Building Intelligent Agents to Reach Net-Zero 2050Reaching net-zero by cutting green house gas emission by 2050 is arguably one of humanities greatest challenge. The sheer speed and scale at which this needs to be achieved brings into question whether such lofty goal can be achieved when only broad plans have been outlined. A significant part of ...
Hurricanes are among the most costly natural hazards affecting communities worldwide, and they involve different hazard sources (i.e., wind, windborne debris, flood and rain). Climate change is expected to increase the intensity of future hurricanes. This presentation will illustrate a novel probabilistic Performance-Based Hurricane Engineering (PBHE) framework that disaggregates the ...
Where: Cost: Free
Can we really address the wildfire problem? - LivestreamWildland fires occur all over the nation, yet focused mainly on the west, predominately in California.   In the wildfire world, most people use California as the barometer for land management, urban planning, forest health, building codes, response, and recovery efforts.   If it happens in California, it may soon happen elsewhere, so let’s ...
The path of a flush Over 50% of the world’s population live along the coast. Consequently, the impact of anthropogenic inputs on the life and health of coastal ecosystems is stark. Decades of impact, fueled by climate change have impacted the coastal environment of the south China sea. Today, I will take you through my ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
Catalyzing America’s Clean Energy Economy Through Federal SustainabilityPresident Biden's Executive Order 14057 on catalyzing American clean energy industries and jobs through Federal sustainability and accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan (collectively referred to as "The Federal Sustainability Plan") sets out a range of ambitious goals to deliver an emissions reduction pathway consistent with President Biden's goal of reducing U.S. ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Birds of Patagonia - LivestreamLocated at the southern tip of South America, Patagonia is a destination which may be on your bucket list for hiking at the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park, visiting its fjords on a cruise, or just as a gateway to places like Antarctica or the Falkland Islands. It has some ...
100 years ago natural hazards claimed 10x more lives than they do today, however the planet still observes >100 fatalities per day as a result of earthquakes, tsunami, storms, rogue waves and wildfires. Recently, commercial φ-OTDR/DAS systems have begun sensing continuously within cities and offshore. φ-OTDR/DAS utilizes the optical field ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
A Rare Comet Visits Earth - SETI Institute Scientists Explain - LivestreamA new comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), is making a rare visit to Earth, coming closer than it has in over 50,000 years. Stargazers around the world have admired its eerie green glow and bright tail of dust. Join SETI Institute Senior Planetary Astronomer, Dr. Franck Marchis, and Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. ...
Where: Cost: Free
Introduction to Microgrids - LivestreamMost consumers receive their electricity via complex electrical grids containing multiple elements of generation and large transmission and distribution networks. In more highly developed and populated parts of the world, consumers expect their electricity to be delivered continuously and reliably. Disruptions do occur for various reasons, and with significantly negative ...
Where: Cost: Free
NightLife with Cafe OhloneWe’re teaming up with the iconic Cafe Ohlone for an immersive night sharing the beauty and vibrancy of Ohlone culture and traditions.Featured programming:Sip a sampling of teas while Cafe Ohlone co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino share stories about Ohlone’s rich history, traditions and living culture. Learn about Ohlone culture ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.25
After Dark: Wondrous FungusThe fascinating qualities of fungi are manifold and sometimes mind-blowing. Tonight at After Dark, discover some fun facts about the beautiful, diverse, and curious fungus kingdom, which includes mushrooms, yeasts, molds, and more. Hear about fungi that are local to the Bay Area, and find out how you can identify ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
NightSchool: Back from the Dead - LivestreamSometimes in conservation, we get second chances to save an evolutionary lineage we thought was lost. Meet three so-called “Lazarus species,†aka species that were once presumed extinct (until they’re rediscovered living), and the individuals working to protect them.See weblink for connection information.
The interconnected crises of climate, biodiversity, and equity drive an imperative for conservation practices to be reimagined and reconfigured. Conservation organizations, among others, are starting to adopt new practices and seeing different possibilities to answer a key question: what are the conditions that create a more connected, less exploitative view ...
Sustainability and sustainable development concepts have been applied in the Galapagos Islands for decades, particularly after specific changes to the Constitution of Ecuador took place in 1998, allowing for the approval of the Special Law for Galapagos due to its recognized fragile and unique socio-ecosystem. However, the application and implementation ...
