Rising from the deep Atlantic off the coast of the Sahara, the Canary Islands are an extraordinary yet still underexplored marine laboratory. Their volcanic origins, steep submarine slopes, deep waters close to shore, and remarkable diversity of climates and microclimates have created exceptional conditions for marine life. The archipelago supports ...
Plants sense extracellular cues through several hundred cell surface receptors. The most rapidly evolving group of receptors is the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like proteins (RLPs), which transduce immune signals as a bipartite receptor complex with the adapter SOBIR1. In recent years many new examples of immunogenic patterns detected by specific RLPs ...
The dual quests - to understand intelligence as it arises in biology and to build it in machines of our own making - have been with us for nearly a century. While neuroscience and psychology seek to characterize intelligence in terms of underlying neural mechanisms and emergent behavior, we still ...
Mars’s early magnetic dynamo may have had a significant influence on the planet’s climatic evolution and habitability, with its termination potentially triggering the shift to Mars’s present cold and dry conditions. Generation of the dynamo in Mars’s core also connects the magnetic field’s strength and longevity to otherwise-obscured properties of ...
Salt lakes are some of the world’s most extraordinary ecosystems, but nearly all of them - from the Great Salt Lake to the Aral Sea - are drying up, a harbinger of dust storms, rising sea levels, and worsening human health. Caroline Tracey’s book Salt Lakes: An Unnatural History, a ...
The Berkeley Space Sciences Lab has been flying successful space missions for over 60 years. We have some astounding projects to share, and a faculty affiliate program. The newest mission to join SSL is the NASA Psyche mission. Humankind has never visited a space object with a metal surface, and ...
Join us for a conversation with David Vogel, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, on his new book, When Federal Climate Policy Works: Benefits, Business, and Politics (MIT Press, 2026), co-authored with Roger Karapin.When Federal Climate Policy Works challenges the widely held belief that the federal government has been unable to adopt ...
Speaker: Sayatan Ghosh, LinkedinAttend in person or online. See weblink
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Living with the Stars on Day of the DeadEquinoxes and solstices are familiar astronomical markers of the seasons, but the cross-quarter days - the halfway points between them - are less commonly considered in popular culture. At the latitude of some of the oldest Maya cities in Mesoamerica, the cross-quarter day between the September equinox and December solstice ...
Ah, Fall. The time of year when trees shed their greenery and leave only their skeletons behind, so too does your friendly neighborhood Nerd Nite embrace our spooky side, and what’s more frightening than the end of the Nerd Nite SF 2026 Season? (Jump Scare!) We’re bringing out our best ...
Tsunami early warning systems today rely on models that can take precious minutes to run - minutes that coastal communities don't have. New research is changing that by building a "digital twin" of the earth's crust, one that can simulate the physics of an earthquake and its resulting tsunami in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $27
Vanished: Extinct (or Possibly Extinct) Birds of Notrh America and Why Their Stories Matter - LivestreamExtinction is a poignant, fascinating, and important topic in conservation. Join Carolyn Knight and Julie Amato for an introduction to the extinct (and possibly extinct) birds of North America. We’ll define extinction (a surprisingly difficult determination to make); discuss the history and causes of bird extinctions; and share the moving ...
Where: Cost: Free
Thursday, 10/22/26
SETI Live: Are Galaxy Clusters Producing More Fast Radio Bursts?Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are among the universe's most mysterious phenomena. These powerful flashes of radio waves last just milliseconds, yet can release enormous amounts of energy. Where do they come from, and what can they tell us about the universe?New research suggests fast radio bursts may be more common ...
Many processes shaping Earth’s surface unfold over timescales that are too long to observe directly. I will present two vignettes illustrating how space-for-time substitution approaches allow us to leverage observations across space to constrain both rates and mechanisms of change over time. In the Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard, historical reconstructions ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Global Diversification of Tropical Rain Forests: from Herbaria to SpectraTropical rain forests are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. How this extraordinary diversity arose remains one of evolutionary biology’s enduring questions. I will present results from a global study of Annonaceae, a pantropical plant family of about 2,500 species, as a window into rain forest evolution.At the heart of ...
The census of confirmed exoplanets has grown to the thousands, with nearly all known systems demonstrating fundamental properties distinct from those of the solar system. We have entered an era of population-level planetary system characterization - yet the demographics of planetary systems are not static. Instead, they are subject to ...
When a lake turns green, it’s natural to want a simple answer: What caused it, and is it dangerous? Is it because of climate change? The farms? Within hours, the internet usually has a verdict. But lakes are complicated systems, and the first explanation is rarely the whole story. The ...
Generative AI is fast becoming the first-place people turn for expert advice. The advice it provides can be directional rather than neutral, shaped in part by the choices of its designers and regulators. When clients consult AI before meeting an expert, they carry this directional advice into a relationship that ...
