A Novel Approach to OSETIThe Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is a blind search across many dimensionsâ€"space and time being the most obvious. Every good SETI researcher does their very best to make the minimal reasonable assumptions, but time and resources are always limited, so various strategic optimizations have been adopted. A potentially more efficacious ...
Please join SF Bay ACS Chapter for this exciting Wildlife Conservation Expo!The Wildlife Conservation Expo brings together many of the world’s leading wildlife conservationists in one place.Attendees can meet conservationists, hear their talks and be part of a community dedicated to saving endangered animals.The Wildlife Conservation Expo gives us the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $100 Adults, $50 Students
Biochemical Ecology of Tropical Forests Under Climate WarmingTropical forests are estimated to be the largest global terrestrial carbon sink, but this sink is highly sensitive to climate change variables including warming and altered precipitation patterns. Regional-scale tropical forest mortality events associated with high temperature and drought are increasing in the tropics, but the mechanisms by which tropical ...
Come on a fantastic journey visiting marine protected areas around the world through a stunning visual production. Led by Liz Taylor of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, we will learn about new “hope spots†that require our protection and we’ll explore the technology we use to view them, from SCUBA, ...
Eureka! is an interactive science comedy show that demystifies science in a way that is relatable, educational, and hilarious. While our guest speakers lecture, comedians riff and banter with them on stage. The audience can also win fun, silly prizes by correctly answering the guest scientist's questions.On October 4th get ...
Physical processes influence organisms and their ecology in innumerable and intriguing ways. I will discuss three examples from the marine realm where environmental physics play a potentially important role in the performance and success of shoreline species. Ocean acidification, a global-scale perturbation to the chemistry of seawater, alters predator-prey interactions ...
Gender diversity among leadership teams and the broader workforce offers demonstrated advantages for innovative thinking, job satisfaction, and corporate bottom lines. Yet the percentage of women in computing jobs has actually declined over the last 25 years, and now stands at roughly 25% in both industry and academia.Causes for this ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $25 - $100
Predator-Prey Dynamics Reveal Hidden Structure in the SeaThe average concentrations of biota in the ocean are generally low, a critical problem for ocean consumers. When we examine the biology with new tools guided by the predators themselves, we find that instead of being relatively devoid of life, the ocean is peppered with narrow hot-spots of activity. From ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
Transparency, Governance and the Next-Generation of AccountabilityCan corporations be made responsible to citizens and stakeholders within the complex contexts of inequality and power? This lecture investigates how an innovative public policy platform promoted corporate accountability.Speaker: Kweku Opoku-Agyemang, UC Berkeley
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
California Power PoliticsClimate disruption and the California drought have been mocked or marginalized in the national political debate. Are Republicans and Democrats in California similarly divided? Where can they agree on water, energy, agriculture and other issues related to the changing climate? Climate impacts such as massive forest fires, rising tides, and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Member, $7 Student
Interplanetary space is not empty; a thousand satellites orbit the Earth and a constant stream of particles emanate from the Sun in a sweeping interplanetary wind. Giant explosions occur on the Sun which can release the energy of ~1 trillion atomic bombs within 100s of seconds. These magnificent explosions can ...
Chris Field and Katharine Mach will highlight ways science and climate responses have changed since the 2015 Paris Agreement, as well as next steps for driving up ambition globally. Chris Field is the founding director of Carnegie Science's Department of Global Ecology and Melvin and Joan Lane Professor for Interdisciplinary ...
Where: SunnyvaleCost: $10 General, Free for members
If you've never heard of Atlas Obscura or the Obscura Society, mega-fans Neil Gaiman, Mary Roach, Lena Dunham, and Guillermo Del Toro will be happy to tell you what you're missing. Â And you don't have to stay out of the loop for long. Join us for an evening of exploration ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: $20 - $40 General, $10 Student
HYBRID ECOLOGIES: DISOBEDIENT OBJECTS, UNEXPECTED LANDSCAPES, AND HUMAN WONDERMENTThis talk will present and critique a new body of evolving collaborative work at the intersection of art, computer science, and design research. It will present an argument for hybrid materials,methods, and artifacts as strategic tools for insight and innovation within computing culture. The narrative will present specific new work ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
SmartGrid Seminar: Lucio Soibelman, Data Management Research with Emphasis on Buildings and Advanced Infrastructure SystemsInfrastructure systems, broadly defined to include buildings and other facilities, transportation infrastructure, telecommunication networks, the power grid and environmental systems will require more and more that engineers provide a continuous state awareness, assessment and proactive decision making for the complete life-cycle of the systems and processes they create. At this ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Teacher Workshop: Climate Change (Human and Natural) and effect on WeatherWeather on Earth is controled by water, oceans, and atmosphere. This workshop will go over the connections to each subject using online material that will help teach the principles. It will go over pre-knowledge that is required to understand climate change and weather. Hands-on lessons will be included.
