Drones: Technology, Policy, and SocietyRecently, there has been an immense surge of interest in using unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, for civil applications. New drone services such as commercial package delivery, aerial surveillance, emergency supply delivery, videography, and search and rescue are coming to the fore in the US and worldwide. New ...
Learning about Black Hole and Galaxy Co-evolution using the “COSMOSâ€Observations indicate that supermassive black holes (SMBHs, 10**6-10**9 Msun) dwell at the centers of most local galaxies. Scaling relations between SMBH mass and several large-scale properties of the host galaxies point to a co-ordindated growth of galaxies and their central engines over cosmic time: they "co-evolve". Who is the leading ...
LED Lighting: Cool and BrightSpeaker: Mr. Benny Smith, Consultant, Vision SmithEditor's Note: This talk was originally scheduled on October 4.
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
The Dynamics of the Local Group in the Era of Precision AstrometryOur understanding of the dynamics of our Local Group of galaxies has changed dramatically over the past few years owing to significant advancements in astrometry and our theoretical understanding of galaxy structure. New surveys now enable us to map the 3D structure of our Milky Way and the dynamics of ...
We usually think of cells as small, simple, building blocks of life, but in fact cells are highly complex nanomachines capable of sensing their environment, moving, hunting, solving problems, and even learning. This talk will use specific examples of cells that do crazy-sounding things, such as cells that walk, cells ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Fire and Ice: Documentary Storytelling and the Climate CrisisStephen Most will speak about visual storytelling as an effective form of public education on crucial subjects that mass media tend to ignore, misrepresent or present without adequate context. He will discuss how documentaries convey experiences that enlarge the viewer's understanding. Focusing on Oil on Ice and Wilder than Wild: Fires, Forests ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members, $8 Students
From the synapses in our bodies to superconductors to Earth’s magnetic field, electricity is everywhere. Get a charge out of Van de Graff generators and Tesla coils and encounter germanium’s potential at Everything Matters.Electrified Plants With Alex Pinigis7:00 and 9:00 p.m. | Gallery 3, Webcast StudioProve Your Textbooks Wrong With Zeke Kossover7:30, 8:30, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: 17.95 advance, 19.95 door, AD members free
Extraterrestrial NightlifeExplore the mysteries beyond our solar system with a night dedicated to the search for extraterrestrials. Join experts from the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View for fascinating talks on exoplanets and life beyond Earth.Meet members of the Kepler, K2, and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) missions and learn ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
In 1971 after 800,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the bay, concerned individuals led by a registered nurse named Alice Berkner jumped into action, bringing International Bird Rescue (“Bird Rescueâ€) to life. We have always had to pave a road where there is none. Staff and volunteers work with tenacity alongside clients, partners, and ...
Detecting Dark BlobsMost current dark matter detection strategies, including both direct and indirect efforts, are based on the assumption that the galactic dark matter number density is quite high, allowing for the detection of rare scattering events. Such a paradigm arises naturally if the dark matter self-interactions are weak. However, strong interactions ...
Location matters…no compound operates in isolation without interacting with its local environment. Metalloproteins are example systems whose active sites contain intricate structures that aid the performance of specific functions with high selectivities and efficiencies. The complexity of these systems complicates the study of their function and the understanding of the ...
Wild Rivers @ 50Featuring a panel of policy and literary experts, we’ll swap stories of past successes, reflect on legislative wins, and generate new ideas for river conservation efforts moving forward. We’ll highlight priority threats for the coming years, such as Temperance Flat and the Shasta Dam raise, and emphasize the critical need ...
Where: OaklandCost: $20 - $50
The Basics of Astrophotography, Part III: USB Camera Planetary, Solar and Lunar ImagingThe presentation will give an introduction to USB camera based planetary, solar and lunar imaging. Amateurs realized the potential of digital video astronomy for 'Lucky Imaging' when the first simple PC webcams entered the consumer market. Quickly an ecosystem evolved, many individuals contributed and turned the devices made for web ...
