Gaussian Processes for Leisure and ProfitI'll discuss two new applications of Gaussian Processes to cosmology, especially the analysis of quasar spectra. First I'll talk about building a fast model (an emulator) for simulations of the Lyman-alpha forest, providing interpolation of a comparable accuracy to the statistical error from the upcoming DESI survey. Then I'll discuss ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Cognitively Inspired Artificial Intelligence for Neuroscience Advances combining artificial intelligence techniques with computational neuroscience have shown that time-averaged neural responses in the primate visual and auditory systems can be modeled with reasonable accuracy by task-optimized deep neural networks. I'll discuss our lab's recent work to broaden and deepen these results, using convolutional recurrent networks to model ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Hybrid Forecasting Systems for Integration of Large-Scale Solar Power PlantsIncreasing penetration of weather-dependent renewable power into the electric grid requires strategies for coping with generation variability. Of the existing solutions, renewable energy forecasting is the cheapest and most readily deployable for both distributed generation and utility-scale central station power plants. Our group at UC San Diego has developed a ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Magnetic relaxation dynamics in dysprosium complexesFollowing our discovery of the first dysprosium metallocenium cation, [Dy(Cpttt)2][B(C6F5)4], which is the vanguard of the new generation of high-temperature single-molecule magnets, we have been investigating the magnetic relaxation dynamics of various dysprosium-based single-molecule magnets (SMMs) by experimental and theoretical techniques. Here we present our recent results in unravelling the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Advances in Precision Measurement with Electron MicroscopyThis seminar will discuss recent advancements in measurement with electron microscopy. While a single image from a high-resolution electron microscope can determine can 2D positional information with sub-angstrom resolution, only recently has been it become possible to determine individual atomic coordinates in 3D. The application of this method to nanomaterials ...
Reproducibility is a growing issue in modern science - situations with high impact results in, e.g., social sciences, medicine and even biology and chemistry is often described as a crisis. Physics stands out as arguably the most reproducible discipline due to very high and universally applied standards. Reconstruction of pioneering ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
People and Robots Seminar - RESCHEDULEDSpeaker: Scott Niekum, University of Texas, AustinThis event has been rescheduled for April 15.A new speaker will be announced for this date.
Preventing dangerous climate change is an “area under the curve†problem, as total emissions over time must not exceed a trillion tons of carbon. The imperative, then, is focusing on strategies that offer speed and scale in carbon reduction. Ten policies, applied to 20 countries, can land us at a ...
Research in the Farkas group involves the development and use of molecular tools in order to study, image, and treat cancer subtypes. Significant advances have been made in understanding and treating cancer, however, there remain many unknowns, especially in the arena of how and why particular diseases become aggressive and ...
The ancient Egyptian site of Tebtunis lies at the southern edge of the Fayum depression, a fertile region in the western desert fed by a branch of the Nile. Today, as in antiquity, this area was exploited for its rich agricultural production, which led to the establishment of new settlements ...
Large-Scale Structure with 21cm Intensity Mapping In this talk I will discuss several aspects of using the 21cm Intensity Mapping (IM) as a Large-Scale Structure (LSS) probe in order to better constrain the cosmological parameters. I will start with a Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) reconstruction method intended for 21cm IM observations at low redshifts. I will ...
In recent years, optically probed nitrogen-vacancy (NV) quantum defects in diamond have become a leading modality for magnetic, electrical, and temperature sensing at short length scales (nanometers to millimeters) under ambient conditions. This technology has wide-ranging application across the physical and life sciences from NMR spectroscopy at the scale of ...
Opening Night: How to Build a HouseJoin us for the opening reception for the exhibition, How to Build a House: Architectural Research in the Digital Age. The exhibition focuses on the DFAB House and the work of Gramazio Kohler Research at Swiss university ETH Zurich.The exhibition, created by Gramazio Kohler Research and the chair for Digital ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Vision+Light: A Conversation with Paul Alivisatos and Kate NicholsHow can artists and scientists work together to create innovative new work? Bay Area artist Kate Nichols synthesizes nanoparticles to mimic structurally colored animals, grows artificial skin from microorganisms, and makes her own paints, following fifteenth-century recipes. The long tradition of painters as material innovators inspired Nichols to ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
March Laser Event - Santa CruzLeonardo Art & Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER) is an international program bringing together artists, scientists, and scholars for presentations and conversations. On March 12, LASER will be coming to Rio Theater and will feature stimulating performances and presentations by:Marianne Weems, UC Santa Cruz: "'Liveness' in a digital world" Alexie Leauthaud, ...
