Modeling Galaxies in the Era of Precision Cosmology: An open source approach with HalotoolsIn this talk, I will review how models of the galaxy-halo connection can provide constraints on cosmology and insight into galaxy formation physics. Theoretical predictions in conventional formulations of these models are plagued by persistent systematic errors, for example due to uncertainty associated with "assembly bias". As galaxy surveys continue ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
On the structural representation of silenceOne of the most prominent and widespread features of human language is that much of what we communicate is actually left unspoken. The linguist's job is to understand how this silent content interacts with linguistic utterances. In this talk, I consider several cases of constituent ellipsis like the English examples ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
National Engineers Week: Tower ConstructionDesign, build and test a structure able to support a test mass at a height satisfying the design requirement.Programs are designed for Grades 3-8 and participants will be grouped with children of comparable age. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
SUPER-EARTH OR SUPER-VENUS?Dr. James Lloyd of Cornell University will describe his work regarding extrasolar planets.The rapid growth in discovery of planets transiting their parent star has resulted not only in an abundance of known extrasolar planets, but planets for which interior composition may be inferred by density and atmospheric composition inferred by ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Climate RefugeesA "climate refugee" is a person displaced by climatically induced environmental disasters such as droughts, desertification, sea level rise and extreme weather events (hurricanes, cyclones, fires, mass flooding and tornadoes). All this is causing mass global migration and border conflicts. For the first time, the Pentagon now considers climate change ...
Wind and solar energy installations have grown rapidly in recent decades as their costs have fallen. Will these trends continue, thereby allowing these technologies to contribute measurably to climate change mitigation? This talk addresses the topic by considering both the past and the future. We will discuss why solar energy ...
TensorFlow™ is an open source software library for numerical computation using data flow graphs. The flexible architecture allows you to deploy computation to one or more CPUs or GPUs in a desktop, server, or mobile device with a single API. TensorFlow was developed by researchers and engineers working on the ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Fight for WaterThis historical documentary, set during the 2009 California Water Crisis, follows the stories of two Central Valley farmers. They discuss how water restrictions and environmental regulations have threatened their way of life, their American dream and their community. The crisis point was an environmental ruling to protect an endangered fish ...
For over a half century, astronomers engaged in SETI-the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence-have pointed radio telescopes to the heavens, seeking scientific evidence for life beyond Earth. If we succeed in detecting a signal from another world, what should we say in response? Should we do more, right now, to make ...
The Breakthrough Initiative - Listen and Megastructures at KIC 8463Dr. Andrew Siemion, Director of the Berkeley SETI Research Center (BSRC) at the University of California, Berkeley, will present an overview of the Breakthrough Listen Initiative, 100-million-dollar, 10-year search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Dr. Siemion will also discuss other SETI efforts ongoing at the BSRC, including the successful citizen science project SETI@Home, ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
National Engineers Week: Drone DesignImagine a remotely operated aircraft able to perform a specific mission and construct a prototype model.Programs are designed for Grades 3-8 and participants will be grouped with children of comparable age. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Dr. Cicerone will review up-to-date data on temperatures of air and water, rates of ice losses and of sea-level rise and illustrate the driving forces of greenhouse gases in an energy-balance model of Earth.Speaker: Dr. Ralph Cicerone, President, National Academy of SciencesRoom: Pauley Ballroom
Earth Under WaterNational Geographic explores the potential effects of sea level rise on our civilization over the next few centuries. "Earth Under Water" explains the science behind the prediction of sea level rise and shows what will happen if the levels rise with increasing speed. Then, we fast forward to the 23rd ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
There Once Was An IslandWhat if you had to leave your home forever? Takuu, a tiny atoll in Papua New Guinea, contains the last Polynesian culture of its kind. Facing escalating climate-related impacts, including a terrifying flood, community members Teloo, Endar and Satty take us on an intimate journey to the core of their ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Future of Urban TransportGetting around a city is a real pain. Whether it's horrible pollution or congested streets, innovations are coming to change the way people get around their city centers. Join the founder of the cloud connected Bolt Motorbikes, Dr. Nathan Jauvtis, as he showcases some of the innovative technology named the ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: Free
A Cancer in the Family: Take Control of Your Genetic InheritanceThere are an estimated 13 million people diagnosed with cancer in the United States, and about 1.3 million of these cases are hereditary.Dr. Ross is a leading researcher on cancer susceptibility genes. Using her own family's story and experiences as a practicing physician, Dr. Ross shares how to get treated ...