Designathon on Tour: Urban Swarm BehaviorThe ‘Designathon on Tour’ brings together talented people from the creative economy of both cities - Zurich and San Francisco - during the weekend of October 20/21.The Swiss Designathon Team and swissnex San Francisco invite you to participate in the co-creation process on topics around urbanization and technology. The format ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 - $25
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: Free
Earthquakes: How, Why - and What to DoTo mark both the 29th anniversary week of the 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake (October 17, 1989) and Earth Science Week (October 14 - 21), join us for a morning of hands-on science activities and a lively discussion about earthquakes with science educator and author Cary Sneider (Jake and the Quake) ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
A shaky anniversary: Lessons learned since the October 21, 1868 Hayward earthquakeIn 1868, a destructive earthquake ruptured along the Hayward fault in the Eastern Bay Area, which was then referred to as the “Great San Francisco earthquakeâ€. It lost that name to the much larger 1906 earthquake on the San Andreas fault across the Bay.During the last 150 years, much research ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawk TalkThe Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and what we do here at the GGRO. Conditions permitting, a banding volunteer will bring up a newly banded hawk, talk about the banding program, and release the hawk in front of the crowd. ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Laser-Plasma Accelerators: Riding the Wave to the Next Generation X-Ray Light SourcesParticle accelerators have been revolutionizing discoveries in science, medicine, industry and national security for over a century. An estimated 30,000 particle accelerators are currently active around the world. In these machines, electromagnetic fields accelerate charged particles to velocities nearing the speed of light. Although their scientific appeal will remain evident ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Voices in the DarkJoin us for a special dusk/night hike (relatively flat) in search of the two inhabitants whose nightly sounds "haunt" many of our human visitors: The coyote and the great horned owl. Along the way, we will learn more about the secret lives of these reclusive creatures. Â Â Three hours. Five miles. ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVE THE MOON NIGHTThe 16" telescope will be open, and many PAS Members will have telescopes next to the observatory availble for viewing as well. NASA Scientist BRAIN DAY will bring his meteorite collection, Moon Rocks and even a meteoritic sample of MARS!Park in Lot #4
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free ($3 parking)
A Celebration of Mind: Mathematics, Art, and MagicMartin Gardner was considered one of the pre-eminent magicians of the 20th century, an expert on Lewis Carroll, a champion puzzler, and the creator of recreational mathematics. Every year dozens of mathematicians, artists, and magicians gather from around the country for a Celebration of Mind to play, perform, and provoke ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
City Star Party @ The ExplOratoriumCome join us for our monthly San Francisco City Star Party. SFAA members provide telescopes for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check the SFAA website for the latest updates…bad weather or overcast skies will cancel!
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Jazz Under the StarsCome peer through our telescopes and see craters on the Moon, the visible planets, star clusters, and more while we listen to CSM's very own KCSM Jazz 91 FM. Dress warmly. Free parking in Marie Curie Lot 5. Directions are available on the Maps, Directions & Parking page.
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Sunday, 10/21/18
Runyon Up Stair Climb for Cancer Research at Salesforce TowerThe Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation will be holding the first ever stair climb race up the 61-stories of the brand new Salesforce Tower (415 Mission Street, in downtown San Francisco) on Sunday, October 21st. This unique fundraising event will be held from 8:30-11:30am (with dedicated, staggered start times, beginning ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $40 entry fee (or $50 after Oct 01) + $150 pledge
Beginning BirdingCome explore the bustling birdlife that call the Marin Headlands home with volunteer Jane Haley in this easy walk along Rodeo Lagoon! Bring field guides and binoculars. Dress in layers. For ages 8 and older. No dogs. Reservation required, please call 415-331-1540.Â
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Fern ID & Keying WorkshopHow do you tell the difference between a lady fern and a wood fern? What the heck is an indusium? Why do goldback ferns have gold backs?Oaktown staff member and CCNH naturalist Angela Pai will talk briefly about fern ecology, review terminology, and lead you through keying out some of ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $20 suggested donation
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory Hawk TalkThe Hawk Talk begins at noon, when a GGRO volunteer speaks about hawk migration and identification, and what we do here at the GGRO. Conditions permitting, a banding volunteer will bring up a newly banded hawk, talk about the banding program, and release the hawk in front of the crowd. ...
Due to its spectacular abundance of marine life, Monterey Bay was designated as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992. As technology developed to explore the deep, Davidson Seamount was added to the Sanctuary in 2008. Large, ancient, and beautiful organisms inhabit this unique formation. In 2015, Sur Ridge was determined ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free with admission
Monday, 10/22/18
Emission-line galaxies in the era of cosmological surveysCosmological surveys in the next decade will contain multiwavelength information of billions of galaxies. The challenges ahead are to distinguishing between different cosmological scenarios and/or gravity models and track accurately the build-up and formation history of galaxies. In this scenario, the role of galaxy formation is enhanced by the varied ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Observational constraints on the structure of gamma-ray burst jets and lessons from GW170817 Motivated by GW170817 we examine observational constraints on the angular structure of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets. First, the relatively narrow observed distribution of the early X-ray afterglow to prompt gamma-ray energy ratio implies that at any angle that gamma-rays are emitted the Lorentz factor must be large. Specifically, the Lorentz ...
