Native Seed Ball WorkshopLet's make native wildflower seed balls! Seed balls (or "seed bombs") are an easy and fun way to distribute seeds. We'll use native wildflowers such as California poppies because they support a variety of local pollinators such as bumblebees and butterflies.First we'll do a short walk around the Butterfly Garden, ...
Where: AlvisoCost: 0
Hidden Brain: An Evening with Shankar VedantamAre there parts of our minds that are hidden from us? This question launched the Hidden Brain podcast ten years ago. Since then, the program has helped millions of listeners accomplish their goals, improve their relationships, and develop a deeper understanding of their emotions.Now, host and creator Shankar Vedantam brings ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $58.50 - $78.50 (including fees).
Nina Beguš will present artificial humanities, an interdisciplinary framework using the humanities to thoughtfully approach the development of AI. We will focus on both fictional and historical representations of AI - from Eliza Doolittle to Eliza the chatbot - and reflect on recent product developments in AI and language while ...
White Dwards as Probes of Convective Overshoot and Evolved Exoplanetary SystemsWhite dwards are the stellar remnants left behind by the majority of stars. In 30 - 50% of the population, material such as asteroids, comets, moons, and even planets from their disrupted planetary systems can be identified by metal absorption lines detected in the white dwarf atmosphere. These stellar remnants ...
This presentation will trace the remarkable journey of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) from its invention in 1985 by G. Binnig, C. F. Quate, and Ch. Gerber at Stanford University - during my time as a graduate student under Prof. Quate - to its current role as a critical tool in ...
Most sporting activities involve a ball. In comparison to the impacting device (bat, club, racket, paddle, etc) the ball is consumable and tends to receive relatively little attention. Yet the ball is complex, inelastic, highly non-linear, and is an integral part of determining equipment performance. This presentation will consider mechanisms ...
Continuous approximation modelling is a logistical paradigm with origins at UC Berkeley in which detailed operational data is replaced by statistical summaries to analyze large-scale routing and distribution problems. This presentation introduces some new applications of computational geometry and geometric probability theory to study modern problems in last-mile delivery, districting, ...
More than a century ago, Albert Einstein presented his general theory of gravitation. One of the predictions of this theory is that not only particles and objects with mass, but also the quanta of light, photons, are tied to the curvature of space-time, and thus to gravity. There must be ...
There is a large body of work from the learning sciences providing us with insights into how people learn; and from Discipline Based Education Research (DBER) we know what discipline-specific difficulties students face. However, it is quite surprising that relatively little of this understanding has made its way into ...
Fracturing on small planetary bodies is controlled by low gravity, which differs from what is observed on Earth and other large planets. Studying the tectonics of small bodies is crucial for understanding the planetary evolution of recent and past lithospheres, from large to small, rocky to non-rocky bodies in the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Rethinking Clark Kerr: The Uses of the University in the Age of Generative AISpeaker: Gerald Chan, a scientist and legendary venture capitalist, has started over a dozen companies with intellectual property spun out from universities. Currently working at the intersection of AI and medicine, he is pushing the frontiers of population health. As a philanthropist and thought leader in higher education, his work ...
Extreme thinness can reduce the weight of electronics, which dramatically reduces discomfort when wearing. Furthermore, it also improves their mechanical robustness to bending because applied strain is determined by the material's softness and device thickness. In the simplified model, the film thickness is inversely proportional to the strain value, such ...
X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) is a powerful technique for electronic structure determination. Recent developments in extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light sources using the laser-based technique of high-harmonic generation have enabled core-level spectroscopy to be performed on femtosecond to attosecond timescales. We have extended the scope of tabletop XUV spectroscopy ...
How can stories help us create hopeful climate futures? What storytelling strategies might open pathways to imagine what lies beyond the dystopian and post-apocalyptic narratives so prevalent in popular culture? If we are not only to survive but to thrive over the next century, we need to reframe the stories ...
Human beings are remarkable for the many ways we can impact the world. We move through and interact with the world directly, or with the help of tools, using our brains and our muscles to control those tools. Robots can be thought of as tools, often with computers instead of ...
