Earth Day at Richardson BayCelebrate Earth Day by bringing your family and friends for a morning of naturalist led explorations, bird watching, restoration and clean-up. Learn about our bay and bird conservation and our importnace in the Pacific Flyway. Help make a difference and connect with our beautiful bay and uplands. Even the wildflowers ...
Where: TiburonCost:
Family Explorers Bay Sail Set sail for family adventure on the Schooner Seaward. Spend your Saturday morning navigating the bay, hoisting sails, singing sea chanties, and learning a bit about bay ecology. NatureBridge has partnered with Call of the Sea to create this unique 2.5 hour experience filled with breathtaking views and one-of-a-kind memories.*All ...
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of Audobon Canyon Ranch's 535-acre Bouverie Preserve. Participants are divided into small groups and paired with a trained Bouverie volunteer to explore the mixed evergreen forest, flower-carpeted oak woodland and rugged chaparral. Guided Nature Walks range from two to five miles. Visitors of all ages are ...
Where: Glen EllenCost: Donations appreciated
Earth Day on the Bay 2013The Marine Science Institute is honoring Planet Earth with our "Earth Day on the Bay!" event. This event is filled with family-friendly events geared towards providing fun, memorable, and meaningful experiences to bond you with San Francisco Bay, and the planet.We throw open our doors to the public just once a ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
Earth Day SFThis unique celebration packs a powerful day of green sustainability discussions, activism, workshops and solutions into one full day of fun and excitement for the whole family. Designed to support the Bay Area Community and beyond, Earth Day San Francisco focuses on acknowledging the local and planetary environmental challenges we ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Open Make at the Hall: Tiny TechDiscover the tools, techniques, and ingenuity of local Makers and make your own artistic and innovative creations. Miniatures, nanotechnology, and the super-tiny come out at our final Open Make of the season. Bring your little things and get inspired by the big impact your mini-creations can have. Featured Makers and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with admission
TEDxBerkeley: 'Catalyzing Change'The fourth annual TEDx Berkeley Event is a gathering of a dozen thought provoking and renowned speakers, set to tackle this year's theme: Catalyzing Change.Learning and sharing ideas in a way that provokes change and making the world a better place is what TED events are about. This year's group ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: General $100, UCB Student/Fac/Staff $30
Celebrate Astronomy Day!Join the San Jose Astronomical Association in celebration of Astronomy Day. Safely share views of the sun's plasma eruptions off the surface of the sun with a special solar telescope. Solar activity is approaching its maximum and here is a rare chance to view sunspots and solar plasma eruptions through ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Scientist as Artist and Learning Center Grand OpeningPlease join us for a public event celebrating a new art exhibit and grand opening of our Learning Center.Scientist as ArtistLab Artistry RevealedAn exhibit of 20 extaordinary images created by the scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on AgingLearning Center Grand OpeningKids of all ages (and lifelong learners) are ...
Where: NovatoCost: Free
BioFest 2: A Celebration of Science Fun & Science Futures for All AgesExplore lucrative career options in emerging biotech fieldsFeaturing:Industry Experts and Merrritt Biosciences Alumni"Cell-abration" Games for KidsHands-on Demo of Hitachi Tabletop Scanning Electron MicroscopeCareer CounselingBiomedial MicrotalksSmall Worlds of Wonder: Art ShowHands-on Microscope ExperiencesRaffle and Door PrizesSponsored by the Merritt College Genomics, Histology, and Microscopy Programs
Where: OaklandCost: Free
RFO-Public Solar ObservingDaytime Solar: Solar telescopes are set up so you can safely look at and listen to our favorite star, the Sun.Observatory Admission: FREE (Donations Welcome) Handicapped Parking and wheelchair access are available at the observatory entrance. Please visit our homepage for complete informations http://rfo.org/public-astronomy.html
Where: KenwoodCost: $8.00 All-Day Parking Fee
Making Friends with Science Share-A-ThonThe Share-A-Thon is a great chance for everyone to bring a game, activity or inspiration to share in a social atmosphere. This event celebrates the heart of the group in merging creativity, social interactions, education as teacher and learner, team building and fun with mild doses of risks of innovation ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free!!
Health Care Reform Update: Post-Affordable Care Act (ACA) Progress and ChallengesThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) federal health reform law was passed three years ago. In this intellectually enriching evening, find out what the ACA has accomplished so far, what changes are upcoming, and what health reform challenges lie ahead. This timely and topical public lecture by Professor Dow provides an ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
NASAScience4Girls and Their FamiliesThe Sun is our closest star! Join us and find out how NASA is helping us learn about our Sun, what it can teach us about other stars, and the many ways it affects our life on Earth.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
April 20 Public Astronomy Program On Mt DiabloPlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for the April 20th astronomy program. Lower Summit Parking Lot of Mt. Diablo State Park. The program starts at 7:00 (enter the park at least 45 minutes earlier) at the lower summit parking lot. Although there is no fee for this program there is ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: $10/ car park admission
ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE? What will the first alien life we discover likely look like? Explore where weird life exists on Earth. What does that tell us about life elsewhere in the universe?Which stars have planets where life might exist?
National Astronomy Day Star PartyPAS club member telescopes along with the Observatory will be open for a special public viewing this Saturday, in recognition of National Astronomy Day.
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: $3 Parking
Robert Ferguson Observatory-Public Star PartyThe 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 to answer your questions. FAQs: When to arrive: We keep ...
Where: KenwoodCost: Parking $8.00 Adults $3.00
CalDayOver 300 events spread over the UC Berkeley campus, for prospective students, their families, and the general public. If you have an interest in almost anything, you're sure to find an event that covers it. See the weblink for the full schedule.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Sunday, 04/21/13
Earth Day: Slow Down for the Planet!Pull up a patch of grass and Slow Down for the Planet during the San Francisco Zoo's Earth Day event. Have a blast getting back to basics with conservation-themed keeper talks, hands-on "Power-Down" stations and more. Start your morning with a family Earth Day Bikeabout or birding walk, then enjoy a host of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: See website
Family Program: Animals of the GardenCome join the Garden on this special journey to discover the many wonderful creatures living in the Garden. On our animal hunt, we will learn about newts, birds, butterflies, frogs, lizards, foxes, snakes and more! Hone your skills of observation and learn how plants and animals live together. Fee includes ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $15 Adults, $12 Children, discounts for members
Spring flowers will be on display on this easy, two-mile stroll with Nike missile veteran David Bridgman along Pacifica's Milagra Ridge, site of a former gun emplacement, Nike missile site, and now the last stand for a quarter-sized endangered butterfly.Meet at far north end of College Drive (north of Sharp ...