Where: Palo AltoCost:
Golden Gate Cetacean Research Organization: The Porpoises and Dolphins of the SF Bay AreaGolden Gate Cetacean Research biologists, Jon Stern, Bill Keener and Izzy Szczepaniak, will present the results of their newest research on the porpoises and dolphins of San Francisco Bay, providing an update since their last talk for ACS in 2012. The team has been studying two species, harbor porpoises and ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $5 Donation goes toward Student Research Grants
Saturn's Rings - New Discoveries from the Cassini MissionOn Tuesday morning before sunrise, find Saturn near the brightest star of Scorpius, Arcturus. Imagine the Cassini spacecraft, launched in 1997, still orbiting that beauty of the Solar System.Speaker: Robert French, SETIThis month's what's up by member Ken Coates, who will reveal findings from another member of our Solar System, ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
An Ethical Philosophy of Land Use: How to Care for Our Only WorldMany would call Wendell Berry the grandfather of organic farming in America. Others would call him an activist, a poet or a prophet. His writing is grounded in the notion that one's work ought to be rooted in and responsive to one's place. His books include the novel Hannah Coulter, ...
Just imagine, every sensor, every machine has it's own IP adress. This opens formidable opportunities, for instance, in manufacturing, building technologies, energy management and healthcare. In order to realize this vision: machines have to speak the same language.Speaker: Florian Machahelles, Siemens
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
National Engineers Week: Flight SimulationExplore the capabilities of an experimental test aircraft in a special flight simulation mission.Programs are designed for Grades 3-8 and participants will be grouped with children of comparable age. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
Pace of Change: Silicon Valley and the West WingTech entrepreneurs and policy wonks share a common desire to understand and shape the world, but often have different views, tools, and models for impact. Hear an inside perspective from two former members of President Obamaâs White House team about how tech policy and presidential priorities intersect, and how technology ...
The Montreal Protocol has limited global uses of chemicals that deplete stratospheric ozone. Dr. Cicerone will compare its features and success with unsuccessful (to date) efforts to stabilize global climate by limiting greenhouse gas concentrations such as carbon dioxide.Speaker: Dr. Ralph Cicerone, President, National Academy of SciencesRoom: Pauley Ballroom
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Fight for WaterThis historical documentary, set during the 2009 California Water Crisis, follows the stories of two Central Valley farmers. They discuss how water restrictions and environmental regulations have threatened their way of life, their American dream and their community. The crisis point was an environmental ruling to protect an endangered fish ...
Where: GilroyCost:
The San Francisco Foundation: Building Climate Equity and Community ResilienceClimate change will be a threat multiplier for communities in the Bay Area: rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, spreading drought and wildfire will increase the health and wealth inequities our region is already facing. The San Francisco Foundation is investing in communities and the environment to build climate equity and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Member, $7 Student
Exploring California's Hydroscapes Since 2009, John Krachewski has written quarterly photo essays for the Groundwater Resources Association of California - Hydrovisions newsletter. This scenic presentation will take you on a tour of California's hydroscapes and provide insights into groundwater, water resources, and environmental issues. Explore groundwater springs in northern CA, wetlands restoration in ...
Where: OrindaCost: $5 & $1 for teachers & students
Black Girls CODE has set out to prove to the world that girls of every color have the skills to become the programmers of tomorrow. Join Smithsonian Ingenuity award winner and Black Girls CODE founder Kimberly Bryant as she works to empower girls of color to become innovators in STEM ...
