Sycamore Grove Mushroom Madness - CANCELEDWe're taking an opportunity to reinvent the Mushroom Madness mushroom event at Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore. Join Debbie Veiss for the annual mushroom hunt at 1:00 pm. Meet at Sycamore Grove/Veterans Park 5035 Arroyo Rd, Livermore, CA 94550. We always find lots of interesting mushrooms at Sycamore Grove. After ...
Where: LivermoreCost: Free
Tuesday, 01/17/23
Can a solid-state quantum simulator help us understand materials?When Feynman suggested quantum-based computers in the '80s, he wasn't primarily thinking of the general-purpose quantum computers intensely pursued by companies and academic researchers today. Rather he imagined using quantum mechanical objects to simulate aspects of our quantum world. Effective model Hamiltonians are central to condensed matter physics, as they ...
Evolution of mesendoderm patterning in echinoderm embryosVanessa Barone studied molecular biology at the University of Turin, Italy, and then pursued her Ph.D. in the Carl-Philipp Heisenberg group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria in Vienna. There she investigated how cell-cell contacts regulate cell differentiation of mesendodermal progenitors during zebrafish gastrulation, finding a positive feedback ...
Does stress really age us? Everyone experiences different levels of stress from family, friends, work, or just uncertainty in the world. And while we can’t avoid living with stress, we can learn how to embrace it and transform it.Stress scientist Dr. Elissa Epel and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn ...
Where: Cost: $10 General, $5 Members, Students free
Astronomy Beginner's Forum - LivestreamIf you're new to astronomy and are perhaps considering getting your own telescope but are not sure where to start, maybe we can help!This event is an on-line meeting where you can chat with representatives of SJAA as well as other new astronomy enthusiasts. We'll share general tips and answer ...
Kombucha (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha) is a fermented tea with a very complex symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY), composed of dozens of different species. It's a health food; it's a tasty fizzy caffeinated beverage; it even makes vegan leather - what's not to like!Join us in-person at Counter Culture Labs to taste ...
Innovative approaches to technology-mediated health care require holistic, patient-centered interventions to address health challenges. Emerging telepresence and social robots have the potential to transform the health experiences of people who are restricted to their homes due to medical conditions or disabilities. Use of these robots may promote social inclusion and ...
Where: Cost: Free
What the Clean Air Act needs to get right about wildfire - LivestreamThis month, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed tightening the national standards for soot pollution (PM2.5). Strengthening controls on PM2.5 has, second to banning lead additives in gasoline, provided the greatest public health benefits of any action taken be EPA over the past 3 decades and the action proposed ...
Where: Cost: Free
Glider Discovery DayDiscover the world of flight in a special outdoor family event!Learn the names of the different parts of the airplane, then join in the fun the help build a full-size Penguin airplane! Then, assemble a balsa wood glider and join a fun festival of flight outdoors in the museum’s Courtyard. ...
Where: San CarlosCost: Free with admission
Januray LASER Event - LivestreamTherese Lahaie (Media Artist) on "Analog and Digital Migration" Annie Kritcher (Lawrence Livermore Lab) on "The State of Nuclear Fusion Research" Primavera De Filippi (National Center of Scientific Research, Paris) on "Do blockchains dream of electronic flowers?" Register here
Where: Cost: Free
Meet COSMIC: An Alien Hunter Instrument at the VLA - LivestreamCOSMIC SETI (the Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is about to survey of 40 million stars for technosignatures using the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). The VLA is the world’s largest radio telescope array operating at microwave frequencies. It’s also where ...
Where: Cost: Free
SitePassword: A Different Kind of Password Manager - LivestreamDo you use a password manager? You should. How else are you going to have a different strong password for every site you log into. There are plenty to choose from. The problem is that they remember your passwords for you, which means you are dependent on them. What if ...
Where: Cost: Free
Over A Century of Valley FeverSan Joaquin Valley Fever is a human disease caused by the fungus, Coccidioides immitis. This fungus and its sister species, Coccidioides posadasii, are found in hot, dry regions from the San Joaquin Valley of California, through Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico, Central America and South America. Coccidioidomycosis was ...
 Wondering when the next big earthquake will rattle the Golden State? According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), there is a 72 percent chance that the San Francisco Bay Area will experience a magnitude 6.7 earthquake or greater within the next 30 years. If we don’t take steps now to ...
Calling all creatures of the night: explore the nocturnal side of the Academy at NightLife and see what's revealed. With live DJs, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and nearly 40,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.Step inside the iconic ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.75
After Dark: Moon and StarsLook up at the night sky and you might be able to track the passage of time or navigate your way home - just as observers from Earth have done throughout history. What do we miss when we pollute our sky with light and crowd it with satellites? What can ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
Wildlife need more than a patch of healthy habitat - they need connected landscapes in order to survive and thrive. Connected habitats are critical for animals to move safely across the landscape to find food, water, and shelter. They also need room to roam in order to mate and to ...
Where: Cost: Free
Friday, 01/20/23
King Tide Bair Island Interpretive WalkLearn about this beautiful protected space, and join us for a walking tour of Bair Island during the King Tide! Led by docent Vicki Martell, this hike will take you through ~1.5 miles of paved trails. Bair Island is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.King tides ...