Where: PacificaCost: Free
Earth Week FilmsSettle in for this mini film festival, presented in conjunction with the exhibition Revisiting the South: Richard Misrach's Cancer Alley, and witness the full spectrum of environmental issues: social and economic inequity, political gain, exploitation, education, and sustainable solutions to our Earth's limited resources. Students from Stanford's Environmental Humanities Project ...
Not everyone knows what they want to be when they "grow-up." And growing up in East Texas doesn't seem like a direct path to becoming a marine scientist, but that's how it all started for Brandon Southall.Bass fishing in Texas, studying fresh water ecology in Montana, and a college exchange ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Sudden Oak Death: The Progression of a PathogenSudden Oak Death (SOD) has appeared in Monterey County. Find out the most current information about this disease, including its history, ecological threats, and environment/habitat; and learn what to do if you suspect one of your trees or host plants has the disease. This talk is being given by two leading researchers, ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Monday, 04/22/13
Science Smart Kids-Radical RecyclingRadical Recycling with Science Smart Kids offers engaging, multi-sensory, hands-on science workshops for children. Kids learn best when they are having fun!
Exciting Times In Neutrino PhysicsThe neutrino remains the most mysterious of the standard model particle. These secret agents of the weak interaction can pass through light years of matter without leaving a trace; however, recently several experiments have forced the neutrino to give up some of its secrets. In this talk, I will present ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
'Earth From Space'join us for a movie about the Earth and how it provides for all life! Really, I kid you not, it has actually been supporting all life - not to mention creating it - for some 3.8 billion years!See - under water - where the Gulf Stream originates and how ...
Where: OaklandCost: $5
How Hot Will It Get?Berkeley Lab climate scientists reveal how their new findings -- from the tundra to the rainforest -- could upend current thinking about the pace of climate change, and what this will mean for you.Speakers:Margaret Torn and the Arctic Permafrost: What happens to the Earth's climate when the permafrost thaws?Bill Collins ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Land Art for the Next 10,000 Years': Art, Technology, Culture Colloquium LectureHow do you build an monument scale sculptural machine that will last as long as civilization? For the last fifteen years The Long Now Foundation and Alexander Rose have been working on building this icon of long-term thinking. Rose is currently managing the 10,000 Year Clock project underway in West ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Free Day at National ParksIn celebration of National Park Week, admission to all US National Parks is free this week.
Claudio Maccone and Stephane Dumas have developed new techniques that could be used in the task of analyzing possible SETI signals in a mathematical fashion. Claudio and Stephane will talk about the new ideas in the book 'Mathematical SETI' published in 2012. This book is intended for University-level courses on ...
Do cyanobacteria use iron for photosynthesis? Dr. Parenteau will speak about her research into the origins of photosynthesis and how this might relate to ancient banded iron formations formed during the great oxidation event. Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are widespread Precambrian sedimentary deposits that accumulated in deep ocean basins with inputs of reduced iron and silica ...
Major attention is being devoted to issues of digital divides and educational inequalities as nations and states design and implement strategies for K-12 technology-enhanced learning in an increasingly networked world. What approaches to tackling these issues are being attempted in the United States and around the globe, and what is ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Chenming Hu - Microchips in Electronics: Can They Continue to Do More for and with Less?A single cellphone today has more computing power than all the computers in the world combined had before semiconductor chips were part of the equation. Mounting evidence shows that the rapid movement of integrated circuits' cost and power will plateau. When and why might it happen and what are technologists ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 standard, $8 members, $7 students
Breaking Trail: Mountains and MoleculesArlene Blum, author of Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life and Annapurna: A Woman's Place will share dramatic photos and stories from her historic mountaineering expeditions as well as her work with the Green Science Policy Institute protecting our health and environment from toxic chemicals in consumer products.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Audiophiles in the digital age – A dying breed of keepers of the flame?Like most artists, musicians and voice artists have a particular concept for the sound and message they produce. As a result, there are literally hundreds of different microphones on the market with different sound attributes and tones, which makes selection of the right tool to realize their concept a challenge. ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: General $10, Members Free advance, $5 at door
Imagine a world in which nothing goes into a landfill or an incinerator, one where all of our discarded materials become resources for others to use. It may sound impossible, but Zero Waste proponents disagree. Across the nation, policymakers, business leaders and individuals are reinventing their relationship to waste in ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10 General, Free Members, $5 Students
Astronomy Lecture April 23, With Speaker: Dr. Matt FillinghimPlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for our general meeting. Our monthly meetings begin with a short "What's Up" presented by one of our members followed by a speaker. This month's speaker is – Dr. Matt Fillinghim, SSL Berkeley, Title: "Mars"There is no fee for visitors but we appreciate a donation for light ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
MarsMount Diablo Astronomical Society general meeting.Speaker: Dr. Matt Fillinghim, SSL Berkeley
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
Free Day at National ParksIn celebration of National Park Week, admission to all US National Parks is free this week.
The mounting need to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare due to economic pressures and changing demographics requires significant transformations in healthcare delivery. This new healthcare that will be evidence-based, patient-centered and proactive (preventive) is likely to depend in part on technological innovations that in turn require solutions to ...
Self-driving cars have the potential to transform how we move: they promise to make us safer, give freedom to millions of people who can't drive, and give people back their time. The Google Self-Driving car project was created to rapidly advance autonomous driving technology and build on previous research. For ...
In this talk Dr. Bruce Ames, one of the most-cited scientists of all time, will explore the body of research on the effects of vitamin and mineral intake on age-associated diseases. Most of the world's population, including that of the U.S., are moderately deficient in one or more of the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Making seafood sustainable: Opportunities and Challenges of Working Through the MarketYou may already pay attention to seafood labels and purchase fish considered ocean-friendly by the Monterey Bay Aquarium or other groups. But how exactly do these actions contribute to the improvement of fishery and ocean health? And how do they fit into the broad landscape of ocean protection? Join us ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Prescribing Drugs for an Aging Population: Polypharmacy (Multiple Medications) and the Health of the ElderlyThe geriatric population is prescribed the highest proportion of medications in relation to their percentage of the U.S population-13% of current geriatric population purchase 33% of all prescription drugs and this number will increase to 50% by 2040. Prevalence of both adverse drug reactions and treatment failures increase in the ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
Science and Reason with Skeptics in the Pub, West BaySkeptics in the Pub, West BayFiddlers Green, MillbraeIf ye value critical thinking, and if ye scorn the film-flam man, and if ye drink, drink with us, your friends. If ye shun the brewer's art, at least help us lay waste to bangers & mash!Skeptics in the Pub is a monthly ...
Where: MillbraeCost:
Free Day at National ParksIn celebration of National Park Week, admission to all US National Parks is free this week.
