SCVAS Learn: Warblers 2023 - Part 1 - Rare and Regular - LivestreamThe fall migration of Warblers is an exciting event for birders. It can also daunting because many of these tiny tree-top insectivores lack the distinctive breeding plumage that makes them so memorable. How do we sort through the many similar features and identify the individuals we find? Why are there ...
Program (the order of the speakers might change): Michal Kosinski(Stanford Univ) on "Theory of Mind Might Have Spontaneously Emerged in Large Language Models"The uniquely human ability to impute unobservable mental states to others may have spontaneously emerged in large language models...Read more Amy Karle(Media Artist) on "Digital Dreams ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Tuesday, 09/19/23
Energy and Power Challenges for the ArmyThe Army leverages significant power and energy research executed by industry. However, unique DoD and Army needs for power, mission length, and environmental concerns require government expertise. Army requirements are driven by the need for mission success, which includes soldier safety, while the commercial sector is driven by the marketplace. ...
Special delivery! How your cells' microscopic delivery service worksSpeaker: Joseph Slivka, Physics, UC BerkeleyTo Energize or not to Energize - Mitochondrial Control of Organismal Metabolism, Proliferation, and DifferentiationSpeaker: Rumi Sherriff, Molecular and Cell Biology, UC BerkeleyAttend in person or online.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Exploring Shadows at the South Lunar Pole - LivestreamJoin the NASA Night Sky Network on Tuesday, September 19 at 6:00 PM Pacific Time (9:00 PM Eastern) along with Dr. Erwan Mazarico from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will bring us up to date about NASA’s plans to explore the lunar south pole region.The lunar south polar region is ...
Where: Cost: Free
Jobs, Truth, and AI: Where do we go from here?Join Lexi Reese, Democratic Candidate for US Senate from California and the only technology leader in the race, and Kent Beck, original signer of the Agile Manifesto and author of the Extreme Programming book series, for a 45-minute fireside chat on Jobs, Truth, and AI.Be part of a workshop where ...
California has an extremely diverse 'mycoflora', with over 4,000 species of macro fungi documented. Modern taxonomical tools have shown that this is just the tip of the iceberg. This talk will highlight some of the recent discoveries, and how you can help move mycology forward.Attend in person or online (see ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Astronomy on Tap Tucson #91: Eclipses and Hubble - LivestreamOn tap this month, we have Steward Observatory researchers Nick Schragal and Azalee Bostroem! Nick will talk about eclipses near and far and Azalee will teach us all about all the wonderful things the Hubble Space Telescope can do! We’ll also be hearing all about the latest Astronomy in the ...
In 1977, physicist Freeman Dyson proposed the burial of biomass as a scalable, economical solution to the carbon dioxide problem. Today we know that harvested vegetation should be buried in an engineered dry biolandfill. Plant biomass can be preserved for thousands of years by burial in a dry environment with ...
 With some simple geometry and some friends on Zoom, we can measure the polar circumference of the Earth. This task was first done by Eratosthenes (276 BCE. - 195/194 BCE). We will watch shadows along the meridian that runs north-south through San Mateo CA, Portland OR, Seattle, WA, and Prince ...
Where: Cost: $20 Suggested Donation
The John and Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series at Bodega Marine LaboratoryJoin us for the John & Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series, featuring speakers from within the marine sciences community and beyond.Please register to join us on Zoom.Speaker: Brian Hoover, Principal Scientist, Farallon Institute
Where: Cost: Free
Everything COVID from a Traditional Chinese Medicine PerspectiveAlthough we're coming out of the COVID pandemic, many of our lives have been forever changed by the event. Join us at the San Mateo Public Library for a talk by Dr. Brandon Lip about his work as a doctor who practices both conventional medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and ...
