Harnessing the Plasticity of the Older BrainOur brains exhibit an amazing ability to modify both their structure and function in response to new experiences, a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. Efforts to harness this neuroplasticity to improve and preserve our brain function as we get older have led to the development of commercial brain training software. Join ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $10, Free to UC Berkeley students and staff
While modern remote sensing technology provides measurement capability for a number of seawater properties, there are important measurements that can not (yet?) be done remotely so physical water samples carefully collected and returned to the lab remain essential. In the ice covered Arctic Ocean water samples are difficult to obtain ...
Advances in Optical Nanoscopy of Living CellsThe diffraction limit of light has constrained the resolution of light microscopes in the far field since its discovery more than a century ago. Structures smaller than about half the wavelength of light could therefore not be resolved by light microscopes. The realization that this limit can be broken has triggered a revolution in imaging, especially in ...
Nigel Crisp is an independent crossbench member of the House of Lords and works mainly on international development and global health. From 2000 to 2006, he was both chief executive of the NHS, the largest health organization in the world, and permanent secretary of the UK Department of Health and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Consistency-Based Service Level Agreements for Cloud StorageApplication developers using a cloud storage system often make decisions that trade off consistency for performance and may be locked into a choice that is not ideal for all clients. Pileus is a replicated key-value store that allows applications to declare their consistency and latency priorities via consistency-based service level ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Evolutionary Enigma of SexProfessor Otto's work focuses on the development of population-genetic models, using analytical and numerical techniques to infer what evolutionary changes are possible and under what conditions. The goals of this research are to produce specific predictions that can be tested either experimentally or by comparing the expected and observed distributions ...
Humans commonly make the perceptual error of equating the knowledge products of a society with the individual intellectual capacities of that society's members, but this assumption has legs and feet of very soft clay. Sure, knowledge tends to be produced by smart people in any particular society, but the concentration of energy ...
Where: HaywardCost: Free
Thinking like a Naturalist: Reclaiming the Art of Natural HistoryLearn how to get more out of every nature ramble. Developments in neuropsychology have opened doors in our understanding of the brain and cognition and how you can train yourself to see more and to be more curious about what you discover. Naturalist and illustrator John Muir Laws will demonstrate ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
Elizabeth Kolbert / The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural HistoryOver the last half a billion years, there have been five major mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on Earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. And this time ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $35 - $45
Unwrapping the Visual Discovery of Spiral NebulaeJoin visual observer Steve Gottlieb for an intriguing talk onUnwrapping the Visual Discovery of Spiral Nebulae. This is the story of William Parsons' (Lord Rosse) first visual observations of M51 with his massive 72-inch speculum reflector in the spring of 1845 and the subsequent discovery of spiral structure in dozens ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Nerd Nite SF #45: eSports, S. aureus, and Mid-Century Culture Jamming!eSports, Staph, and Shep: Aren't you at least a little intrigued by this month's grab-bag, and not just for the alluring alliteration? We heart a motley crew of topics here at NNSF, especially if they're muddled with the Rickshaw Stop's stiff quaffs, mixed with interludes of ditties on vinyl, and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $8
Thursday, 02/20/14
HARNESSING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE THE FUTUREDr. Washington will present an overview of capabilities and activities at the Advanced Technology Center (ATC). He will cover their broad base of expertise across numerous technology portfolios. The ATC is actively supporting many Space Systems programs in a variety of ways, ranging from leading payload development efforts to solving ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day @ The TechJoin us at The Tech for a week-long celebration of engineering! Engineers Week is a national event that brings engineering to life for people of all ages, and celebrates engineers and the difference they make in our world. Come and engineer an Ewok escape vehicle, build a Rube Goldberg device, ...
Melting of the Great Ice Sheets: What is next?The ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica contain enough ice to raise global sea levels by 66 meters. Satellites, airborne platforms, in situ experiments and global climate data re-analysis show that these ice sheets are currently losing mass faster, sooner and at a greater rate than projected by numerical models. ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Mad Science: Fire & Ice*Explore "magical" chemical potions, the wonders of dry ice, and the dynamics of air pressure. Some of the topics the mad scientists will investigate include: the three states of matter, a gassy taste test and asuper spectacular bubbling potion. Ages 5-12.
Deep Dive: Sex and the Sea: Marine Mammal Mating and DatingJoin us after-hours at The Marine Mammal Center for Deep Dive, our new monthly arts and science events for adults only.Deep Dive evening programs for guests 21+ will occur the third Thursday of each month from 6-9:30 p.m. at our hospital in the Marin Headlands. Join us for cocktails and ...
It might get loud this week as NightLife explores the science of sound and rhythm.In the planetarium, learn how mathematical ideas take the shape of sights and sounds with a special screening of Chaos and Order at 7:30 and 8:30 pm.In the Forum, hear a talk about the rhythmic activity ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Pelvic PainPelvic pain affects both women and men. This talk will discuss common causes of pelvic pain as well as associated symptoms and treatment options from the perspective of a pain medicine specialist. A range of causes spanning urology, gynecology, and gastroenterology will be discussed.Speaker: Jennifer Hah MD, MS Instructor, Stanford ...