Speaker: Douglas Osheroff, Nobel Laureate in Physics, StanfordRoom 189
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Advanced Lithium-Air, Lithium-Water, and Lithium-Sulfur Batteries based on Water-Stable Lithium ElectrodesIn a new breakthrough, PolyPlus has developed an aqueous lithium-sulfur battery with zero self-discharge (no polysulfide shuttle) and remarkably enhanced solubility of the discharge product, Li2S. This is the first example of an aqueous Li-S battery, and offers promise as a high performance, low-cost alternative to current Li-ion technology.In this ...
Join us for an enlightening evening on April 25 when Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, co-hosts of Mythbusters, will join us at the Bay Theater to discuss their experiences around the world!The program, which is part of the America's Cup Healthy Ocean Project Lecture Series, will include a question and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: TBA
Spring into Summer NightLifeGet an early start on summer (a little wishful thinking never hurt anyone, right?) with Bay Area organizations blending creativity and sustainability for all to enjoy, rain or shine. Play at a mini-edition of Sunday Streets, complete with lawn bowling, hula hooping, and dancing. In honor of Earth Day this ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Explore the evening magic of Muir Woods, learning about the secret nightlife of an old-growth redwood forest.This special walk begins 1.5 hour before sunset and will conclude with the dark of night! We'll listen for owls, look for bats, give way to skunks, and use our senses to guide us along ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
How does the nose know? The mystery of human smell.The enjoyment of a fine wine, the odor of a ripe cheese, the memory of a long-lost grandmother brought back by the scent of her perfume, or the alarm we feel when we smell smoke are all produced by a functioning olfactory system. Interestingly, there are enormous individual differences in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $0
Wetland Wonders - Herons & EgretsJoin Dr. John Kelly, leading Bay Area expert on Herons asnd Egrets. Valley of the Moon Nature Lecture Series is sponsored by Sonoma Birding and Sonoma Co. Regional Parks. All are welcomed.Vist www.sonomabirding.com for additional information and events.
Innovation is critical for both individual and evolutionary success, but creative disruption requires taking risks. New research marrying the theory and methods of economics to cutting-edge neuroscience techniques-an emerging field known as NeuroEconomics-is making new discoveries about the biological processes that motivate us to take risks and create new solutions ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12
Free Day at National ParksIn celebration of National Park Week, admission to all US National Parks is free this week.
Where: Cost: Free
Friday, 04/26/13
Conservation WalkaboutJoin staff for a hike in ACR's Mayacamas Mountains Sanctuary coupled with conservation work, such as pulling weeds, pruning, seed collecting, and maintaining trails and signage. This hike takes place on the fourth Friday of every month.Please dress for the weather and bring at least one quart of drinking water. ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: Free
Benford's LawBenford's Law states that in most (but not all) real-life data, the leading digit is distributed in a specific, non-uniform way. That is, a number will begin with a 1 more than it will begin with a 2, begin with a 2 more than it will begin with a 3, ...
Fridays with Faride: A Stick Landing: Precision Gymnastics of a SpacecraftPerhaps sending a robot spacecraft to make a precision landing on a world far away from home is among the greatest challenges of all time. In this presentation, Faride will describe the steps taken to launch the Mars Science Lab on its journey of discovery to our planet next door. ...
Where: OaklandCost: Included with admission
Free Day at National ParksIn celebration of National Park Week, admission to all US National Parks is free this week.
Where: Cost: Free
Saturday, 04/27/13
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of Audobon Canyon Ranch's 535-acre Bouverie Preserve. Participants are divided into small groups and paired with a trained Bouverie volunteer to explore the mixed evergreen forest, flower-carpeted oak woodland and rugged chaparral. Guided Nature Walks range from two to five miles. Visitors of all ages are ...
The peregrine falcons of San Jose City Hall have increased interest in birds of prey among community members. Join UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group Director and author of the new book, Eye to Eye with Eagles Hawks and Falcons, Glenn Stewart, for a first-hand description of how he and ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Science Saturday: Wild for FlowersDiscover what's blooming at Science Saturday: Wild for Flowers. Guests will create beautiful designs on fabric using flowers, go on a scavenger hunt for flora in the native plants garden, and conduct a flower dissection, plus other hands-on activities. Come talk to local native plant and flower experts while you spend ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: 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
Navigating the Bay Navigating the Bay is a great way to relax and have some fun. It can be exciting and challenging but it requires knowledge, skill to do it safely. Each of the bays has their own disposition and personalities. Find out more from Ranger Linda.
Join SF Environment to kick off our new Biodiversity program with a day of events celebrating San Francisco's natural heritage! There is a limited number of tickets for each event- RSVP to reserve your spot.8:00am-9:45am Bird Walk on Corona HeightsSee and hear birds of San Francisco with one of the city's best ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Birdathom For Kids (Ages 8-16) Pt. ReyesJoin us for the fourth annual Pt. Reyes Birdathon for Kids.Sign up at www.sonomabirding.com. One adult needs to join with each youngster. Limited space. All are welcomed.BirdingGreat opportunity for kids and family! Register below and meet at the West Marin Elementary School near 11550 CA-1, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956. We ...
Where: Pt. Reyes StationCost: $5.00 per child
Port of San Francisco's 150th AnniversaryIn celebration of the Port of San Francisco's 150th anniversary and Maritime Day at the Port, come explore the free public areas of the Exploratorium at Piers 15/17. In our plaza, orange-vested Explainers will lead activities that are designed to help you engage with the world around you. See pocket ...
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
Monday, 04/29/13
The Martian's Daughter: A Memoir. Author Marina von Neumann Whitman in conversation with John HollarOne of the five Hungarian scientific geniuses dubbed "the Martians" by their colleagues, John von Neumann is often hailed as the greatest mathematician of the twentieth century and even as the greatest scientist after Einstein. He was a key figure in the Manhattan Project; the inventor of game theory; the ...
Humans have fundamentally changed how energy flows through the global ecosystem, with consequences for ourselves and for other species. The consequence for ourselves is that we are locked into having to produce enormous amounts of energy if we want to sustain the current human population, leave alone keeping up with ...
'Breaking Trail: Mountains and Molecules'Arlene Blum, author of Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life and Annapurna: A Woman's Place will share dramatic photos and stories from her historic mountaineering expeditions as well as her work with the Green Science Policy Institute protecting our health and environment from toxic chemicals in consumer products.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Legendary SETI Astronomer, Jill Tarter: Breaking Cosmic BoundariesMeet Carl Sagan's inspiration for the novel and subsequent film Contact, Jill Tarter.For the last 35 years, Dr. Tarter and the SETI Institute have been using telescopes to systematically search for evidence of other technological civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy.RSVP here for this free event and join one of the most important astronomers ...