Where: Cost: Free
Expert Talk: Living with Lions in the North BayDr. Quinton Martins, co-founder of True Wild Conservation, will present an update on the Living with Lions Project, an exciting grassroots predator conservation project in the San Francisco North Bay. Since 2016, Dr. Martins has studied the movement of mountain lions fitted with GPS collars in the North Bay to ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free
Baratunde Thurston & Blaise Agüera y Arcas: On InterdependenceJoin us for a conversation exploring interdependence as the core governing principle of nature and intelligence. Featuring Baratunde Thurston (Emmy-nominated producer and host of How to Citizen) and Blaise Agüera y Arcas (VP at Paradigms of Intelligence team at Google), we will examine how cooperation, rather than dominance, will shape ...
Where: Cost: TBA
Birds of a Feather Lurk Together: The Spooky Parallels Between Spiders and Birds - LivestreamFeathered structures, complex social lives, and soaring flight aren’t just for the birds - spiders have evolved their own unique takes on all of them. While birds and spiders might seem worlds apart, their evolutionary strategies tell a remarkably similar story of survival and innovation. In this talk, we’ll dive ...
Biological enzymes have evolved over billions of years to mediate kinetically challenging transformations under mild conditions and with excellent selectivities. Inspired by nature, our group works at the interface of bioinorganic chemistry and materials science toward the precise engineering of void spaces that can kinetically stabilize high-valent, bio-inspired complexes. This ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Saturday, 10/24/26
Birding for Beginners at Bair IslandCalling all community members! Come birding with POST and San Mateo County Bird Alliance and meet other birders! Whether you are experienced or completely new to birding, this event will provide a fun opportunity to get out in nature and gain a bird’s-eye view of species found locally.Join us for ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
Community-access hiking day at Bouverie PreserveJoin us for the rare opportunity to connect with the land at Bouverie Preserve, 535 acres of mixed evergreen forest, riparian woodland, and chaparral. The preserve is home to a rich combination of plants and animals, including 130 species of birds, 350 species of flowering plants, and numerous large mammals, ...
Where: Glen EllenCost: Free
Feed the Farm AnimalsGet ready for an unforgettable animal adventure! Join our dedicated animal care team and dive into the excitement of feeding our delightful farm friends: goats, chickens, rabbits, sheep, and adorable pigs! You'll gain hands-on experience and discover fascinating insights into each animal's unique personality and needs. This interactive experience is ...
Where: San JoseCost: $16 SJ Residents, $20 Non-Residents
Join us any time to explore fun, hands-on activities about Spiders, Snakes and Owls. Our interactive touchscreens and Baylands Marshcam will also be available to explore.
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
We All JourneyExplore the life cycle and migratory patterns of the Monarch butterfly, whose arrival in Mexico often coincides with Día de Muertos, the annual "Day of the Dead" celebration. Paint your own butterfly or butterfly wing and add a personal message on the back. Then they'll be added to the Exploratorium's ...
It’s tarantula season!Join Youth Science Institute for a special late-afternoon hike through Alum Rock Park in search of one of California’s largest and most misunderstood spiders - the tarantula!For much of the year, tarantulas live surprisingly secretive lives and can be difficult to spot. But each fall, mature male tarantulas ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Bowl the Planet 2026Join us for SaveNature.Org's biggest fundraiser of the year!At Bowl the Planet your can expect endless glow-in-the-dark bowling, silent auction bidding, unlimited pizza, music, and more.Whether you're a serious bowler or just here for the fun, grab your friends and join us for a wild evening in support of conservation ...
Where: Daly CityCost: $50 adult, $25 youth under 18.
Gravitational waves: exploring the dark side of the UniverseWhat if you could hear two black holes colliding? This is what happened for the first time ten years ago, when the LIGO Observatories detected the first gravitational-wave signal from the collision of two black holes. Gravitational waves are ripples in space-time, generated by some of the most energetic astrophysical ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Sunday, 10/25/26
Churn and Learn- Butter Making Class - Youth sessionIt's time to churn and learn! Join us at Emma Prusch to learn how to churn your own butter! Participants will learn how to make butter from scratch and then taste their butter on different breads. Registration is required at weblink.This session is for children ages 7 through 10.
Where: San JoseCost: $33 SJ residents, $37 non-residents
Up Close with Whales - while supporting the American Cetacean Society!Enjoy four hours on Monterey Bay with humpbacks, dolphins, and other marine mammals alongside marine biologist Nancy Black and ACS community members. This is a benefit whale watch hosted by the American Cetacean Society SF Bay Chapter to support our mission toward the protection of cetaceans and their habitat.In the ...