Fungi of SwitzerlandDouglas Smith is a local amateur mycologist who has hunted mushrooms around the world. He photographs mushrooms where ever he goes. You can find his photos online, in field guides, journals, and the National Geographic. In 2009 he had a chance to move to France, on the border of Switzerland, ...
Mountain Lions are keystone predators and play a critical role in maintaining the health and biodiversity of our ecosystems. Zara McDonald, President of the Felidae Fund, will discuss their ecology, history, and the challenges of sharing habitats with them.
Mary Ellen Hannibal shares her latest work, The Spine of the Continent, praised by such luminaries as E. O. Wilson and Paul Ehrlich and described by Thomas Lovejoy as "the biography of a big conservation idea." The book chronicles the development of the science that tells us what can be ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $5 General, Free for members
Friday, 02/21/14
Listening into the pastListening into the past; Using fish earbones to reconstruct life history patterns and migration pathways across species, systems and hydroclimatic regimesSpeaker: Dr. Anna Sturrock, Visiting Postdoc, ESPM
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.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Exploding Stars, Dark Energy, and the End of the Universe - CANCELLEDMost 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 ($3 parking)
Saturday, 02/22/14
Engineers Week @ The TechJoin us at The Tech for a week-long celebration of engineering! Engineers Week is a national event that brings engineering to life for people of all ages, and celebrates engineers and the difference they make in our world. Come and engineer an Ewok escape vehicle, build a Rube Goldberg device, ...
Where: San JoseCost: free with Museum admission
The USACE: From the Sierra's to the SeaIn commemoration of Engineer month, this story spans over 150 years of US Army Corps of Engineers service to the state of California balancing environmental stewardship with the need for economic and urban growth. Beginning with the construction of ports, harbors, and lighthouses and expanding over time to include debris ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Mad Science: Fire & Ice*Explore "magical" chemical potions, the wonders of dry ice, and the dynamics of air pressure. Some of the topics the mad scientists will investigate include: the three states of matter, a gassy taste test and asuper spectacular bubbling potion. Ages 5-12.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Stem Cells-- the Promise & the ProgressUta Grieshammer, PhD, science officer with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, will discuss the promise and progress of stem cell research. According to CIRM, "researchers are making tremendous progress, funding clinical trials to try and cure HIV/AIDS, type 1 diabetes, some aggressive forms of leukemia, macular degeneration, and sickle cell disease. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: free (donations welcome)
Jet PropulsionWith a firm understanding of the basic laws of physics and motion, man has conquered atmospheric flight and space travel. Faride focuses on Sir Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion as it relates to vehicle propulsion systems for aerospace application. There's so much more to what we learned in high school ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Sunday, 02/23/14
Marine Science Sunday: Marine Mammal Parents and PupsIn preparation for Valentine's Day, The Marine Mammal Center celebrates love and Marine Mammal Parents and Pups in a fun, educational way for kids and adults. Tours at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm of the hospital showcase some of the patients in our care and how veterinarians are ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $5 donation
Tomales Point Elk AdventureJoin the Nature Journal Club for a field trip to sketch and explore the lives of majestic Tule Elk in the picturesque landscape of the Point Reyes National Seashore. If you are new to journaling, you will find it inspiring to watch other journalers document and explore the area. The ...
Where: InvernessCost: Free
Junior Academy: Naturalist Know-howCalifornia Academy of SciencesSundays at 2pm – 2:45pm (sign-up at 1:30pm) Naturalist Center / Lab (Level 3 across from the Planetarium exit)This program is designed for youth ages 8 to 11. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited to 20 youth with attending adults. Onsite registration is ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with Academy admission
The Science of Mixing ColorJoin Exploratorium scientist Ron Hipschman for colorful explorations of the physical world.Are the primary colors really red, yellow, and blue? How can you get yellow from mixing red and green together? Bring your most colorful questions to this vivid presentation.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that big data has transformed many aspects of how we approach problems in information organization and retrieval. In this context, my recent work focuses on two questions: How do we build effective and efficient information access systems that help users make sense of massive ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Mad Science: Fire & Ice*Explore "magical" chemical potions, the wonders of dry ice, and the dynamics of air pressure. Some of the topics the mad scientists will investigate include: the three states of matter, a gassy taste test and asuper spectacular bubbling potion. Ages 5-12.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Ecological Other: A Book Talk with Sarah Jaquette RayIn this new book Ray investigates three categories of ecological otherness: people with disabilities, immigrants, and Native Americans. Extending recent work in environmental justice ecocriticism, Ray argues that the expression of environmental disgust toward certain kinds of bodies draws problematic lines between ecological "subjects"-those who are good for and belong ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
THE UNIVERSE ACCORDING TO PLANCKDr. Charles Lawrence from the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory will discuss the scientific results from Planck, the third-generation space mission designed to measure the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background.