Join us for this talk to learn about scientific achievements that might give you and your loved ones access to transformational treatment options today or in the near future.Maybe you've heard about CRISPR gene editing or stem cell therapy in the headlines - now you can find out what these ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22 General in person, $5 online, free students
Chemical synthesis is responsible for significant emissions of carbon dioxide worldwide. These emissions arise not only due to the energy requirements of chemical synthesis, but since hydrocarbon feedstocks can be overoxidized or used as hydrogen sources. Using renewable electricity to drive chemical synthesis may provide a route to overcoming these ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Identifying energy poverty in the built environment using large datasetsBroadly, energy poverty is defined as insufficient energy access. One often missed sign of energy poverty is an inability to maintain a safe and comfortable indoor temperature. Using residential electricity consumption datasets in multiple regions, we determine the outdoor temperatures at which households start using their heating and cooling systems. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Deep Learning and Deep Sequencing for mRNA DesignTwo decades past the human genome project, genomics is at an inflection point from an era of discovery to an era of engineering. My research journey has paralleled this transition from uncovering fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation to developing new therapeutic applications. I’ll describe how our lab combines machine learning ...
Interactions among organisms are catalysts for biological innovation; this is especially true for symbiotic relationships between marine bacteria and their animal hosts.? From the glowing symbioses of anglerfish to gooey lesions on sharks and the intricate partnerships between bacteria and coral reefs, my research unravels the diverse and fascinating microbial ...
The transition to sustainable energy systems presents a fundamental paradox: developing nations are expected to achieve both rapid modernization and environmental sustainability in a fraction of the time that developed nations took to industrialize. This talk examines this temporal disconnect through the lens of coal-powered electricity, comparing the centuries-long industrialization ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Transforming Pacific salmon recovery from genes to ecosystemsFor millennia, Pacific salmon have been integral to the health of coastal ecosystems and human communities from California to Alaska. Salmon are ecological and cultural keystone species, connecting marine and freshwater food webs and supporting thriving fisheries. Yet, wild salmon have declined precipitously due to a combination of factors including ...
Sci-Fi movies often depict hibernation as the secret to long-duration human spaceflight. (Note: Even with ideal starship acceleration and deceleration - AND with the benefit of relativistic effects - the nearest exoplanet is 3.6 YEARS away!) Of course, the boundary between science fiction and science fantasy is hazy. Advances in ...
Where: San RafaelCost: Free
Thursday, 02/06/25
Innovation-Driven Environment of Silicon Valley - LivestreamThis webinar in collaboration with Movetia will discuss two trending topics on the US West Coast that are shaping the future of workplace: Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship.Register at weblink to receive connection information
Unistellar Citizen Science Q&A (Part 5) - LivestreamJoin Dr. Franck Marchis, Chief Science Officer and co-founder at Unistellar and director of Citizen Science at SETI Institute, and Dr. Lauren Sgro, Outreach Manager at the SETI Institute, for a conversation on citizen science with the Unistellar network in partnership with the SETI Institute. We will review the 2024 ...
Where: Cost: Free
A Ruthless Criticism of AI and CapitalismRecently, the science fiction author Ted Chiang observed that “most of our fears or anxieties about technology are best understood as fears or anxiety about how capitalism will use technology against us.”The sudden boom of interest in artificial intelligence - driven by torrents of cash and threats to transform society ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Do look back: Glacial history of Thwaites and Pine Island Glaciers in the Amundsen Sea, AntarcticaEarth’s glaciers are currently retreating to positions not yet observed by humans and thereby contributing considerably to global sea-level rise. Recent results of paleo-studies in the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, undertaken mainly by the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC), demonstrate a possible range of ice-sheet dynamical behavior not captured by ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Human evolution in comparative perspectiveIn the early 1970s, Milford Wolpoff suggested that a trait then considered unique to hominins - ‘culture’ - likely changed how speciation occurs in hominins compared to how it does in other taxa. Although culture (socially transmitted behaviour or information), technology, and other ‘uniquely human’ traits are now known to ...
The future of our energy systems depends on cutting-edge innovations in Grid Infrastructure Technology (Grid Infra Tech), essential for integrating renewable energy and supporting a sustainable, resilient grid. This seminar will explore the evolving innovation landscape in Grid Infra Tech, with a special focus on the critical subsectors where transformative ...
