The increase of d18O values in the rock record (where older samples have lower d18O values than modern) has been attributed to changing ocean temperature, an increase in the d18O value of the ocean water, or diagenesis obscuring paleoenvironmental information. Unlike conventional d18O analysis where the formation water’s isotopic value ...
The traditional motivation behind studying the dynamics of turbulent wind flow in vegetation canopies has been to understand the nature of mass, momentum, and energy exchange between the land surface and the atmosphere. The nature of this interaction determines the microclimate in a forest environment where plants exchange carbon and ...
Deep-sea benthic organisms consume oxygen as part of a global balance between photosynthesis and respiration, but direct observations of oxygen consumption rates from the abyssal seafloor are scarce relative to its areal extent and the diversity of seafloor habitats. In 2024, Sweetman et al. published research from in-situ benthic incubations ...
The ~30 high-silica rhyolite domes and flows of the 15 km-long Mono Craters volcanic chain are some of the youngest rhyolitic volcanoes in the western United States. Their ages range from ~42 ka to 0.7 ka with a total erupted volume of ~8.5 km3 and distinctions based on mineralogy (biotite, orthopyroxene, ...
Encoding Information in Quantum MaterialsWhat if the future of technology depends on the surprising ways matter can remember?Join us for a lecture with Koh Yamakawa, a UC Berkeley physicist studying quantum materials and magnetic topological insulators.From vinyl grooves to hard-drive bits, our world relies on storing information in matter. But what makes this possible? ...
Infragravity waves (IGWs) play a key role in nearshore processes and the excitation of long-period microseisms (the so-called “hum”), yet the dynamics of IGW generation, propagation, and dissipation across diverse beach/shelf morphologies and sea states remain sparsely documented. Using three days of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data from the Ocean ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
SETI Live: What to Expect in Space Science 2026 - LivestreamNew missions, new data, new questions about our place in the cosmos.2026 is a pivotal year for space science. From humans returning to the Moon to new telescopes opening more expansive windows on the universe, this year marks a turning point in how we explore space - and why it ...
Where: Cost: Free
From Midcentury Networked Motel to Smart House: Rhetorics and Practices of Tele-hospitalityThis talk explores computer research and design conducted in the 1960s - 70s by IBM and motel/hotel chains like Holiday Inn and Hilton. Through these joint ventures, the hospitality industry developed the first widespread commercial computer networking system in 1965 and designed computers as user-friendly tools that offered safety and ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Let’s Chat about Healthful Changes - LivestreamLeah shares evidence-based recommendations to help you move from thinking about a healthy change to taking action and motivating you to start now! Whether you’re trying to improve habits around food or movement to keep glucose in range, Leah’s 3 steps for healthy change will help you get there.Speaker: Leah ...
Where: Cost: Free
NightLife: For the BirdsNightLife is flying into 2026. We’re transforming the museum into a full-on aviary of art, science, and wing-worthy fun. Through roaming dance performances, hands-on workshops, and expert-led talks, you’ll discover how migration, communication, and adaptation shape avian life. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just bird-curious, this is your chance ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
After Dark: Unplug and PlayConnect IRL, get hands on with hundreds of exhibits, and resolve to stay curious.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22.95 General, Free for members
Mapping the Universe in Six Colors with the Rubin ObservatorySpeaker: Sam Schmidt, UC DavisSearching for Particle Dark Matter UndergroundSpeaker: Emilija Pantic, UC Davis
Learn about the colorful and interesting Dragonflies and their unique biology with enthusiast Kathy Biggs and field biologist Sandra von Arb. These co-authors of Dragonflies (Anisoptera) of California will teach about the 47 species that occur here, how to identify them and present what the Dragonflies need for survival, where to ...
Despite spending billions of dollars to combat homelessness, California has the largest and fastest-growing homeless population in the United States. To explain this result, some have blamed wasteful collusion between government and nonprofits to enrich themselves without ever intending to end homelessness. But this over-simplistic conspiracy theory not only ignores ...
Where: Cost: Free
Friday, 01/09/26
Opportunities at ARPA-EThe Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) was established within the US Department of Energy to solve the critical energy needs of the United States. Our work is to identify and fund the development of disruptive technologies that have the potential to transform our energy system capacity and enhance ...