Experience First Thursdays (the first After Dark each month) where we focus on one topic this time, superpowers. What’s your favorite one? Shapeshifting? Teleportation? Explore the extraordinary abilities of insects, plants, fungi, and fascinating microscopic creatures, and learn how members of our own species exceed their native capabilities through training or technology. Sharpen your ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General; $10 Members; Free for Lab Members
Cafe InquiryMeet up with rationalists, skeptics, and freethinkers south of San Francisco
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Gems and Minerals NightLifeGet ready for an evening of sparkling, shimmering science as you check out the Academy’s latest exhibit Gems and Minerals Unearthed.Grab a cocktail on the rocks, if you please and marvel at the beauty and brilliance of nearly 400 dazzling specimens from the museum’s geology collection.Dig into the world of geology ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 non-members $12 members
San Francisco City Star PartyCome join us for our monthly San Francisco City Star Party. San Francisco Amateur Astronomers (SFAA) members provide telescopes for your viewing pleasure.
Where: San FranciscoCost: FREE
What Wonderful Worlds - Exploring our Solar SystemOur knowledge about our own Solar System has increased by leaps and bounds over the past few decades due to a combination of spacecraft missions and technical advancements on groundbased telescopes. We will start with a short overview of our Solar System, with the numerous bodies now known to orbit ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Friday, 10/07/16
Birds and BotanyHike the forests, meadows and hills around Pine Flat and up Redhill with ACR Volunteer Patrick Woodworth & ACR Resource Ecologist Dave Self. We’ll be watching (and listening) for birds on the hike out. After lunch, we'll botanize as we consider the seasonal interplay between bird foods, habitat history and current activity ...
If you think your plans for serious illness are all set, think again. Congresswoman Jackie Speier, despite considerable forethought, struggled to ensure her dying loved ones were well-served. She will share her personal experiences navigating the medical system for her aging relatives. Following the congresswoman’s personal discussion, UCSF’s Dr. Rebecca ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, Free Members, $7 Students
In summer 2015 we got our first (and probably only, in your lifetime) close-up  look at Pluto. It was a good year for dwarf planets, since we also visited the warm one: Ceres. Professor Basri will talk about Pluto’s history as a planet (or not), and why it has had ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Super-resolution Image Reconstruction - Methods and Lessons LearnedAlthough there is some variation in the interpretation of the term "super-resolution" in different imaging application contexts, for computational methods it typically refers to the use of multiple images acquired at a low spatial resolution to compute a single image with increased spatial resolution. The motivation for this may be ...
Meet the stars of Fall! Join our amateur astronomers to learn about constellations. Make a star chart and then venture outside to view the night sky through a telescope. Afterwards, warm up with some hot chocolate. Bring your own binoculars or spotting scopes if you have them. Dress warmly. Fun ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Saturday, 10/08/16
Get Ready for the Great American Eclipse! - an ASP Teachers WorkshopOn August 21, 2017, the Moon will pass directly in front of the Sun, a phenomenon viewable throughout the country! Â While the path of the total solar eclipse passes through Oregon, observers in northern California will experience from a 75 to 90 percent partial solar eclipse. Â At a time when ...
Where: San MateoCost: $50
Hike and Trail Cleanup3 weeks after California Coastal Cleanup Day we will be returning to Gray Whale Cove for a visit of the upper potions of the mountain. Our hike will focus on geography and history, but we will have the opportunity for some trail cleanup along the way. Join us at Gray ...
