Using Online Dating to Study Contemporary Patterns of CourtshipOnline dating has become a widespread and well-accepted method of making contact with potential romantic partners; it is now an integral part of the social environment. This presentation will not be concerned with online dating as such, but rather with what data obtained from a major online dating site can ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $10 General, Free for UC Berkeley community
For most of history, health care was centered around the doctor's office or hospital. It was the era of the lone practitioner, the omniscient physician to whom patients turned to treat their ailments. That was the industrial age of medicine. Today, health care is much more complex. The proliferation of ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Microsoft Research and the Evolution of ComputingLimits in computing power and our ability to interact with computers have also imposed limits on our understanding of the world around us. Increasingly, those limits are being removed, clearing the way for new advances in almost every kind of human endeavor. Rick Rashid, Microsoft chief research officer and head ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Understanding High Cholesterol -- Familial HypercholesterolemiaFamilial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) affects one in every 500 people worldwide and causes a huge increase in the risk of heart disease especially at an early age. FH is passed in families so that if one parent has the disease, each child has a 50% chance of FH. FH is very ...
The First Amendment bars the U.S. Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion. But what about the States? What about local municipalities? How wide and how deep is the definition of "establishment"? How stable are the foundations of the famous "wall" that separates church and state?Bring your history ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: FREE
Unlocking the Mysteries of NeuroscienceDavid Eagleman is a neuroscientist and a New York Times bestselling author. He directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he also directs the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw. His ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22/27 General, $20/25 Members
The sciences have long been one arena where, in a "man's world", women have generally been a bit more respected and welcomed into the community for their contributions to science. Or have they? One aspect Laura will bring up will be the "Harvard Computers", a group of women who scanned ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free
Thursday, 04/11/13
Making Old Bones New! Where Do We Stand?The word "osteoporosis" comes from Greek – porous bones. More than 40 million Americans either already have osteoporosis or are at high risk for this "silent disease" due to low bone mass. Complications are frightening: About one in two women and up to one in four men over the age ...
Many personal choices (how we travel, what type of housing we live in, where we live) and built environment choices (energy efficiency policy, zoning, and city planning trends) are important drivers of carbon emissions-and they influence health outcomes as well.Speaker: Alistair Woodward, Univ. of AucklandRoom 155
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Biochemistry of DroughtSpeaker: Josh Schimel, Professor, UC Santa BarbaraEnvoronmental Science, Policy and Mgmt. ColloquiumRoom 132
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.
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
For Goodness SnakesThis one-of-a-kind educational experience will introduce you to the fascinating world of reptiles. Come enjoy the opportunity to hold and interact with their docile animals.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
A BLAST FROM THE…FUTURE?For more than 10 years, Dr. Trabia and his colleagues at UNLV's Center for Materials and Structures (CMS) have been creating systems that can mitigate blasts and also contain shocks due to impact and blasts. This research, supported by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory as well as private industry, focuses ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Can the U.S. satisfy the renewable fuels standard?BERC is hosting three bioenergy experts to discuss the United States' Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2), advanced biofuels conversion pathways, and the future of bioenergy production. In 2007, the U.S. set bold mandates for production of conventional and advanced biofuels for transportation, but there have been several setbacks: the lack of ...
In honor of the 52nd anniversary of the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, explore the dark and mysterious abyss of space with a cocktail in your hand. Meet researchers from Berkeley Space Science Labs, SETI Berkeley, Berkeley Astronomy Department, and NASA's Kepler mission. In the planetarium, Ed Lu, former ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
The Future of Fresh Water in the Bay AreaThe San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment (COTE) is happy to present a dynamic conversation on the future of potable and nonpotable water in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have asked four forward thinkers to share their vision of water reuse and ...
San Francisco's Natural AreasMargo Bors, Ruth Gravanis, and Damien Raffa, members of the newly formed Friends of Natural Areas, will explore the value, beauty and diversity of San Francisco's remaining indigenous habitats. They'll talk about how these biotic communities are threatened and what is being done to protect and restore them.
Field Biologists as the First and Ultimate (Eco) Tourists: Selva Lacandona and BeyondBiologists constantly attempt to distance themselves from tourists. Some biologists may accept to support an eco-tourist project as a component of a conservation program, but the majority complain about the negative effect of tourists, and all of them are loudly reluctant to share places with tourists. The fact that they ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Over Troubled Waters: The Fate of California is in Your HandsA video showing followed by discussion. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas, is a national treasure being squandered by greed. In this visually rich documentary, Ed Begley, Jr. narrates the story of the battle being fought by the people of the Delta ...
Elinor Gates is a staff astronomer at Lick Observatory specializing in laser guide star adaptive optics and near infrared camera instrumentation and observations. Her current research interests are studying quasars and their host galaxies. She received her Ph.D. in Physics/Astronomy from the University of New Mexico in 1998. Prior to ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free
Saturday, 04/13/13
Whale Watching with SF Bay ACS & Oceanic SocietyPlease join SF Bay ACS chapter and Oceanic Society for a wonderful whale watching trip. This 3 hour trip will leave from Pillar Point, Half Moon bay.We will have the delight of observing the gray whale northern migration of mothers/calves and individuals and various other cetaceans, sea lion/seals, bird life ...
