Speaker: Dave Watson, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Inflation and the Landscape of String Theory One of major advances of string theory in recent years was an understanding that vacuum solutions with potentially viable four-dimensional cosmology come in a plethora of an incredibly large and rich 'landscape' of string theory vacua. The number of possible vacua and, in turn, types of Universes, may exceed 10 to ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Electronics Waste Roundtable Discussion: Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative's Annual Roundtable DiscussionA policy-driven market for recycling electronics and developing longer-lasting devices is developing. This burgeoning field is being created to protect people and the environment from the toxic materials inside electronic waste. At UC Berkeley on February 17th, from 2:30-5:30 pm, nine regional and national experts from nonprofit e-waste advocacy groups, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: See website ($5 - $30)
Houge Park Start PartyMeet with members of San Jose Astronomical Society for a Star Party, weather permitting.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
NightSchool - DETENTION at Chabot Space & Science CenterNot Your Typical Subject Matter...Give Yourself Some Extra CreditAt NightSchool, students of life can explore, imagine, create and mingle in an incredibly inspiring and magical setting. Themes and activities reflect current events, favorite pastimes and playful experiences, each celebrating the unique, resourceful and exciting community of the East Bay.Get back ...
Where: OaklandCost: $15 General, $5 Members
Wild Mushroom Management in SpainDavid Pilz presents "Wild Mushroom Management in Spain: What might be applicable here?" He had the opportunity to visit Spain last June to participate in a "Micosylva" conference and field trip regarding how Spanish provinces are proactively co-managing timber and forest mushrooms to enhance rural economic development. One of their ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Come to Foothill Observatory and join us in the exploration of our Universe!Foothill Observatory Friday Evening ProgramCome to Foothill Observatory and join us in the exploration of our Universe!Foothill Observatory is open for public viewing every clear Friday evening from 9:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Visitors can view the wonders of the universe through the observatory's new computer-controlled 16-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Views ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost:
Saturday, 02/18/12
Explore Pepperwood, Contribute to Science with your Smart PhoneJoin us for a workshop to learn to discover and record plant and wildlife sightings in our local habitats at the Pepperwood Preserve. Participants will be introduced to the iNaturalist.org, and learn how citizen scientists can contribute to a regional assessment of Bay Area biodiversity. This workshop is appropriate for participants 14 ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: free
Black History Month Celebration Black History Month CelebrationChabot Space & Science CenterSaturday, February 18 (11am - 5pm)FREE with General AdmissionVisit the "Out of this World" lab where recorded biographical interviews of African Americans pioneers from the early days of the space program will be shown throughout the day. Race and the Space Race is ...
Although glacial ice is the purest naturally occurring solid on Earth, it does contain dust particles and micron-size bacterial cells transported by winds from desert soils and oceans. Glacial ice contains a network of liquid veins within which microbes live, metabolize, and die, but do not grow. Using scanning fluorescence ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Rainwater: What is it Good for? Absolutely Everything!Tom Spargo, inventor of the RainSaucer standalone rainwater harvesting system, will discuss how personal rainwater collection is crucial to solving the world's water crisis. Learn how you can make a difference by harnessing this fresh, free, and sustainable resource. Tom will demonstrate how to create a standalone rain barrel in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $10 General, $7 Members
The Science of Bread and Cheese Walking TourIt's the little things that make life deliciousThese two ancient foods owe their glory to microscopic magic. Stroll through quaint San Francisco neighborhoods while stopping at parks and shops to explore the role of unseen organisms in creating flavors and textures. Get your hands on some gluten, admire the microbes ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $50 with Schmooze discount
Low Tide WalksJoin Marine Science Institute's ever popular guided low tide walks at Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay. It's been many moons since the tides have alligned to make a good exploration possible, now the season is back for great exploring!We'll meet up promptly in the parking lot, and head out to ...
Where: Half Moon BayCost: $20 General, $10 Members
Nocturnal Wonders What happens in the marsh when the sun goes down? Which nocturnal creatures are stirring when we're ready for bed? Join us and learn about the nighttime critters who visit the refuge. We'll explore their habitats, follow in their footsteps by making tracks, and take part in a few other ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Robert Ferguson Observatory - Public Star PartyRobert Ferguson Observatory Star Parties: Starting at dusk, the Observatory's three main telescopes are open for your viewing. Docents set up additional telescopes in front of the building, while presentations on astronomical topics are given in the classroom throughout the course of the evening. Friendly and knowledgeable docents are available ...