Planet Formation from a Dynamical PerspectiveRecent observational advances have allowed the discovery of thousands of exoplanets and an initial characterization of their orbital and physical parameters. As this population has grown, it is increasingly apparent that existing models of planet formation are incomplete. The Kepler/K2/TESS data have presented counterexamples to prevailing theories, including theories of ...
Where: LivermoreCost: Free
Saturday, 01/21/23
A Royal Walk with the King Tide Along the EmbarcaderoJoin Exploratorium and Port of San Francisco staff for a short stroll along the San Francisco waterfront to observe, photograph, and discuss the King Tides. “King Tide†is a popular, non-scientific term people use to describe exceptionally high tides.We’ll gather between Pier 3 and Pier 5 on the Bay side ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Wild In Marin - Third Annual Fungus FestivalThis wonderful event will engage, entertain, and educate the community about the benefits, joys, and culinary values of fungi!We will present a variety of booths showcasing all things fungi from mushroom kits, cookbooks, forage guides, textiles, apparel, mycocentric food, and more! Come learn about what mushrooms you can forage in ...
Where: Mill ValleyCost: See weblink
Family Nature Walks - Baylands Nature PreserveEnvironmental Volunteers’ Family Nature Walks program is designed to help students and their families get to know our local open space areas. Small family groups will be guided by a knowledgeable environmental educator during an exploration of a local open space. These small groups will be introduced to fun nature-based ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Fort Point Candlelight TourThe Candlelight Tour of Fort Point is a popular guided program that allows visitors to experience the fort in a new light. This evening tour will maze through the shadows of the historic structure by candlelight and visitors will see the glimmering lights of the Golden Gate Bridge towering up ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Youth
An Introduction to Astrophotography - RescheduledHave you ever wondered how astronomers take a picture of another galaxy or celestial object? In this presentation, you will hear how amateur astronomers produce these images. This includes the required equipment, what an imaging session looks like, and finally, an overview of processing data into a final image. Whether ...
Where: Cost: Free
Sunday, 01/22/23
King Tides walk on Berkeley waterfrontIn the New Year, enjoy nature and consider the long term during one of winter's highest daytime tides. F5C President Susan Schwartz leads a smallish group (15 tops) along the Berkeley waterfront, starting at 10:30 AM Sun., Jan. 22, at Sea Breeze Deli (warm drinks available). We'll talk about the ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
A Royal Walk with the King Tide Along the EmbarcaderoJoin Exploratorium and Port of San Francisco staff for a short stroll along the San Francisco waterfront to observe, photograph, and discuss the King Tides. “King Tide†is a popular, non-scientific term people use to describe exceptionally high tides.We’ll gather between Pier 3 and Pier 5 on the Bay side ...
Physics has always sought to deepen our understanding of reality, particularly our concept of matter. Today, city-size machines crash together particles - at nearly the speed of light - that are a trillion times smaller than a grain of sand. The resulting insights have both theoretical and practical value: a ...
Out-of-equilibrium systems preserve memories of their formation and training history in a variety of ways allowing for an innovative classification of material and dynamics. I will discuss one case where a cyclically sheared suspension of particles or a charge-density-wave solid (or even a walk in the park!) remembers multiple values ...
Where: Cost: Free
First results from the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter searchUnveiling the true nature of dark matter is one of the most significant challenges in modern particle physics and astrophysics. Determination of the dark matter particle mass and interactions will shed light on a wealth of physics beyond the Standard Model, and will have a fundamental impact on our understanding ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Tuesday, 01/24/23
How Ignition and Target Gain > 1 Was Achieved In Inertial FusionFor many decades the running joke in fusion research has been that `fusion’ is twenty years away and always will be. Yet, this year we find ourselves in a position where we can talk about the milestones of burning plasmas, fusion ignition, and target energy gain greater than unity in ...
A century ago, John Dewey observed that '[s]team and electricity have done more to alter the conditions under which [people] associate together than all the agencies which affected human relationships before our time'. In the last few decades, computing technologies have had a similar effect. Political philosophy's central task is ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Hearing the Stars: New Insights into Stellar Interiors - RescheduledSpace-based observations have provided a remarkable new tool for studying stars within our galaxy, the Milky Way. Simply by measuring how bright a star is over many years, we can now directly measure its mass and radius, as well as the properties of its deep interior, such as the rate of ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Astronomy Picture Of The Day: Postcards from the Universe 2022 - LivestreamJoin the Night Sky Network and Robert Nemiroff for a tour of the highlights from the Astronomy Picture of the Day archive for 2022.Along with Jerry Bonnell, Robert Nemiroff has written, coordinated, and edited NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) since 1995. The APOD archive contains the largest collection ...
Gaelin Rosenwaks is a marine scientist, explorer, photographer, filmmaker, and author of the newly published "Sperm Whales: The Gentle Goliaths of the Oceansâ€. Please join us as Rosenwaks takes us on a journey exploring ocean ecosystems around the globe, culminating with and highlighting her latest project on Sperm Whales. She ...
Safety concerning human performance in complex multitask environments relies heavily upon the fundamental psychological principles of limited-capacity attention and top-down mechanisms of attention allocation. To develop a suitable model for distraction and safety with automobiles, Spencer Castro’s team at UC Merced implements converging measures from established physiological, behavioral and subjective ...