If you are considering building an LLM-powered product, such as customer support, internal document search, or a conversational assistant, how do you implement them? In this talk, I will review the basic components and the product pipeline. I will review the options of building in-house (using Llama 2) or using ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Unveiling the Secrets of Volcanoes in the Springerville Volcanic FieldThe Springerville Volcanic Field (SVF), located in east-central Arizona, erupted between 2.1 million and 300,000 years ago, and erupted over 500 distinct lavas. The volcanic products of the field have been mapped and sampled in great detail, which serves as the basis to unraveling the volcanic history to the field. ...
Where: San RafaelCost: Free
Nerd Nite SF #136: Maggot Therapy, Waves, & Your Brain on Exercise! The World is Made of Waves by Yousef HindyWaves are all around us in ways that we may not even realize. They are how we humans perceive and interact with the world, yet many think of waves as restricted to the ocean or football stadiums. In this talk you will ...
As the nation moves away from pandemic-era protections, who will be impacted and where are the highest concentrations of vulnerable people? From the household to the state, Dr. Tim Thomas - Director of Berkeley’s Eviction Research Network, Research Director for the Urban Displacement Project, and BIDS Data Scientist - will ...
The rapid evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) necessitates robust and efficient communication protocols. This lecture zooms in on the LoRa (Long Range) protocol, heralded for its superior range and low power consumption in IoT applications. While traditional Wi-Fi and cellular technologies have their merits, LoRa stands out in ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
After Dark: SMARTBOMBFor one night only, Oakland-based creative arts community SMARTBOMB takes over After Dark to share their singular approach to an art party. Since their beginnings in 2013, SMARTBOMB has become a Bay Area cultural hub for arts, music, and culture. They create multimedia events rooted in hip-hop that bring the ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
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 60,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.Venture into our latest ...
Two dramatic eclipses of the Sun are coming to North America during the 2023-24 school year:· An annular (“ring of fireâ€) eclipse Oct. 14, 2023· A total eclipse Apr. 8, 2024People in two narrow paths will have the full eclipse experience each time. Everyone else (an estimated 500 million people, ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz and the Edges of the UniverseCome learn about how astronomers from Santa Cruz have used the James Webb Space Telescope (launched in late 2021 by NASA) to study exoplanets in our local neighborhood and to discover the most distant galaxies ever observed!Hear how the unprecedented observing power of the Webb Telescope has provided stunning breakthroughs ...
Where: Santa CruzCost: Free
Point Bonita Lighthouse Sunset TourOn the Point Bonita Lighthouse Sunset Tour, you will enjoy stunning sunset views and learn the compelling story of this landmark. The tour will include elements of natural and cultural history as well as thought-provoking guided discussion that ties the lighthouse’s history to our present. The tour does not include ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free
Unraveling the Mystery of Avian Keratin Disorder in Alaska - LivestreamAvian keratin disorder (AKD) is an outbreak of debilitating beak deformities affecting wild birds. First observed among Black-capped Chickadees in Alaska in the late 1990s it now appears to affect a variety of species across a broad geographic area. Danielle Gerik will present results of tracking AKD across the globe ...
Where: Cost: Free
Clocking Electrons: an Attosecond Stopwatch Electrons in a molecule zip around the atom in times measured in billionths of a billionth of a second, or attoseconds. To learn the basic mechanisms of chemical reactions - how catalysts work, how batteries operate - we need to follow electrons over these very short times, and for that, ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Friday, 09/22/23
Two talks: StorageX International Symposium - LivestreamThermal Battery Failures and Designing for Safety: Analyses and Case StudiesSpeaker: Troy Hayes, Practice Director, Director of Asia Offices and Principal Engineer, ExponentUpscaling and Automation: Pushing the Boundaries of Multiscale Modeling of Thermal Runaway through Symbolic-Numeric ComputingSpeaker: Ilenia Battiato, Associate Professor, Energy Science & Engineering, Stanford UniversityRegister at weblink to ...