Let's get back to our ABCs this month. Justin Quimby opens our set with a talk on airships (and blimps and zeppelins and dirigibles and whatever other lighter-than-air aircraft you please). I'm sure that his mention of "metallurgy" in the abstract is not just to placate me. We're pleased to ...
Probing Supermassive Black Hole Growth with Next Generation Telescopes A new generation of telescopes is coming online. Operating at wavelengths from radio, through optical, to gamma ray, they are particularly well-suited to time-domain survey science -- essentially, making large-format movies of the sky. These telescopes will have the capability to tell us about how black holes grow: through stupendous ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Registries for AllCitizens can transform clinical and translational science with networking tools used in other industries. Registries for All is a novel registry tool that allows individuals to set their own sharing and data access preferences through privacy settings. This allows for more robust sharing, respectful of the individuals' varied preferences, enabling ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Imagining the Earth's InteriorBarbara Romanowicz studied mathematics at the Ecole Normale Supérieure and holds a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Paris 7. As a researcher at France's CNRS between 1982 and 1990, she developed GEOSCOPE, a then state-of-the-art global network of digital seismic stations for the study of earthquakes and the ...
More than any other country, China sets an energy strategy and then pursues it. The central government writes those plans. To try to feed the energy appetite of China's 1.35 billion people, Beijing's energy planners have laid out an all-of-the-above agenda: more coal, more natural gas, more nuclear, more energy ...
Innovating Technologies for the Poorest Two BillionTwo recent technology innovations could improve the lives of tens-possibly hundreds-of millions of people among the poorest two billion people on the planet. Both technologies have emerged in the last few years from focused, goal-driven research by teams of creative, hard-working researchers in the Gadgil laboratory and in the field. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Bowhead whales in the age of oil: Behavioral responses of bowhead whales to seismic operationsBowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) were heavily exploited by commercial whaling in the mid to late 19th Century. The Western Arctic population has been steadily recovering and now comprises 90 % of the world's population. Since the 1970s this population has been contending with anthropogenic activities related to oil and gas ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $5 Suggested Donation towards Student Research
Observations of surface-atmosphere interactions using the CSU-MAPS, a mobile atmospheric profiling systemSpeakers: Dr. Andrew Oliphant, San Francisco State Univ.The RTC Seminar Series brings leading local, national, and international scientists to a public forum at RTC to speak about the latest advances in science, and provides an opportunity for graduate students to present research in progress. The Series is open to the ...
Climate Challenged SocietySpeaker: Richard Norgaard, Professor, Energy and Resources Group, University of California BerkeleyRoom 110
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Brittle Old Bones: The Bioarchaeology of Bone Loss and the Aging SkeletonBioarchaeology (the study of archaeological human remains together with contextual and documentary evidence) offers a unique avenue to investigate aspects of social change and identity in the past. As a dynamic tissue that is forged by biocultural factors over the entire lifetime, the human skeleton provides a record of individual ...
With 90% of the world's 8 million or so insect species still undiscovered, the age of exploration is far from over. We now have the technological tools to more accurately document that biodiversity through a process called integrative taxonomy. Oceanic islands are not only among the world's prettiest and most ...
What can natural disturbance regimes tell us about effects of global changeA macroecological case study with Pinus muricata.Please join Point Reyes National Seashore staff for Science Lectures, 45 minute presentations on scientific research being performed at Point Reyes and elsewhere in the California. Science Lectures are sponsored by the Pacific Coast Science and Learning Center at Point Reyes National Seashore.Speaker: Erica ...
Sophisticated technology has existed for millennia for metals and ceramics. Throughout time, intelligent craftsmen and scholars created plausible explanations for the observations and developed techniques. This creation of plausible explanations continues to the present day in rapidly developing fields, like Materials Science and Engineering. Many of the ideas are known ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Stories about Storytelling: A Personal Journey in Technology We all use our smartphones to send text messages, check e-mail, surf the Web, get driving directions, and make the occasional phone call. But we tend to forget that our mobile gadgets are also powerful machines for storytelling---in fact, never before have so many people had the tools to capture ...
David J. Hayes, the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, will talk about the Obama Administration's management of public lands, including policies regarding oil and gas production, solar energy development and the recovery of key species like the northern spotted owl and sage grouse.Must register by April 26 to ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Cafe InquiryMeet up with rationalists, skeptics, and freethinkers south of San FranciscoCafe Inquiry is a social event hosted by the Center for Inquiry|San Francisco. We'll meet at Café Borrone http://www.cafeborrone.com/ between Kepler's Books and the British Banker's Club! Look for the black balloon.For more information or if you have questions please ...
Step right up for a night of circus fun inspired by the Academy's marvelous menagerie of creatures. Play good old fashioned carnival games amongst roaming jugglers and gymnasts from Velocity Circus, and animal-themed Burning Man sculptures including Dusty Rhino. The experts at Circus of Smiles will teach you to juggle, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
First After Dark Event at New Exploratorium: HomeOn hiatus since 2012, the Exploratorium's After Dark returns Pier 15 with a museum-wide housewarming party.Home will be an exploration of homes at all scales, from the Earth itself to the human microbiome, and will feature behind-the-scenes tours of our new campus and exhibits, live music, films and cocktails.As you explore the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 ($10 Members)
Renewable Energy with Dr. Bryan Hannegan, EPRICome join us for an insightful evening with Dr. Bryan Hannegan. Dr. Hannegan, Vice President, Environment and Renewables for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), leads the teams responsible for EPRI's research into technologies and practices that enable cleaner and more efficient renewable power generation, and reduce the environmental footprint ...
Where: San JoseCost: Advance Tickets $6.50 or $10 at the Door
After Hours: Star TechJoin us for Star Tech, a celebration of everything Trekkie! Compare Starfleet technology with today's innovations, build your own starbound space ship, or see how many pieces you can use to create your own "Borg" cube! When you need rejuvenation, beam on over to our no-host bar for a refreshing Tech-Forward-tini , ...
Born in the American Midwest, Christof Koch grew up in Holland, Germany, Canada, and Morocco. He studied Physics and Philosophy at the University of Tübingen in Germany and was awarded his Ph.D. in Biophysics in 1982. After 4 years at MIT, he joined the California Institute of Technology as a ...
Where: BerkeleyCost:
Emerging from the Underworld: Portraits of Wild Mushrooms Grand OpeningA formal opening for our new show, "Emerging from the Underworld: Portraits of Wild Mushrooms," which will run from May 2nd until July 1st.These works by Lucy Martin, a mixture of original paintings and archival-quality prints, celebrate the amazing diversity of the fungus kingdom. Lucy's art focuses on mushrooms and ...