Thinking about going electric? About five years after "real" electric vehicles became widely available, about 22 models are on the market and 400,000 cars with plugs are cruising American roads. EVs are fast, fun and clean. Some run on electricity only, others run on electricity and then switch to gasoline ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
'Merchants of Doubt'Join Earth Island Journal and the David Brower Center on February 24 for a screening of Merchants of Doubt, a documentary that lifts the curtain on pundits-for-hire paid by large corporations to cast doubt on scientific studies and spread confusion about a range of public threats, from toxic chemicals to ...
If 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.(4th Wednesday each month except November and December)
Rock IdentificationClub member Jordan Makower gives a hands on talk on rock identification.
Where: Los AltosCost: Free
It all comes together at the ends: telomeres, telomerase, and human diseaseThe DNA strands that constitute the human genome are capped by protein-DNA structures called telomeres. Much like the small piece of plastic at the end of a shoelace (called an aglet) that serves to prevent the lace from unraveling, telomeres help to maintain the structural integrity of the genome. It ...
National Engineers Week: Mars LanderExplore the rigors of entry, decent and landing and build a device able to help a fragile cargo survive a drop landing test.Programs are designed for Grades 3-8 and participants will be grouped with children of comparable age. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Water DetectivesIn Matamoros, Mexico, a severe water shortage led to a one-of-a-kind solution: The city put local children in charge of changing adults' attitudes and habits. Thousands of schoolchildren were enlisted as "water detectives." Educated about resource conservation, they were encouraged to discuss proper water usage with adults and were authorized ...
Explore extreme weather and its impact on our planet as renowned scientists expand your mind with informative talks about the science of climate and the environment.In African Hall, learn about "The Misconceptions of El Nino" with Jan Null of San Jose State Meteorology. Plus, discover "Why Everyone is Talking About ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
Osteoporosis: Prevention and TreatmentOver 50% of women and 25% of men over the age of 50 will sustain a fragility fracture due to osteoporosis. This talk will address risk factors, prevention and treatment options, as well as common questions about lifestyle, dietary supplements, and medications. The latest in osteoporosis research will also be ...
Learn the distinguishing characteristics of age-related memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and what we can do to protect ourselves.Speaker: Sharon Sha, MD, Stanford
Accidents of Gold Rush merchant marine navigation transformed a seismic disaster into a seminal discovery and led to San Francisco's extreme liquefaction vulnerability today.Just about everything that we love about the Bay area is brought to us by the faults. We enjoy their daily fruits and so must live with ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Welcome to the Fungi KingdomWinter rains bring forth the Kingdom Fungi! Delve into this strange world with Naturalist Trent Pearce of the East Bay Regional Park District. Learn what differentiates fungi from plants and animals, and meet a few of our common fungal genera.
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman: The Last DoublingIs growth always good? The biggest threat to our existence on planet Earth isn't asteroids-it's us. Why can't our population continue to grow? Learn about the exponential function and the conclusions we can draw from it.Join Exploratorium scientist Ron Hipschman for colorful explorations of the physical world.Part of After Dark ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $10 Members
Friday, 02/26/16
Fungi of TuleThe moist area during the winter and our mild climate is ideal for fungi to grow. Fungi are important to the environment as they decompose plant material that produces nutrients for other plants.
Where: FremontCost: Free
National Engineers Week: Water RocketsInvestigate Newton's Third Law and launch a high performance water rocket with an optimized fin configuration.Programs are designed for Grades 3-8 and participants will be grouped with children of comparable age. Space is limited. Advance registration is required.
Where: San CarlosCost: Free
Water DetectivesIn Matamoros, Mexico, a severe water shortage led to a one-of-a-kind solution: The city put local children in charge of changing adults' attitudes and habits. Thousands of schoolchildren were enlisted as "water detectives." Educated about resource conservation, they were encouraged to discuss proper water usage with adults and were authorized ...
