Sunrise Tour of Muir WoodsYou are cordially invited to attend a sunrise guided tour through Muir Woods National Monument. While the early hour may seem uncivilized, if not down-right obscene, sunrise is a particularly beautiful time to visit an old-growth redwood forest. Participants will be introduced to the local plant and animal residents (more ...
This month we celebrate the animals that are the champions of the cold: Animals of the Arctic. We recommend teaming our free classroom program with a Docent-led tour at 11am, 1pm or 3pm for a truly immersive marine mammal experience.Program SummaryFREE Classroom Programs: Animals of the Arctic- 12 PM and ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Whalefest Monterey SymposiumRunning in conjunction with Whalefest Monterey at the Old Monterey Wharf, a 2-day symposium is being held. See weblink for speakers and abstracts, as well as additional information.
Where: MontereyCost:
Full-Spectrum Science: RadioactivityWhat's going on inside the nucleus of an atom? Why does it spit out radiation? Did you know that you are exposed to radioactivity every day? Learn the facts about this somewhat controversial topic.Speaker: Ron HipschmanPresentations at 1:00 and 3:00
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with Admission to the Exploratorium
Thinkers and DrinkersGet ready for two of your favorite things: booze & science! You get to ask a diverse panel of brilliant scientists life's toughest questions; they get to play a drinking game and deliver answers. What's a bitcoin? Why are we attracted to jerks? Is karma real? What’s under San Francisco? Do blondes have more fun? ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15
Monday, 01/29/18
Measuring masses of galaxy clusters using CMB-cluster lensingGalaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound objects in the Universe and are excellent cosmological probes. Their power as cosmological probes, however, is currently limited by the systematics involved in the measurement of their mass. In this talk, I will discuss the method to estimate their masses using the weak-gravitational ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Timely “Big Problemsâ€, Computation, and InventionThere are significant engineering challenges ahead of us at the nexus of water, energy, and the environment. At the systems-scale, computational models can empower the study of process physics that will form the foundation for game-changing innovations to address some of the "Big Problems" of our time. In systems of ...
The Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics is hosting a film showing of "That's the Story".This film - produced by Professor J.I. Latorre (University of Barcelona) - features interviews with Professor Roy Glauber (Harvard University) who is the last surviving member of the Los Alamos Theory Group together with original material from the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Safety-Critical Control for Dynamic Legged and Aerial RoboticsBiological systems such as birds and humans are able to move with great agility, efficiency, and robustness in a wide range of environments. Endowing machines with similar capabilities requires designing controllers that address the challenges of high-degree-of-freedom, high-degree-of-underactuation, nonlinear & hybrid dynamics, as well as input, state, and safety-critical constraints ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Startups in the Baltics : Small Autonomous Robots for Urban DeliverySession Three presents a global leader in small autonomous urban robots from Estonia. Headquartered in Tallinn, CEO Ahti Heinla will discuss the history and vision of Starship; the challenges of building a disruptive AI/Robotics startup in a country not known for deep robotics and AI expertise; operating experience gained to ...
The electric power industry is undergoing a profound transformation toward a low-carbon future to address climate change. The pace of technological change has opened up new and exciting opportunities to do business better and cleaner. Customer choices are changing and expanding. Edison International (EIX) is committed to helping the State ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Nerd Nite East Bay: Firescaping, AR Vision, Bay Cocktail HistoryFlora Firewall: Fighting Fires With FlowersWildfires can burn at a rate of nearly fifteen miles per hour, so human understanding of how different plants respond to fire conditions is crucial. Firescaping looks at how aesthetic concerns interact with safety, and how a deeper knowledge of plant physiology and classification can ...
How do heritage and memory communities share collections, research and expertise with a broad public? The most mission aligned and visible internet platforms for doing this are Wikipedia and its sister projects which include the linked-open data platform Wikidata and free-media platform Wikimedia Commons. Alex Stinson will talk about the ...