Did you know that even today, cattle, sheep, and goats graze more than a third of the East Bay - and almost two-thirds of the 120,000 acres owned by the East Bay Regional Park District?Denise Defreese, the Park District’s wildlands vegetation program manager, outlines the fascinating history of grazing in ...
Joel Sartore is an award-winning National Geographic photographer, Fellow, and founder of the National Geographic Photo Ark. He has traveled the world, documenting wildlife for close to 40 National Geographic articles. In 2005 Sartore’s wife was diagnosed with cancer and he spent a year at home caring for her. Reflecting ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: $40 General, $20 Students
Wednesday, 03/13/19
DFAB HOUSEJoin us for deep conversation focused on the issues raised by the exhibition, How to Build a House: Architectural Research in the Digital Age. The exhibition focuses on the DFAB House and the work of Gramazio Kohler Research with Digital Building Technologies at Swiss university ETH Zurich.The exhibition examines the digital transformation ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Challenges at the entanglement frontier: Quantum Computing AlgorithmsThe Center for Quantum Coherent Science presents The Spring 2019 Berkeley Quantum Science and Technology Seminar. Join the group for talks and conversations over refreshments. Talks feature distinguished scientists in the fields of Math, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, and Computer Science.Speaker: John Preskill, CaltechNote new location
PittSmartLiving is a $1.4M 3 year National Science Foundation project hosted in University of Pittsburgh to reduce public transit congestion by designing a market connecting travelers with time-sensitive local business coupons. It funds three labs: Data, Systems, and Human Behavior. We look at the social science side of the question ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Teacher Workshop: Biogeology - integration of biological and geological principles from soil to pond ecologyCollecting data on energy release from compost;Â decomposers found in compost; soil classification; creating soil from biological and geologic componenets; measuring food waste that turns to compost and record observation; learn how to make a compost lab on campus while preventing food waste going to landfillsLearn about the different food ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Countering Infrastructural Violence: Pro-Poor Financing of Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in African CitiesHundreds of millions residing in urban areas of the developing world do not have access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services. While policy has largely focused on the financial investments required, other scholars argue the real problem is “infrastructural violence,†a form of indirect violence in which elite ...
Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are revolutionizing the solar cell research field - the record power conversion efficiency of MHPs based solar cells has reached 23%, which rivals that of silicon solar cells. What is particularly exciting about MHPs is that they can be manufactured into solar cell devices at low-cost ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Teaching for LearningWhen we think of the task of teachers as facilitating learning rather than as delivering information content it leads to a profound shift in how we teach and what we stress in the process. I will talk about the ideas and research base underlying the "Framework for k-12 Science Education" and ...
We humans often do battle with creepy invaders of our living spaces. This lively talk will present the latest research on the biology, detection, and control of the villainous house guests that occupy the crevasses of our homes. You might be surprised to find which room in your home is ...
NASA's New Horizons made history when it flew by Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, nicknamed 'Ultima Thule' on New Year's Day of this year. Today, even though only 10% of the scientific data that the spacecraft collected has been sent to Earth, New Horizons has provided an amazing glimpse into ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Managing California Water in a time of ChangeMention California water and inevitably comments arise about water wars, adages about fighting about water and drinking whiskey, and a whole host of seemingly intractable and contrary statements on what the challenges are and what the solutions are. Whatever one thinks the challenges are, they are all made far more ...
The Modern Elder and the Intergenerational WorkplaceWhat can fifty-somethings bring of value to companies that are mostly twenty-somethings, and vice versa? A needed blending of depth with currency.Chip Conley, a long-time hotelier (Joie de Vivre Hospitality) and author (Peak; The Rebel Rules; Emotional Equations), was hired at 52 by the drastically youthful, disruptive startup Airbnb to ...
Welcome to our 32nd annual π Day! Help us celebrate this never-ending number (3.14159 . . .) and Einstein's birthday as well. On the afternoon of Thursday, March 14, 2019, visit us for Community Pi Day, participate in π-related activities, and enjoy a piece of pie. Founded at the Exploratorium by our own Prince of ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Pay what you wish
The Star-Formation History of the Universe revealed by gamma raysThe light emitted by all galaxies across the history of the Universe is encoded in the intensity of the extragalactic background light (EBL), the diffuse cosmic radiation field at ultraviolet, optical, and infrared wavelengths. The EBL is a source of opacity for high-energy γ rays via the photon-photon interaction, leaving ...