Recent advances in sequencing DNA have opened up new opportunities to use genetic data to improve our understanding of human history and evolution. For example, genetic data can be used to reconstruct migration patterns, understand how genomes change across different species or lineages, and understand how our evolutionary history impacts ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Altering the course of wildland fire through anyalytics and shared stewardship - LivestreamDue to a variety of factors including a century of fire suppression, climate change and past management practices, we are experiencing larger and more severe wildland fire. These fires are impacting communities, critical infrastructure, habitat and more. To alter that trajectory, we are needing to think and act at larger ...
Estimating impacts due to earthquakes - whether rapidly for emerging disasters or planning for future scenarios - entails the direct interface of seismological and civil engineering expertise and tools. Both endeavors require considering uncertain models and data since the main components of loss estimation - namely shaking, exposure, and vulnerabilities ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Data Behind Deep Fakes - LivestreamA Deepfake is a photo, video or audio file that has been digitally altered or created to misrepresent reality [1]. In this talk I will describe the consequence of Deepfake technology, new challenges and propose a way to describe training datasets.Last summer, I joined Reality Defender [2], working closely with ...
Where: Cost: Free
U.S. CHIPS & Science Act: What It Means for the Future of, Well, EverythingMajor tectonic shifts, decades in the making, are taking place across the globe right now. Russia's illegal war against Ukraine drags on, inflation has not yet been tamed, recession is looming, supply chains are being uprooted, China is shifting inward with an uncertain economic trajectory, and Taiwan is a growing ...
Algorithmic intermediaries govern the digital public sphere through their architectures, amplification algorithms, and moderation practices. In doing so, they shape public communication and distribute attention in ways that were previously infeasible with such subtlety, speed, and scale. From misinformation and affective polarisation to hate speech and radicalisation, the many pathologies ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Farm to Table: Busting the Myths of our Food Systems - LivestreamWant to grow your knowledge of the agricultural industry? Join Dr. Sarah Taber to learn how our food systems came to beDr. Sarah Taber, Crop Scientist, will teach you about the history of our food systems, environmental land protection, debunking farm mythsand much more.Register here for this event! Â
Where: Cost: Free
The Universe of Galaxies, James Webb Space Telescope, and STEAM Research Opportunities for Young PeopleMy Science on Tap presentation will touch upon highlights from my group's research on galaxies. We tend to focus on nearby spiral galaxies like the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies and the smaller galaxies that orbit around these two large galaxies. I will also present results from our ongoing research on ...
The Tanner Lectures were established by the late American scholar, industrialist and philanthropist Obert Clark Tanner. The purpose of the lectures is to advance and reflect upon scholarly and scientific learning relating to human values. This intention embraces the entire range of values pertinent to the human condition, interest, behavior and ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Citizen Science and Macroseismic Intensity in Earthquake Research, Engineering, & Risk AssessmentMacroseismic intensity observations and analyses connect our collective seismological past with the present - and the present to the future - by facilitating hazard estimates and communicating the effects of shaking to a wide variety of audiences across the ages. Traditional macroseismic surveys are now supplemented by citizen-science-based intensity observations, ...
So you’re looking for a different kind of Lunar New Year party. You know, the kind where you can play mahjong, get a tattoo, and wander through a bustling night market. You in? Join the celebration and welcome the year of the rabbit and cat the NightLife way.Featured programming:Did someone ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20.25
After Dark: Ice StoriesDelve deep into Jen Lewin’s luminous installation The Last Ocean before it leaves the Exploratorium floor! Traverse the artwork’s 1,200-square-foot landscape of interactive platforms =- inspired by an Antarctic ice shelf - then learn about how ice sheets are studied, reflect on the impacts of climate change, and get up ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
Learn about:How NVEWS implementation will improve our capability to detect eruption precursors at the earliest stagesThe top priority volcanoes for implementationHow the implementation of NVEWS builds upon volcano monitoring investments already madeSpeaker: Charles Mandeville, USGS Volcano Hazards Program CoordinatorSee weblink to attend.
Where: Cost: Free
Astronaut Steve Smith: Lessons from Life at Mach 25Hear Astronaut Steve Smith share amazing stories from his four trips to space and inspire us all to achieve our biggest goals.Steve Smith is one of America’s most experienced astronauts, a veteran Diplomat, a former Silicon Valley product manager, and a successful elite athlete.He flew in space four times, performed ...
Join us as we investigate the world of long-distance animal travels. Whales, birds, insects, and more will be the focus of our deeper look at these natural phenomena. Learn about the many amazing migrators that visit Monterey County every year and celebrate another birthday for Sandy the Whale!Â
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
TEDx Berkeley 2023: Channel XThe TV is on. It is January 28, 1986 and you are watching the Challenger explode on live television. Click. It is September 11, 2001, and you are in Ohio, watching New York crumble. It is the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII and the New England Patriots’ perfect ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: $99 General, discounts for UC Berkeley community
Advocate for the Ocean with Ke Kai Ola Hospital - LivestreamGet ready to explore The Marine Mammal Center’s Hawaiʻi Hospital & Education Center, Ke Kai Ola! We are offering an exclusive opportunity to virtually tour our hospital in Kona on Hawaiʻi Island. Through this tour we will explore the facilities that help The Marine Mammal Center care for the endangered ...