Leila Takayama, a thought leader in the field of human and robot interaction will discuss her experience at Willow Garage and her thoughts on the future of the field at large.Leila will share her experiences for about an hour, and a food & drink reception will follow.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Earth Under WaterNational Geographic explores the potential effects of sea level rise on our civilization over the next few centuries. "Earth Under Water" explains the science behind the prediction of sea level rise and shows what will happen if the levels rise with increasing speed. Then, we fast forward to the 23rd ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Saturday, 02/27/16
Heart Month Community TalksGet heart smart! Join us for American Heart Month and learn the latest from Stanford Medicine experts about preventing heart disease, identifying your risk factors and choosing options for treatment. Together, we can help keep your heart healthy and happy.Choose one or two sessions:Topics Dear to Your Heart: Women's Heart ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of this 535-acre preserve. Our half-day guided nature walks are on Saturdays throughout fall and spring. 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 ...
Where: Glen EllenCost: Donations appreciated
34th Annual San Francisco Middle School Science Fair on Display Awards CeremonyThe Randall Museum, in partnership with the California Academy of Sciences, is proud to announce the 34th Annual SF Middle School Science Fair. Approximately thirty public and private schools participate in this citywide program, which is designed to promote and recognize the efforts of student scientists. The science fair projects ...
Why are slugs slimy? How does a worm see without eyes? Is a pill bug really a bug? Discover the answer to these questions and more as we dig down into the dirt to learn more about these tiny critters and the large role they play in our ecosystem for ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Trekking the ModelJoin a Ranger guided tour of the Bay Model, a 1.5-acre hydraulic model of San Francisco Bay and Delta. Discover the stories of the two major operations that took place at this location between 1942–2000.
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Roboticist Kevin Roche presents ThinBot, the cocktail serving robot, and other cool machinesIBM research scientist and roboticst Kevin Roche comes to us with his award-winning cocktail serving robot, ThinBot, along with other cool machines. Roche will present ThinBot and Arthur-9, plus show a video of some of his robot tools at the IBM lab. Please note that NO alcohol will be used and ...
Where: LivermoreCost: Free
The Fight for WaterThis historical documentary, set during the 2009 California Water Crisis, follows the stories of two Central Valley farmers. They discuss how water restrictions and environmental regulations have threatened their way of life, their American dream and their community. The crisis point was an environmental ruling to protect an endangered fish ...
Where: San JoseCost:
Family STEM Overnigher5th Annual Spectrum of Science Family Overnighter! In a galaxy far, far away .. It's a slumber party like no other! Spend the night at The Tech. Star Wars themed hands on science labs & a private viewing of The Force Awakens! Includes dinner, breakfast, hands on science & The ...
Where: San JoseCost: Members $109;Nonmembers $119
Science Fiction or Science Fact?Is science made up of hard data, meticulous observation AND wild imaginings, beliefs, and stories? In this new lecture series, explore how science and science fiction feed into one another as we move toward an exciting science-fueled future. Guest speakers will include sci-fi authors, scientists, and experts in the search ...
Don't have an outdoor space for growing plants? Love that tropical feeling indoors? Come learn how to care for indoor plants and make lovely and unique selections with Brian Petraska. Brian, known as the Orchid Guy, is an expert on Indoor tropical and an excellent teacher of their care. Plants ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $20 General, $15 Members
Marine Mammal Parents and PupsIn preparation for Valentine's Day, this month we celebrate love under the sea with Marine Mammal Parents and Pups in a fun, educational way for both kids and adults. We recommend teaming our free classroom program with a Docent-led tour at 11am, 1pm or 3pm for a truly immersive marine mammal experience. Read ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Silicon Valley Reads Film FestivalCome spend a day watching the 2016 Silicon Valley Reads Documentary film festival. This Year's Silicon Valley Reads THeme was "Chance of Rain?"The Films:Climate RefugeesThe Fight for Water: A Farm Worker StruggleLiquid AssetsBlue Gold: World Water WarsThere Once Was An Island Silicon Valley Reads continues through March 25th. For a complete ...
Where: CupertinoCost: free
Full-Spectrum Science with Ron Hipschman: The Last DoublingIs growth always good? The biggest threat to our existence on planet Earth isn't asteroids-it's us. Why can't our population continue to grow? Learn about the exponential function and the conclusions we can draw from it.Presentations at 1:00 and 3:00