In 1868, a 6.8 or so magnitude earthquake on the Hayward fault caused a small explosion on a hillside 4 miles NE of now downtown Livermore, CA, and an oily spring started up 70 meters away. Thus started the 150-year history of oil and gas exploration and production in Livermore. ...
The Non-Hermitian Chern Insulator During the past decade, the landscape of condensed matter physics has been dominated by a desire to understand the topological nature of materials and the observable consequences that are associated with the presence of topology. To this end, topological band theory has provided a foundation that has allowed for the ...
In recent years X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) have increased by ten or more orders of magnitude in coherence and brightness. XFELs allow for the first time the exploration of the structure and dynamics of atomic, molecular, and high energy density systems at the angstrom-femtosecond space and time scale. XFELs use ...
THE HIGGS BOSON AND SEARCHES FOR NEW PHYSICS AT THE LHCDr. Kathryn Grimm of CSU-East Bay is deputy team leader of the CSU ATLAS program. She was on the team that found evidence for the Higgs Boson, and now is interested in studying the properties of the Higgs Boson, as well as searching for other new particles.
James is the founder and CEO of Trillium Technologies - a technology contractor that specializes in the application of emerging technologies to grand challenges, such as climate change, violent extremism, prevention strategies for cancer and obesity, deforestation mitigation, climate resilience and planetary defense from asteroids.
Since the signing of the Paris agreement in 2015 and its ratification in 2016, direct, large-scale management of CO2 emissions has grown in prominence. This reflects current emissions trends, policy trends, and technology advances. Specifically, major technology progress in carbon capture, CO2 conversion and use (sometimes called carbon-to-value or CO2 ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
SDN: Changing Only Everything About Networking (and IT)It’s been about eight years since Software-Defined Networking (SDN) hit the headlines with a lot of fanfare, initially as a way to disaggregate a Cisco router and reduce the operating expense (Opex) in data centers. Since that time, its more fundamental changes to everything about networking have seeped into not ...
From the iconic mission control center in Houston that guided astronauts to the Moon, to the control centers for robotic explorers that extend our senses to the solar system and beyond, mission control serves as the nerve center for decisions, planning, science, command, and control for our journeys into space. ...
Where: NovatoCost: Free
Tuesday, 10/23/18
Two Astrophysics LecturesDebris Disks and the Mystery of AU MicSpeaker: Eugene Chiang, UC BerkeleyBlack hole jets in galaxy clusters as common origins of highest-energy particlesSpeaker: Ke Fang, StanfordRoom 102/103
One Tam Wildlife Picture Index ProjectCome contribute to the Marin Wildlife Picture Index Project! This project depends on volunteer "Community Scientists" to help maintain wildlife cameras and process photos, and we are especially looking to train and retain volunteers for the long-term. At this training, we will be viewing and cataloging photos (on the computer) acquired ...
Where: Corte MaderaCost: Free
Measuring the Reionization History with Quasar Damping Wings The Lyman-alpha damping wing from neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium is predicted to be a key signature of the reionization epoch in the spectra of high-redshift quasars. There are substantial challenges in measuring and interpreting this signal, however: the intrinsic (i.e. unabsorbed) spectrum of the quasar near its Lyman-alpha ...
Digital Resilience2018 has already been rife with devastating cybersecurity breaches. Some of the most damaging include state-sponsored Russian hackers infiltrating US power companies, a data exposure of 340 million records from the marketing and data aggregation firm Exactis, and a VPN Filter malware attacks impacting more than 500,000 routers worldwide. And ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
The Technology Powering Wireless Charging 2.0The technical concepts behind Wireless Power Transmission (WPT) are fascinating, but its technology development has been slow for multiple reasons. Simply put, the idea of transmitting power to charge any electronic device without plugging in cables is not an easy feat.Early pioneering experiments by Tesla showed the feasibility of power ...
Where: Santa ClaraCost: $9 adv/$10 door general; $4/$5 IEEE members
Urban Tech Summit CeremonyJoin us to discover the results of our focused working sessions tackling the challenges of technology in urban contexts.This public event, part of the Zurich Meets San Francisco festival, follows an invite-only day Summit where key decisions makers in urban technology from government, academia and industry come together to compare the different ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Evidence of Synchronous Chorusing in North Atlantic Minke WhalesMany rorquals (blue, fin, sei, Brydes, and minke whales) communicate with pulses in the low and infrasonic frequency ranges. Research indicates that minke whales synchronize their pulsing with others, forming a chorus. Michael will introduce us to how this was discovered and why minke whales might be communicating in this ...