Field Botany FridaysCome hike with ACR staff. While we hike, we may identify plants, survey for rare plants, photograph wildflowers, discuss ethnobotany or other trailside botany. Takes place the first Friday of every month.Please dress for the weather and bring at least one quart of drinking water. You may also wish to ...
Fish Feeding FrenzyHelp Ranger Bill feed the hungry inhabitants of our fresh and saltwater tanks. Watch the different feeding styles of rock cod, sea stars, and steelhead trout.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
When Does Regulation Distort Costs? Lessons from Fuel Procurement in U.S. Electricity GenerationUnder what conditions does cost-of-service regulation lead firms to distort costs? This paper analyzes changes in fuel procurement practices by coal- and natural gas-fired electricity generating plants in the United States following state-level legislation that ended cost-of-service regulation among investor-owned electric utilities in the late 1990s. I construct a detailed ...
On 4 July 2012, the ATLAS and CMS experiments operating at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) announced the discovery of a new particle compatible with the Higgs boson (hunted for almost 50 years), a crucial piece for our understanding of fundamental physics and the structure and evolution of the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
How to Be a Science WriterWhether you're a seasoned science writer, greenhorn, dabbler, or just a person who likes to hear interesting science stories, you'll want to meet Thomas Hayden, co-editor of the brand new The Science Writers' Handbook: Everything You Need To Know To Pitch, Publish And Prosper In The Digital Age. Tom and ...
CAMS: The Night-time Survey of Meteor Showers If you ever spend a night under the stars watching for meteors and saw something unusual, you may want to meet astronomer Dr. Peter Jenniskens. He's an expert on meteor showers and author of Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets, a 790 page book containing predictions on what unusual meteor ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Houge Park Start PartyMeet with members of San Jose Astronomical Society for a Star Party, weather permitting.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Saturday, 05/04/13
2013 California Cognitive Science Conference This conference brings together world famous scholars, educators, inventors, and students from all over the world for a day of featured talks, workshops, and presentations. This year, we are excited to explore "Learning and Memory: The Enlightened Mind," through the lens of Artificial Intelligence, Developmental Psychology, Neurobiology, Cognitive Linguistics, Education, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $25 General Admission, $20 Students
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of Audobon Canyon Ranch's 535-acre Bouverie Preserve. Participants are divided into small groups and paired with a trained Bouverie volunteer to explore the mixed evergreen forest, flower-carpeted oak woodland and rugged chaparral. Guided Nature Walks range from two to five miles. Visitors of all ages are ...
In the early years of aviation, airplane technology advanced in leaps and bounds-yet airport development lagged behind. Into this void came the seaplane, an aircraft able to fly without need of runways to any destination near an ocean or lake.By the 1930s seaplanes held absolute speed records and inaugurated air ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free with admission
Space DayCelebrate space! Train like an astronaut, blast off to Mars in a simulated mission in our Challenger Learning Center, explore cutting edge telescope technology, and engage in hands-on activities. Dr. Maria Kazachenko, Assistant Researcher at UC Berkeley, will lead an interactive discussion on advances in telescope technology and how it ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Stevens Creek History HikeLearn about the first people to live in this area and how things changed over time as European settlers came and impacted the land. Hike about 2 miles to explore various features and discover how this park's namesake played a pivotal role in the settlement of California. Meet at the ...
Where: CupertinoCost: Free
Starry Night HikeEnjoy twilight, stargazing, and the nighttime environment on a 3.6-mile hike. Discover how to find night sky "objects" with binoculars and hear legends associated with spring constellations of the Northern Hemisphere. Meet at the Sandy Wool upper parking lot (near dog park) with sturdy footwear, layered clothing, and water. Bring ...
Where: MilpitasCost: Free
A family Scrapbook of the UniverseMay 4 Public Astronomy Program At Muir Heritage Land Trust Please join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for a May 4th astronomy program at Muir Heritage Land Trust, 1075 Christie Road, Martinez, CA 94553. Event is from 7:45 to 9:30 PM. "A family Scrapbook of the Universe"See stars, nebula, galaxies, clusters, the ...
Where: MartinezCost: 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
Sunday, 05/05/13
Lecture - From I to We: People and the Plants and Animals that Accompany Us on EarthWhat matters more: our human communities or the natural world? This question, or a variant of it, drives environmental debates, and also drives a wedge between progressive movements. Brent Plater, founder and director of the Wild Equity Institute, will describe what his organization is doing to get past this dilemma ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Free Day of ScienceFirst Sundays are FREE! OMCA is free all day the first Sunday of every month. Tour the building with members of the Museum's Council on Architecture at 1 pm and enjoy a Docent-led tour of the Gallery of California Art at 2 pm. Grab lunch or a snack at Blue ...
In less than a decade, China has become the world's largest maker of solar panels. Now China's solar industry is bleeding - the result of a too-fast expansion, a global recession, and a pullback in government subsidies from Europe, traditionally the world's largest solar market. China's furious ramp-up of solar-panel ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
BAASICS.3: The Deep EndMay 6, 2013, 7-9pm (doors @ 6:30)Psychiatric and neurologic conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, and dementia have been associated with genius or prophetic insight since antiquity. In the fourth century B.C.E., Aristotle claimed "that all men who have attained excellence in philosophy, in poetry, in art and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Tuesday, 05/07/13
Postcards from Chelyabinsk Meteor astronomer Dr. Peter Jenniskens participated in a two-week Russian Academy of Sciences fact-finding mission to , just three weeks after the event, to collect data on the February 15 asteroid impact and the extent of the damage caused by its shock wave.Dr. Jenniskens will talk about his trip ...
SFMC Teachers' Circle, Bruce CohenSFMC is sponsoring monthly dinners just for teachers with a special Math Circle speaker.Join us for our next event (May 7, 2013) for a presentation by SFUSD teacher Bruce Cohen. SF Math Circle Teachers' Circle meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month to share great math with wonderful Bay area ...
The Chicxulub Impact crater is the best-preserved multi-ring impact basin on Earth, and it has allowed scientists to study one of the most important and dramatic geological events in the Universe. In this seminar, I will be talking about the history of the science that led to the discovery of ...
Where: Moss LandingCost: Free
Nutrients in San Francisco Estuary: connecting science and managementSpeakers: Dr. David Senn, SFEIThe RTC Seminar Series brings leading local, national, and international scientists to a public forum at RTC to speak about the latest advances in science, and provides an opportunity for graduate students to present research in progress. The Series is open to the public. Join us ...
Building computers from bacteriophage: data, communication, logic within biologocal cellsModest amounts of computing within living systems would be useful. I'll review work published over the last 12 months introducing rewritable digital data storage within chromosomes, cell-cell communication via engineered DNA messaging, and Boolean logic gates that control the flow of RNA polymerase along DNA. A free and frank discussion ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to LeadThirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women's voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives. In Lean In, Sheryl ...
