Because all systems are either absorptive, open, or both, their resonance modes correspond to the eigenstates of a non-Hermitian operator and therefore have complex frequencies. These modes, known as quasinormal modes (QNMs), extend well beyond the electromagnetic context I will discuss in the seminar. They have gained significant interest in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Saturday, 01/31/26
Bird Walk with Amanda PreeceJoin us for a special bird walk with the amazing Amanda Preece! This walk will be ADA accessible and open to all ages. We’ll be keeping a focus on shorebirds and their allies this time, as there are likely to be lots of winter migrants in by this point in ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: $20 General, $10 Members
Science Saturday: Marvelous MigrationsJoin us for Science Saturday celebrating the amazing journeys of migrating animals! Microscopic plankton, magnificent birds, and massive whales: it’ll be a journey to remember. We are also celebrating the birthday of Sandy the grey whale, so come by to sign a birthday card and receive a birthday treat. Includes ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Stewardship Saturday: Cook with ImpactJoin 18 Reasons and The Marine Mammal Center for a hands-on, food-focused event exploring how our everyday eating choices can support a healthier planet. Together, we’ll learn what it means to choose sustainably, eat sustainably, and make a delicious vegetarian meal. During this interactive session, you’ll collaborate to prep, cook, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Tilden Fungus FairCelebrate the fruits of winter! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, enjoy phenomenal vendors sharing their talents through fungi, mingle with the mycological community and enjoy presentations by guest speakers.Saturday Speakers11:00 AM Glowing Fungi: Bioluminescence and UV Flourescence in California - Damon Tighe12:30 PM Australia 2023: FUNGA, Flora and Fauna ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The planetary scene 60+ years ago, and how it suddenly changed with Mariner 4On July 15, 1965, human understanding of another planet in the solar system took a remarkable turn. That was the day Mariner 4, the first successful mission to Mars, encountered and took close up photos of that planet. By today’s smart phone standards those images are laughingly crude; then they ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Sunday, 02/01/26
Tilden Fungus FairCelebrate the fruits of winter! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, enjoy phenomenal vendors sharing their talents through fungi, mingle with the mycological community and enjoy presentations by guest speakers.Sunday Speakers:11:00 AM Fungi of the East Bay's Oak Woodlands - Ben Anderson12:30 PM Koji Fermentation - Eleana Hsu1:30 PM Storytime ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: 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 ...
Ashley worked for 12 years as a public aquarium professional, where her passion in aquaculture supporting sustainable exhibits and conservation initiatives began, notably with SECORE coral conservation & the White Abalone Recovery Project. She holds an MS in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Florida, researching sunflower sea ...
The subsurface is indispensable to deep energy decarbonization, with capacity to store energy on scales necessary to balance renewable grid loads and to sequester carbon on scales relevant to emission reduction targets. Sustainably engineering subsurface reservoirs for energy production, energy storage, and dedicated carbon storage requires an integrated understanding of ...
Semiconductor moiré lattices provide a flexible platform to study flat, topological bands with a variety of closely competing ground states. In this talk, I will describe single-electron transistor microscopy of twisted WSe2 which reveals a rich interplay between magnetism, correlations, and topology. At zero magnetic field, we observe quantum anomalous ...
By introducing the concept of fugitive networks, this talk re-thinks Black women’s geographies of mobilization around former plantations on Venezuela’s Caribbean central coast. I show how these mobilizations both engage with and resist the state, as they are shaped by long-standing historical legacies of racialized exclusion and denial of claims ...
Bioorthogonal chemistry enables the performance of chemical reactions in biological, including living, systems. The concept was borne out of an unmet need for molecular imaging technologies focused on cell surface glycans, but quickly expanded to applications across basic and translational life sciences research. Today, bioorthogonal chemistries are enabling the development ...
Finding new chemistry from natural sources is often described as “finding a needle in a haystack,” where scientists must sift through vast numbers of organisms, extracts, and/or genetic variants before uncovering a molecule that fits their needs. Advances in analytical technology now allow us to search more chemical space than ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Tuesday, 02/03/26
Beyond the Classical Paradigm: Redefining Immune Responses in Tissue Repair and DevelopmentBeyond classical microbial defense, barrier tissue immune cells integrate dynamic environmental and intrinsic signals while communicating with parenchymal cells to maintain homeostasis and shape disease outcomes across the lifespan. My research uncovers unconventional immune responses within the skin barrier across distinct biological settings. I identify a previously unrecognized immune??"epithelial signaling ...
