THE FUTURE OF ENERGYDr. Frank Shu of UC San Diego is a preeminent Astrophysicist who has turned his attention to alternative energies in an effort to make an impact on climate change.
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Nanophotonic control of thermal radiation and energy applicationsNanophotonic structures provide new opportunities to control both the near and far field of thermal electromagnetic fields. Exploiting these opportunities can lead to significant novel energy device and system applications. In this talk, we review some of our recent theoretical and experimental efforts towards developing some of these nanophotonic structures. Specifically, we show that combining near ...
Going Live (a Computer Architect Perspective)Abstract: Professor Renau will talk about the still not published Live Simulation environment being developed by the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Live Simulation environment is a collaborative environment with statistical sampling for very fast computer architecture simulations. The talk will present the philosophy and a live demo of ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Earth Day Talk: Climate Change and ViolenceProfessor Marshall Burke's research focuses on understanding how changes in environmental conditions affect a range of social and economic outcomes, and on understanding the causes and consequences of rural productivity improvements. In this talk, he will discuss the effects of climate change on violence, including wars, civil unrest, and strife, ...
The Antibiotics Crisis: The Health Care and Human Costs of Drug ResistanceAs part of a series of events sponsored by Kaiser Permanente focused on health care costs and affordability in the age of health care reform, the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and School of Public Health present a provocative panel discussion on the antibiotics crisis, its roots in our ...
Where: BerkeleyCost:
Quantum Entanglement in Higher DimensionsThe 2015 Robert Hofstadter Memorial lecturer, Prof. Anton Zeilinger of the Univ. of Vienna & the Austrian Academy of Sciences, will give the Applied Physics/Physics colloquium.
Cosmological observations show that the universe is very uniform on the maximally large scale accessible to our telescopes. The best theoretical explanation of this uniformity is provided by the inflationary theory. Rather paradoxically, this theory also predicts that on a very large scale, much greater than what we can see ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
How to Think Like a NaturalistJack will share his enthusiasm and passion for the natural world as he illustrates ways to improve one's observation of nature, and develop a curiosity and appreciation for one's role as steward of the natural world.Naturalist, award winning educator and artist John (Jack) Muir Laws is trained as a wildlife ...
Astronomy Lecture: The Dark Side of the Universe by Norbert WernerJoin astrophysicist Norbert Werner, of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) at Stanford University, for a presentation on The Dark Side of the Universe. Dr. Werner's talk will explore the 95% of the Universe that is unseen, "The Dark Side of the Universe," and will show how ...
Hearing mechanisms in baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti) are essentially unknown but their vocalization frequencies overlap with low-frequency anthropogenic sound sources. Synthetic audiograms were generated for a fin whale by applying finite element modeling (FEM) tools to X-ray CT scans. We scanned the head of a small fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) ...
Urban water infrastructure systems must meet future challenges in managing water quantity and quality in growing cities worldwide. Information and monitoring technologies will play an important role. Within engineering and planning fields, resilient systems typically support quick returns to normal operations following outages. Other conceptions of resilience from ecology, however, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost:
The History of Carbon: Tracking Greenhouse Gases Through TimeIn this special Earth Day Lab & Lunch Program, Jim Butler, the director of NOAA's Global Monitoring Division will take us through a brief history of atmospheric carbon dioxide, describing events and their atmospheric consequences from almost a million years ago through the industrial age to the present day. He'll use animated ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free, but RSVP required.
Recent advances in reflective hard x-ray / soft gamma-ray optics and the prospects for future astrophysical missions Over the last forty years, reflective x-ray telescopes have enabled detailed observations of the 0.1-10 keV x-ray sky and dramatically improved our knowledge of astrophysical processes, cosmology and fundamental physics. Focusing optics overcome intrinsic limitations of other techniques (e.g., absorptive collimation), and their use above 10 keV should revolutionize our ...
Watershed Collaborations: Entanglements on common streamsIn the tradition of Barad and Haraway, I practice Science and Technology Studies (STS) "from the inside", drawing on my own natural science training to inform the theoretical frameworks I develop. My interdisciplinary outlook is grounded in training, publication, and research in hydrology, aquatic ecology, and fluvial geomorphology, as well as in ...
Online Arms RaceThere is an accelerating arms race going on in the online world. We have all extended our lives from the real world to the online world. However, our data and our privacy is being threatened by attackers in the online world. We have to fight online criminals and online hacktivists. ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Earth Day Speaker: Dr. Barbara BlockOn Earth Day, Dr. Barbara Block, a marine scientist from Stanford University, will speak about the health of our planet based on her research about marine organisms.