Where: Cost: Free
The Night Sky for 2023, plus 'Voyager - The Never-Ending Journey'For this special evening in the CSM Planetarium, Professor Stanford will use the Planetarium’s state of the art GOTO Chronos II opto-mechanical space simulator to show us how the night sky changes over the coming year, and highlight the best observational candidates for us for each month. In addition, he ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Saturday, 02/04/23
Family Nature Walks - Baylands Nature PreserveEnvironmental Volunteers’ Family Nature Walks program is designed to help students and their families get to know our local open space areas. Small family groups will be guided by a knowledgeable environmental educator during an exploration of a local open space. These small groups will be introduced to fun nature-based ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Afternoon Hike at La Honda Open Space PreserveJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful hike at Lower La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve where you’ll experience the area’s sweeping views and gorgeous rolling grasslands! The preserve is over 6,100 acres, of which POST has contributed 5,200 acres. You will be guided by a POST Ambassador on ...
Where: La HondaCost: Free
Fire Ecology - EcoCenter Family EventBring your family to the Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter, located on the Baylands Nature Preserve, for an afternoon of environmental education. Activities are intended for ages 6-11.Have you ever wondered about how fire affects California’s plants and animals? Join us for some fun and learn something new about Fire Ecology! Learn ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Sunday, 02/05/23
Birding Drop-in at the Charleston Slough Observation DeckDrop-in anytime between 9 am and 11 am to bird with us! SCVAS volunteers will be stationed at the Charleston Slough observation deck with binoculars to help you identify the huge variety of shorebirds and ducks that call the Bay Area home. No RSVP required.Â
On the Effect of Gaps on the Dynamics of Canopy Flows: From Seagrass to WildfiresSubmerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) canopies are found prevalently in coastal, fluvial, lake and other natural aquatic systems. By exerting drag on the flow, such vegetative structures lead to the formation of “canopy flows,†characterized by hydrodynamics analogs to the canonical mixing layer By altering the flow around them, canopies such ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Atomic Engineering - Tailoring Atoms in Solids at Room TemperatureAtomic Engineering (AE), controlling materials atom-by-atom at room temperature, is an ultimate form of materials engineering. A major thrust behind the development of AE is Quantum Information Sciences which requires atom-level features (e.g. color centers) in solid-state materials to be created for quantum applications (qubits, sensors, repeaters, etc.). The birth ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Distributional and Equity Consequences of Environmental PoliciesLow-income and minority communities experience the highest burden of environmental damages and pollution exposure in many settings around the world. By targeting polluting processes and altering the spatial distribution of pollution, environmental policies may have environmental justice consequences. This talk explores some of the sources of environmental injustice and the ...
I was born and grew up in Córdoba, Argentina, as part of a big family that would gather often to share food and laughter. We’d spend several months on a ranch where we had neither running water nor electricity. The remote setting offered dark skies full of stars, and I ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Imaging the brain at high spatiotemporal resolutionPhysics aims to understand the universe. Neuroscience aims to understand the brain, an organ that distinguishes humans as a species, defines us as individuals, and provides the intellectual power with which we explore the universe. Composed of electrically excitable cells called neurons, the brain continuously receives and analyzes information, makes ...
The Stanford Energy Innovation EcosystemYi Cui (Precourt Institute for Energy) and Brian Bartholomeusz (TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy) will discuss the history and future of energy innovation at Stanford.
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is just around the corner and you’re invited to join SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder for a fun introduction to the fascinating world of birding. Matthew will present our local birds and answer your questions about where to look for them and how to identify ...
The Universe is dominated by a mysterious, unseen substance known as dark matter, which makes up more than eighty percent of the cosmos. In recent decades, much has been learned about dark matter, including its density and spatial distribution, but its fundamental nature - for example, what kind of particle ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members & Seniors
Tuesday, 02/07/23
IXPE: Our First Look Around the X-ray Polarized SkyFor 50 years, the only astronomical source with measured soft X-ray polarization was the Crab nebula, initially detected with sounding rockets. Now we finally have the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission on orbit, which has already measured complex X-ray polarization signals from dozens of neutron star and black hole sources, ...
First Results from the Webb Space Telescope - LivestreamProfessor of Astronomy Alex Filippenko explores the first images and studies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The 21-foot-diameter, infrared-sensitive telescope launched in December 2021 and is now at its destination one million miles from Earth. Alex Filippenko is a Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at UC, Berkeley.
Where: Cost: Free
Connectivity Standards Alliance & Matter Introduction - RescheduledOn October 4, 2022, the Alliance released Matter 1.0, a global, open-source standard that removes barriers to IoT device interoperability & sustainability by enabling smart home products to work together seamlessly, to help to improve efficiency and reduce energy use and cost. This industry-unifying standard is the foundation for connected things ...