Modern cosmology has revived interest in some early 20th century puzzles that had seemed to be more philosophical than scientific, the problems of Boltzmann’s brain and Wigner's friend. The inability of a complete understanding of a physical system’s state and dynamics to reveal whether it is conscious plagues both ethics (“Which systems have rights?”) and ...
In interstellar and circumstellar environments, most volatile molecules exist as an amorphous molecular solid referred to as astrophysical ice. This icy material is one of the major building blocks in the formation of new solar systems, and its properties shape the composition and potential habitability of nascent planets. The James ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Live Longer, Live Better: Technology Advances and AgingJoin Prof. Ronjon Nag (of Stanford University and R42 Group) for an accessible, fast-moving tour of the most important technology approaches in longevity today. We’ll also explore the companies investing heavily to turn these ideas into real-world therapies and tools. Prof. Nag works at the intersection of AI and biology ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22 General, member discount
Wednesday, 02/04/26
Chalk Scribblers meet the expert: Chris French - LivestreamChris French was the head of Goldsmiths University's Anomalistic University’s Psychology Research Unit which was dedicated to the study of The Science of Weird Sh*t, as he titled the popular science book he wrote on the subject after his retirement.His research focused on belief in the paranormal, encompassing the psychology ...
Online dating is a fast growing $9+ billion industry, and that’s just humans seeking humans! Dating AIs are already generating billions and growing at 25% a year. Join us for a conversation that will investigate how computers have changed how we live and love today and what changes might be ...
Imperialism continues to shape our contemporary multipolar world, yet it often remains confined to the logics and parameters of Euro-American dominance. This talk describes black imperialism in Africa. It explores how one of the largest landlocked countries in the world, Ethiopia, emerged as a black maritime empire post-World War II ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Meet the Author: Adam Becker - More Everything Forever Adam Becker is an author and astrophysicist whose latest book - More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity - is about "the terrible plans that tech billionaires have for the future and why they don’t work." In it, Becker breaks down why we will ...
Join UC Berkeley Professor Ken Goldberg for this fascinating and timely discussion.AI is transforming the digital world, but we live in a material world. We need to move things, make things, and maintain things. The next step is "Physical Intelligence" which uses advances in robots and sensors to extend AI ...
Hina Ashar is a seasoned engineering and AI leader with extensive experience driving product development across both large enterprises as well as early stage startups. She began her career as a software developer and advanced into executive leadership roles, where she has delivered several new products leveraging modern software and ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Navigating the Tensions in Canada’s Climate & Energy PolicyCanada is internationally known as an outspoken proponent of ambitious climate action. At the same time, Canada has the third-largest oil reserves in the world, and the petroleum industry represents a major sector of the Canadian economy. Federal policymakers walks a difficult line between economic growth, energy security, and environmental ...
NightLife: Mix & MingleMeet-cute meets science. It’s a Valentine’s vibe for every relationship status. Singles, couples, friends, and curious cuties welcome.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
After Dark: Rooted in STEMCelebrate Black scientists and innovators, and hear from experts on ocean health.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22.95 General, Free for members
Astronomy on Tap Davis: Two talksSean Carroll will talk about: The Origin of Complexity in the UniverseandAndrew Wetzel will talk about:Out of Chaos Comes Order: The History of our Milky Way Galaxy
Where: DavisCost: Free
Climate Justice and the Moss Landing Battery FireAs part of the Intersections of Climate Change Lecture series there will be a panel discussion including marine geologist Ivano Aiello and environmental studies scholars J. Mijin Cha and Dustin Mulvaney focused on the climate justice issues raised by the Moss Landing Battery Storage System fire.
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
NightLifeThursdays hit different at NightLife. The museum comes alive after hours - wilder, more curious, and full of exciting creatures. Grab your friends, grab a hand-crafted drink, and let yourself wander into whatever weird or wonderful corner calls you. You never know what you’ll stumble into next, and that’s the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
Open Question: Ocean Health - What if the ocean is at a tipping point?Recent research shows that climate change is destabilizing ocean currents, and making ocean waters warmer and more acidic. What do these changes mean for ocean ecosystems and the humans that rely on them?The Exploratorium is teaming up with Point Blue Conservation Science to dig into the details. Find out what’s ...