Where: KenwoodCost: $8.00 per vehicle, $3.00 per person over 18yrs
Saturday Night StargazingSee the Moon, Planets, Stars, Galaxies and More* Stargaze through astronomical telescopes* Ask questions and talk with amateur astronomers* Learn how to use a star map to find constellations* Share in the wonder of the universe with your friendsStargazing is always weather permitting-be sure to dress warmly. Foggy and overcast ...
Manta Rays (also known as devil fish) are one of the world's most threatened groups of fishes, yet almost nothing is known about their basic natural history. Targeted by small-scale local fisheries and subjected to high levels of bycatch in the global tuna fishery, it is critical to understand their ...
How do we make the Presidio a sustainable national park? What does sustainability mean? Why couldn't the Army sustain a base here in perpetuity? We may ask more questions than we answer on this level, two-mile walk around the heart of the Presidio, but we'll sure have fun!Meet Ranger James Osborne ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Invented in San Francisco Walking Tour Science and creativity in a city of innovationSome of the City's most interesting natives aren't people, but the brainchildren of make-it-happen San Franciscans that have changed the world. Explore the science behind the creations of some of SF's important imaginators, learn a bit about the neuroscience of creativity, and experiment ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $30 with discount code 'Schmooze'
Science for Preschooers- Tyke Explorers For Ages 2½ - 5 yearsExpand your preschooler's universe by enrolling in our Tyke Explorers Program. Kids get to bring a special grown-up to share in the excitement of science and space. Classes are a combination of instructor-led lessons and self-guided, hands-on experimentation and exploration.With Chabot's park-like setting, hands-on exhibits, ...
EU Environment Policy: Present Trends and ChallengesAs a result of the EU's Environment Policy, the citizens of Europe can count on clean drinking water and fewer pollutants in the air. While early EU environment laws made this possible through a focus on emissions control, EU environment policy today takes a much more strategic approach and environmental ...
EcoTuesday San Francisco 5th AnniversaryDrian Black, Sustainable Industries Magazine, will discuss The Access Economy:How a "stealth" economy has emerged over the past 5 yearsWhat happens when we start contributing powerfully to economic development as something other than a consumer?What if we shifted from a one-way transaction to a collaborative interaction?A new approach to innovationJoin us ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 Advance, $20 Door
Flavorful, Foul and Far FungiDaniel Winkler is the author of "A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest" (Harbour Publishing 2011). He grew up collecting and eating wild mushrooms in the Alps and has been foraging since 15 years in the PNW and working as mushroom educator and guide. Daniel trained as a ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
The End of IllnessDespite advances in modern medicine, Agus asks why we aren't better at curing illness. Agus insists that we must embrace a totally new view of looking at our health to prevent and combat hearth disease, cancer and autoimmune disorder. He offers a practical health guide to better understand the human ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
Wednesday, 02/22/12
Planetesimal Migration in the Early Days or Taking the Solar System by StörmerMuch of our understanding of the dynamical evolution of the Solar System stems from long-term computational simulations of planet and planetesimal evolution. Though these simulations routinely model orbital evolution over millions, even billions, of years, planetesimal evolution is driven primarily by the comparatively brief periods when they have close encounters ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Technology Future Shock: Society, Policy and Innovation in the Digital WorldPopulation growth and shifting demographics, rising global energy demand and climate change, personalized medicine and exploding health care costs, global communications and digital empowerment, workforce shifts and global economics – these and other societal factors are reshaping our world. These trends are both influenced and driven by the rise of ...
In 1992 San Francisco enacted a recycled-water ordinance, establishing the framework for developing recycled water as a source of water supply for the city. The San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC) is in the midst of a community planning process to help develop a recycled-water project to serve customers in ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10 General, Free members
History of the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersJoin Ranger Bill to learn about the "When/Where/Why/What/How," the diverse, complex, many faceted missions, goals and objectives of the USACE's "Birth" in 1775 under General George Washington.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Chinese Environmental Policy and International CooperationIn much of the news about China, China has been painted as an adversary, an economics competitor, a rising superpower to be reckoned with. Yet few sepak about the collaborations between China and the world, especially in regards to environmental policy. At this event, experts on campus and from the Bay ...