Whereas incremental innovation in RF and microwave instrumentation is continuously happening and even accelerating, radical innovation remains a rare event. I will highlight 2 radical innovation examples from my career: X-parameters and Vector Component Analyzers. Both innovations are dealing with the characterization of active high-frequency devices and components and are ...
What Teachers Want to Know about Climate Change - LivestreamDo teachers feel knowledgeable when it comes to teaching about climate change? How many hours a week (or year?!) are devoted to climate science in our nation’s schools? Is climate change even part of the national science curriculum? CFI Education Director Bertha Vazquez knows, and the answers will surprise you. In ...
Where: Cost: Free
Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted AmericaHow Americans think about work changed profoundly over the course of the twentieth century. Thrift and persistence came to seem old-fashioned. Successful workers were increasingly expected to show initiative and enthusiasm for change??"not just to do their jobs reliably but to create new opportunities for themselves and for others. Our ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
NightLife: Black ThursdayCelebrate Black joy with a vibrant night of creativity, community, and experience.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
After Dark: Wondrous FungusExplore the fungi kingdom and get to know mushrooms, yeasts, and other incredible organisms.Ages 18+
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22.95, free for members
Distant Early Warning: The Arctic Under Siege exhibit openingIn 2007, a Russian submarine planted a flag under the North Pole, beginning what has become known as a New Cold War. Part of the security narrative is driven by the idea that once the ice melts, natural resources like oil and new shipping routes will become part of a ...
First Friday Nights at CuriOdysseyCelebrate Lunar New Year with us at CuriOdyssey. Enjoy a festive evening filled with delicious bites from local favorites - Dumpling King and Kabob Trolley. Feel the rhythm at our lively dance party, marvel at an exhilarating Lion Dance performance, and embrace the spirit of the season by crafting your ...
Where: San MateoCost: $27.95 General, $23.95 Seniors, Students, Child
First Friday: AFROFUTURISMThis First Friday, celebrate Black History Month and Black Futures at the Chabot Space and Science Center. Tinker with hands-on robotics designed by youth engineers at the Hidden Genius Project, try your hand at coding with Black Girls Code, and discover the groundbreaking achievements Black scientists and engineers have been ...
Where: OaklandCost: $10 General, $5 kids/seniors, free for members
Astro 101: Sights of the Cosmos, Intro to Astronomy - LivestreamDuring this hour, you'll gain an appreciation for the size and scale of the cosmos and our place within it. You'll see many examples of the beautiful objects visible in the night sky, learn something about how we see them through our telescopes and what we can deduce about them ...
The Sun, our nearest star, is more than just a blazing ball of fire. Its atmosphere, hotter than its already scorching surface, presents a puzzle that has intrigued scientists for years. How does the Sun’s magnetic field drive the heating of its 10,000-degree chromosphere and million-degree corona? This enigma holds ...
Extracellular DNA (eDNA) in the environment degrades rapidly unless adsorbed onto minerals, which enhances its stability. Currently there are vast amounts of DNA molecules preserved in our sediments. This mineral-bound DNA, although widely used to study past ecosystems, also poses significant implications for bacterial gene acquisition. By utilizing interfacial geochemistry, ...
Where: Cost:
Foothills Family Nature WalkEnvironmental Volunteers’ Family Nature Walks program is designed to help community members get to know our local open space areas. Small 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 activities, and a ...
Head to Natural Bridges State Beach for the 38th Annual Migration Festival. Many organizations from the community will be there with family-friendly, hands-on activities and booths highlighting the migration of whales, butterflies, birds and the many creatures that travel to and through this fascinating area. Celebrate migration of all kinds ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
CuriOdyssey Weekend Workshop: Stop MotionFan of Coraline or other stop-motion movies? We will take a look back at some of the earliest animation techniques. At the end, participants will put it all together to make their very own stop-motion movie.Ages 5 to 10 years old
Where: San MateoCost: $45-$55
City Public Star PartyCome join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers for free public stargazing of the Moon, planets, globular clusters and more!The event will take place in Tunnel Tops National Park, parking is located adjacent to Picnic Place (210 Lincoln Blvd for GPS) with the telescopes setup in the East Meadow.Dress warmly as conditions ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Jazz Under the StarsJazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon, join us for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own KCSM 91.1. Founded in 1964, KCSM has grown to ...