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Coal WarsCoal is taking a beating in the United States, but it is gaining market share in Asia. Coal-fired electricity is lifting people out of poverty. It is also frying the sky. Join us for a journey from the mines of Wyoming to China's coal region.Panel: Richard Martin, Author; additional panelists TBA
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Member, $7 Student
Building Community - Strengthening Marin on Earth DayOur final lecture of the 2015 series will start an important conversation exploring the intersection of environmental conservation, and social equity in Marin. Adhering to the principle; strength lies in diversity, we must empower all the voices of Marin to be heard. Minority and marginalized voices are critical strands in ...
Where: San RafaelCost: $10 Advance/$15 at Door General, Free for members
Rob Blumenschine describes nearly 30 years of research at Olduvai Gorge that sheds light on the origin of the capabilities in the earliest stone-tool maker, Homo habilis. In habilis we see the emergence of brain sizes larger than those of apes and the distinctly un-primate-like behaviour of competing with large ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
Science and Reason with Skeptics in the Pub, West BayIf ye value critical thinking, and if ye scorn the flim-flam man, join us, your friends. Skeptics in the Pub is a group of like-minded people informally discussing the latest in science or pseudoscience over good eats & ale.Skeptics in the Pub is a monthly meeting for discussion of topics ...
Where: MillbraeCost: Free
Thursday, 04/23/15
Lyrids Meteor ShowerHang out on the hill and watch as the Lyrids Meteor Shower makes it annual trip through our atmosphere and light up the night sky. Our astronomers are on hand to answer questions.*Visibility is subject to weather conditions.
Where: OaklandCost: $5
The Bay Model Wants You!!! Become part of Sausalito's very own attraction known around the world! We have a variety of volunteer positions that are suited for people just like you! Greet visitors, lead tours, work with school groups, and more! Come and be a part of one of the largest working hydraulic models in ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Volunteering
Quasar feedback Quasars are now thought to have made critical impact on galaxy formation. In particular, feedback from accretion onto supermassive black holes is implicated in establishing the black hole mass vs galaxy bulge correlations and in limiting the maximal mass of galaxies. Theoretical models predict that both radiative output of the ...
We tend to think of "home" as the building in which we live, or the town or city where we reside. Voyage to the edge of the known universe, and gain some perspective on the tiny planet we call home. See some of the amazing ways the universe is structured, ...
The Full-Body BicycleThe Full Body Bicycle allows riders to pedal with their feet alone, their hands alone, or both at the same time, leading to upper and lower body workouts. The effort to design and build the bicycle began in a mechanical engineering class at Stanford University in 2003 and has since ...
Become one with nature as NightLife gets out and about for an evening of nature-themed fun.Learn how to keep a hive (and make sweet honey) at home with Urban Bee, hold giant insects in the palm of your hand courtesy of Save Nature, and brush up on local flora with ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $10 Members
The elusive spotted owl is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of old-growth forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Spotted Owl has been at the center of debates between forces for and against ...
Where: SonomaCost: $8
Update on MigraineMigraines are an intense and often debilitating type of headache which affect nearly 24 million Americans every year. This talk will focus on the causes of migraines, how they are diagnosed, and how they are differentiated from other kinds of headaches, as well as current treatments for this condition.Speaker: Meredith ...
Ray tracing acceleration is coming to a GPU near you! In this talk, we will discuss the hardware architecture changes that we have made to Imagination's PowerVR GPU in order to enable ultra-efficient accelerated 3D spatial queries. Following this, we will explore the roadmap for ray tracing in the coming years, looking ...
We tend to think of "home" as the building in which we live, or the town or city where we reside. Voyage to the edge of the known universe, and gain some perspective on the tiny planet we call home. See some of the amazing ways the universe is structured, ...
Earth Day Beach Cleanup Help keep trash out of the Bay. At Aquarium of the Bay, we try to treat every day like Earth Day-and we need your help. To celebrate Earth Day, we hold an annual beach and coastline cleanup at Aquatic Park. We hope you will join us, no experience necessary. Volunteers ...
Founded in 1973, Astronomy Day gives amateur and professional astronomers an opportunity to share their love of stargazing and its exciting discoveries with the public through displays, family-friendly activities and demonstrations, astronomy club information, and information about astronomical research and education at local colleges and universities.The Academy will partner with ...