The many phases of massive galaxies In past years, large and deep photometric and spectroscopic surveys have significantly advanced our understanding of galaxy growth, from the most active time in the universe (z~2) to the present day. In particular, the evolution in stellar mass, star formation rate, and structure of complete galaxy samples have provided independent ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Grid Voltage Regulation with Distributed Energy ResourcesUtilities manage voltage drop along feeder circuits that can extend tens of miles. According to industry standards, a utility is obligated to keep the voltage at each service within 5% of its rated values. It usually accomplishes this using distributed capacitor banks and voltage regulators - automatically adjustable load-tap - ...
Feeling a little irrational? How about transcendental? Excited to taste some math puns? Don’t miss the Exploratorium’s favorite holiday - after all, we made it up - and make sure to taste some savory, sweet, and mathematically specific baked goods at Pairings: Pie. Mmmmm, circle constants!
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 door, $0.00 with A.D. membership
AI NightLifeAn electric and eclectic night awaits as NightLife investigates artificial intelligence and the ways in which it’s already transforming our world. Explore immersive experiences, AI, blockchains, and other technological innovations that will shape our future with interactive projects by students at the California College of the Arts and other Bay Area ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members
Trying to decide how you're going to celebrate Pi Day (3.14) this year? Avoid the congested airports and typical math holiday madness, and join us instead for Ask a Scientist's Pi Day Puzzle Party a boisterous math and logic puzzle competition, hosted by Juliana Gallin and Wes Carroll. You can compete solo or ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: free
Linguistics: making sense from noiseLanguage is a ubiquitous part of our lives, yet most of us give little conscious thought to the many linguistic choices we make every day. Why do we sound the way we do, and choose the words we say? How do other people perceive our speech? What’s so difficult about ...
WHAT: Australia’s Psychic Detectives and Psychic “Predictionsâ€Just how many crimes have so-called Psychic Detectives solved in Australia? How do their claims stack up against the results? Do Police really call upon the paranormal to find missing people? Join Australian Skeptic Richard Saunders as he examines some famous crimes and the ...
Single-Cell BioMEMS Tools for Monitoring Cancer ImmunotherapyI will begin with discussing a novel bioMEMS device technology for single-cell immune function profiling, in particular, the co-detection of 40+ cytokines/chemokines at the level of single cells, representing the highest multiplexing recorded to date for a single-cell protein secretion assay. I will describe how this microdevice called ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Lectures & Lasers - Space in your Face!: Food in SpaceSpace in Your Face! is a variety show combining science and art to yield a highly immersive and engaging event. Hosted by astrobiologist Julia DeMarines. Lecture is at 7:00
Pine Flat History with Author and Local Historian Joe Pelanconi - CANCELEDCome and enjoy this casual walk through Pine Flat with Joe Pelanconi, author of Quicksilver Mining in Sonoma County: Pine Flat Prospect Fever. You’ll learn about the mercury-mining boom-town of the mid-1870’s and some of the personalities involved. Joe tells some great stories based on his research, and his book about Pine ...
Where: GeyservilleCost: $20 suggested donation
Habitat Restoration: Marin StablesSprinkle or shine, meet your friends and family at Marin Stables for a day of habitat restoration. Have a fun morning pulling broom and then enjoy Cowboy Chili with all the fixin’s at noon! Meeting location Marin Stables, end of Wood Lane, off Porteous Ave in Fairfax. Family friendly.Please bring ...
Where: FairfaxCost: Free
Guided Nature WalkExperience the beauty and rich natural history of this 535-acre preserve. Our 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 and flower-carpeted oak woodland. Guided Nature Walks begin at 10:00am ...
Calling All Eco-Explorers! Youth ages 5-15 will be up to their elbows in FREE, hands-on activities. Learning through fun interactive, nature science experiences and regional field trips, your kids will find out all about the Bay Area ecosystem and become the next generation of Citizen Scientists! We have extended Welcome ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free
Are red dwarf planets habitable?Much recent news about exoplanets has concerned the discovery of earth-sized planets in the “habitable zone†of “red dwarf†stars. This is partly because such planets are more easily found around small stars, and partly because most stars are red dwarfs. Can planets in the habitable zone around a red ...
MSI takes to the tidepools for a treasure hunt of nature's beautiful intertidal secrets. We'll spend our time taking advantage of the low tide to reach the outer edges of Bean Hollow.
Where: PescaderoCost: $20
San Francisco City Star Party @ Point Lobos, San Francisco, CACome 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, 03/17/19
Sea Star Wasting Syndrome: An Unfolding StorySea star wasting syndrome has taken a heavy toll on Monterey Bay’s sea star populations in the last five years. Among the hardest hit species were the ochre stars, iconic tidepool residents and important keystone predators. Researchers are searching for potential culprits, documenting the spread of this disease, and tracking ...
