Leonids Meteor ShowerHang out on the hill and watch as the Leonids Meteor Shower makes it annual trip through our atmosphere. Though this meteor shower is unpredictable in nature, it has been known to produce a spectacular show. Our experts will be on hand to explore the origins of Comet Temple-Tuttle and ...
Rise of the Machines: Mining the Kepler Data for AstrobiologySince its launch in 2009, NASA's Kepler Mission has transformed our knowledge of exoplanetary system demographics. Kepler's primary mission goal-- to quantify the occurrence rate of habitable zone Earth-size planets around Sun-like stars-- has a clear connection to astrobiology. However, in addition to its planet-finding capabilities, the Kepler data may ...
Join Conservation International scientists Dr. Greg Stone and Dr. Steve Katona who will talk about a bold new approach to measuring the health of California's ocean and coastal resources.In June, Scientists from National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara and Conservation International published the findings ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10 (includes drink and light fare
IBM's Chairman & CEO Ginni Rometty in Conversation with Museum CEO John HollarIBM is at the center of computing's history and future like few other enterprises in the world. Today it is a globally integrated technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York. In its 103-year history of solving problems and providing leading-edge technology to businesses, governments and non-profits, it has had only ...
What would it be like to live in a world with no predators roaming our landscapes? Would their elimination bring about a pastoral, peaceful human civilization? Or in fact is their existence critical to our own, and do we need to be doing more to assure their health and the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Senior, Free members
Fall ColorsLearn about why leaves change their color. Explore the different types of plants and why some do not change color. Compare different types of trees in Fremont. Reading: The Colors of Fall
Where: FremontCost: Free
The Climate Debate Demystified: An Interdisciplinary PanelIn order to understand how to change public opinion regarding climate change and influence the politics and policies surrounding this issue, we must first understand the way people think about climate change and the way that climate change is communicated to the public through the media. This panel will bring ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Mount Diablo Astronomy Society Auction for astro equipment, and How-To November 18Please join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for our general meeting. This month's General Meeting has a different format : we will have a few astro things to auction along with a How-To night. If you wish to donate or try to sell any of your unwanted equipment or other related gear ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
Otzi the Iceman, 5,300 year old Alpine 'Mummy' and Forensic Science"Otzi the Iceman", a 5,300 year old Copper Age / Neolithic man, was discovered in 1991, preserved in the Similaun Pass of the Otztal Alps at 10,500 ft. between Italy and Austria. Since 1991, extensive ongoing scientific investigations indicate that he is unique because he is practically an "archaeological site" ...
From social media to market analysis, people use pattern recognition and machine learning to sift through enormous amounts of data and reach new levels of understanding. Now scientists are using those same tools to track millions of individual molecules as they change shape during chemical reactions. This is a huge ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Wednesday, 11/19/14
Girls in STEMAt this year's Topcoder Open, we will be holding a "Girls in STEM" event, sponsored by Google which will include a panel showcasing the diversity of jobs in the tech industry. Immediately following the panel, we will host "Birds of a Feather" roundtables where students will have a chance to ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free (registration required)
China's power sector accounts for 25% of the world coal consumption–fully about 13% of total global carbon emissions from fossil fuel. Decarbonizing China's power sector will shape how the country and–to a large extent–the world uses energy and addresses pollution and climate change. I will first introduce my work on provincial level ...
The frequency of credit card leaks attests to the difficulty of protecting even declared user attributes. If we also consider sensitive information that can be inferred about a user, protection becomes even harder, yet many well-publicized privacy breaches involve inference. In this talk, I'll begin two steps before protection ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Human Impacts Bay Area: Innovation for the Climate BreakthroughThe Human Impacts Institute is headed to the Bay Area for a night of art and conversation around innovative ways to tackle climate change. From decision-making apps to video games to algae fuel, see what innovations are going to change the world. This Human Impacts Salon will be our eighth ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Share Gut Feelings: A Discussion about the Microbes You Can't Live WithoutWhether you like it or not, there are ten times more bacterial cells in your body than human cells. Come learn about the unseen yet indispensable world of microorganisms that live in your gut, the soil, and fermented foods. What role do these tiny creatures play in your health, and ...