Experience a robot showdown! Over 20 teams of high school students will compete with robots they designed and built themselves at this annual competition run by UC Berkeley's Pioneers in Engineering.
Where: BerkeleyCost:
Going Back Thru Time: Open HouseFamilies can treat themselves to a different type of Halloween. Gather around the Tule Hut and listen to stories of the "Spirits of Tyson Lagoon." They can earn treats by going to the different stations and learn about nature at Tule Ponds at Tyson Lagoon. They can pick bones from ...
Where: FremontCost:
Science Saturday: Identification DayBring your shells, rocks, insects, feathers, bones, and plants to Identification Day! Natural science experts from the Bureau of Land Management will do their best to identify those mystery flowers, feathers, and rocks from your yard, while their archaeologists will be on hand to tell you more about that mysterious ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Climate Change 101Dive into the basics of climate change! How do we know the earth is warming? What do scientists have to say? Find out the answers to these questions and more, and participate in a discussion of why we care and what we can all do to make a positive difference.Target ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
The BayMobile Visits the Bay Model Visitor CenterAquarium of the Bay's BayMobile is coming to the Bay Model! Visitors will experiment with the science of climate change and meet some of Aquarium of the Bay's animal ambassadors. All Bay Model visitors are welcome to stop by for this free hour-long program.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Find Your BalanceThe balance of the earth's natural cycle is off, but fear not! Find out the role we play in the earth's balance, and explore how new innovations–such as solar power–give us the power to return balance to our environment.Target audience: Kindergarten and up.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Marine Science in Action! 25th Discovery Day Open House at Romberg Tiburon CenterThe Barbara & Richard Rosenberg Institute for Marine Biology & Environmental SciencepresentsMarine Science in Actionthe 25th Discovery Day Open Houseat Romberg Tiburon CenterDiscovery Day is the Romberg Tiburon Center's annual open house, when we invite the public to visit our marine lab on the Bay and see marine science in ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
S^4-Super Summer Science Search™ Contest Public Information MeetingThe S^4-Super Summer Science Search™ Contest is back for a fourth year! All outgoing 6th, 7th and 8th grade students living in the Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) are encouraged to join the search this summer for fun, learning and prizes. This year students are being asked to create and ...
Where: CupertinoCost: Free
Rocks and Ice in the Solar SystemPlease join Mt. Diablo Astronomical Society for an astronomy program in the Lower Summit Parking Lot of Mt. Diablo State Park. The program starts at 7:30pm (enter the park at least 45 minutes earlier). Although there is no fee for this program there is a $10 park entrance fee.Comets, meteors, ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: 0
Jazz Under the StarsSee the first quarter moon, Jupiter, and more thru our telescopes, while listening to KCSM Jazz 91 FM. Dress warmly and come by anytime between 8:00 & 10:00 pm. Free parking in Marie Curie Lot 5.
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Stepping Out of the NestHow does research into the search for water and habitable planets, astrobiology, space biology, small satellites, advanced manufacturing, autonomous vehicles and synthetic biology make science fiction into science reality? NASA-Ames scientists have a vision for human flight from our Earthly nest to explore and live in space.Speaker: Dr. Jacob Cohen, ...
Saturday marks the kickoff of the PLUTO-PALOOZA national tour, incorporated into the Academy's Astronomy Day activities. Like the 2003 "Marsapalooza" and the 2007-2009 "Polar-Palooza," PLUTO-PALOOZA is a touring event produced by Geoffrey Haines-Stiles, who was a senior producer on the original Cosmos television series featuring astronomer Carl Sagan. The hour-long "palooza" ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Sunday, 04/26/15
YTH Live 2015YTH Live is the premier conference for trailblazing technology that is advancing the health and wellness of youth, young adults, and other underserved populations.Each year, the brightest minds in youth advocacy, health, and technology gather at YTH Live to showcase what works, share ideas and learnings, and launch new collaborations. ...
Experience a robot showdown! Over 20 teams of high school students will compete with robots they designed and built themselves at this annual competition run by UC Berkeley's Pioneers in Engineering.
Where: BerkeleyCost:
Earth Day soil sampling and testing!Wondering about lead pollution in your garden? Interested in soil ecology? Did you know the UN declared 2015 the International Year of Soils? Come celebrate Earth Day with us by doing some soil sampling across Oakland! Soils feed the world, and they're long overdue some appreciation. Targeted areas are along the ...