Bring your inner sixth grader to a meeting of the Bay Area Skeptics! Good teachers have used claims of the paranormal to teach scientific reasoning to elementary and middle school students. Join Bay Area Skeptics as Dr. Eugenie Scott guides you in formulating experiments to test paranormal claims. Audience participation ...
NuStar was launched into orbit in June of 2012. The telescope was lofted into orbit with a Pegasus rocket, which was itself dropped from the belly of an L-1011 airliner before igniting its rocket and going up, way up! The NuStar mission is to explore the high energy X-ray cosmos ...
Where: Santa RosaCost: Free
The Future of FoodThe Future of Food is about the intersection of food, politics, the environment, and personal health. Bittman will discuss "non-foods, like soda, and their impact, as well as how policy pushes foods, like wheat, meat, and dairy, that may be in no one's best interest" as well as "the sticks ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Thursday, 05/09/13
TEDxHayward: Applied Peace InnovationIn the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded ...
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, free with admission. Reservations required: (831) 459-3800.
Fraud in PhotographyIn this talk, Mr. Edwards discusses the history and current status of photographic fraud and detection. Case studies range from the earliest forged photographs to historically famous cases to current fraud. Also considered are borderline cases where fraud may have been preformed or the photographer may have just wanted to ...
How can the relationship between scientists and politicians be improved, and how can that relationship benefit public policy? Award-winning journalist, author, and science educator Ira Flatow and a distinguished panel of scientists, social entrepreneurs, elected officials, and policymakers will discuss how public perceptions of the authority and reliability of science-and ...
Open your ears and your soul-this week we're exploring the intersection of sound and emotion with help from swissnex San Francisco. At interactive stations set up by scientist Eduardo Coutinho, listen to a plant make music, and explore how emotions are expressed differently in music and the human voice. See ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Women and Under-represented Students of Color in STEM EducationThe global competitiveness of the United States and of California has been attributed, in part, to our aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). We are losing this lead. Despite the high demand and compensation in many STEM fields, there is a scarcity of women and under-representation of students ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 standard, $8 members, students free (with vali
Our Changing Seas: Voyage to an Earth that No One Has Seen Before Howard Spero, PhD, is a professor and Chairman of the Department of Geology at the University of California, Davis. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, American Association for the Advancement of Science and the California Academy of Sciences. Dr. Spero conducts research at the interface between ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
'Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal' talk and book signing with Mary RoachBest-selling author Mary Roach returns to The Bone Room Presents for a talk and signing of her latest book "Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal."In "Gulp," "America's funniest science writer" (Washington Post) takes us down the hatch on a unforgettable tour of our insides. The alimentary canal is classic Mary ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: free
Hack the Sky? A Public Debate on Geoengineering Since the scale of the climate change crisis became clear, our response has focused on trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to maintain the climate at something like the pre-industrial status quo. But what if that is no longer possible? With the world's nations unwilling to reduce their emissions, a ...
Shark Attack and Attack on SharksDavid McGuire is Founder and Director of Sea Stewards. As a Research Associate of the Department of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Sciences, McGuire conducts a shark research program that includes population studies, movements, and fisheries impacts. This presentation will include a showing of McGuire's new short film and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Friday, 05/10/13
National Public Gardens DayCome celebrate National Public Gardens Day with UCBG! National Public Gardens Day is a celebration of America's public gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation and education. Better Homes and Gardens magazine offers BHG readers a free admission coupon for two to ...
Join Ira Flatow for the live broadcast of National Public Radio's Science Friday, the weekly science radio program broadcast to more than one million listeners across hundreds of NPR's affiliate stations. The program's slogan is "making science radioactive."Berg Hall
Our world's most pressing challenges, such as Climate Change, energy insecurity, water insecurity, social inequity, and food insecurity are integrated challenges that are marked by scale, complexity, and urgency. In some ways, the state of the crisis is a manifestation of our current approaches and institutional structures. Our disciplines work ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Exploratorium: A Learning Laboratory for the 21st CenturySite, science and architecture converge to expand our notions of place, learning and landscape. The Exploratorium, the world-renowned museum of science and learning laboratory, founded and based in San Francisco, opens in April at its new location along the Embarcadero waterfront. Architect L'Italien and artist Lani will discuss how this ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free Members, $7 Students
History of the DeltaLearn about the history of the delta - from the early 1800s up to 2012 - from framing, discovery of gold, railroad building, and levee building to the present time with Ranger Bill. 1,000 miles in scope, 60-80 man made islands, and a population that exceeds 500,000! Historical. Educational. Informative.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Rocks Don't Lie: Noah's Flood and the History of the EarthSpeaker: David R. Montgomery is a Professor of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he leads the Geomorphological Research Group and is a member of the Quaternary Research Center. Montgomery received his B.S. in geology from Stanford University in 1984, and his Ph.D. in ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Green Expectations: Current Effects of Anticipated Carbon PricingMarkets respond not just to current emission policies but also to expectations of future emission policies. We show that a future carbon pricing policy has an anticipation effect which, in theory, increases emissions prior to the policy's start date. We then identify this anticipation effect in energy markets: coal futures ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Problems with and solutions to global sustainability: culture, biology, and sociopolitical practicesThis is the final event in the Berkeley Sawyer Seminar series on "Speciesism and the Future of Humanity," funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, featuring lectures and discussion with Paul Ehrlich and Clive Hamilton. Please RSVP to ematthes@berkeley.eduFeatured Speakers: Paul Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies and Director of ...
Join three certified science fiction and space nuts in an evening illustrating how storytelling and science come together in the most natural of ways. Structured around the "Scientific Method of Story," Jim Capobianco, Kevin O'Brien and Derek Thompson, an Apollo triumvirate of story knowledge, will illustrate their talk with images, ...
Where: OaklandCost: $23 General, $20 Members in advance; $29 at door
International Migratory Bird DayJoin PRBO biologists on this very important day for international migratory birds as we explore riparian habitat, check mist-nets for songbirds and observe biologists band and release songbirds. Meet at the Muir Woods National Monument parking lot for a shuttle ride to PRBO's mist netting station at Redwood Creek. (The ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free for members
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of Audobon Canyon Ranch's 535-acre Bouverie Preserve. Participants are divided into small groups and paired with a trained Bouverie volunteer to explore the mixed evergreen forest, flower-carpeted oak woodland and rugged chaparral. Guided Nature Walks range from two to five miles. Visitors of all ages are ...