Where: Cost: Free
Saturday Cinema: Shimmering PhenomenaIn celebration of Glow: Discover the Art of Light we invite you into gleaming worlds of cinematic light and color. A selection of animated and abstract short films shimmer in the theater's darkness to conjure luminous worlds, both kinetic and contemplative.Dawning by Elon Goliger Mallimson (2021, 30 sec.) A time-lapse ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Jazz Under the StarsJazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us on the 4th floor observatory for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Fort Point Candlelight TourThe Candlelight Tour of Fort Point is a popular guided program that allows visitors to experience the fort in a new light. This evening tour will maze through the shadows of the historic structure by candlelight and visitors will see the glimmering lights of the Golden Gate Bridge towering up ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $12 Youth
An Introduction to Astrophotography - LivestreamHave you ever wondered how astronomers take a picture of another galaxy or celestial object? In this presentation, you will hear how amateur astronomers produce these images. This includes the required equipment, what an imaging session looks like, and finally, an overview of processing data into a final image. Whether ...
Drop-in anytime between 9 am and 11 am to bird with us! SCVAS volunteers will be stationed at Palo Alto Baylands on the north side of the duck pond with binoculars to help you identify the huge variety of shorebirds and ducks that call the Bay Area home. No RSVP ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Mycological Society of San Franciso Fungus FairWhen the first rains tease up the chanterelles and porcini, fungus lovers head to the Fungus Fair: A Celebration of Wild MushroomsThe 2023 Fungus Fair will display expertly identified fungi collected in various locations in the Bay Area. Annual collections have been made by MSSF since 1972. This historical information ...
Where: Pleasant HillCost: $20 General, $15 Senior, $5 Student & Youth
Afternoon Hike at Mindego HillJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful 5-mile hike from the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve to the top of the POST-protected Mindego Hill. You will be guided by POST ambassadors who will share details about how we protected this beautiful property featuring panoramic views of redwood ridges and ...
Where: Los AltosCost: Free
How the brain maintains homeostasis, from thirst to agingWilliam Allen trained in both molecular and systems neuroscience as a Ph.D. student at Stanford’s Interdepartmental Neurosciences Program, Dr. Allen plans to use state-of-the-art spatial transcriptomics, systematic CRISPR-based in vivo screen, and imaging to identify the mechanisms underlying brain aging and neurodegeneration at the level of cells, tissues, and organisms. He ...
Near-surface Turbulence in Arctic, Temperate, and Tropical Inland Waters: Implications for Gas FluxesNear-surface turbulence is a key determinant of gas exchange velocities (k) used to compute fluxes of climate forcing trace gases under light to moderate winds in lakes and oceans. Scaling approaches to accurately predict turbulence would enable modeling of fluxes from diverse water bodies over large spatial scales. While wind-based ...
While kinase inhibitors have dramatically changed the landscape of cancer treatment, the near-universal emergence of resistance limits their clinical durability. Our research program is founded in a new paradigm in nutrient sensing and protein regulation, termed metalloallostery, whereby redox-active metals control kinase activity. Our laboratory’s focus lies at the intersection ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Dawn of the Quantum Computing EraQuantum mechanics describes the physical world around us with exquisite precision, with no known violations of the theory. Ironically, this precision comes with some additional baggage: the theory permits the existence of a host of complex, delicate entangled states of the physical world, many of which have yet to be ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Leon Clarke, Bezos Earth Fund - LivestreamThe economic conditions have never been more promising for decarbonization. The costs of solar cells, wind, and batteries dropped 85%, 55%, and 85% from 2010 to 2019 (IPCC, 2022); people are buying green; companies are investing in clean production; the E.U. is putting tariffs on carbon-intensive products, and the topic ...
Emerging AI technology has the potential to replicate some of the processes used by artists when creating their work. Dr. Nettrice Gaskins uses AI-driven software such as deep learning to train machines to identify and process images. Her approach puts the learning bias of race to the forefront by using ...
Where: Cost: Free
The James Webb Space Telescope: Atmospheres of Other WorldsJWST is an extraordinary technological achievement. Its ultra-precise optical system makes it a powerful tool for studying extrasolar planets (exoplanets) - worlds that orbit around other stars. Specifically, JWST is capable of measuring the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres with unprecedented sensitivity. In this lecture, Prof. Macintosh will discuss the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Tuesday, 01/31/23
Encore Movie: A Life's WorkJoin your TeamSETI friends for a special encore presentation of movie night featuring the documentary A Life's Work. The original movie night presentation aired in December, and we're rebroadcasting it at a different time so timezones outside the U.S. can enjoy the show. Seth Shostak hosted with special guests Jill ...
Understanding our Dynamic, Magnetically Active StarUnderstanding solar activity --- and in particular, how magnetic flux and energy emerges from the Sun's turbulent interior (where it is generated) into the solar corona --- is of fundamental importance to our efforts to better predict and mitigate potentially damaging solar storms here at earth. The Sun's dynamic magnetic ...
AI for Good initiatives recognize the potential impacts of AI systems on humans and societies. However, simply recognizing these impacts is not enough. To be truly Human-Centered, AI development must be user-centered, community-centered, and societally-centered. User-centered design integrates techniques that consider the needs and abilities of end users, while also ...
