From Dr. Yang's website: "...I am working to develop a temporally explicit view of ecology that examines how ecological communities combine complex, coordinated and changing interactions over time. I am particularly interested in the effects of climate change on species interactions, community responses to strong perturbation events, phenological cues and ...
As our tools grow more intimate and invasive, understanding the patterns at play when artifacts and minds interact has never been more urgent. We routinely underestimate what seem like minor details, yet subtle shifts dramatically alter what follows. Drawing on two decades of designing learning spaces and digital experiences, this ...
Quantum computers have begun to achieve the scale and precision required to simulate condensed matter models in regimes that push the limits of classical supercomputers, offering a fully programmable platform for simulating quantum materials. This talk will explore recent experiments at the frontier of quantum advantage for simulating the dynamics ...
Speaker: Angelike Stathopoulos, California Institute of TechnologyRoom: Auditorium
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Statistical Structural BiologyIn a post-“AlphaFold has solved structure prediction” world, our lab is obsessed with the concept of statistical structural biology.First, we collect large datasets (X-ray fragment screens from 1000s of individual crystals) and use new statistical approaches to identify small molecule binders. This inspires new inhibitors, allosteric modulators, and enzyme design ...
How should we understand black holes at a quantum mechanical level? In the past years, we have made dramatic progress in answering this question, from a better understanding of how information can escape from a black hole to exact gravitational calculations of black hole entropies. In this talk, I will ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Colliders in the Sky: Probing Fundamental Physics with Cosmological DataThe first fractions of a second after the Big Bang likely involved physics operating at energy scales orders of magnitude above those accessible to terrestrial experiments. This epoch - known as inflation - played a crucial role in cosmic history, sourcing quantum fluctuations that seed structure formation in the late ...
Disruptive forces of change such as urgent electricity demand, onshoring supply chains, and increased weather volatility are combining to create the biggest innovation wave in a generation: Cleantech 2.0. In the US, early-stage cleantech companies are emerging to address some of the biggest challenges facing businesses today. They use unprecedented ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
120 Years After 1906: Strengthening San Francisco for the Next Big EarthquakeTo commemorate the 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, SPUR and partners are hosting a conversation on the past, present, and future of seismic safety in San Francisco. Join us to explore how the city has strengthened its building stock through retrofit programs and policy reforms, where risks remain, ...
Natural product (NP) total synthesis involves experimental discovery and decision-making at every stage: why this route and not another? Why this intermediate and not its close analog? Why this NP, optimized for the producer organism’s survival in its ecological niche, and not a close analog, optimized for therapeutic use? The ...
Ocean crust is formed by magmatism along 65,000 km of divergent plate boundaries known as mid-ocean ridges. Decompression partial melting of mantle peridotite ascending beneath these ridges produces the basaltic magma that forms the crust. The depth at which partial melting begins is controlled by a combination of mantle potential ...
Cellphone bans in schools have become a popular policy in recent years in the United States, yet very little is known about their effects on student outcomes. In this study, we try to fill this gap by examining the causal effects of bans on student test scores, suspensions, and absences ...
Chagas Disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions worldwide, yet current therapies suffer from limited efficacy, long treatment duration, and poor tolerability. Two complementary discovery strategies, one mechanism-driven and one phenotypically guided, were explored toward safer, shorter-course treatments. Covalent picolinamides were developed as highly selective inhibitors of ...
Quantum platforms are approaching a scale at which they will enable the realization of a vast number of quantum circuits. Some of these will solve computational problems of interest to industry and commerce; others will address longstanding questions about quantum systems; and still others will vindicate Wigner and Dyson. Yet ...
Join Van Pierszalowskifor an overview of the California Bird Atlas project, one of the most ambitious community-driven research efforts ever undertaken in the state. While 44 states have already completed a statewide breeding bird atlas, California has long been an outlier. That is now changing.The Atlas officially launched in January ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Skeptics in a Real PubEnjoy an evening of socializing and feasting with fellow Bay Area science-forward folk in an Irish Pub on the Peninsula with great food. < Menu >Join us! This is a free event brought to you by Bay Area Skeptics. All are welcome.
Where: MillbraeCost: Free
Wonderfest: Ask a Science Envoy: Cosmology & EvolutionStanford physicist Mahlet Shiferaw on Learning Cosmology from Galaxies - The Universe is shaped by an invisible “cosmic web” of dark matter that guides where galaxies form. By comparing observations of galaxies to predictions from models, we can probe the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Cosmologists are now developing new ...
This month, we have two excellent talks lined up: First, Caleb Harada (UC Berkeley) exoplanets and the exotic zoo of neighboring worlds. Then we’ll hear from Maya Beleznay (Stanford) about how astronomers weigh neutron stars!
Advanced imaging technologies are rapidly reshaping how we observe and quantify the world, from satellites to laboratory instruments, across all industries and sciences. In this talk, Ryan Barlow, CEO and Founder of GeoPulse Solutions, will explore the current state of spectral imaging systems, highlighting both their transformative capabilities and the ...
