The Origin of Domestic Dogs' Sensitivity to Human ActionsDomestic Dogs are ubiquitous in human societies throughout the world. That dogs are highly responsive to humans is just as widely observed. Far less clear, however, are the origins of this sensitivity to human actions and intentions. Several authors have argued that dogs developed cognitive skills unique in the animal ...
Should California relicense its two existing nuclear power plants? Should it build a new one? A French engineering giant, AREVA aims to participate in President Obama's planned revival of nuclear energy in America. Is that for real? How can renewable electricity help meet California's growing energy needs? How will the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free for Members, $7 Students
Emerging Cyber Security Issues of the Smart GridSpeaker: Isaac Ghansah, CSUSPart of the Spring 2011 i4Energy Seminar Series. Live broadcast at mms://media.citris.berkeley.edu/webcast; Questions can be sent via Yahoo IM to username: citrisevents. The schedule for the spring i4energy series is at http://www.citris-uc.org/events/i4energy-spring2011.
How to assess the potential of on-site technologies for future urban water managementBernhard Truffer, Head of the Social Science Research Department, Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science & Technology, will speak about on-site technologies' role in future urban water management.Speaker: Bernhard Truffer, Head of the Social Science Research Department, Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science & TechnologyRoom 534
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Are There Library Patrons on Other Worlds: The Search for Life Among the StarsRecent discoveries have given scientists new optimism about finding life elsewhere in the cosmos. We now have evidence for over a thousand planets around other stars, and this year we have discovered Earth-size planets out there for the first time. Radio astronomers report signals that indicate the presence of the ...
How did five idealists on a budget save a $30 million forest? Join Park Ranger George Durgerian and find out, while hiking through the quietest redwood and mixed evergreen woodlands in the Golden Gate National Parks.Fairly strenuous, 6½ miles.Meet at the lot beyond the entrance kiosk at Huddart County Park ...
Where: WoodsideCost: $5
Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Conference (BSCC7)The 7th Berkeley Stanford Cleantech Conference will explore the topic of green jobs and the greening of the economy from both the perspectives of China and the U.S. Keynote address by Secretary of Energy Steven ChuThe 7th Berkeley-Stanford Cleantech Conference will explore how China and the U.S. will collectively (and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $35 to $300, see website
Yuri's DayCome celebrate the achievements of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into outer space, with hands on activities and demonstrations. The W Foundation will be on hand with artifacts and pictures to commemorate the event.
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Extreme Plants: Desert Gardens for KidsChildren of all ages, together with accompanying parent/guardian, will explore those amazing plants known as succulents that thrive in extremely dry environments. The program features a mini-tour of the Arid House and Desert collections, refreshments made from edible succulents and a garden project kids can take home.Price includes one adult ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $20 General, $17 Members, $12 Add'l Family Members
Climate in Crisis -- Ecology and SocialismJoin us for an evening with Chris Williams and a discussion of his new book, Ecology and Socialism, and Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director of The Oakland Institute. Around the world, consciousness of the threat to our environment is growing. The majority of solutions on offer, from using efficient light bulbs ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Jazz Under The StarsOnce a month we invite the public to our rooftop observatory for night sky viewing, while listening to KCSM Jazz 91.1FM. See the first quarter moon, Jupiter, and more through our telescopes. This is an outdoor event, please dress warmly and check back here for weather updates. If it's cloudy or ...
Bedtime with the Beasts is a special overnight program for youth groups (ages 6-18) and their chaperones. An Oakland Zoo education specialist will lead your group on an evening hike around the zoo where you'll get a look at what the zoo is like after all of the guests leave. ...
Where: OaklandCost: $60
Sunday, 04/10/11
Complementing Cancer Care; The Use of Vitamins and SupplementsLunchtime Lecture SeriesComplementing Cancer Care; The Use of Vitamins and Supplements Speaker: Donald Abrams, MDDonald I. Abrams, MD has been providing integrative oncology consultations at the UCSF Osher Center now for the past 6 years. During this time he is frequently asked "Can I take this" by people undergoing active conventional ...
