Beyond the Myth: How Regulation Fuels Smarter Innovation in an AI WorldIn July, the European Union unveiled new rules to regulate artificial intelligence as part of its landmark 2024 AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI law. The rules are aimed at promoting safety and transparency and protecting copyright holders, among other things. The Trump administration released its own AI Action Plan ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25 General, $15 Members in person, $10 online
Speaker: Dr Lindsay Dawson, Texas A & M University
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Energy Science and Engineering Seminar - Two TalksViscous-Dominated Flow Experiments for Hydrogen Storage in Saline AquifersUnderground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a potential long-term solution for net-zero energy storage. There have been numerous simulations studies on the feasibility of UHS in porous media such as saline aquifers, but very few experimental studies to complement them. This seminar will ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Keeping Track of California Water and PoliticsWith two planned reservoirs (Los Vaqueros and Pacheco) no longer going forward, two major projects (Sites Reservoir, Delta Conveyance) in water right hearings, streamlining bills in the Legislature that would block lawsuits, and a third draft of a long-delayed Water Quality Control Plan in review, California appears to be on ...
Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals the Mechanism of Bidirectional Replication Initiation in Higher EukaryotesChromosomes are copied from thousands of origins. At each origin, two replicative DNA helicases are first assembled, then activated to begin unwinding DNA. Several replication proteins are subsequently recruited to the active helicase, forming a replisome. The helicase must undergo dramatic conformational changes during its activation and this process is ...
Humanity today faces the unprecedented challenge of staying within the nine planetary boundaries that define a safe operating space for our planet: from greenhouse gases and land use change to freshwater disruption, ocean acidification, and the spread of novel entities. The building sector - responsible for nearly 40% of global ...
With 2025 marking the 10-year anniversary of the "Wall of Birds" at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, at this special Birdy Hour artist Jane Kim will take the audience on a spectacular 375-million year artistic journey celebrating the evolution and diversity of birds. Jane will reflect on how the mural ...
Humans have wondered whether we are alone in the universe for millennia. Finally, a future NASA observatory may bring us the answers. NASA’s upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory will follow in the tradition of other great observatories like Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope. It will be the most powerful ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Seniors, members, students
The loss of seafloor sediment mixing by burrowing animals across mass extinctions is often seen as a symptom of environmental crisis, but rarely a driver. In this talk I will explore how bioturbating animals may have acted as “chemical engineers” of the oceans across mass extinctions, via their effect on ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Happiness MattersFrom the research frontlines to your daily routine: happiness, at the molecular level.CEO of Matter Neuroscience, Dr. Axel Bouchon, will give an introduction to the science of happiness including latest findings from several fMRI studies which provide the first evidence of a biomarker for happiness in the human brain. This ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
SETI Live: Space Weather AlertThe Sun is restless again! A massive coronal hole has opened up, sending streams of solar wind racing toward Earth. These high-speed particles not only light up our skies with dazzling auroras but can also affect satellites, power grids, and communications.In this special SETI Live, heliophysicist Dr. Becca Robinson (SETI ...
Stacking van der Waals layers provides new opportunities to design electronic band structure. The weak bonding between layers enables the addition of a relative twist and allows for relaxation into distinct local stacking configurations. Together, these effects generate spatially modulated electronic structure over a variety of length scales. Recent measurements ...
Adapting to Climate Change: What if We Get it Right?Join Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, celebrated marine biologist and author, in a frank conversation with Point Blue Conservation Science's Chief Science Officer, Dr. Grant Ballard. They will navigate the space between the daunting reality of our climate situation and the tangible, science-based opportunities for action.The discussion will explore the powerful ...
John Franklin Crenshaw, PhD (Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford) ??" Warning: objects in mirror are farther than they appear! Dark Energy and the expansion of the universe. andFelipe González, PhD (UC Berkeley) ??" The Alien Interiors of Planets and Exoplanets: Using quantum mechanics to explore the hidden insides of other ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
This Time It's Different: AI Startups Across Three GenerationsThere's no denying we're living through an AI boom. But, despite the hype, AI is far from an overnight success. The story of AI is a rollercoaster of both booms and busts stretching back many decades. What You'll Experience:Veteran tech author and journalist John Markoff will lead a conversation with three pioneers who have ...
At depths >200m there is little ambient sunlight, but bioluminescent organisms provide another light source that can reveal animals. Pigmentation, however, allows an animal to absorb emitted light. We present evidence that suggests selective pressure to reduce reflected bioluminescence has led to the evolution of ultrablack skin (reflectance <0.5%) in ...
Butterfly Walk in the Garden - FULLJoin our butterfly docent specialist Sally Levinson and Andy Liu for a guided walk through the Garden in search of butterflies, as you learn about their plant relationships and amazing life cycle.Bring binoculars if you have them.Registered children welcome. Pre-registration is required, space is limited.Fee includes admission to the Garden
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a unique ground-based astronomy facility, with the largest digital camera in the world, designed to provide a time-lapse “movie” of the entire sky from the Earth’s southern hemisphere. Over its planned ten years of operation, the Rubin Observatory will obtain nearly 1,000 images of ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free
Difficult Conversations - AI and the WorkplaceArtificial Intelligence proponents say it automates mundane tasks, freeing people up for more creative and productive pursuits, making their lives easier. Opponents say it eliminates jobs, widening the wealth gap, making people's lives harder.We'll explore the divisive issue of AI in the workplace. Speakers and more details TBDAttend in person ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General in person, $9 online
Spatial Phylogenetic DiversityBiodiversity is more than counting species, it’s about evolution. Incorporating spatial phylogenetics in fungal biodiversity assessment. Our first meeting this Fall will kick off (potential) new mycological research in California.The meeting will start with a presentation by Veerle van Winden, a Dutch PhD student, whose project focuses on the spatial ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Thursday, 10/09/25
SETI Live: Birth of Planets: Caught!How do planets start? Host Simon Steel (SETI Institute) speaks with Melissa McClure (Leiden University), lead author of a new study that caught the earliest spark of planet formation.Using JWST and ALMA, the team detected silicon monoxide (SiO) - both gaseous and likely crystalline - and pinpointed where hot, rock-forming minerals are condensing inside the protoplanetary disk of HOPS-315, ~1300 light-years ...
Solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are increasingly being deployed on underutilized land, including retired landfill areas. This talk introduces a newly developed PV and BESS design tool that optimizes system configuration by maximizing PV size while minimizing BESS requirements, all within the local distribution system’s current ...
Where: Cost: Free
The Power of Community in Climate Education: NNOCCI Then & Now - LivestreamSince the early 2010s, the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) has trained more than 850 climate communicators from 530+ organizations across 46 states. Through a train-the-trainer approach, NNOCCI helps educators build confidence and skills to talk about climate change in hopeful, solutions-focused ways. Together, these communicators ...
Join Mozilla co-founder Mitchell Baker and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace President Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar for a conversation on AI governance, trust, and the future of open technology.Mozilla co-founder Mitchell Baker brings decades of experience building collaborative, open-source ecosystems and advocating for internet freedom, while Tino Cuéllar of the Carnegie ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
After Dark: Dancing in the SkyBuckle in for an evening of mystery, adventure, and airborne entertainment! Prepare to be dazzled by a performance from Earth Circus, where jaw-dropping moves from acrobatic dancers will have you questioning gravity. Uncover the secrets behind aerobatics with the Snowbird squadron, Canada’s iconic flight demonstration crew. And don’t miss a ...
The human body is invincible - at least from the perspective of modern medicinal innovation. Mary Roach, New York Times bestselling author of Stiff and Fuzz, follows the astonishing evolution of body part replacement, from sculpting noses from brass to crafting body parts from scratch using stem cells and 3-D ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22 in person, $10 online, member discounts
NightLife: AvenuesNightLife is dedicated to showcasing the unique community, culture, and entertainment of San Francisco, and 'Avenues' is our effort to amplify all that the city's west side has to offer. Think block party in a museum. Shop and connect with local businesses and organizations curated by The Faight, Fleetwood SF, ...
Although black holes have become part of our movies and our everyday language, few people really understand the exciting science ideas behind the science fiction. You will learn why falling into a black hole is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, how black holes make a serious kind of time machine possible, ...
Where: StocktonCost: Free
Mushrooms of Sonoma CountyWelcome to the “official” beginning of mushroom season in Sonoma County! If you didn’t know, mushrooms can be picked year-round in California if you are willing to travel, but this presentation will focus on when and where to find local mushrooms during this time of year (and the upcoming months), ...
For over a century, Aves Argentinas has been at the forefront of bird and nature conservation in Argentina. As the country’s leading ornithological and conservation NGO and the national partner of BirdLife International, its mission is to protect birds and biodiversity through science, education, advocacy, and collaboration.Hernan Casanas and Tamara ...
Every day the average person draws in 2,000 gallons of air - and with it, thousands of living things. The bacteria, fungi, algae, and other organisms that inhabit the air constitute one of the last great frontiers of science. This invisible ecosystem known as the aerobiome remains so mysterious that ...
Where: Cost: Free
Building and Preserving the Web: A Conversation with Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Brewster KahleSir Tim Berners-Lee and Brewster Kahle will be in conversation about the rise of the internet, its continuing and explosive impact on society, the importance of the Internet Archive and other developing issues in the growth and use of the internet.Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $30 General, $10 online, students free
Geoengineering, Global Warming & Sunlight Reflection MethodsIn addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing CO2 from the atmosphere, sunlight reflection may be necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. The topic of geoengineering is rife with misinformation and conspiracy theories. Yet the research to understand shading options is critical for good policy making. Join ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $18 in person, $9 online
As Moore’s law has continually marched forward, shrinking chip designs in an exponential manner, there has been a corresponding progression on the chip manufacturing side. This progression has led to increasingly strong and complex diffraction effects during imaging which must be overcome to print chip designs accurately. In this talk, ...
The chemistry that enables protein function remains to be fully elucidated. To better understand how proteins developed their chemistry, we examine the hypothesized ancestors of proteins: peptide assemblies. Our long-term goal is to answer the question “can peptide assemblies behave and evolve like proteins?” If simple peptides recapitulate the basic ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Saturday, 10/11/25
Forest bathing and walkJoin Megan Carson, a certified forest bathing guide as she gently leads you through a series of mindful, sensory-based invitations designed to deepen your connection with nature.Participants can expect:Slow, intentional walks under the park’s majestic oaks and among vibrant fall foliageGentle breathing exercises and mindful pauses to heighten awareness of ...
Where: Glen EllenCost: Free
Family Nature Adventures: Spidey Spectacular - Adventures with Arachnids!Spin your way into the fascinating world of spiders and arachnids! This month’s adventure is packed with discovery and excitement: Learn all about native spiders, their incredible adaptations, and even how they behave in space. Grab a magnifying glass and set off into the redwood forest to find hidden spiders, marvel at ...
Where: OaklandCost: $25 General, $35 ages 3 - 8, $10 off members
Starry Nights Star PartyJoin the San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) and Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA) for an unforgettable night of exploring the night sky. Our knowledgeable docents, members of SJAA, will be your guides to providing valuable insights into the wonders of our universe. The viewing site, Rancho Canada del ...