Where: MontereyCost: $84.80 (full price)
Churn and Learn- Butter Making Class - Adult sessionIt's time to churn and learn! Join us at Emma Prusch to learn how to churn your own butter! Participants will learn how to make butter from scratch and then taste their butter on different breads. Registration is required at weblink.Ages 18 and up
Where: San JoseCost: $33 SJ residents, $37 non-residents
Monday, 10/26/26
'North: The Future of Post-Climate America'Climate change is already influencing how and where people live.Join us at BESI as urban planner Jesse M. Keenan discusses his new book, North: The Future of Post-Climate America, which explores how climate change is shaping the physical and demographic future of the United States. The book documents a new ...
I'm really interested in understanding how environmental factors impact an individuals' life history strategy and how this strategy in turn impacts their performance in future environments. In the Williams lab, I'm using the wing polymorphism in Gryllus crickets as a model to tease apart this interaction between the environment and ...
Scientific progress is a key driver of economic growth and prosperity. There is great excitement- but also concerns- about the impacts of AI on science, but so far little data. We provide early insights on this from three data sources: a sample of 15 million Gemini interactions, an inventory of ...
Understanding and controlling quantum phases of matter is one of the central challenges of condensed matter physics. In this talk, I will describe how our group uses this challenge as a unifying thread to connect experiment, theory, and artificial intelligence, with topological van der Waals materials as our primary arena.I ...
Speaker: Orion Weiner, UC San FranciscoRoom: Auditorium
Where: StanfordCost: Free
In-cell structural biology at a systems levelSpeaker:Julia Mahamid, European Molecular Biology Lab, HeidelbergSeth Shipman, Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco was originally scheduled to speak today.
In measurements on spin ensembles, the standard quantum limit on sensitivity is set by spin projection noise and scales as the inverse square root of the number of spins. Cold atoms, atomic vapor cells, and color centers in solids reach this regime with ensembles of up to 10¹³ spins. Increasing ...
The camera is a common metaphor for human vision. In the eyeball, the comparison holds up: both cameras and eyes have an aperture, a lens, and a sheet of detectors that turn light into an image. But once you consider the rest of the brain, the metaphor completely falls apart.In ...
Where: OaklandCost: $27
Tuesday, 10/27/26
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Are We There Yet? - LivestreamProf Roland N. Horne, Director of the Stanford Geothermal Program at Stanford University, takes stock of where enhanced geothermal stands. Geothermal power used to mean volcanic regions. Enhanced geothermal systems aim to make it work in far more places, by engineering the reservoir rather than finding one. He asks how ...
Polymeric materials are essential for modern life, but current production and disposal methods pose significant environmental harm. Most commodity polymers are constructed from a small set of petrochemical precursors that are non-renewable, are carbon-intensive to produce, yield materials that are challenging to recycle, and offer limited chemical diversity. My work ...
Hydrodynamics provides a remarkably universal description of matter in terms of a few continuous?fields. But how does this continuum description emerge from the dynamics of discrete quantum particles? I will address this question in open quantum systems of bosons with a conserved particle-number symmetry. In mixed states this symmetry can ...
Since the mid-1990s the iterative, tensor-based quasi-adiabatic propagator path integral (QuAPI) methodology has enabled numerically exact, fully quantum mechanical simulations of system-bath dynamics. Recent work showed that one can further disentangle the path integral variables through the rigorous small matrix decomposition (SMatPI), which leads to iterative propagation with matrices of ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
'Cosmic Coda: Detecting Ripples in Spacetime from Merging Black Holes and Neutron Stars'Screening of the film which features historical footage of 2017 Nobel prize winner Rainer Weiss and modern footage of LIGO, followed by Q & A with filmmaker M.J. Doherty and Sonoma State University professor Lynn Cominsky (emeritus). Rainer Weiss did some of the earliest work on experimental designs for LIGO. ...
Two black holes collide over a billion light-years away, creating waves in the fabric of spacetime. But by the time those waves reach us, their effect is so small that they would change the light-years of distance by less than the width of a human hair. When Einstein predicted gravitational ...
We are thrilled to put a spotlight on kelp forests with author and award winning journalist, David Helvarg as he discusses his newest book, ‘Forest of the Sea - the Remarkable Life and Imperiled Future of Kelp’. Kelp forests need our attention - they inhabit up to one third of ...
For some people, compassion means sitting with another person's pain, listening, and emotionally connecting with their distress. For others, it means helping someone feel better by offering hope or a silver lining. And for some, it means doing both. But what if our understanding of compassion depends on culture?In this ...
Where: San JoseCost: $27
Wonderfest: Popular Myths of AstronomyMuch of what we think we know about outer space comes from film and television, but Hollywood’s job is more often to entertain than to educate. In this fun and informative presentation, Prof. Thomas Targett will sort fact from fiction, taking a tour through the worlds of Star Trek, Star ...