Raptors, Rats, and Riparian AreasLisa Owens Viani, Co-founder and Director of Raptors Are The Solution (RATS), will talk about urban raptors and the threats they face, particularly from rat poison, and also discuss less toxic ways of controlling rodents. She will describe a nine-year study of Cooper's hawks in Berkeley and their connection to riparian habitat, as well as how the study led to the formation of RATS.
Have you noticed how some people seem to have a gift for storytelling while others struggle with it? Learn some simple techniques to enable you to tell a story with greater impact on your listeners and less stress on yourself. Whether in professional, civic, or personal settings, learn to share ...
"It was a California Serengeti," Parkman said, "only our animals were even more diverse than the Serengeti's." In 1972, the tusk, lower jaw and tooth of a Columbian mammoth was discovered at nearby Bodega Head. Mammoth and mastodon teeth had been found previously in the area. Parkman will unearth Sonoma ...
Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the brightest supernova to be observed. Observations taken with almost every type of telescope, on the ground and in space, have yielded a rich story of the evolution of the explosion debris and its interaction with its circumstellar environment. In ...
Nerd Nite SF #54: Cancer's Metabolism, Whale Disentaglement, and more!The UNKNOWN. We haz it. No, not the fear of the UNKNOWN – we are not afraid of it. We embrace it. We make the UNKNOWN, or at least the unfamiliar, known. (Wait, doesn't that word look really weird now?) For now, our third talk is, yes, UNKNOWN. But we ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $8
Thursday, 11/20/14
Galaxies on FIRE: Stellar Feedback Explains Inefficient Star FormationMany of the most fundamental unsolved questions in star and galaxy formation revolve around star formation and "feedback" from both massive stars and accretion onto super-massive black holes. I'll present new simulations which attempt to realistically model the diverse physics of the interstellar medium, star formation, and feedback from stellar ...
One of the more radical hypotheses surrounding anthropogenic climate change involves oceanic methane. Projected increases in bottom water temperature are hypothesized to liberate globally significant quantities of methane from the seafloor. While substantial geologic evidence suggests that such releases have previously occurred influencing global carbon cycles and greenhouse gas budgets ...
Since Fall 2002, the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering has hosted the Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium (SVLS). The Symposium hosts industry and technology leaders to talk about business and technology trends. It also features prominent leaders who discuss broader societal and political issues that shape our life and society.Speaker: Raji ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
PRIVACY AND BIG DATACan privacy exist in an era of Big Data? Can Big Data improve privacy or does it always hurt privacy? How much privacy do you need? Or perhaps, where do you actually need privacy, where do you want it and where should you not care?In this talk we will look ...
Beans and BrewCoffee, beer, chocolate - all popular guilty pleasures. However, a warming world could affect our ability to enjoy these delicacies. Changes in microclimates are changing when and where many crops will grow. Arabica, the most consumed coffee species in the world, could go extinct in the wild within the next ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
BiteLifeSink your teeth into BiteLife, our annual event celebrating all things edible.Just in time for Thanksgiving, catch a cooking demo from the carnivorous chefs at 4505 Meats on how to prepare your own turducken sausage.Plus, get a chance to take home your very own turducken to wow (and stuff) your ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
Water, Nuts, and the Nation's Fruit Bowl: California's Central Valley Hydrologic Science USGS Evening Public Lecture Water, Nuts, and the Nation's Fruit Bowl: California's Central Valley Hydrologic Scienceby Claudia Faunt, USGS HydrologistUsing about 1% of U.S. farmland, California's Central Valley supplies 7% of the U.S. agricultural output (by value) -- 1/4 of the Nation's food, including about half of the Nation's fruits, nuts, and vegetables.Approximately 20% of ...
