SMCAS Star PartyThe City of San Carlos Department of Parks and Recreation and the San Mateo County Astronomical Society have open Star Parties twice a month. Note that inclement weather (clouds, excessive wind and showers) will cause the event to be canceled without notice.If you have kids interested in space or planets ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
Sunday, 11/28/10
Mysteries of Wastewater Treatment The San Jose-Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant treats hundreds of millions of gallons of wastewater from millions of people every day using some of the most advanced treatment technologies available. Learn what it takes to make this interesting process happen through a slide show and hands-on activities. A tour ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Marine Mammal Research TourGo behind the scenes at Long Marine Lab. Learn about the work of scientists and their studies of dolphins, seals, sea lions, and whales. Tour is best suited for adults and children over 10 years of age. Space limited. Reservations required: (831) 459-3800.
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Monday, 11/29/10
Forensic Science Seminar-Arson InvestigationFire Debris and Arson Investigation expert, Dr. John DeHaan will deliver a seminar on the science of arson investigation. Current research and case studies will be presented.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Evolution of the 'Alternative Medicine' Movement Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is one of many unconventional medical practices, from herbal medicine to acupuncture. Some scientists see the CAM revolution as a return to more primitive characteristics of thought. But Sampson says the rise of this system is due to a combination of human non-rational traits, several ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: MEMBERS FREE, $20 non-members
Tuesday, 11/30/10
The Extreme Universe Observed in Gamma-RaysProf. Stefan Funk of Stanford University Physics Dept. and SLAC will give the Nov. 30 Applied Physics/Physics colloquium entitled, "The Extreme Universe Observed in Gamma Rays." Prof. Funk will describe how recent observations with gamma-ray instruments have unraveled some of the physical processes behind the extreme Universe and what the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Regenerating Solutions: A Salon for Ecological City LivingThe Bay Area environmental scene is rich with opportunities to volunteer, take action, and get politically engaged. What's missing? A time and space for talking with others in the community about questions, issues, and challenges that come up when engaging in environmental advocacy and personal action.How do you decide which ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Smashing Protons:First Physics at the LHC by David MillerThe Large Hadron Collider, at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, is the largest scientific instrument ever built. For nearly a year now, we have been smashing protons into each other with unprecedented energy, allowing us to peer into nature's most intimate depths. The world's largest and most complex cameras take snapshots ...
IRIS: a new window on the physics of the solar interface region The Sun's outer atmosphere or corona is heated to millions of degrees, considerably hotter than its cool surface or photosphere. Explanations for this long-standing enigma typically invoke the deposition in the corona of non-thermal energy generated by the interplay of convection and magnetic fields. However, the exact physical mechanism driving ...
Converting Sunlight Into Fuels -- the Role of Interface CatalysisEssentially all sustainable energy systems rely on the energy influx from the sun. In order to store solar energy it is most conveniently transformed into a chemical form, a fuel. The key to provide an efficient transformation of energy to a chemical form is the availability of suitable catalysts, and ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Progress in Simulating Clinical TrialsThe Archimedes Model is a discrete event simulation model of the interaction of human physiology, human behavior, and the healthcare delivery system. The model is used in various ways but a key use is for simulating clinical trials to obtain insight into the costs and benefits of new therapeutic agents ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
GreenPoint Rated CALGreen & YouJoin us for a special Guild to discuss the new Green Code, GreenPoint Rated, and how it affects you. Earlier this year, the Building Standards Commission approved a landmark California Green Code, or CALGreen, for all new buildings in the state. The code has a list of mandatory green building measures ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $10 Members Advance, $15 others & at door
Panel Discussion - Alternative Careers for Scientists: Bench and Beyond The French-American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, in partnership with French BioBay and sfAWIS, invite you to an engaging panel discussion on Wednesday evening, December 1, at 6:00 p.m. Three industry experts will share their respective experiences in navigating their careers from scientific research and discovery to entrepreneurial and ...
Nature uses compartmentalization to sequester and organize biological processes, particularly in higher-order (e.g. human or yeast) cells. It was recently discovered that some bacteria use compartmental systems as well, contrary to the long-held belief that bacteria lack such organization. Using a synthetic biology approach, we are engineering the parts that ...
Berkeley-Stanford CleanTech Conference: Power to the People: Distributed Generation and MicrogridsFeaturing a Keynote from Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute.The way in which electricity is produced, transmitted and managed is changing rapidly. Innovation and deployment of renewable power generation is reducing costs towards grid parity and integration of smart grid technology is increasing the flexibility of the next generation ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
Best of Greenbuild 2010: Post-Conference PresentationsPresented by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, bringing thousands of people together from many countries to hear leading industry experts on a wide range of topics. For those of you unable to attend ...