IEEE Consumer Electronics Society 2018 CES DownloadThis is our annual sharing of the new and unusual things seen at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. This event has proven to be a very popular one to attend for people that are in the industry or just have a curiosity. See photos and hear explanations about ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $10 General, $5 IEEE Members, CES/IEEE Stud. Free
The Role of Krill in the Food Web rescheduled from 1.23.17Dr. Baldo Marinovic, a research biologist at Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz studies zooplankton ecology and the dynamics of ocean food webs. MS Marine sciences UCSC, PhD Zoology University Western Australia.Since 1997, he has been conducting surveys in Monterey Bay to understand what determines the distribution, ...
The high standard of living we enjoy today is made possible by catalysts Â- behind-the-scenes agents that promote chemical reactions in the vast majority of industrial processes, including production of fertilizers, gasoline and other essential products. But we have only a poor understanding of how catalysts actually work. At SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Wednesday, 01/31/18
Total Lunar EclipseThe observatory deck opens at 3 am in the early morning hours of the 31st for viewing as the "Blue Moon†turns red in this total Lunar eclipse. A Lunar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth. Bring binoculars, blankets and warm clothes. The total ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Lunar Eclipse Viewing PartyStart your day with the super blue lunar eclipse! On Wednesday, Jan. 31, from 4-6 a.m. in the Foothill College Observatory, astronomy professor Dr. Geoff Mathews will guide us through this extraordinary event. For the first time since 1866, a blue supermoon will coincide with a lunar eclipse, giving ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
Bots and Tots with Hal VarianMany observers speculate that automation will reduce the overall demand for labor in the near-term future. This may or may not be the case, but it is virtually certain that changes in the demographic composition of the population will reduce the supply of labor in most developed countries over the ...
Why Did the Robot Cross the Road? A Discussion of Social Interaction with Autonomous Technologies of the Future This presentation will discuss how human interaction with technology informs the design of non-humanoid robots such as automatic doors and autonomous vehicles. David Sirkin’s research on the design of physical interactions between humans and robots, and on autonomous vehicles and their interfaces, has been covered by The Associated Press, The Economist, New ...
Where: OrindaCost: $5 General, $1 Teachers/Students
taste of science: Illusions and Cell DeathThe virtual reality machine inside your head: Using illusions to learn about the brainWhile it may be fun to throw on an Oculus and dive to the depths of the ocean or fly through space, it’s more fun to realize that you have your own state-of-the-art virtual reality equipment! In ...
Where: Redwood CityCost: $5
To see a world in a grain of sand: Yucatan climate recorded in microfossilsCurrent climate change is the product of warming on a global scale, but it is regional climate that dictates local weather patterns and rainfall. Models of regional climate are useful in predicting changes to future resource availability but are only as good as the data on which they are based, ...
Initial operations and First Results from the NICER missionInstalled aboard the International Space Station in June 2017, NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer provides high-precision measurements of neutron stars, objects containing ultra-dense matter at the threshold of collapse into black holes. NICER will also test, for the first time in space, technology that uses pulsars as navigation beacons.Speaker: ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
A Walk Amongst Kings: King Tides WalkTake time out on your lunch break and view the highest tide of the season. Stroll the Tidelands Trail with Carmen Minch and view how tidal marshes help prevent flooding of manmade infrastructure and help to reduce the impacts of sea level rise.
Where: FremontCost: Free
Photovoltaic Microinverter SystemsSolar Power and Photovoltaic technology is advancing quickly in the industry. Enphase Energy is a leader in developing technologies to meet the market demands. This talk will introduce basic concepts around solar systems. It will address the disadvantages of traditional systems versus the advantages of advanced microinverters from Enphase Energy. ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
The Future Of Cybersecurity And Trends In Technological Risk: Implications For US Foreign Policy And PoliticsJonathan Reiber is a Senior Fellow and writer at Berkeley's Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. He focuses his research and writing on resilience, national contingency planning, and cybersecurity in the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to his appointment at Berkeley, Mr. Reiber held a number of positions in the Obama Administration within ...