Without the Lisa, there would be no Mac, and no iPhone. Apple’s innovative Lisa computer transformed how people interact with computers - from arcane text-based interfaces to the modern graphical user interface ubiquitous today. How did the Lisa change the world and yet ultimately become a commercial failure? How was this ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
SOFIA: High-flying Infrared AstronomySOFIA was a 2.7 meter infrared telescope in a Boeing 747 SP. It was a US-German project; NASA provided the aircraft, and the German aerospace center, DLR, provided the telescope. The airborne observatory allowed us to study the cold universe using infrared light, which is inaccessible from the ground. This ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: $7 - $17
The James Webb Space Telescope: Atmospheres of Other Worlds - RESCHEDULEDJWST is an extraordinary technological achievement. Its ultra-precise optical system makes it a powerful tool for studying extrasolar planets (exoplanets) - worlds that orbit around other stars. Specifically, JWST is capable of measuring the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres with unprecedented sensitivity. In this lecture, Prof. Macintosh will discuss the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Wonderfest: Neuroplasticity, Sensitive Periods, & the Adolescent BrainExperiences at different times in life may alter aspects of personality: appetite for risk, tolerance for delayed gratification, interest in music, etc. Our brains seem to develop particularly rapidly during a staggered sequence of "sensitive periods" that stretch late into the second or third decade of life. Such periods of ...
Where: NovatoCost: Free
Wednesday, 02/01/23
Building Intelligent Agents to Reach Net-Zero 2050Reaching net-zero by cutting green house gas emission by 2050 is arguably one of humanities greatest challenge. The sheer speed and scale at which this needs to be achieved brings into question whether such lofty goal can be achieved when only broad plans have been outlined. A significant part of ...
Hurricanes are among the most costly natural hazards affecting communities worldwide, and they involve different hazard sources (i.e., wind, windborne debris, flood and rain). Climate change is expected to increase the intensity of future hurricanes. This presentation will illustrate a novel probabilistic Performance-Based Hurricane Engineering (PBHE) framework that disaggregates the ...
Where: Cost: Free
Can we really address the wildfire problem? - LivestreamWildland fires occur all over the nation, yet focused mainly on the west, predominately in California.   In the wildfire world, most people use California as the barometer for land management, urban planning, forest health, building codes, response, and recovery efforts.   If it happens in California, it may soon happen elsewhere, so let’s ...
The path of a flush Over 50% of the world’s population live along the coast. Consequently, the impact of anthropogenic inputs on the life and health of coastal ecosystems is stark. Decades of impact, fueled by climate change have impacted the coastal environment of the south China sea. Today, I will take you through my ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
Catalyzing America’s Clean Energy Economy Through Federal SustainabilityPresident Biden's Executive Order 14057 on catalyzing American clean energy industries and jobs through Federal sustainability and accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan (collectively referred to as "The Federal Sustainability Plan") sets out a range of ambitious goals to deliver an emissions reduction pathway consistent with President Biden's goal of reducing U.S. ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Birds of Patagonia - LivestreamLocated at the southern tip of South America, Patagonia is a destination which may be on your bucket list for hiking at the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park, visiting its fjords on a cruise, or just as a gateway to places like Antarctica or the Falkland Islands. It has some ...
100 years ago natural hazards claimed 10x more lives than they do today, however the planet still observes >100 fatalities per day as a result of earthquakes, tsunami, storms, rogue waves and wildfires. Recently, commercial φ-OTDR/DAS systems have begun sensing continuously within cities and offshore. φ-OTDR/DAS utilizes the optical field ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
A Rare Comet Visits Earth - SETI Institute Scientists Explain - LivestreamA new comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), is making a rare visit to Earth, coming closer than it has in over 50,000 years. Stargazers around the world have admired its eerie green glow and bright tail of dust. Join SETI Institute Senior Planetary Astronomer, Dr. Franck Marchis, and Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. ...
Where: Cost: Free
Introduction to Microgrids - LivestreamMost consumers receive their electricity via complex electrical grids containing multiple elements of generation and large transmission and distribution networks. In more highly developed and populated parts of the world, consumers expect their electricity to be delivered continuously and reliably. Disruptions do occur for various reasons, and with significantly negative ...
Where: Cost: Free
NightLife with Cafe OhloneWe’re teaming up with the iconic Cafe Ohlone for an immersive night sharing the beauty and vibrancy of Ohlone culture and traditions.Featured programming:Sip a sampling of teas while Cafe Ohlone co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino share stories about Ohlone’s rich history, traditions and living culture. Learn about Ohlone culture ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.25
After Dark: Wondrous FungusThe fascinating qualities of fungi are manifold and sometimes mind-blowing. Tonight at After Dark, discover some fun facts about the beautiful, diverse, and curious fungus kingdom, which includes mushrooms, yeasts, molds, and more. Hear about fungi that are local to the Bay Area, and find out how you can identify ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
NightSchool: Back from the Dead - LivestreamSometimes in conservation, we get second chances to save an evolutionary lineage we thought was lost. Meet three so-called “Lazarus species,†aka species that were once presumed extinct (until they’re rediscovered living), and the individuals working to protect them.See weblink for connection information.
The interconnected crises of climate, biodiversity, and equity drive an imperative for conservation practices to be reimagined and reconfigured. Conservation organizations, among others, are starting to adopt new practices and seeing different possibilities to answer a key question: what are the conditions that create a more connected, less exploitative view ...
Sustainability and sustainable development concepts have been applied in the Galapagos Islands for decades, particularly after specific changes to the Constitution of Ecuador took place in 1998, allowing for the approval of the Special Law for Galapagos due to its recognized fragile and unique socio-ecosystem. However, the application and implementation ...