Where: Half Moon BayCost: Free
EV Week 2016 Celebrating 5 YearsCelebrate electric vehicle innovation from solar charging solutions to the latest EVs, including test-drives in the newest fuel cell vehicles at EV Week. See why EVs are the best ride ever. Free tacos with test-drives!Proud KQED Sponsor.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Family Science & Astronomy Festival + MakerspaceAn all-day event of science workshops, hands-on workshops for children and adults, planetarium shows, a keynote lecture on "Detection of Gravitational Waves", and observation of the celestial bodies!!Keynote presentation: “Detection of Gravitational Waves†by Dr. Peter Beyersdorf of San Jose State UniversityCSM Theater, 7PM
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Light and ShadowsCelebrate the Moon with the rest of the world on “International Observe the Moon Night†! See Moon shadows; Earth’s shadow;  What is day and night, really?  Is that Saturn or is it a star? Shadows, reflections and starlight in space.Excitement for the whole family! Participate in hands-on astronomy activities ...
Where: Walnut CreekCost: $10 park fee
Detection of Gravitational WavesOm September 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) received the first confirmed gravitational wave signals. the event represents the coalescence of two black holes that were previously in mutual orbit. IGO's exciting discover provides firect evidence of what is arguably the last major unconfirmed prediction of Einstein's General ...
Where: San MateoCost: Event and Parking are free
The Search for Extraterrestrial Technologies and the Breakthrough Listen InitiativeDr. Siemion will discuss the scientific rationale behind the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and some of the recent discoveries in astrophysics that are informing�and spurring the search. �He will also review the Breakthrough Listen Project, including current observational status, early results, and plans for the future.Speaker: Andrew Siemion, UC Berkeley
Join us on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month for Marine Science Sunday - a FREE engaging ocean-inspired classroom series from our education experts.This month we celebrate Halloween with a creepy collection of stories about the animals that live in the deepest parts of the ocean! Learn how elephant seal's can dive ...
Where: SausalitoCost:
EV Week 2016 Celebrating 5 YearsCelebrate electric vehicle innovation from solar charging solutions to the latest EVs, including test-drives in the newest fuel cell vehicles at EV Week. See why EVs are the best ride ever. Free tacos with test-drives! Proud KQED Sponsor.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Low Energy Radiation from Our Home and Media AppliancesRadiation is energy (visible and invisible) emitted from specific sources.  High energy radiation (such as that emitted from radioactive material) is called “ionizing†radiation because of its ability to generate ions in its path. Lower energy radiation that does not have this effect is called “non-ionizing†radiation, examples of which ...
Wonderfest visits St. Helena's beautiful Cameo Cinema for a special screening of The Man Who Knew Infinity, with expert commentary by NPR "Math Guy" Keith Devlin. The Man Who Knew Infinityis the true story of Indian savant Srinivasa Ramanujan, arguably the greatest mathematical genius of the 20th century. Ramanujan believes his insights come from god, and ...
Where: St. HelenaCost: $15 General, $8 Student
Gazelles, Catfish and Cows: Ritual Activity in the Predynastic Settlement at el-MahâsnaIn the fall of 2000, extensive excavations within the Predynastic settlement at el-Mahâsna revealed typical domestic structures of the period as well as the remains of what has been interpreted as an early ritual structure. From deposits associated with the structure, a substantial amount of faunal remains were recovered that ...
Only 0.7% (28/4000): 28 million tonnes of CO2 currently captured per year by the 15 large-scale CCS projects need to increase to 4,000 million tonnes in 2040 to achieve the 2°C goal. We are repeatedly told that “CCS is essential,†“CCS plays a vital role,†or “CCS is currently the ...
Join Dr. Curtis W. Marean for an exploration of our human origins during this special Leakey Lecture.Scientists have identified several milestones in the evolution of the way humans find and consume food: increased meat portions, diet diversity, and the transition to food production. These changes have had far-reaching impacts on biological, behavioral, and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
An Evening with Larry BrilliantVisionary physician and spiritual seeker Larry Brilliant helped to eradicate smallpox in South Asia and to restore sight to 3.5 million blind people in 20 countries. Brilliant has worked with global leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, the Dalai Lama, and Barack Obama. Here, he will discuss his new ...
