Documenting Wildlife on the Mayacamas Come and spend the morning with ACR Volunteer, Docent and Wildlife Camera Specialist Ginny Fifield to learn about some of the wildlife that inhabits the Modini Mayacamas Preserves. We'll learn about identifying field signs of mountain lions, bobcat, coyotes and more. We will also visit two wildlife trail cameras, where ...
Join us for a stroll on Mother's Day through the rolling green hills of Fernandez Ranch. Amateur botanists Angela Pai and Lo Scheiner will lead this casual hike through oak woodlands with abundant wildflowers and open vistas.A part of the John Muir Land Trust, Fernandez Ranch has only been open ...
This month we celebrate the work taking place to help save endangered and threatened marine mammals found along the California coast and Pacific Ocean, including the massive blue whale, Steller sea lions, fur seals, and the rarest seal in the United States, the Hawaiian monk seal. Docent-led tours will take you around ...
Transit of Mercury ViewingThe planet Mercury will slowly move across (transit) the face of the Sun, appearing as a small dark dot, offering us a somewhat rare opportunity to view this historic event!The College of San Mateo (CSM) and the San Mateo County Astronomical Society (SMCAS) will provide safe viewing of the Transit in ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Transit of Mercury viewingPlease join us in this rare in a liftetime opportunity to view the morning transit of Mercury. The Planet Mercury will move directly between the Earth and the Sun. We will have available approved special filters and solar scopes to observe and view the dark disk of the planet Mercury ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: Free
Transit of Mercury viewingMercury will transit the Sun for the first time since 2006. This is a MUST see event as the next time Mercury transits the Sun will November 11th, 2019. This transit will be in progress at Sunrise and will be ending around 11 am. It will be best to show ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Transit of Mercury viewingMercury will transit the Sun for the first time since 2006. The transit or passage of a planet across the face of the Sun is a relatively rare occurrence. As seen from Earth, only transits of Mercury and Venus are possible. There are approximately 13 transits of Mercury each century! ...
Where: OaklandCost: $5
Transit of Mercury viewingFoothill College Observatory will be open from 8AM until 11:45AM for theTRANSIT OF MERCURY. While the transit is in progress at sunrise (6:04AM), the small disk of Mercury will be difficult to see until it rises a bit higher and gets into better seeing conditions. This is the first transit ...
Please join 3 disability rights and inclusion professionals in a discussion on the importance of integrating accessibility in your digital work. This discussion will highlight recent developments at the forefront of the tech and publishing industries, continuing challenges in access, and regulatory gaps in 3 areas: web content, e-publishing, and ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Food Addiction 2.0This program is an update from our previous Food Addiction program; all panelists will offer updated information. Addiction is about brains, not just about behaviors. We all have the brain reward circuitry that makes food rewarding; it's a survival mechanism. In a healthy brain, these rewards have feedback mechanisms for ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free for Members, $7 Students
Signal-based Bayesian Seismic MonitoringPerception can often be framed as the inverse of a better-understood forward process. For example, computer vision can be viewed as the inverse of computer graphics: a rendering engine computes a map from scene descriptions to image pixels, and vision systems attempt to invert this map. Bayesian inference provides a ...
The post-2015 sustainable development agenda adopted by UN Member States in September 2015 include 17 aspirational goals to be achieved by 2030. Achieving these goals will require reducing existing inequalities and deprivations while simultaneously addressing the growing environmental footprints of rising prosperity. This presentation will specifically discusses potential synergies and ...
7:00-7:25: Stan Shaff(Audium) on "Exploring and expanding the language of space in music composition and performance"Abstract forthcoming...Read more7:25-7:50: Adam Gazzaley(UCSF/ Neuroscience Imaging Center) on "TBA"Abstract forthcoming...Read more7:50-8:10: BREAK. Before or after the break, anyone in the audience currently working within the intersections of art and science will have ...
Superconductivity is perhaps the most spectacular macroscopic quantum phenomenon. A "persistent current" in a ring of superconducting wire will continue to flow forever – a laboratory realization of perpetual motion. A voltage across a junction between two superconductors produces an oscillating current with a frequency that is determined exactly by the voltage and the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Pluto MattersOur understanding of the history of the solar system has undergone a revolution in recent years, owing to new theoretical insights into the origin of Pluto and the discovery of the Kuiper Belt and its rich dynamical structure. The emerging picture is one of dramatic orbital migration of the planets ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $12 General, $8 Members, $10 Seniors
Tuesday, 05/10/16
But What About the Stellar Occultation Data of Pluto's Atmosphere?Before the flyby of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, one of the major sources of data about Pluto's atmosphere was ground-based observational data of light intensity as Pluto moved in front of a background star. From these data the temperature of Pluto's atmosphere as a function of altitude was derived using ...