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 ecosystem thrive. Tour includes a short hike and is best suited for ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
A Quarter Century of ChernobylA Quarter Century of Chernobyl: New Perspectives, First-Hand Accounts, Insights for Japan. Three brave anti-nuclear activists from Russia offer new perspectives and first-hand accounts on Chernobyl -- and its relevance to Japan today. Natalia Manzurova was a lead cleanup engineer at Chernobyl for five years and advocates for radiation victims ...
Activities directed at "including'' more people in the use of digital technology are predicated on the assumption that such inclusion is invariably a good thing. It appears so, when judged solely by immediate practical convenience. However, if we also judge in terms of human rights, whether digital inclusion is good ...
Speaker: Burton Richter, Director Emeritus, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Where: StanfordCost: Free
San Francisco: Still Wild at HeartLocal filmmaker Melissa Peabody will show & discuss her film San Francisco: Still Wild at Heart. The film chronicles the return of coyotes to San Francisco's urban landscape and celebrates urban wildlife, which adds such richness and surprise to our city lives. We learn from scientists about impacts to our ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Tuesday, 04/12/11
Lessons from England: Holding Health Care Providers Responsible For Quality and Costs Much of the attention paid to health reform has focused on insurance coverage, but another important aspect of the new law will be to foster "accountable care organizations" that would take responsibility for improving outcomes and controlling costs. Ham will discuss how the trusts work in England and the lessons ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, $7 Students
TASC: Unstable Equilibrium by Norm Goldblatt (science comedian)Unstable Equilibrium - The tenuous but joyful life of physicist, Classical Music DJ, Kazoo virtuoso, teacher, optical engineer, radio astronomer, inventor and science comedianNorm Goldblatt, one of only a handful of professional science comedians in the country, has performed at venues as diverse as the Red Rock Cafe and Lawrence ...
Executable Biology: Success and ChallengesAs time goes by, it becomes more and more apparent that the puzzles of life involve more and more molecular pieces that fit together in increasingly complex ways. Biology is not an exact science. It is messy and noisy, and most often vague and ambiguous. We cannot assign clear rules ...
The time when businesses could operate without regard for their environmental impact is long past. Many companies now calculate their carbon footprint, minimize their packaging, switch to efficient energy sources wherever possible, and some even purchase carbon offsets. The U.S. is no longer in a race to the bottom with Asian manufacturing ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
Dobsonian Telescope MakingBuild a telescope the Dobson way. You will learn about John Dobson and his reflector telescopes, as well as how these telescopes work. You'll learn the step-by-step method for grinding and polishing the mirror, building the mount, and assembling a complete telescope. Seeing the rings of Saturn, the moons of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $170 + materials & supplies
Friends of Berkeley Lab present: Fukushima: Fact vs. Fiction Friends of Berkeley Lab present: Fukushima: Fact vs. FictionThe recent events in Japan have made understanding the risks of radiation more important than ever. In response, Friends of Berkeley Lab have assembled a trio of Berkeley Lab scientists for a special panel presentation on Tuesday, April 12 at the Brower Center ...
Visit over 100 dynamic local green exhibitors: green businesses; environmental and social change organizations; artists; government agencies; community groups. Find tips, products and partners to help you: reduce waste; compost; green your workplace; drive less; build or remodel green; reduce energy use; become a smarter consumer; bring your own bag; ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
(re)Construction of the Human: Data as MetaphorSpeaker: Lisa Wymore, Assistant Professor in Department of Theater, Dance, and PerformanceLive broadcast at mms://media.citris.berkeley.edu/webcast; Questions can be sent via Yahoo IM to username: citrisevents. The complete schedule for the spring semester is online at http://www.citris-uc.org/events/RE-spring2011. All talks may be viewed on our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/citrisuc.
