now, at 54 years of age, she is the longest surviving killer whale in captivity. She continues to perform ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
CANCELLED: Neil ShubinWe are so sorry - this event has been cancelled.Santa Clara County and San Mateo County health officials are recommending that all non-essential gatherings be cancelled due to COVID-19. The wellbeing of our community is our top priority so we are following those recommendations.===================================================Join us for a special evening with ...