Where: Cost: Free
The Night Sky for 2023, plus 'Voyager - The Never-Ending Journey'For this special evening in the CSM Planetarium, Professor Stanford will use the Planetarium’s state of the art GOTO Chronos II opto-mechanical space simulator to show us how the night sky changes over the coming year, and highlight the best observational candidates for us for each month. In addition, he ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Saturday, 02/04/23
Family Nature Walks - Baylands Nature PreserveEnvironmental Volunteers’ Family Nature Walks program is designed to help students and their families get to know our local open space areas. Small family groups will be guided by a knowledgeable environmental educator during an exploration of a local open space. These small groups will be introduced to fun nature-based ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Afternoon Hike at La Honda Open Space PreserveJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful hike at Lower La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve where you’ll experience the area’s sweeping views and gorgeous rolling grasslands! The preserve is over 6,100 acres, of which POST has contributed 5,200 acres. You will be guided by a POST Ambassador on ...
Where: La HondaCost: Free
Fire Ecology - EcoCenter Family EventBring your family to the Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter, located on the Baylands Nature Preserve, for an afternoon of environmental education. Activities are intended for ages 6-11.Have you ever wondered about how fire affects California’s plants and animals? Join us for some fun and learn something new about Fire Ecology! Learn ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Sunday, 02/05/23
Birding Drop-in at the Charleston Slough Observation DeckDrop-in anytime between 9 am and 11 am to bird with us! SCVAS volunteers will be stationed at the Charleston Slough observation deck with binoculars to help you identify the huge variety of shorebirds and ducks that call the Bay Area home. No RSVP required.Â
On the Effect of Gaps on the Dynamics of Canopy Flows: From Seagrass to WildfiresSubmerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) canopies are found prevalently in coastal, fluvial, lake and other natural aquatic systems. By exerting drag on the flow, such vegetative structures lead to the formation of “canopy flows,†characterized by hydrodynamics analogs to the canonical mixing layer By altering the flow around them, canopies such ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Atomic Engineering - Tailoring Atoms in Solids at Room TemperatureAtomic Engineering (AE), controlling materials atom-by-atom at room temperature, is an ultimate form of materials engineering. A major thrust behind the development of AE is Quantum Information Sciences which requires atom-level features (e.g. color centers) in solid-state materials to be created for quantum applications (qubits, sensors, repeaters, etc.). The birth ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
The Distributional and Equity Consequences of Environmental PoliciesLow-income and minority communities experience the highest burden of environmental damages and pollution exposure in many settings around the world. By targeting polluting processes and altering the spatial distribution of pollution, environmental policies may have environmental justice consequences. This talk explores some of the sources of environmental injustice and the ...
I was born and grew up in Córdoba, Argentina, as part of a big family that would gather often to share food and laughter. We’d spend several months on a ranch where we had neither running water nor electricity. The remote setting offered dark skies full of stars, and I ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Imaging the brain at high spatiotemporal resolutionPhysics aims to understand the universe. Neuroscience aims to understand the brain, an organ that distinguishes humans as a species, defines us as individuals, and provides the intellectual power with which we explore the universe. Composed of electrically excitable cells called neurons, the brain continuously receives and analyzes information, makes ...
The Stanford Energy Innovation EcosystemYi Cui (Precourt Institute for Energy) and Brian Bartholomeusz (TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy) will discuss the history and future of energy innovation at Stanford.
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is just around the corner and you’re invited to join SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder for a fun introduction to the fascinating world of birding. Matthew will present our local birds and answer your questions about where to look for them and how to identify ...
The Universe is dominated by a mysterious, unseen substance known as dark matter, which makes up more than eighty percent of the cosmos. In recent decades, much has been learned about dark matter, including its density and spatial distribution, but its fundamental nature - for example, what kind of particle ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members & Seniors
Tuesday, 02/07/23
IXPE: Our First Look Around the X-ray Polarized SkyFor 50 years, the only astronomical source with measured soft X-ray polarization was the Crab nebula, initially detected with sounding rockets. Now we finally have the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer mission on orbit, which has already measured complex X-ray polarization signals from dozens of neutron star and black hole sources, ...
First Results from the Webb Space Telescope - LivestreamProfessor of Astronomy Alex Filippenko explores the first images and studies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The 21-foot-diameter, infrared-sensitive telescope launched in December 2021 and is now at its destination one million miles from Earth. Alex Filippenko is a Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at UC, Berkeley.
Where: Cost: Free
Connectivity Standards Alliance & Matter Introduction - RescheduledOn October 4, 2022, the Alliance released Matter 1.0, a global, open-source standard that removes barriers to IoT device interoperability & sustainability by enabling smart home products to work together seamlessly, to help to improve efficiency and reduce energy use and cost. This industry-unifying standard is the foundation for connected things ...
Natalie Zeituny was an accomplished software engineer in the Bay Area in the field of customer relations software, and she led her own technology consulting firm. Today she lives in Israel and is a therapist, futurist, studier of cosmology, and a writer on soul-based consciousness. She'll join us to talk ...
Our lives today are filled with technologies that our grandparents, our parents and possibly even many of us could not have imagined growing up. Today, seamless communication on the go is taken for granted, and autonomous transportation is on the immediate horizon. The next revolution that will truly transform how ...