Where: Glen EllenCost: Donations appreciated
Naturalist 101: Birding BasicsColorful, crafty, swift, and musical-birds are overhead and in our backyards-playing a major role in our ecosystem. There are songbirds, shorebirds, raptors and more. So what are you really seeing and hearing? Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by learning the essentials of how to identify these amazing animals in this ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $10 Members
New Frontiers in Computing ConferenceWhile social networks have already transformed the way a generation lives, the ways in which information is generated through social networks and ways in which that information is analyzed and used are now rapidly evolving. Understanding emerging technical avenues in social media and building on them is the goal of this ...
Where: StanfordCost: $25 - $50
SF McLaren Park BioblitzNerds for Nature is thrilled to co-host a BioBlitz day in McLaren Park, co-organized with Save McLaren Park, iNaturalist.org and Bay Nature Institute.After a free picnic lunch and and instructions for the event, we will break up into teams and expert naturalists will lead us on three-hour tours to identify, photograph, and geo-tag McLaren's flora and fauna.Learn ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Majestic Redwood Sunset HikeTake a 1-mile adventure through the towering coastal redwoods to view the sun set over Monterey Bay. View historic logging areas and discuss the future of our remaining majestic redwood groves. Meet at the park entrance station on Pole Line Rd. Bring layered clothing. Reservations required. (408) 842-2341
Where: WatsonvilleCost: 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
Deep Space IndustriesDeep Space Industries is a new company dedicated to exploring, characterizing, retrieving, and processing Near-Earth asteroids for fuel, building materials, and planetary defense.Speaker: Dr. Jim Luebke, Deep Space Industrites
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
Sunday, 05/12/13
International Migratory Bird Day Bring your family and friends to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day with PRBO! Meet many Bay Area organizations working to conserve migratory and other bird populations, take a walk with expert birders, observe PRBO biologists safely band and release songbirds during a mist-netting demonstration at Redwood Creek and play fun ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
Life on the Edge: Endangered Species Along the Coastal Trail HikeYou are invited to join Brent Plater of the Wild Equity Institute on a 5-mile hike along the edge of the North American continent. We will explore San Francisco's beautiful habitats and learn about the endangered species that call the area home. During the hike, we will search for Marbled ...
Where: San FranciscoCost:
Marine Science Sunday - Mahalo: Meet the Hawaiian Monk SealThe Hawaiian monk seal is the most endangered seal or sea lion in the United States. With a population of only 1,100 and declining dramatically each year, we may be the last generation to see and experience this magnificent animal. This month we celebrate Endangered Species Day with Mahalo: Meet ...
Where: SausalitoCost: FREE
Headlands Helping Hands: Mother's Day in BloomSpring has sprung with thousands of native plants and flowers hugging the hills. We'll head into the hills to identify blooms, practice field sketching techniques, and learn about popular pollinators. Then we'll stop by the Headlands Native Plant Nursery for a stewardship and seed planting project.
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 ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Monday, 05/13/13
Summit to SeeA monthly cross-country hike to a high point or other highlight of the sanctuary with natural history, photography, birding, etcPlease dress for the weather and bring at least one quart of drinking water. You may also wish to bring a hat, an extra layer, and a snack. There are no ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: Free
May LASER Event6:45pm-7pm: Socializing/networking.7pm - 7:25pm: Lucia Ayala Asensio (UC Berkeley) on "Fluid Skies - or how to combine art, history and cosmology"A collaboration between an art and astronomy historian, an astrophysicist and an artist.7:25-7:50pm: Sara Loesch-Frank (Lettering Artist) on "Follow the Glow: Metallic Leaf and Unusual Media in Art"Many people are ...
Cheryl Strayed's writing has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies including The New York Times Magazine, Vogue and The Best New American Voices. Her debut novel, Torch, was a finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award and selected by The Oregonian as one of the top ten books of 2006 ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: $22
Tuesday, 05/14/13
Life before genetics: autogenesis, information, and the outer solar systemThe investigation of the origins of life has been hindered by what we think we know about current living organisms. This includes three assumptions about necessary conditions: 1) that it emerged entirely on Earth, 2) that it is dependent on the availability of liquid water, and 3) that it is ...
3D Printing and Beyond: Disrupting Manufacturing through Incremental Fabrication?3D printing enables the fabrication of parts directly from digital models an effort mostly of independent of geometric complexity and with straightforward design rules. Its widespread adoption is creating a new ecosystem for designers, engineers, and kids alike, with new tools, business models, collaboration opportunities, and much more.No longer limited ...
This talk will provide an overview of major data mining areas and their practical application. It will cover the history of the development of data mining and will detail key techniques such as: Recommender Systems, Machine Learning, Graph Mining and Text Mining. Each technique will be illustrated with a practical ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Jaron Lanier, author of 'Who Owns the Future?' & 'You Are Not a Gadget'Lanier's expertise in computer science, music, and digital media helped him develop a profound understanding of technology and its impact on society.But with advancements come hardships and according to Lanier, we are facing greater challenges than ever before. The rise of digital networks has not only forced our economy into ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $12 - $40
The Modern Origins Story: From the Big Bang to Habitable PlanetsThe scientific understanding of our origins began in earnest with Copernicus, Galileo, Darwin, and others, and has since evolved into a rich, detailed, and well-tested model. Direct observations of the infant universe now show that it was remarkably smooth compared to what we see around us today, with only tiny ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Mathematics as metaphor: From curved spaces to quantum topologyMathematics seems to develop by revisiting a few basic motifs over and over again. This talk will describe some of these classical and modern motifs, their appearances in astronomy, chemistry and architecture, and their echoes in the paradoxes currently facing physics. It will be accessible to an audience of all ...
The true puffballs, or Lycoperdaceae (Agaricaceae, Basidiomycetes), are an extraordinary group of fungi. They are edible, medicinal, and have very fascinating ornamentation and characters. Stephanie Jarvis has been working on a monographic study of the puffballs of California for almost six years, recently becoming her Master's Thesis from San Francisco ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Social Network Effect Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. Is it possible that the popular social networks of the modern day net are having profound impacts on the neural networks of our brains and on our psychological functioning? How are our virtual, social worlds changing ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22/27 General, $20/25 Members
Wednesday, 05/15/13
Software-Defined Networking at the Crossroads SDN was developed over five years ago, amidst much hope and naivete. In this talk I will discuss both SDN's past and future, highlighting the follies of our youth and outlining the challenges ahead. Given Stanford's role in the advent of SDN, I recognize that this talk is a massive ...
