Breaking the Seeing Barrier in Planetary AstronomyLick Observatory hosts a Summer Visitors Program (SVP), inviting the public to observe through both the 36-inch Great Lick Refractor and Nickel 40-inch Reflecting Telescope. Each evening also features two speakers, who present programs even if clouds or fog prohibit viewing.Lick astronomers present multimedia lectures on their research or ...
Where: Mt. HamiltonCost: $9.50
Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the End of the UniverseMost stars end their lives in brilliant explosions known as supernova. These massive bursts briefly outshine all the light from the galaxy wherein they occur. The past 15 years has been a "boom" period for supernovae with vast amounts of time and effort being invested in these objects. Not only ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free
Houge Park Start PartyMeet with members of San Jose Astronomical Society for a Star Party, weather permitting.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Saturday, 09/14/13
Whole Lotta Shakin' Going OnDiscover the ingredients that make up our "rock soup", how rocks got here, and why earthquakes happen. Explore the park's landscape and fascinating geology though fun activities and a 3-mile hike with a Ranger. Meet at the Mendoza parking lot on Roop Rd. Bring water, snacks, and sturdy hiking shoes. ...
Where: GilroyCost: Free
Climate Change HikeCurious about climate change? Come on a 3.6-mile hike and discover how small changes can lead to broad consequences, both globally and locally here in the Bay Area. Meet at the Sandy Wool upper parking lot (near dog park) with sturdy footwear, sun/rain protection, snacks, and water. For reservations call ...
Where: MilpitasCost: Free
Hawk Talk and Banding DemoCome to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands and get an up-close view of the fall raptor migration with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO), a cooperative program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service.A GGRO docent gives an hour-long talk about hawk monitoring and identification ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
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
Science Fiction Writing WorkshopScience, Engineering and Mathematics Link Inc. (SEM Link), African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) and The I.S.I.S. Project are hosting a Science Fiction Writing Workshop. The workshop will introduce K-12 students and their families to science fiction writing discussing the elements of writing a science fiction story and ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
'Go Inside a Telescope' How do telescopes work? On Mt Diablo - CANCELEDPlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for the September 14th astronomy program. This month's program is – "Go Inside a Telescope" How do telescopes work. See stars, nebula, galaxies, clusters, the moon and planets through member telescopes. Bring kids, binoculars, warm clothes (temperature can drop), snacks, and water. No need for ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: $10/ car park admission
Island UniversesPrograms include concert, a talk by a University of California astronomer about current research, and (weather permitting) viewing through the historic Great Lick Refractor and the Nickel 40-inch telescope. Knowledgeable local amateur astronomers outside the buildings provide additional telescopes and informal astronomy discussions.Due to safety concerns, children under the age ...
Where: Mt. HamiltonCost: $40 General, prefered options available
Sunday, 09/15/13
Cool, Clear WatersTake an easy two-mile walk around an active restoration site with Ranger Lou Sian to learn how the needs of salmon and frogs can influence the design of ecological restoration, and ultimately, how a national park stewards a popular park site like Muir Beach.Bring water, snack, dress in layers, and ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
Western Snowy Plover Walk AboutYou are invited to join Brent Plater of the Wild Equity Institute for a leisurely walk along Ocean Beach to search for the threatened Western Snowy Plover. This small shorebird is highly threatened by human activities and habitat degradation. Join us to see this adorable species in its native habitat and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Hawk Talk and Banding DemoCome to Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands and get an up-close view of the fall raptor migration with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO), a cooperative program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service.A GGRO docent gives an hour-long talk about hawk monitoring and identification ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Naturalist Know-howDo you know a young person interested in nature? Take them to Junior Academy: Naturalist Know-how! Learn to be a naturalist! September's skill is Flower/Plant Pressing. Variations of the monthly skill will be available each week. This program is designed for youth ages 8 to 11. Youth must be accompanied ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Monday, 09/16/13
A CITIZEN SCIENCE COLONIZATION MODEL FOR THE KOPRULU SECTOR IN STARCRAFT 2Dr. Tom Targett, visiting professor of Physics & Astronomy at Sonoma State, will discuss how a video game like StarCraft 2 can increase the public's understanding of the scientific method. He will also discuss the scientific potential of the video game industry.