Viruses are ubiquitous - and weird - little critters. Biologists can't even agree if they are truly "living" entities. But if viruses aren't alive, then how did they evolve and where did they come from? Stanford microbiologist Lauren Popov will lead us on an exploration of the mainstream hypotheses about ...
Malignant: How Cancer Becomes UsProfessor Lochlann Jain of the Anthropology Department conducts research primarily concerned with how stories are told about injuries. Her 2013 book, Malignant: How Cancer Becomes Us, explores why cancer remains so confounding, despite the billions of dollars spent in the search for a cure. It has won numerous awards, including ...
Artificial intelligence is quickly moving from science fiction to science fact. But how should industries harness AI to extract business insight from data? Drawing on a number of real-world examples from mobile apps, healthcare, and education, Michael Ludden explains how machine learning can be democratized, augmenting human understanding and knowledge ...
The ability to control the flow of water around the body dictates the performance of marine animals and technologies in the aquatic environment. Dolphins and mantas are able to swim with high efficiency and maneuver by use of oscillating propulsive surfaces. This mechanism makes these animals ideal platforms to emulate ...
Where: Moss LandingCost: Free
Moving beyond Drosophila envy: The genetics of speciation in marine invertebrateMost progress in speciation genetics has come through work on model systems like Drosophila, with particular emphasis on the special role of sex chromosomes. A more comprehensive understanding will require studies of alternative systems with different sex determination mechanisms, such as those found in a wide variety of marine invertebrates, ...
Choanoflagellates and the origin of the animal kingdomThe presentation will be on the choanoflagellates, the closest living microbial relatives to the animal kingdom, describing the biology of these fascinating organisms, what research on choanoflagellates has to tell us about the origins of the animal kingdom and of multicellularity, and about her research on choanoflagellates, including the use ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free ($2 parking)
Finding a New Earth: Exoplanets and the Habitable ZoneOver the past two decades, more than 1,500 new planetary systems have been discovered, many of which include planets quite different from those in our own Solar System. A key step toward finding "Earth 2.0" will be to identify rocky planets that occupy the "Habitable Zone" of their stars. Dr. ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
Earth Matters: What 'Virtual Earthquakes' Can Tell About the Big OneMany seismologists believe that predicting the strength of shaking in future earthquakes is more important than predicting exactly when they will occur. That is because if we know how strong the ground will shake, buildings can be designed to withstand that shaking. But predicting the strength of shaking is challenging; ...
Mushrooms in the genus Suillus are often hard to identify because of the lack of distinct morphological characters, and when present, these characters fade away with age and environmental conditions such as rain. DNA sequencing of a large set of specimens, as well as type specimens help us understand why ...
The "Internet of Things" (IoT) has become a buzzword for new technology platforms designed to monitor infrastructure and measure performance across complicated systems. Rapid global urbanization, along with mounting concerns over use of natural resources, make the application of IoT for cities and sustainability a promising nexus for innovation.The Center for Information Technology Research ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Creating Quality of Life in a Sustainable Global EconomyFollowing the successful Paris climate talks, nations are crafting policies to mitigate global warming. Building sustainable economics that provide a high quality of life for everyone is a challenge that must be accomplished in a few decades. Join our distinguished panel from the University of California Berkeley in a discussion ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, $7 Students
Whether you're a NightLife regular or rookie, Wonderfest's ORIGINS NightLife is not to be missed. It features three great speakers who will offer insights into fundamental beginnings: the origin of the cosmos, the origin of life, and the origin of civilization. Here's the schedule and line-up:7:00pm – Eliot Quataert (Director, UC Berkeley Theoretical ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
Sea Heroes: Extreme EditionPeter Willcox was captain of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior on the night in 1985 when it was bombed by French secret agents and sank off New Zealand. One shipmate was killed. Last year, a French agent who attached the mines to the hull of the Rainbow Warrior apologized for ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Members, $7 Students
Black Oystercatchers are among the most charismatic and easily identifiable residents of our rocky intertidal coastline. But with less than 20,000 individuals left worldwide, their future is uncertain. Audubon chapter members from Mendocino to Monterey (including Golden Gate Audubon! see our blog about this) are taking part in population surveys ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Free Screening of Award Winning Film 'Catching the Sun' You're invited to a free screening of the film Catching the Sun followed by a panel discussion on green jobs. Catching the Sun has won the 2016 San Francisco Green Festival award for Best Feature, and was recently named a New York Times Critics' Pick! Grist, the environmental newsline, called it "A solar documentary ...