Aaron Meisner is an astrophysicist working at the intersection of image processing, participatory science, and machine learning. At Radcliffe, he will combine these techniques to search for cold worlds in the Sun’s neighborhood of our Milky Way galaxy.Register at weblink
Plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental challenges of the 21st century. Microplastics are now pervasive throughout marine ecosystems, yet the pathways by which they move from land into coastal food webs remain poorly understood. From 2023-2025, our team conducted a comprehensive regional assessment of microplastics across the river-ocean ...
Io's extensive volcanism was predicted in 1979 as a consequence of Europa and Ganymede's gravitational influence on Io's orbit around Jupiter. Less than a week later, this was confirmed by Voyager 1 observations of volcanic plumes on Io's surface. Decades later, the Galileo spacecraft (named for Io's discoverer) observed magnetic field variations that hinted ...
This talk will share a chapter from my first book project, Cultivating Sustainable Sovereignty: Palestinian Agrarian Lives in Transnational Focus. How have Palestinian agro-ecological and food systems changed due to settler colonialism over time? How do Palestinians’ agricultural practices and relationships - their food sovereignty efforts - serve their struggles ...
We share our experience using LLMs to obtain new results in mathematics and computer science. We begin with an illustrative example from load-balancing in planet-scale cloud systems, outlining the abilities and limitations of LLMs. Next, we describe our experience with AlphaEvolve, an evolutionary language model from Google DeepMind, to establish ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
A window to the Universe from the bottom of the worldWe are pleased to welcome Dr. Clara Verges, staff scientist in the Physics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. She is an observational cosmologist, focusing on instrument modeling, systematic studies and data analysis for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarisation experiments.Located in one of the most remote environments on Earth, on ...
Everything we can see - stars, planets, galaxies, and even ourselves - makes up only a small fraction of the cosmos. The rest appears to be dominated by mysterious forces we cannot directly observe.In this mind-bending lecture, Stefano Profumo, Professor of Physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, explores ...
Join us for an in-person evening about eBird and community science! Brian Sullivan will speak on the work he and the rest of the team at Cornell are finding what can be learned within the mountain of data that is collected by eBird. Our everyday observations serve the greater understanding ...
The Universe's Barcode: What Colors in Space Tell UsSpeaker: Cole Meyer, University of ArizonaMartian Mystery and Mayhem: Exploring the Rd Plante's Enigmatic Early EvolutionSpeaker: Ruby Fulford, University of ArizonaClick here to watch
Where: Cost: Free
Thursday, 04/16/26
AVs & the City: DRIVE AI Demo DayAVs & the City: The DRIVE AI Demo Day is a drop-in event that transforms UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station into a 175-acre living laboratory for the future of autonomous mobility the day before 10th Anniversary Autonomous Vehicles & the City Symposium at the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ...
Extreme El Niño events amplify floods, droughts, and wildfire risk worldwide, yet models still disagree on how ENSO variability will evolve under anthropogenic warming. Using multi-century CESM1.2 simulations spanning the Last Glacial Maximum to future scenarios, together with individual foraminiferal analyses (including new central Pacific/Line Islands constraints), we show that ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Decoding marine physiological mechanisms to build biotechnological resilienceCutting-edge biotechnological innovations and transdisciplinary approaches have opened the door for deep understanding of physiological activities within marine organisms. These tools and approaches facilitate integrated studies of complex endogenous processes, such as immunological responses, metabolic pathway perturbations, and mechanisms that underpin survival and resilience in the face of unprecedented global ...
Recent developments in hydrogen production from renewable energies and fuel cell (FC) technologies have increased interest in their application toward sustainable and emission-free electricity generation. In addition to the fuel-to-electricity conversion advantages of FCs over conventional generation methods, their heat exhaust can also be recovered for combined heat and power ...
Superconducting circuits support quantum degrees of freedom that can be used to encode quantum bits. These superconducting qubits are a leading quantum information technology, but they are plagued by errors when performing multi-qubit conditional operations. One alternative is to make multi-mode circuits where multi-qubit operations are natural. I will introduce ...
For most of human history, survival depended on two things: group loyalty and split-second decisions. Today, those same ancient instincts are plugged into a network of billions of strangers and an endless stream of content. Deception is a universal survival strategy in nature; by understanding how the rapid pace of ...
Despite the increasing availability of climate data, there is a significant gap between the production of scientific information and its practical use within planning and decision-making. Over the past two decades, climate services - decision-support processes and tools - have been developed at this interface to transform climate data into ...
Mikhael found himself out of work last year due to health issues and chose to travel to Mt. Shasta for 6 weeks. While there, he studied everything he came across, from the ground to the sky. Waking to the sounds of chipmunks chittering as they chased each other up the ...
Where: SebastopolCost: Free
After Dark: Altered StatesQuestion your perception with unusual sensory experiences and hear from researchers on psychedelics.Ages 18+
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22.95
Fungus Among Us NightLifeExplore the weird and wonderful world of ‘shrooms during our annual mushroom celebration. Expect fascinating talks, exciting surprises, and a marketplace full of artwork and local orgs to connect with.