Optofluidics: The Photonic Integration of Non-Solid MediaIntegrated photonic devices have traditionally been designed for data communications using exclusively solid-state materials. However, a vast area of potential applications, in particular in the life sciences, involve interactions of light with liquids and gases. Recently, a number of approaches have been considered that are aimed at integrating such non-solid media with chip-scale photonic structures. We have developed a ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Rapidly Changing Economics of Solar PV PowerThis talk examines the economics of solar photovoltaic power both from the perspective of investors in solar installations and from the perspective of solar panel manufacturers. For investors, the key consideration is the cost competitiveness of solar PV relative to other electricity sources. The model calculations I present focus on ...
I did my PhD thesis at Berkeley, trying to measure the primeval heat radiation from the Big Bang, but the apparatus didn't work the first time. So I went from Berkeley to NASA in New York and Maryland, the COBE satellite was chosen for construction, and it worked despite enormous ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Berkeley Lab Science at the Theater - Vote for the Next Big Tech Idea!You and three judges vote on technology pitches from five Berkeley Lab scientists. Which will benefit society the most? You decide.Technologies to be presented:Making Better Batteries - Guoying Chen, ChemistHacking and Tracking Personal DNA Damage - Sylvain Costes, BiophysicistMaking Energy Measurement Stick - Steven Lanzisera, Applied Energy ScientistMolecular Velcro - ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Colonel Matthew Bogdanos presents 'The Unlooting of Civilization's Treasures in Wartime Iraq'Destruction is easy. Recovery is hard. Destruction is big news. Recovery is the real news.In April 02003 when Baghdad fell to US forces, the renowned Iraq Museum was looted of thousands of civilization's most ancient and unique treasures, and the international press reacted with outrage. Marine Colonel Bogdanos, who had ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15
ULTRACONCENTRATED: Image, Media, SoftwareWithin the visual arts, software is a misunderstood medium. It's dismissed by some and championed by others, but it remains an enigma to most. Certainly, software is the dominant tool for design and production, but it can be more. Will software emerge as the next prominent art medium in the ...
Defining Death in America: The Intersection of Law, Medicine, Ethics, and PoliticsTwo recent end of life cases - the McMath case in Oakland and the Munoz case in Texas- have drawn significant media attention to the legal, medical, ethical, and political implications of defining and declaring death. In both cases, physicians determined the individuals to be brain dead; a declaration that results in an immediate ...
Ongoing research in my laboratory provides evidence that the ability to perform fine-grained acoustic analysis in the tens of millisecond range during infancy appears to be one of the most powerful and significant predictors of subsequent language development and disorders. In this lecture, a brief summary will be given of ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Lightbeam: Illuminating Online TrackingIn this talk, Monica Chew and Garrett Robinson give a brief overview of the tracking landscape and discuss tracking techniques and their attendant privacy concerns. They will demonstrate Lightbeam, a Firefox add-on, and show how it visualizes hidden relationships between the site you visit and tracking domains. They will then ...
WiFi Alliance - CANCELLEDWi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to seamless connectivity. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi® worldwide. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ program was launched in March 2000. It ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $10 General
Bentley School Science Thought Leaders NightBentley School will welcome an esteemed interdisciplinary panel of experts who will discuss the topic of climate change. The panel discussion will focus on the latest climate change science, how climate change, if left unchecked, is projected to impact humans worldwide, and the role that science, policy, economics and technology ...
Where: LafayetteCost: FREE
Night Sky Series, Class #2ROBERT FERGUSON OBSERVATORY - NIGHT SKY SERIESCelestial Poles and Equator; The EclipticGemini, Lynx, CancerThe planet JupiterPlease join us and instructor Jack Welch as we learn about our seasonal night skys through a very informative lecture, and then hands on stargazing with the Observatory's telescopes. You will be able to see ...
Where: KenwoodCost: $23.00
The Art & Science of 3D Printing3D Printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is an emerging technology that creates a three-dimensional solid object, of virtually any shape, from a digital model. Brian Palacios, co-founder of Fabricastl, Inc. will present an overview of the technology and how it is becoming a mainstream movement with widespread commercial applications. ...
Where: LafayetteCost: $5 (meals available for pre-order for $10)
The California Drought: Causes, context and responsesCalifornia is in the midst of a historic drought. 2013 was the driest year since the state began keeping records 150 years ago, and this is the third driest year in a row. We began 2014 with record-low snowpack and reservoir levels. Newspaper headlines have been stark, warning of communities using ...
Large whale entanglement is a welfare and conservation issue, in California and worldwide. Scar studies show >20% of large whales have entanglement scars. Join Kathi Koontz from the Whale Entanglement Team (National Marine Fisheries Service) as she shares information about entanglements in Northern California, the disentanglement process, and what we ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $5
The James Webb Space TelescopePlease 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. The JWST is the follow-on to the Hubble telescope - on steroids. Come find out about the this extraordinary program.Speaker: Dr. Thomas Greene, NASA ...
