Nerd Nite East Bay

This month learn why humans don’t live underwater (and all the bad things that happened when we tried), see how the East Bay urban landscape was transformed by the Black Panther Party, and hear how EBMUD is using engineering to replace 4,200 miles of East Bay pipelines.

Why Don't We Live Underwater? The True Story & Science of Sealab

In the 1960s the United States spent millions of dollars exploring both outer space and the deep oceans, but today only one of those programs still exists. Learn why space colonies are more likely than underwater cities, what it would take to build a settlement on the seafloor, and what it’s like when serious scientists have to report their findings while breathing a necessary mix of helium. Get the true story of Sealab, the first attempt at an underwater colony, with a winding history that includes astronauts, game shows, steep scientific odds, and a rescue dolphin named Tuffy.

Speaker: Rose Eveleth is the creator and host of Flash Forward, a podcast about possible (and not so possible) futures.

Transformation of the East Bay Urban Landscape by the Black Panther Party

Many modern political actions that deal with issues of racial inequality are directly influenced by the radical activism of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s. Based in Oakland, the Black Panther Party is well-known for changing the political landscape of the East Bay, but the Party also contributed to changes in the physical landscape that remain to this day. See contemporary and historical photographs of sites used by the Party, including important historical sites not yet memorialized, and consider the risks of collective amnesia that may come with a rapidly changing Oakland.

Speaker: Dr. Alaina Morgan, Stanford

Rebuilding the East Bay’s Water Pipeline Infrastructure

EBMUD has 4,200 miles of underground pipelines, many several decades old, and is ramping up a massive replacement program that uses the latest innovations to replace this labyrinthian network in a safe and sustainable manner. See how artificial intelligence is used to identify pipelines for replacement, and how new industrial-scale pipes are actually installed. Learn how new pipes are constructed to be resilient in the next earthquake, and how modern engineering and construction ensure that drinking water continues to arrive at your tap.

Speaker: Tim Harris, EBMUD