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 ...