Archaeologists have long been interested in the study of the mechanisms of long-term social change. Factors that involve specialization and centralization, such as domestication of plants, technological developments and social competition, have been proposed as prime movers for the "development" of human societies. Contrary to these interpretations, this presentation proposes ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Shaping Social Work Science: What Should Quantitative Research Do?Advocates and prominent social work researchers are currently developing a science of social work. Among them is John Brekke, who suggests that three ingredients -- domains of inquiry, core constructs and defining characteristics – are critical in shaping a social work science. Please join us to hear Dr. Shenyang Guo, the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Tuesday, 09/17/13
Energy Research Symposium: i4Energy and Berkeley Energy and Climate InstituteThe i4Energy is a nexus, bringing multi-disciplinary minds together to create information technology advances for our multi-layered energy challenges. i4Energy is a collaboration among CITRIS (U.C. Berkeley, Davis, Merced, and Santa Cruz); the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE); and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The research collaboration ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Legends and Myths of the Prarie WolfOne of the most adaptable mammals in the world, the coyote is widespread not only in range but also in mythology and folklore.Learn why the coyote is such a successful survivor and the topic of so many stories.This family-friendly, two-mile walk is easy to moderate with some steep hills.Meet at ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: Free
Marine microbial mats and our early biosphere Photosynthetic microbial mats are complete microbial ecosystems that can construct laminated "miniature reefs" called stromatolites. Their fossilized equivalents are among the oldest most abundant evidence of early life. Dr. Des Marais and his colleagues have studied cyanobacterial mats in an arid coastal environment at the Exportadora de Sal, S.A. (ESSA) ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
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
5 Gyres: Update From Our Plastic OceanVoyaging to the far reaches of the earth, 5 Gyres is dedicated to understanding plastic marine pollution through exploration, education and action. Welcome 5 Gyres Founders, Staff and Ambassadors, who will present several short films and discuss results from recent research expeditions to the Bay of Bengal, Great Lakes and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Mycological Society of SF: Ken LitchfieldKen will give a very interesting and entertaining talk that he also recently gave at the Telluride Mushroom Festival in Colorado.
Futurist Ray Kurzweil (The Singularity is Near), a pioneering theorist and inventor, now at Google, has spent decades exploring how artificial intelligence can enrich and expand human capabilities. Among his innovations is a device that helps the blind read print, which Stevie Wonder says changed his life. Kurzweil's new book, ...
Peter Schwartz presents The Starships ARE ComingThere is an appalling distance between here and the countless planets we're discovering around stars other than our Sun. At first glance we can never span those light years. At second glance however..."The 100-year Starship" is the name of now-culminating project that mustered a handful of scientists and science fiction ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15
Wednesday, 09/18/13
Exploratorium Lab and Lunch: Surface Currents"Surface Currents, or How to Study the Ocean Without Getting Wet" with Toby Garfield, Director of the Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State's Field Station on the Bay. Using high-tech instruments and new visualizing capabilities Toby Garfield's group at Romberg Tiburon Center are providing new ways to ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Local process and pattern in the Everglades restorationSince the turn of the 20th century, varying sections of the Everglades have been drained via canals, converted to agriculture, enriched with phosphorus, and unnaturally flooded throughout the constructions of impoundments. Levee projects have culminated in the development of 1000 miles of canals, 720 miles of levees, 16 pumping stations, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
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.
In 1872, the headwaters of the Yellowstone River and the surrounding forests, canyons and geyser basins were designated the world's first national park. Since then, most nations around the world have protected important biological places. Today, depending on how you measure it, six to 12 percent of the world's land ...
Why go fast? Compared to moving slowly, the advantages seem obvious: find food first, forage more widely, and escape more rapidly! But, in the water, being speedier incurs huge energetic costs, with moving a little bit faster skyrocketing the amount of fuel you need. This trade-off between speed and energy ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Seniors, Free Members
Brown Dwarfs: The Spectroscopy of Sub-stellar ObjectsThe most massive planet is nearly 6 times lighter than the least massive star. In between is the realm of brown dwarfs. In 1995 both the first brown dwarf and the first exoplanet were discovered. Since then we have found hundreds of each, and have learned quite a bit. Recent ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Nerd Nite SF #40: Science Rapping, Renaissance Handwriting, and Sharks!"Science Rapping from Auckland to Oakland" by Tom McFaddenWhat is the Holy Grail of science rap? Science history battles–written and performed by middle-schoolers–that explore the nature and ethics of science over Kanye beats. Picture Rosalind Franklin vs. Watson & Crick over "Clique." Tom's traveled the world dropping science rhymes, but ...
Speaker: Laura Guio, VP and Storage Systems, Business Line Executive, IBM
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Internet Privacy: Towards More TransparencyInternet privacy has become a hot topic recently with the radical growth of Online Social Networks (OSN) and attendant publicity about various leakages. For the last several years we have been examining aggregation of user's information by a steadily decreasing number of entities as unrelated Web sites are browsed. I ...
Venture off the beaten path for fresh ideas on how to enjoy some fresh air, and hone your survival skills with help from people who actually know how.Presidio Trust and Save the Redwoods League will bring a bit of the outdoors into NightLife to get you into the spirit. Sharpen ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Full Spectrum Science: LasersInvented in 1960, lasers are now a ubiquitous technology. Come learn how laser light is made, and how it is used in things like DVD players, eye surgery, and fusion energy research.Instructor: Ron Hipschman18+ only
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Sharks: Beware of HumansDr. A. Peter Klimley has studied sharks for over three decades. The topics of his studies have ranged from the complex social habits and keen navigational abilities of hammerhead sharks to the feeding tactics and communication behavior of white sharks. His latest book, The Biology of Sharks and Rays, is ...
Perry Matlock, archivist for the Sacred Sites Preservation & Rights of Indigenous Tribes, will talk about the shellmounds and the people who made them.
Harry Fuller will visit some of the best birding spots within 20 minutes' drive of I-5 and feeder routes between San Francisco and Oakland on the south and Seattle on the north. This drive of 800-plus miles passes numerous wildlife refuges, state and local parks, a wilderness area, a national ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free for members, $5 donation General