What is soil? Well, it's certainly not dirt! Join the very knowledgeable Stephen Andrews (UC Berkeley Professor, specializing in soils) in discovering the beauty and complexity of this essential natural resource by examining the physical properties that characterize what soil is. This class will also delve into the question of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Donations encouraged
Sufficient Statistics for Imperfect Externality-Correcting PoliciesPigouvian taxes can fully correct for market failures due to externalities, but actual policies are commonly forced to deviate from the Pigouvian ideal due to administrative or political constraints. This paper derives sufficient statistics, which require a minimum of market information, that quantify the efficiency costs of such constraints on ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Future MobilitySpeaker: Stephen Zoeff,Center for Automotive Research (CARS), Stanford University
Where: StanfordCost: Free
'Human Footprint on Planet Earth'This DVD graphically illustrates the average American consumer's ecological footprint on the resources of the planet. Afterward we will discuss our own personal footprints and ways we can begin to minimize our impacts. From birth to death we consume enormous quantities of natural resources and produce equally enormous quantities of waste. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $3 donation requested
Powering a Moon Base Through the Lunar NightHow can we economically supply power to a Moon Base for humans, robots and equipment when there is no available sunlight during the 2-week lunar night? Join experts Michael Abramson, Roger Arnold and Joseph Bland for the updated results of their detailed analysis. Learn about new power technologies that can ...
oin naturalists from the California Center for Natural History and the Rotary Nature Center for a Friday the 13th night hike at Joaquin Miller Park in the Oakland hills! We'll find spiders, moths, and night-dwelling creatures that glow under UV light. Bring your headlamp, drinking water, warm layers, and hiking ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free ($20 donation requested)
Saturday, 05/14/16
SF BAY ACS 2016 Symposium: 'Our Changing Oceans'Climate change is a global issue affecting our oceans. The effects of global warming on marine mammals and other species are of growing concern. Discussing the effects of climate change on the world's oceans is critical to understanding what is changing, how is it changing, and how these changes will influence ...
Where: TiburonCost: $35-$50
Hayward Fault Walking TourOver the last million years, the natural beauty of Fremont has been shaped by the Hayward Fault. Instructors will be leading these 'ground breaking' tours and exposing the science and beauty of the Hayward Fault. This fault is one of several active faults in the world actually creeping at 5 ...
Where: FremontCost: $15
Hike the Mallard Slough TrailLook for birds, mammals, and animal tracks as we explore along the water's edge on this 3.7-mile nature walk. Bring binoculars and your favorite field guide to help enjoy the views. Have at least one liter of water, snacks, and appropriate clothing. This hike runs rain or shine. Led by ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Is a Zero Waste Lifestyle Possible?Hear from industry experts, city government, and zero-waste lifestyle advocates in a deep dive into this important environmental issue. We will discuss why diverting material from landfill is such a critical issue and will explore some of the challenges that service providers, policy makers, and consumers face today. Speakers:Beth Terry, Founder ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $35 General, $12.50 Students
It's springtime and the wildflowers in the Golden Gate National Parks have put on their best outfits to welcome us! Come join us to see an array of flowers as they parade through our national park sites and enthuse us by their colors, scent and beauty.The Park Stewardship team will ...
Our docents will share the exciting adventures that birds take on their migration through fun table activities and interesting visuals.While the Allen's Hummingbird is a familiar backyard bird here in the east bay, it has an interesting migration story - though most of these birds traditionally winter in Southern California ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with admission
Moonwatch '16: Family Night Hike & Campfire - SOLD OUTJoin NatureBridge for an evening of moon gazing! Learn about the ancient "oceans" and craters that dot the surface. Bring along your favorite pair of binoculars or borrow a pair to get a closer look at Earth's nearest celestial body. This program features a hike and campfire led by our environmental ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $12/person
The Moon : Earth's Lost RockHow would Earth be different without the Moon? How is our Earth like our Moon? Explore the Moon in telescopes.Excitement for the whole family! Participate in hands-on astronomy activities followed by supervised observing through the many different telescopes of MDAS members. See stars, nebulae, galaxies, clusters, the moon and planets ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost:
Jazz Under the StarsSee the stars and more through our telescopes, while listening to KCSM Jazz 91 FM. Dress warmly. Free parking in Marie Curie Lot 5.This event is weather dependent, so check the website before going.
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Searching for life in Ocean Worlds of the Outer Solar SystemNASA's new program, "Ocean Worlds," focuses on the many oceans in the moons of the outer Solar System. Enceladus, Europa, and Titan are of particular interest. Where do we look, and how do we search for evidence of life?Speaker: Chris McKay, NASA Ames