Ready for another good, old-fashioned, classic Nerd Nite SF? We’re back at it again at the Rickshaw and ready to rumble! It’s been fun experimenting with format and location for our first few shows of the year, but you just can’t beat a classic Nerd Night show: We’ve got talks ...
With five arms, no clear front or back, and no obvious head, starfish break many of the rules we expect animals to follow. So how did such unusual symmetry evolve - and what happened to the head?In this fascinating lecture, marine biologist Chris Lowe, Professor of Biology at Stanford University ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $27
The Invasive Spartina Project and Rails- LivestreamThe Invasive Spartina Project (ISP) is tasked with removing invasive Spartina species to restoring native habitat in SF Bay and protect our newly restored tidal wetlands. Tall, dense, and fast-growing, hybrid Spartina outcompetes other marsh species, overrunning wetlands and mudflats. Infestation reduces shorebird habitat but also provides cover for secretive marsh birds, including endangered California Ridgway’s Rails (RIRA). From 2005-2025, hybrid Spartina was reduced from 805 to 18 net acres, a reduction ...
This one-day conference brings together leaders from academia, industry, startups, venture capital and policymakers??"alongside top students from Berkeley??"to explore the current state of robotics, what’s next, and how the field can drive real-world impact.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Autonomous Vehicles & the City: Policy, Deployment and Ecosystem LeadershipAs autonomous vehicle technology reaches maturation, the most urgent challenges are no longer just technical - they are civic and systemic. The 2026 Autonomous Vehicles and the City Symposium marks our 10th anniversary, and goes “Beyond the Tech” to focus on building a robust automation ecosystem that works for people and ...
Atmospheric N2 is a cheap, abundant resource with great potential for energy storage and chemical synthesis, but it is difficult to convert it into other compounds (“fixing” nitrogen). This seminar will describe some challenges and opportunities of nitrogen fixation, as well as my students’ discoveries of how to break the ...
The state of video compression standards is strong and dynamic, and more compression is coming in their future. To explain why will start by presenting deployment and adoption of the two most recent video compression standards: AV1 and VVC. Will then discusses new deep learning-based video compression technologies that standards ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $5 General, Free for members
Saturday, 04/18/26
Butterfly Garden Volunteer Work Day at the EECHelp us with maintaining and improving the habitat and trails at the Environmental Education Center at the Don Edwards SF Bay NWR while enjoying wildlife and scenic views! Activities may include removing invasive plants, picking up litter, or maintaining trails! All gloves and tools will be provided, so just make ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Earth Day 2026With the focus on "Species and Habitats" come learn how important the health of our watersheds are for wildlife and our communities and the small actions we can all take for a healthy Bay Area.Connect with our incredible conservation partners and local environmental organizations at interactive booths, where you can ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Mt. Sutro Geology & Paleo TourLearn about fascinating geologic evidence contained in the rocks underneath Mt. Sutro of ancient island arcs, lost marine basins, oceanic trenches and subduction along the Pacific Ocean Ring of Fire and the important role played by radiolarian fossils contained in chert beds. All part of the interesting story of California's ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25
PBC Earth Day EcoFest 2026Pacific Beach Coalition's annual Earth Day EcoFest is a free, family-friendly outdoor community event. Starting off the day at 9am across more than 15 site locations for cleanup and habitat restoration events across San Mateo County, the fun continues from 10:30am - 1:30pm with our main festival event at Pacifica ...
Where: PacificaCost: Free
2026 Earth Day Festival & Green Business Expo Join the fun and kick off Earth Month and SF Climate Week with a bang at the Yerba Buena Gardens 2026 Earth Day Festival! The San Francisco Green Business Program is hosting an exciting Green Business Expo in partnership with the Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy and Climatebase. This will be ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
SkeptiCAMP - CANCELEDTo quote our friends at the Manchester Skeptic Society, “you don’t need to be a published author, famous podcaster or professional communicator to get involved.” Just an interested skeptic.Attend, and/or consider presenting a 20 minute talk yourself.
NASA’s Kepler mission confirmed the discovery of its first rocky planet, named Kepler-10b. Measuring 1.4 times the size of Earth, it is the smallest planet ever discovered outside our solar system.The discovery of this so-called exoplanet is based on more than eight months of data collected by the spacecraft from ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Junior Rangers at the Refuge: Native Plant ProtectorsLove 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.This April, we'll learn about the hidden superpowers that help our California native species ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
From Psychic to SkepticJoin us, either in person or online, as we watch Rob Palmer interview former psychic Fleureo.Fleureo was raised by her mother to be a psychic and was a long-time true-believer and practicing psychic, but she then came to realize what she perceived as psychic powers were just fabrications of her ...
Where: Los AltosCost: Free
'Climate Wayfinding'Join us for readings and a conversation about Dr. Wilkinson’s new book, Climate Wayfinding.As climate disruption reshapes landscapes, politics, and daily life, a deeper question lingers beneath the headlines: How do we live - fully, honestly, boldly - within this moment? Where do we turn for steadiness and imagination as ...