Space radiation poses significant risks to human explorers on extended missions beyond Low-Earth Orbit. Crews cannot be fully shielded against Galactic Cosmic Rays owing to their high energies, and sporadic but intense Solar Particle Events may also be hazardous when shielding is minimal. The physics underlying the transport of these ...
Health Care Reform and Private Insurance Market ReformsMr. Herb Schultz, Regional Director*, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be giving a guest lecture on private insurance market reforms under the Affordable Care Act being implemented by the federal government. Light refreshments will be served.Room 105
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Physics Fun for Kids 5+Dr. Gunjan Chakravarty, PH.D will wow and inspire your kids with Physics all around you! This fun workshop will show kids how they are experiencing physics everyday naturally. For ages 5 and up.
Until about 13,000 years ago, North America was home to a menagerie of massive mammals. Science writer Sharon Levy digs through the evidence surrounding Pleistocene megafauna extinction events worldwide, showing that understanding this history is crucial for protecting the large animals of today. Deftly navigating competing theories and emerging evidence ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission & for members
The West Coast Groundfish Fishery: fisheries success or failure?The fishery for groundfish off California, Oregon and Washington has been the subject of much concern especially regarding the status of several species of rockfish. The management actions by the Pacific Fishery Management Council were among the first to specifically address the problem of overfishing. I review the history of ...
California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard: A DebateAbsract from Daniel Sperling:The low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is being implemented in California and the EU and is under serious consideration in over 10 states and Canadian provinces. The LCFS provides a promising and durable policy framework to decarbonize transportation fuels. It is performance based, harnesses market forces (through ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
How to Passive House; Critical Assemblies and Design Elements for Low Energy DesignThis will include a very short description of Passive House principles, and is intended to look at design ideas to integrate into your next project to cost effectively achieve low energy construction to reduce heat loss by increased air tightness and reduced thermal bridging. We will show images of the Pt Reyes project during ...
Where: San RafaelCost: $15 General & Door, $10 Members advance
'Coal Country'Passions are running high in the mountains of Appalachia. Families and communities are deeply split over what is being done to the land of West Virginia by Big Coal, the coal mining corporations now practicing mountain top removal. This is the latest form of strip mining where coal companies blast ...
Where: OaklandCost: $5 Donation
Thursday, 04/14/11
Complementing Cancer Care; The Use of Vitamins and SupplementsDonald I. Abrams, MD has been providing integrative oncology consultations at the UCSF Osher Center now for the past 6 years. During this time he is frequently asked "Can I take this" by people undergoing active conventional treatment with chemotherapy, radiation, hormones and targeted therapies.In this session he will review ...
Since Fall 2002, the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering has hosted the Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium (SVLS). The Symposium hosts industry and technology leaders to talk about business and technology trends. It also features prominent leaders who discuss broader societal and political issues that shape our life and society.Speaker: Dr. ...
Go 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.
The most revolutionary discoveries often emerge from out-of-the-way places, forged by brilliant outsiders with few resources besides boundless energy and great ideas. That language could apply to the "biohacking" movement. In the next few years, companies will start selling libraries of genetic LEGOs that amateur scientists will use to build ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 for Members, $7 Students
'Boneheads' Richard Polsky talk and book signingAdventures in the world of paleontology; an engaging story of the author's search for a T. Rex skeleton, involving a variety of paleontology personalities, from the well-respected and knowledgeable to the downright eccentric. Reading starts at 7 PM followed by signing.
Mammoths, camels and saber-toothed cats once walked the ground that has become Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, and foraged on the marsh land now buried beneath Chicago's streets. Then, just as the first humans reached the Americas, these Ice Age giants vanished forever. New research on the demise of ancient ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
The Wild World of FrogsHow long do frogs live? How many types of frogs are there? What's the difference between a frog and a toad? Why are frogs disappearing worldwide and what can be done to save them? Dr. Kriger answers all these questions and more as he introduces the audience to The Wild ...
