Low-valent reactive intermediates of carbon and nitrogen - namely, transition-metal complexes of carbenes and nitrenes - display diverse and powerful reactivity in the synthesis of complex organic molecules. Our group has focused on rhodium carbene complexes derived from substrates that lack electron-withdrawing groups. The diminished electrophilicity of these intermediates imparts ...
SETI Live: Searching the Moon for Microscopic Alien TechnologyCould evidence of ancient extraterrestrial technology be hidden in the Moon's dust? A new study led by SETI Institute Affiliate Scientist Dr. Lewis Pinault proposes searching lunar regolith for microscopic technosignatures: tiny, durable particles of engineered material that could have traveled through interstellar space and accumulated on the Moon over ...
Chemical reaction dynamics in aqueous solution have traditionally been studied using optical methods such as absorption, emission, and scattering spectroscopy. In this talk, I will describe our efforts to follow chemical reactions in solution in real time by detecting photoelectrons emitted from the surface of an aqueous solution - that ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Could a “Super El Niño” be coming?UC Santa Cruz researchers are closely tracking the development of a potential “super El Niño” this year. In this Kraw Lecture, two UC Santa Cruz experts will explore the natural forces that drive El Niño events, how scientists forecast major climate shifts, and what current research can tell us about ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: 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 >Also: This is International Skeptics Day! We will join others via the Zoom “Global Skeptics in the Pub” event.
Measles, an explosive cyclospora outbreak, a hantavirus scare aboard a cruise ship, an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rising sexually transmitted infections, and an HIV pandemic playing out amid U.S. funding cuts to global health. Meanwhile, COVID-19 is never fully out of the picture.In this talk, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free, registration required
Astronomy on Tap: East BayThis month, we have two excellent talks lined up. First, Natalie LeBaron will share about the life and death of stars, and how they scatter ingredients for new worlds throughout their evolution. Next, we’ll hear from Tony Rodriguez about extreme binary stars (did you know most stars in the Universe are not ...
Best-selling author Michael Pollan has spent decades exploring what it means to be human, from the politics of food to the science of psychedelics. In his most recent book, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, he examines the mystery of consciousness through scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual, and psychedelic perspectives. ...