Where: Cost: Free
The importance of place; Fish diversity observed using DNA metabarcodingThe importance of place cannot be overstated in biology, as place often drives the principal partition in genetic variance, is correlated with abundance, and underlies biodiversity. This project describes fish biodiversity observed using DNA metabarcoding within an evolving tidal wetland engineered as a living laboratory for habitat restoration (Dutch Slough ...
Where: TiburonCost: Free
Can Removing Development Subsidies Promote Adaptation? Evidence from the Coastal Barrier Resources ActAs natural disasters grow in frequency and intensity under climate change, limiting populations and properties in harm's way will be one important facet of adaptation. This study focuses on one approach to discouraging development in risky areas --- eliminating public incentives for development, such as infrastructure investments, disaster assistance, and ...
In recent years, the importance of electrochemical systems has grown. This expansion is in part due to efforts to decarbonize our energy systems. The concurrent reliance on renewable energy has both heightened the importance of electrochemical energy storage but is also expected to drive down the cost of electricity.Speaker: Dr. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Where’s the love? The secrets of chimpanzee relationships - LivestreamAre humans the only animals that experience love? Primatologist Rachna Reddy and psychologist Jan Engelmann discuss possible evidence of love among chimpanzees and bonobos and share observations from new research aimed at understanding this complex emotion.This program features a 30-minute discussion on Zoom with Dr. Rachna Reddy and Dr. Jan ...
 For centuries, humans have gazed at the night sky and wondered what is out there.  Over time, we have come to know many of the answers; how our own planet Earth and Sun came to be, how they dance in a sea of other stars hosting their own planetary systems, ...
Inter-Chiplet Synchronization of Multi-Die VLSI Systems - LivestreamIn VLSI systems, computing is projected to contain hundreds of components from heterogeneous processors, memories, and interconnect, in order to achieve performance gains and energy-efficiency in the face of increasing power-density. However, both hardware and software designers are faced with limitations in the improvement of instructions-per-cycle and clock frequency. As ...
Where: Cost: Free
A Cosmic Perspective: Searching for Aliens, Finding OurselvesAre we alone? Humans have been asking this question throughout history. We want to know where we came from, how we fit into the cosmos, and where we are going. We want to know whether there is life beyond the Earth and whether any of it is intelligent.Since the middle ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Combining spectroscopy, photometry and the CMB to unlock stage IV cosmologyThe next generation of surveys, including the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), Rubin Observatory and CMB S4, holds the potential to probe the fundamental nature of dark energy, dark matter, neutrinos and inflation. The unprecedented precision afforded by these surveys poses new and interesting challenges, and exploiting these surveys will ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
The Chemistry and Physics of Bipolar Membranes with Applications in Water, Energy, and DecarbonizationBipolar membranes are ionic analogues of semiconductor pn junctions made of laminated anion- and cation-selective ionomer layers which can convert electrical energy into pH gradients. Through fundamental study of the underlying rate-determining water dissociation reaction, we have improved them 10x (e.g. Science 2020, Nature Comm. 2022), opening tremendous new application ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Mapping 12 Billion Years of Cosmic History in the Coming Golden Era of Type Ia SupernovaeType Ia Supernovae (SN) are a central pillar of the “Standard Model of Cosmology†- Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM), but they also uniquely elucidate persistent gaps in the theory. I will detail recent monumental leaps of progress in SN cosmology culminating in the recent Dark Energy Survey, Pantheon+, and ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Serving Health: How California Can Usher in the Future of Food-based Interventions in Medi-Cal - LivestreamMedically supportive food and nutrition interventions such as produce prescriptions, food pharmacies and medically tailored meals can improve healthcare outcomes and reduce healthcare costs for people across the state. Starting in 2022, California authorized a pilot program to cover these interventions under Medi-Cal. However, they are currently optional pilot services, ...
Where: Cost: Free
After Dark: SexplorationsLooking for a hot night out on the town? Slip into something comfortable and take an intimate look at sex - you know, the transfer of genetic information through sperm and eggs, which has resulted in evolution and specialization among species over time. From the lengths we’ll go to for ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
Walter Kitundu will discuss his history as an instrument builder and performer and share how birds impacted his artistic trajectory. This photo-rich presentation will span his early days as a DJ making instruments powered by wind, fire, and pigeons, his unique relationship with a wild Red-tailed Hawk, and his work ...
Where: Cost: Free
NightLifeCalling all creatures of the night: explore the nocturnal side of the Academy at NightLife and see what's revealed. With live DJs, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and nearly 40,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.Step inside the iconic ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.75
Science of Cocktails @ After Dark - SOLD OUTCalling all craft cocktail lovers, kitchen chemists, and science fans! Grab your friends or a date, and join us for Science of Cocktails @ After Dark, a tasty fundraiser focused on mixology science. Whether you’re already a Science of Cocktails fan, or you’re ready to level up your After Dark ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $100
Golden Eagles of the Northern Diablo Range, California - LivestreamThe northern Diablo Range of west-central California supports one of the largest and densest known breeding populations of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the world. This region includes the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) where collisions with wind turbines constitute a substantial source of mortality for golden eagles and ...
Healthcare decisions are deeply personal. Yet infectious disease reveals how our personal choices inevitably affect others. Drawing on more than a decade of research on why parents reject vaccines for their children, this talk examines perceptions of vaccines and how parents come to see vaccines as unnecessary or risky. Rather ...