Where: SausalitoCost: $10 suggested donation
Examining Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whale Migratory Routes from Foraging to Breeding Grounds- RESCHEDULEDSouthern hemisphere humpback whale populations spend a large portion of the year breeding in tropical waters and migrating between this region and their summer feeding grounds in the Antarctic. They travel great distances during their seasonal migration, the farthest migration of any mammal, with distances up to 11,706 miles recorded. Despite ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15, students free with ID
October LASER Event - Santa CruzSpeakers: Peter Weiss-Penzias, "From Fog to Lions: Effects of Marine Fog on Methylmercury Bioaccumulation in Terrestrial Food Webs in California" A. M. Darke, "Games as Everyday Activism" Angus Forbes, "Creative and Critical Visualization" Susan Schwartz “Where's Waldo? Template Matching to Better Understand Fault and Glacier Motionâ€
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
The Secret Lives of the BrainIf the conscious mind - the part you consider you - accounts for only a fraction of the brain’s function, then what is all the rest doing? This is the question that David Eagleman has spent years researching and which he will answer in this state-of-the-science talk. Our behavior, thoughts, ...
You Should Know This! is where a TedTalk meets a comedy game show. Listen to experts discuss important topics you should know while comedians riff on stage and you get the chance to win fun, silly prizes for being a nerd!This month's show is Transhumanism: Merging humans with machines!Time for an upgrade! ...
Laboratory results can be linked with in situ ecological processes using unique interdisciplinary approaches. Four distinct approaches will be highlighted whose results provide insight on how marine organisms will respond to environmental change in the Anthropocene. First, time series collected by oceanographic sensors paired with manipulative laboratory experiments reveal the ...
Oasis Labs is building a privacy-first cloud computing platform on blockchain. With privacy built-in in every layer of the platform and a new blockchain architecture, Oasis is the first smart contract platform to provide security, privacy, and high scalability. Oasis technology’s unique properties and capabilities enable a broad spectrum of ...
Future Politics: Living Together in a World Transformed by TechFuture Politics author Jamie Susskind argues that rapid and relentless innovation in a range of technologies will transform the way we live together. Calling for a fundamental change in the way we think about politics, he describes a world in which certain technologies and platforms, and those who control them, ...
Most electrochemical technologies that operate under ambient conditions require ion-conducting polymer electrolytes. These polymers are passive in that electric bias drives ion migration in the thermodynamically favored direction. Recently, my group engineered two important features into passive ion-selective polymers to introduce the active function of photovoltaic action and demonstration of ...
Join us for a conversation with Tina Seelig and two alumni guests. Seelig is a professor of the practice within the Department of Management Science & Engineering (MS&E), faculty co-director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) and author. At Stanford, Seelig has taught courses on on creativity, innovation and ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Conscious Business: How Leaders Are Embedding Sustainability Principles in Their OrganizationsBusinesses are taking the lead on climate change initiatives. This panel gathers leaders at organizations that go beyond reducing their ecological footprint to demonstrating sustainability and generating a greater value with fewer resources and emissions. These leading firms are addressing both environmental impacts and the transformation of organizational culture. They are showing how to ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members, $8 Students
From the Accelerating Universe to Accelerating ScienceTwenty years ago, astronomers were astonished to learn from observations of exploding stars that cosmic expansion is speeding up. We attribute this to a mysterious “dark energy†that pervades the universe and makes up 70% of it. Scientists are working in many ways to learn more about the nature of ...
David Hochschild was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the California Energy Commission in February 2013 and fills the environmental position on the Commission. In 2001, as Special Assistant to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, he launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: $10 Genera, Free Members & Students
A Lost Library? Leonardo’s Books - RESCHEDULEDThroughout his life, Leonardo da Vinci made lists of books. His lists grew over time as a reflection of his desire to gain an education and explore different kinds of knowledge. Professor Carlo Vecce from the University of Naples will discuss Leonardo’s library based on his highly acclaimed recent book, ...
If ye value critical thinking, and if ye scorn the flim-flam man, join us, your friends. We are a group who informally discuss the latest in science or pseudoscience over good eats & ale. Sponsored by Bay Area Skeptics.WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
Where: MillbraeCost: Free
taste of science: Genomics and public healthPathogen genomics and public healthIt's been said that big data is new oil, tofu etc. In this talk, we'll interact over pint(s) to understand how big data in healthcare can be utilized to investigate the effectiveness of treatments in Type-2 Diabetes. We'll discuss the oppurtunities, challenges and limitations of big ...