Where: Half Moon BayCost: $5 discount if SF ACS member, normally $48
Explore the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife RefugeYou are invited to join the Wild Equity Institute and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on a guided tour of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. This is an opportunity to visit a unique area normally closed to the public. The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge is home to ...
Where: AntiochCost: Free
Berkeley Bay FestivalA wonderful environmental education festival at the Berkeley Marina! Spend a day by the Bay listening to music, taking free sailboat and Dragon boat rides, eating tasty food, and exploring the Berkeley Marina. Visit booths sponsored by fun and educational organizations from throughout the Bay Area to learn about exciting ...
Having Fun in the DeltaHave you ever thought about all the things there are to do in the Delta? Come find out some fun and interesting adventures you and your family can have by exploring this hidden gem with Ranger Bill
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
San Mateo County Astronomical Society Star PartyThe City of San Carlos Department of Parks and Recreation and the San Mateo County Astronomical Society have open Star Parties. These events are held in Crestview Park, San Carlos California. Dates and Sunset times are below. Note that inclement weather (clouds, excessive wind and showers) will cause the event ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
Understanding the Climate Change of the Last 250 YearsThe Earth is getting warmer. Come review the evidence that Earth's climate has been changing, and understand the likely connection to the greenhouse gases generated by mankind's industrial activities.Speaker: Dr. Robert Rohde, Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature
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. Younger Lagoon is excellent for bird watching and seeing animals that call the reserve's intact coastal dunes home, such as: bobcats, foxes, seabirds, raptors, and ...
David Helvarg has spent much of his life working for ocean and coastal conservation, with a specific interest and affection for the California coast. The Golden Shore: California's Love Affair with the Sea is a passionate tale of one of the most stunning human and natural habitats on Earth: the ...
Where: Point Reyes StationCost: Free
Monday, 04/15/13
Models, Methods, and Decisions in Earthquake Engineering: Structural Engineering, Mechanics and MaterialsEarthquakes pose a challenging decision problem with high stakes and significant uncertainty. To promote design decisions that minimize the total cost of earthquakes, this presentation puts forward a collection of new probabilistic models. The models are implemented in a new computer program, Rt, which is tailored for probabilistic analysis with ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Distributed Energy RevolutionThe energy supply industry is witnessing a transformation with the rise of renewable energy technology and distributed energy generation. What barriers must be overcome to make distributed energy the major form of energy generation? What business strategies are currently being used to enable distributed generation off and on the grid? ...
Physics of Baroque Bassoons A connection between music and physics-- a bassoonist and a physicist have worked together to model the standing wave physics in Baroque bassoons and accurately predict the pitch of the various notes of the bassoon. Our model is based on more than a hundred measurements from each bassoon of the ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Science Smart Kids- Wormology and CompostingWormology and Composting with Science Smart Kids offers engaging, multi-sensory, hands-on science workshops for children. Kids learn best when they are having fun
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Better Burning-China's Attempt at 'Clean Coal'David Mohler is vice president of emerging technology for Duke Energy. He is responsible for the development and application of technologies in support of Duke Energy's strategic objectives.David has operational experience in both nuclear and fossil power generation, as well as experience in corporate marketing, human resources and business development. ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The 'Undercover' Life of Uranium in Aquifers; Why it Matters to Energy and the EnvironmentLarge and persistent uranium groundwater plumes created by mining to produce nuclear fuel have resisted clean-up attempts. This failure of traditional remediation approaches has emphasized the need for a deeper scientific understanding of the biogeochemical processes, occurring at molecular scale to meso scales, that control uranium behavior in subsurface environments. ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Tuesday, 04/16/13
Skeptics in the StudioNorth Bay Skeptics are: humanists, atheists, freethinkers, agnostics and undeclared, who embrace modern skepticism. We celebrate the scientific method, and the application of logic and evidence to all claims. As in the tradition of many Skeptical groups world wide, we like to gather for lively discussion on current topics and ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free
Synthetic LifeThis is the signature annual event of the UC Berkeley Synthetic Biology Institute (SBI), this year featuring J. Craig Venter as guest speaker. A giant in the field of genomics, Dr. Venter is founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla. In his talk he will ...
"America's funniest science writer" (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on an unforgettable tour of our insides. The alimentary canal is classic Mary Roach terrain: the questions inspired by our insides are as taboo, in their way, as the cadavers in Stiff, and every bit as surreal as the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members & Seniors
"A Reason for Reason" skeptical speaker series, in association with CFI, takes on PRECOGNITION... but we'll bet you saw that coming...Please join us and tell fellow skeptics!PSI vs. Science: New Standards for Old ClaimsThe controversy around recent experiments in psychic phenomena have created a desperate need for new standards in data ...