Being a Mars Rover: What It's Like on the Surface of MarsOn Aug. 6, 2012, many people around the world gathered around TVs and computers to await news of NASA's latest mission to Mars. The complex, yet flawless landing of the rover Curiosity led to worldwide acclaim. What has NASA's youngest robot been up to since then, and what has it ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 Parking)
Chroniclers of Technology: An Evening with David Kirkpatrick, Steven Levy & John Markoff David Kirkpatrick, Steven Levy and John Markoff are three of the most prolific tech writers in the country and have been friends for almost 30 years. Levy is a senior writer for Wired Magazine and the author of seven books, many of them bestsellers, on everything from computer hackers and ...
Throughout the history of Homo sapiens, skin pigmentation has been a highly labile trait, and similar skin tones have evolved independently numerous times. Skin pigmentation results from an evolutionary compromise between the conflicting demands of protection against ultraviolet radiation and production of vitamin D, and represents one of the best ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, 10 Seniors, Free for members
Brian J. Ford 'The First Microscopes: What Could They Truly Reveal?'If you have had the pleasure and privilege of hearing Brian Ford speak, you know that he always surprises his audience with his insightful presentations on science, and microscopy in particular. We have invited Brian to speak about the astonishing views that early microscopes presented to scientists of the ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Multiple Universes & Cosmic Inflation - The Quest to Understand Our Universe and Find OthersAbout a decade ago, scientists established a broad and deep understanding of how the observable universe has evolved from a hot, dense state 13.7 billion years ago. This understanding points to an early epoch during which the universe expanded at a stupendous rate to create the vast amount of space we ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Thursday, 05/16/13
STEM Speakers Series: Gaming/RoboticsAttendees will have the opportunity to hear about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) classroom integration from experts in the field as well as use the STEM Center equipment for hands-on exploration.Each night the agenda is: 3-4pm Open House, 4-5pm Speakers Series, 5-6pm Open HouseSpeakers: Angela Sveda, Rolston Middle School; ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: Free
BIGBOSS: A STAGE IV DARK ENERGY REDSHIFT SURVEYBigBOSS is a Stage IV dark energy experiment based on proven techniques to study the large-scale mass distribution of the universe and to provide experimental data for validation of competing cosmology models. BigBOSS will search for stalled baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) waves, remnants of the early universe, which serve as ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Built for Speed NightLifeSatisfy your need for speed at the NightLife premiere of the Academy's latest exhibit, Built for Speed, which explores what it takes for animals and boats to be fast in fluid. Take part in a Q&A with the designers behind the boats of ORACLE TEAM USA, the America's Cup defending ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
'Who Owns the Future?'A Renaissance Man for the 21st century, Jaron Lanier (You Are Not A Gadget) is a computer scientist, composer, visual artist, musician, and author who writes on numerous topics, including high-technology business, the social impact of technology, the philosophy of consciousness and information, Internet politics, and the future of humanism. ...
Learn the many ways to make color-from neon signs to oil slicks to rainbows and more. You'll learn all about light, how it's made, and how it interacts. Ron will demonstrate many of the concepts, and you'll take away materials to build your own spectroscope. You'll see color in a ...
Did you know that Alaska supports more than 80 percent of all the seabirds nesting in the United States? And that close to a third of the world's shorebird species come to Alaska to breed? Nils Warnock will talk about the many ways that Alaska is important to different bird ...
Professor Brian A. Barsky from UC Berkeley will present an overview of his research combining computer graphics with optics, optometry, and photography. This research has investigated mathematical models to describe the shape of the cornea and algorithms for cornea measurement, scientific and medical visualization for the display of cornea shape, ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
Rethinking Invasive Species in San Francisco BayCould a new non-native mud shrimp be good for the sub-tidal ecosystem? Michael McGowan, fisheries oceanographer and aquatic ecologist, will discuss how an invasive species may actually be beneficial.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Friday, 05/17/13
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
A Newton Workshop"Philosophy, Theology, and the Problem of the Earth's Motion"Andrew Janiak, Duke Universityand"A Tale of Two Treatises: Newton's Scientific and Prophetic Work in the Late 1680's"Robert Iliffe, University of Sussexfollowing discussion led byGeorge Smith, Tufts UniversityMichael Friedman, Stanford UniversityPaula Findlen, Stanford UniversityRoom 307
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Night School: PromThe 2nd Annual geeked out prom is here! Join us to make new memories and relive the old. Dressing up is not a must, but we think you'll have more fun! Music, drinks, live shows and beautiful views every third Friday.21 and over.
Where: OaklandCost: $12 General, $5 Members
Houge Park Start PartyMeet with members of San Jose Astronomical Society for a Star Party, weather permitting.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Saturday, 05/18/13
Endangered Species Day: National Wildlife Refuge's Warm Springs Unit TourDid you know that 2013 is the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act? Register for this exclusive tour of our normally closed Warm Springs Unit. This unit specifically protects threatened and endangered species like Contra Costa goldfields, vernal pool tadpole shrimp, and California tiger salamanders. Hear how the Act ...
At the very small scales the Standard Model of Elementary Particles explains the building blocks of the nature and their interactions. Although the model is very successful (e.g. prediction of Higgs Bosons recently discovered at CERN), it is incomplete! A new physics beyond the Standard Model is indeed required to ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
An Evening with AstronautsExplore the world of asteroid hunters with Astronauts Ed Lu and Rusty Schweickart, co-founders of the B612 Foundation - a private foundation dedicated to protecting the Earth from asteroids. Lu and Schweickart will share the latest information on new technologies that help protect our Earth and plans to build, launch, ...
Where: OaklandCost: $23 general, $20 Members; $29 at door
May 18 Public Astronomy Program On Mt DiabloPlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for the May 18th astronomy program. Lower Summit Parking Lot of Mt. Diablo State Park. The program starts at 7:30 (enter the park at least 45 minutes earlier) at the lower summit parking lot. Although there is no fee for this program there is ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: $10/ car park admission
See the Rings of SaturnHere's your chance to see Saturn and the moons of Jupiter through a telescope.You'll make a Solar System model to keep in your pocket and then explore the rest of the universe as you tour the telescopes.
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
The Solar Wind Speaker: Christopher Chen, PhD, Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley
Join us for a celebration of the California red-legged frog at its Mori Point home!Hear from other Bay Area organizations that play a role in protecting this threatened amphibian.Activities will include games, a raffle, tours of the frog ponds, and more! Don't miss the chance to learn and enjoy a ...
Fundamental questions in marine ecology have stumped scientists for decades: How do populations replenish themselves? How are they maintaining stable numbers? How far do fish larvae travel, and Where are they going? Behavioral ecologists have long debated the nature of sequential hermaphroditism in fishes (changing sex at some point during ...
Learn the many ways to make color-from neon signs to oil slicks to rainbows and more. You'll learn all about light, how it's made, and how it interacts. Ron will demonstrate many of the concepts, and you'll take away materials to build your own spectroscope. You'll see color in a ...