In this talk, Dr. Beug will illustrate the spectacular and diverse world of Ascomycete fungi in the Pacific Northwest. You will learn about edibles from morels to truffles, fungal habitats and fungal lifestyles. He will describe what Ascomycetes are. You will learn about unusual fungi, some with medicinal applications, some ...
Joe Jordan will come back with new material after having really wowed and inspired our audience with his slides on this topic in 1997.Joe will show pictures of all kinds of atmospheric phenomena, including rainbows, haloes, glories, aurorae, coronae, mirages, and the legendary (but real) "green flash". He'll bring along some hands-on 3-D models (to go ...
Three different birds, three different outcomes at the hands of humans. The Passenger Pigeon once numbered in the billions, yet human exploitation drove it to extinction a century ago. The Kirtland's Warbler had dwindled to fewer than 200 singing males in 1971, yet today we know how to maintain healthy ...
Cool, Clear WatersTake an easy two-mile walk with Ranger Lou around an ecological restoration site to learn how the needs of salmon and frogs can inspire people to create habitat for endangered and threatened species during a time of climate change, and still meet the recreational needs of visitors at this popular ...
Where: Muir BeachCost: Free
BioFest 3Would you like to understand why microscopists just won another Nobel prize? Come ask the students of the Merritt Microscopy Program! Join us for Biofest 3, bigger and more fun than ever! It's equal parts hands-on science fun for all ages and career info for students. Everyone is ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Mt. Tam Day of ThanksThe "Mt. Tam Day of Thanks" will feature a collection of volunteer programs led by the TLC partners. Below is a list of workday events to celebrate and give thanks for this epic mountain:Habitat Restoration and Holiday Wreath Making at Sky Oaks hosted by Marin Municipal Water District. Family friendly; volunteers ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost:
Steppin' Towards Science Step Show and Science FairThis event for youth and their families is meant to engage youth in hands on science, explore science careers, see the connection between science and stepping and expose youth to college culture. The Science Fair, which takes place from 11:00 am-1:00 pm will engage attendees in hands-on science demonstrations and ...
Where: OaklandCost: $15 for adults (18 and over) and $7 for youth
An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of SeaweedPhotographer, author and book designer Josie Iselin will bring together the art and science of seaweed in a talk and slide presentation describing her unique way of building books, why she fell in love with seaweed and some of the amazing science of the ocean flora we find along our ...
Join all the guys from the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe cast (Steve Novella, Bob Novella, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein), along with musician and emcee George Hrab for a skeptical extravaganza and quiz show. This 90-minute blowout will include:ScienceGamesMusicQuiz ShowLame JokesGeneral Geekdom andSkeptical Fun!Hosted by the Ohlone College Psychology ...
Where: FremontCost: $15 general; $10 Students with ID
Sunday, 11/23/14
Marine Science Sunday: An Ocean Feast!This month we celebrate Thanksgiving by highlighting the amazing feeding and hunting strategies of marine mammals! Find out about how orcas have learned together to wash seals of our ice in Antarctica, humpback whales use bubbles to trap fish and otters use tools to crack open their favorite foods! FREE Classroom Programs: An Ocean Feast- 12 PM ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free with admission
Monday, 11/24/14
PROBING DARK ENERGY WITH OPTICAL FIBERS AND 5000 ROBOTSDr. Claire Poppett of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will discuss the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a ground-based experiment for the Mayall Telescope in Arizona..
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Nerd Nite East Bay #24: Singing Spiders, The Brain, and Sci-Fi Sex InterfacesSit back and sip on a some tasty beverages. Nerd Nite East Bay warms you up for Thanksgiving and begins our third year with a particularly salacious night: Erin Brandt will show what happens when you aim a laser Doppler vibrometer at a male spider dancing on pantyhose to woo the corpse ...