Where: San JoseCost: Advance $30 General, $15 Members, $10 Students
TRUST Security Seminar: Do Static Permission Systems Work?Several new application platforms use static permission systems to restrict access to system API resources. Two prominent examples are the Android OS application platform and the Google Chrome extension system. Developers request permissions for their applications, and the user decides during installation whether those permissions are acceptable. A static permission ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour Experience the wildlife and natural beauty that make Younger Lagoon an exceptional local treasure on this docent-led tour to the lagoon and its beach habitat. Learn about the ongoing research and habitat restoration work that help this vital habitat thrive. Tour includes a short hike and is best suited for ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
ENERGY RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FUTUREGlobal energy systems have undergone numerous transitions over human history-from wood to coal, from animals to automobiles, from candles to electric lighting. Catalysts for these changes include discovery of new energy resources, new energy conversion technologies, and environmental benefits from less polluting and safer energy options.Driven by ever-growing global energy ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Center for Inquiry: Beer & BooksMeet up with rationalists, skeptics, and freethinkers south of San Francisco. Beers and Books is a social event co-hosted by the Center for Inquiry|San Francisco. We'll meet at Cafe Borrone http://www.cafeboronne.com/ between Kepler's Books and the British Banker's Club! Look for the black balloon.First Thursday of Each Month6pm to ???
Where: Menlo ParkCost:
Exploratorium After Dark: SugarJoin us for a sweet start to the holiday season when After Dark celebrates sugar in all its forms-from fuel for the body to sculpture medium for the artist. Enjoy sweet treats and new films by students from the University of San Francisco. You'll also get a chance to take a ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, Free for Members
Surf's Up NightLifeMavericks Film with Pro-Surfer PanelWe're pleased to present a screening from the soon to be released movie 'Super Natural' from Powerlines Productions. This includes footage from last year's big wave event at Mavericks and giant surf from Pe'ahi (aka "Jaws"). The movie's producers will introduce the piece and each screening ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Asphalt to EcosystemsAsphalt to Ecosystems is a compelling color guidebook for designing and building natural schoolyard environments that enhance childhood learning and play experiences while providing connection with the natural world. With this book, author Sharon Danks broadens our notion of what a well-designed schoolyard should be, taking readers on a journey ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Chemical Defense in Birds, and the special case of New Guinea's PitohuisWhen Jack Dumbacher was a graduate student working in Papua New Guinea, he accidentally encountered a bird that carried potent neurotoxins in its skin and feathers. After many years of research, much more is understood about the chemical ecology of these – and other – toxic birds. Dr. Dumbacher is ...
Grounding Knowledge in the Brain's Modal SystemsThe human conceptual system contains categorical knowledge that supports online processing (perception, categorization, inference, action) and offline processing (memory, language, thought). Semantic memory, the dominant theory of the conceptual system, typically portrays it as modular and amodal. According to this approach, amodal symbols represent category knowledge in a modular system, ...
The Demand Side: What Behavioral Patterns Stand in the Way? CANCELEDEditor's Note: This event has been canceled and will be rescheduled for the spring.Energy problems and policy proposals remain in the news; sometimes the news is good, other times it seems headed in the wrong direction. After a brief look at the underlying nature of the problems I will focus ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Innovation in Desalination: An Answer to Our Water Woes1:30PM - 5:30PM Conference Speakers, Banatao Auditorium, Sutardja HallOpening words: Dan Kammen, UC Berkeley professor and World Bank Chief Technical Specialist for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Panel 1: "From sea water to drinking water: under what conditions is desalination the optimal solution?"Jared Huffman, California State Assembly Chair of Committee ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Priority map for action and perception in the primate superior colliculusThe process of transforming sensory inputs into actions is traditionally viewed as a serial and hierarchical affair: the cerebral cortex evaluates and decides, and the brainstem generates the necessary motor outputs. However, in vertebrates with a less-developed cerebral cortex, the responsibility for integrating different sources of sensory information and gating ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
LCROSS UpdateSpeaker: Dr. Jennifer Heldmann's scientific research interests focus on studies of the Moon and Mars. Her Mars research focuses on studies of recent water on the Red Planet through spacecraft data analysis, numerical modeling, and fieldwork in Mars-analog environments such as the Outback of Australia, the Canadian High Arctic, the ...