Any chemical species capable of moving or changing phase at the conditions which exist on or near a planetary surface is a volatile. While many volatiles are found in the atmospheres of planets, surface-atmosphere interactions with condensed phases can be especially interesting. These deposits may represent an atmosphere that no ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Climate Warming: The World and Lake Merritt - LivestreamA special lecture by Dr. Jere Lipps, Professor of the Graduate School UC Berkeley, and Rotary Nature Center FriendsDr. Lipps is the author of a book about Lake Merritt (see cover below) in the Images of America series. He has carried out extensive field research on the microorganisms of Lake ...
Where: Cost: Free
Saturday, 01/10/26
Birding at Cypress Grove PreserveJoin Sonoma County Feminist Bird Club and All Hands Ecology for beginner-friendly birding followed by a potluck - to kick off the new year of birding!Limited attendance, registration required >This is a good opportunity to watch shorebirds and learn about monitoring and conservation efforts by All Hands Ecology staff. At ...
Where: MarshallCost: Free
The Physics Show - Three PerformancesThe Physics Show is a fun science show for kids and their families. This year we will have two weekends of shows in September, one weekend in December, and three days of shows in January.Performances at 10:00, 1:00, and 3:30 each day.Venue: Smithwick TheaterTickets on sale in November
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: $6
Foothills Family Nature WalkJoin us at Foothills Nature Preserve for a family-friendly nature walk, guided by EV docents. Good for ages 6 and up; all children must be accompanied by an adult.Please click the link to register via EventBrite. Space is limited
Where: Los AltosCost: Free
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 ...
Where: Morgan HillCost: Free
Sunday, 01/11/26
Junior Rangers at the Refuge: Salt Marsh SensesLove learning about new habitats? Curious about wildlife? Our Junior Rangers at the Refuge program is perfect for your family! Join us each month as we explore the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge through fun, educational activities.For this program, we will use our senses to explore the salt ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Things That StingJoin us at the Visitor Center to learn about stinging insects (and how to avoid getting stung)!In this talk, you will learn about several kinds of stinging insects and ways you can avoid being stung. Most of our focus will be on yellow jackets, a commonly-encountered wasp at home and ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Solar ObservingIt’s there for us year round, lighting our days and providing energy for our lives, so maybe it’s time to give it a closer look. Join SJAA for amazing and detailed views of the Sun, and be assured that we’ll be using special telescopes that will keep your eyeballs perfectly ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Marine Science Sunday: Animals of the ArcticJoin us to find out about the creatures that have learned to love the cold. Explore what makes polar bears, walruses and whales able to survive in record cold temperatures!Talks at 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, or 2:00 PM.Space is limited
Most philosophical work on language produced or interpreted by artificial systems has focused on questions about the sense in which those systems might be able to produce or grasp linguistic meanings. For example, if Grice is right that a string is meaningful when it is produced by a speaker who ...
Engineered “smart” materials such as stimuli-responsive microspheres hold the promise to alleviate a barrier to scaling sustainable subsurface energy technologies. Unlike most engineering disciplines, inadequate control of fluid flow paths dominates the financial uncertainty of commercial-scale subsurface energy projects. In this talk, Dr. Hawkins will illustrate the impact of these ...
Sequential Experimental Design for Materials Strength Model CalibrationDue to the time and expense associated with physical experiments, there is significant interest in optimal selection of the conditions for future experiments. Selection based on reduction in parameter uncertainty provides a natural path forward. We consider this type of optimal sequential design in the context of Bayesian calibration of ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
What do high-power lasers have to do with conjugated polymers? Nothing.The only tenuous connection is my scientific path from PhD student in Berkeley to DDS&T at SLAC, which was heavily influenced by having access to the three Bay Area National Labs.I will thus spend the first part of this talk describing my research in laser-induced damage in fused silica at ...
Metals are critical to technology, but their supply chain includes antiquated techniques with large carbon emissions. A sustainable economy requires new science to connect science to engineering needs across the supply chain - from metal extraction to part fabrication. My group uses and develops advanced characterization techniques to study the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Fire Cameras, AI and Satellites Unblinking Eye: Early Wildfire DetectionWildfire safety relies heavily on detecting fires early to both extinguish them before they grow unmanageable, as well as to alert and evacuate communities as early as possible if immediate suppression becomes impossible. Following 2017, Sonoma built up a network of fire detection cameras. Starting in 2021, Sonoma became the ...
Many experiments in cancer research require a supply of expandable cancer cells. Current methods for growing cancer cells outside the body are known to lose relevance to a patient's cancer over time. Organoids are a developing technology that uses stem cells to grow 3D human tissues. My research shows that ...