How we've scaled Dropbox You may have a sense of what large-scale systems look like, but how do you get there from having two engineers and zero lines of code? In this talk, I'll go over the evolution of the Dropbox backend, explaining how we went from having nothing to supporting 50 million users ...
Jonathan Pritchard's research group tackles the following questions: What is the nature and extent of genetic variation within and between human populations? What are the biological and evolutionary processes that have produced the observed patterns of variation? How do genotypes contribute to phenotypes for complex traits (and how can we ...
On weekend walks through the natural landscapes of the Bay Area, Alan Good and his team at the California Academy of Sciences find inspiration from the efficient design of the botanical world that surrounds us. This inspiration leads to a dynamic, native living exhibit on the roof and grounds surrounding ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Accepting the Absurd: How Skepticism is Revealing the Nature of the UniverseAccepting the Absurd: How Skepticism is Revealing the Nature of the UniverseOur current understanding of the universe incorporates ideas that seem absurd: Space is expanding and accelerating. Most of the "stuff" of the universe isn't the protons and neutrons that a generation was taught to believe.Why does science take these ...
Where: MillbraeCost:
Heirlooms: Saving Humanity's 10,000 Year Legacy of FoodAgricultural biodiversity is as much in need of defending as the world's wildlife. Countless varieties of plants and animals were bred by the world's peoples for talents specific to every soil, climate, and human culture. Most of them have been lost---their hard-won genetic sophistication extinguished. But many have survived, thanks ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Thursday, 02/23/12
Julia: A Fast Dynamic Language For Technical Computing Julia is a general-purpose, high-level, dynamic language, designed from the start to take advantage of techniques for executing dynamic languages at statically-compiled language speeds. As a result the language has a more powerful type system, and generally provides better type information to the compiler.Julia is especially good at running MATLAB ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Insects, Spiders, and Other Arthropods!They're not just "bugs," they're amazing animals! Learn about arthropod structure, function, and life cycles; emphasis is on insects and differences between arthropod groups. Touch and examine YSI's live, not-so-creepy crawly animals. Grades: PreK-8th. Attendance is limited to the first 30 children.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Isaac Newton at the boundary between theology and natural philosophyIt is well known that Newton regarded Descartes as his principal philosophical interlocutor when composing the first edition of the Principia . The arguments in the Scholium on space and time, for instance, can be interpreted as focusing specifically on the relativist conception of space and motion in Descartes's Principles ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Robots! NightlifeWire your circuits for a night of robotic revelry. Meet the OrbSWARM, a herd of autonomous beings that will flock, flirt, dance and interact with the crowd; and a crew of humanoid robots, DIY Mars Rover, and autonomous tabletop bugs supplied by the organizers of Robogames (the Olympics of the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Exploring 7 Billion: Population, Inequities, and our Changing ClimateIn late October, 2011, Earth became home to 7 billion people. For every one person alive at the turn of the 20th Century when many of our grandparents were children, there are now more than four. The world's resources are not growing in step with humans. Our dramatic resource exploitation ...
Historically, floods have been the most destructive natural hazard in the Nation The USGS and National Weather Service have developed an early warning system that produces online maps of tomorrow’s floods today The new USGS FloodPath system maps a forecast flood 3 days before it happens, showing when and where ...
The Alaska Whale Foundation: Field Research of the Southeast Alaska Humpback Whale PopulationThe Alaska Whale Foundation has been conducting field research of the Humpback Whale population in Southeast Alaska since the 1980s. Pieter will give us an exciting presentation on their current research on the study area, prey abundance and distribution, social foraging, whale profiles, the community structure, showing the latest Crittercam results ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $5 Suggested Donation
Vanishing Birds of the PhillipinesThe Bone Room Presents current featured artist, David Tomb, will speak about his artwork and its connection with the Phillipines Eagle Foundation and conservation group Jeepney Projects Worldwide.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Michio Kaku: Physics of the FutureIn Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku -The New York Times bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible - gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century based on interviews with over three hundred of the world's top scientists, who are already inventing the future in ...