Speaker: Anton Ermakov, UC BerkeleyThis talk was originally scheduled for December 2, 2022
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Two talks at Hopkins Marine StationAssessing shark populations, species distributions and fisheries through the four letter code!Marine ecosystems worldwide are experiencing shifting baselines due to a combination of anthropogenic and environmental stressors. Unprecedented fishing pressures, are decimating species populations, while climate change, disease, and invasive species occurrences are contributing to shifts in species distributions.While all ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Water Equity, Affordability and Climate Change - LivestreamAs California’s drought continues to worsen, residents across the state are facing a water affordability crisis. Water rate increases for Californians are expected to accelerate as the climate continues to change and the state’s infrastructure continues to age, further burdening low-income communities. But that outcome isn’t inevitable. Join us for ...
Where: Cost: Free
Saturday, 02/11/23
Chip Design Tool Workshop on RTL In this free, half-day workshop covering the fundamentals of power optimization - a critical component in today's chip design - you will expand your job prospects in the competitive and growing chip design industry.We’ll discuss how to analyze, debug and optimize at RTL level - the principle abstraction used for ...
Celebrate Charles Darwin's 214th birthday February 12, 2023 (Sunday) at the Essig Museum. It is also Alfred Russel Wallace's 200th birthday (January 8th, 1823).Along with our display of insects from around the world, we will also have exhibits of Galapagos finches, rodents, and a tortoise shell, as well as orchids, ...
This talk addresses the multiscale features of electric energy systems (EES). These infrastructural systems are inherently multilayered structures, and we propose a five - layer decomposition involving material, energy, information, capital, and policy flows. Focusing on modeling, estimation, and control tasks at different scales, we review the concept of dynamic ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
The Path to Understanding Dark Matter: Novel Observations of Low-Mass GalaxiesBeing some of the most dark matter-dominated systems discovered to date, low-mass galaxies offer crucial tests for our cosmological model and fill in the gaps in our understanding of the universe at smaller scales. With recent advancements in telescope instrumentation and image analysis techniques, we are now able to gain ...
Designing and Evaluating Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal ResilienceCoastal environments in the United States range from natural sandy beaches and marsh grass fields to developed, active ports and picturesque marinas. These diverse shorelines must contend with the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, intensified storms, and subsequent increase in flooding and damage to the natural ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Bulk photospin effectWe know, e.g., from the bulk photovoltaic effect, that nonlinear transport is sensitive to the geometry of the electron wave function but, is this also true for other observables such as nonlinear magnetization? We partially answer this question by computing the electric spin susceptibility of Bloch electrons to second order. ...
Follow a gamma-ray photon from birth to death in a talk that is formatted for audience engagement! Attendees will be able to choose the path of physics that the gamma ray experiences as it makes its way from the depths of one of the most energetic galaxies in the universe to ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Equity Impacts of a Market for Clean AirWhile a growing body of literature documents the disproportionate shares of pollution borne by under-represented and low-income communities, less is known about how environmental regulations and markets contribute to these shares. This talk presents the results from a recent working paper that studies the equity impacts of a market-based policy ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Global Famine after Nuclear WarThe world as we know it could end any day as a result of an accidental nuclear war between the United States and Russia. The fires produced by attacks on cities and industrial areas would generate smoke that would blow around the world, persist for years, and block out sunlight, ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
COP27 Summary and the History of United Nations NegotiationsWhat is the COP? What is the UNFCCC (1992)? What was the Kyoto Protocol (1997)? What is the Paris Agreement (2015)? Why do these nations meet every year? Why did it take eighteen years to go from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement? Arthur Lee will provide brief historical ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Tuesday, 02/14/23
SPHEREx: An All-Sky Spectral SurveyI will present SPHEREx, a NASA mission to map the entire sky with near-infrared spectroscopy. With a targeted launch date in early 2025, SPHEREx has broad scientific reach including 1) cosmic inflation through the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies, 2) the formation of galaxies and the history of light production through ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Emergent symmetry - a new way to understand strongly interacting gapless states and quantum field theoryIt is well known that gapless states have emergent symmetry. If we greatly generalize symmetry to include anomalous non-invertible ones, and beyond, the generalized emergent symmetry may largely characterize gapless states. We may understand a gapless state via its emergent symmetry. Here, I will use a simple language of conservation ...
Coarse-grained models enable large-scale simulations of complex biomolecular systems over long timescales. We have introduced bottom-up approaches based on contrastive learning to parameterize these models using atomistic simulations, and top-down approaches based on maximum entropy optimization to parameterize them from experimental data. We performed coarse-grained simulations to study the liquid-liquid ...
In this talk, I pose a major challenge for AI researchers: to develop systems that learn in a human-like manner. I illustrate this idea with two domains -- mathematics and driving -- where people are effective learners. I review briefly the history of machine learning, noting that early work made ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Role of National Marine Sanctuaries in Protecting Whales and Benefits from that ProtectionDr. Lisa Wooninck became Superintendent of Monterey Bay National Marine in November 2021. Prior to that she was policy coordinator for the five sanctuaries on the west coast and a fishery biologist at the NOAA Fisheries Lab in Santa Cruz.Her talk will describe 30 years of whale conservation across the ...