Wildlife photojournalist and National Geographic fellow Joe Riis, who has documented the migrations of pronghorn, mule deer, and elk in Wyoming for more than a decade, will give a multimedia presentation and book signing of his new book, Yellowstone Migrations. A reception begins at 5:30 pm with the program at ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Climate Chaos and Local Resilience: Water Solutions in the American WestClimate chaos looks different in different places, and in the West, it's all about water: drought, floods, fires, unhealthy drinking water. Communities across the West are facing these challenges in interesting and unique ways. Carpe Diem West supports a network of diverse western water leaders who are implementing innovative and equitable ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $8 Members, $7 Students
SexplorationsSex involves the transfer of genetic information that has resulted in evolution and specialization - and one of the hottest evenings in town, scientifically speaking. Discover some surprising ways that sperm and eggs come together. Lose yourself in over 650 interactive exhibits exploring perception, art, and science at our adults-only After ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $17.95 advance, $19.95 at the door
Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz - Planets: Inside and OutJoin us for our inaugural Astronomy on Tap. We will begin mingling on the 2nd floor beginning at 6:00pm. The theme for our kick-off will be “Planets: Inside and Outâ€. We’ll hear from Professor Jonathan Fortney, Director of UCSC’s Other Worlds Laboratory, as well as graduate student researchers Diana ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Cafe InquiryMeet up with rationalists, skeptics, and freethinkers south of San Francisco.Cafe Inquiry is a social event hosted by the Center for Inquiry|San Francisco.For more information or if you have questions please email sf@centerforinquiry.net
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
The Science of Cannabis: The Environmental Impact of Large Scale Cannabis CultivationThe current system for growing cannabis has caused significant environmental degradation due to pollutants, heavy water use, clear cutting natural areas, and other man-made impacts. What are the current environmental issues, and how can they be addressed as cannabis production scales.Speaker: Amanda Reiman, Flow Kana
Where: BerkeleyCost: $40 General, $35 Members
Year of the Dog NightLifeGet a second chance to kick off a new year when NightLife rings in the Year of the Dog with a night devoted to canine companions and Lunar New Year traditions.-----> Begin the celebration with a powerful lion dance performance and ceremony by SF’s own Jing Mo Athletic Association, a ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
The Stanford Peace Innovation Lab: Designing Technology for a More Peaceful WorldThere are many ways to measure violence, but until the last decade there weren’t any good ways to measure peace. However, as billions more sensors get embedded in our environment every year, and as those sensors become ever better at detecting human social behavior, we can now measure positive interactions ...
First Friday Family Night at CuriOdysseyFamilies with small children can swing into the weekend with music, science, food and fun! On the first Friday of every month, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., parents and kids celebrate together at CuriOdyssey. Dance to live music including soul, funk and jazz of the 60’s and 70’s. Purchase ...
Where: San MateoCost: $12.50-9.50 / Free with Admission / Members Free
$5 Fridays: Film and AnimationJoin us as we celebrate Film and Animation as a kickoff for the Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival taking place at Chabot on February 24th & 25th! Star in a collaborative animated movie using your whole body and fun props to create magical animations with Berkeley City College at ...
Where: OaklandCost: $5
Direct Detection of Dark MatterThe LZ experiment is a next-generation dark matter direct detection experiment, to be located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. When completed, the experiment will be the world’s most sensitive experiment for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) over a large range of WIMP masses. LZ is ...
Experience 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 ...
Look 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. Rain cancels hike. Led by Steve Stolper. RESERVATIONS ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Shark DayMSI loves sharks! Our special Shark Day invites one and all to learn about these amazing creatures, from the great whites that swim just off our ocean shores, to the gentle Leopard sharks that are common in our Bay. We will be feeding and touching our local Leopard sharks in ...