Where: Cost: Free
Coastal Walk at Cowell-Purisima TrailJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful Sunday walk along the Cowell-Purisima trail that POST helped create by protecting adjacent farmland. While it may be foggy, we hope to catch gorgeous views of the ocean, nearby farmland, and glimpses of harbor seals, pelicans, hawks, rabbits, and whales during the ...
Where: Half Moon BayCost: Free
Saturday, 09/23/23
Coastal Clean-up Day 2023Join us as we celebrate California Coastal Clean-up Day! With beach clean-ups scheduled at Ocean Beach and various sites in Marin, there's something for everyone. Bring yourself, your friends, and your family! Registration required. Coastal Clean-up Day is a statewide effort hosted by the California Coastal Commission. For additional sites on the ...
Where: Cost: Free
National Public Lands Day 2023Join us as we celebrate National Public Lands Day! With habitat restoration, landscaping, and maintenance programs, there is something for everyone. Bring yourself, your friends, and your family! Registration required.See weblink for locations or different projects.
We’ll be at Shoreline Park (Mountain View) from 9 to 11:30 am. Visit our birding station at the Charleston Slough observation deck, where our volunteers will help you identify ducks, shorebirds, and more. No need to sign up - come by anytime we’re there! This event is wheelchair accessible.See weblink ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
The Physics Show - SOLD OUTThe Physics Show is a fun science show for kids and their families. This year we will have two weekends of shows in September and two weekends of shows in January.  What is The Physics Show?Saturday September 16, 2023 at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm [SOLD OUT]Sunday September 17, 2023 at 1:00 pm [SOLD OUT]Saturday September 23, ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: $6
Kitchen Chemistry at VasonaYou don’t need to be in a lab to see chemistry in action! Join us as we show you fun experiments that you can do with things found in your kitchen! Make a lava lamp out of oil, explode diet coke with Mentos, and make elephant toothpaste! Prepare for a ...
Where: Los GatosCost: $25
Family Nature Walks - Foothills 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: Los AltosCost: Free
Fall Equinox Family Lunch +Â Learn with Dr. Bryan MendezBring your lunch and picnic outside next to our Sun Stones II exhibit, a sculpture offering unique viewing opportunities of a variety of astronomical events and phenomena. Planetarium Director Dr. Bryan Mendez will give a family-friendly talk about the seasons and the equinox, including movement and storytelling. Then, observe the ...
Join the Young Birders Club for a casual bird photo walk at Shoreline Lake for the Bay Area Bird Photo Big Day, a fundraiser for the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory (SFBBO)! Since 2020, Bay Area birders have banded together to photograph as many birds as possible for the Bird Photo ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
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
Free National Parks DayAdmission to most US National Parks is free today, National Public Lands Day
Where: Cost: Free
Sunday, 09/24/23
Resilient Forest SeriesJoin Forestree Collective, Regenerative Forest Solutions and Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Fire Forward program for this series highlighting forest health practices, ecological stewardship, regional milling infrastructure, prescribed burning, and more.Each series date will engage participants in stewardship strategies employed at Green Valley Farm + Mill for improving the forest and watershed, ...
Where: SebastopolCost: $25
Latinx Engineering Day 2023Join us for a family-friendly collaboration between the Exploratorium and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).Our 24th annual DÃa de la IngenierÃa/Latinx Engineering Day combines a panel discussion, presentations on the science and engineering heritage of Latinx people, and playful hands-on activities. This annual program is conducted bilingually in Spanish ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
The Cultural Significance of Sea Otters to the OhloneJoin Sea Otter Savvy’s Heather Barrett and Cafe Ohlone co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino in our Outdoor Nature Lab for a special Sea Otter Awareness Week event! Vincent, Louis, and Heather will discuss the significance of sea otters to Ohlone people and tradition.
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with museum admission ($20 for guests 3+)
City Public Star PartyCome join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers for free public stargazing of the Moon, planets, globular clusters and more!SFAA members with telescopes are encouraged to attend and share their views of the stars with the general public.Dress warmly. Due to the pandemic, social-distancing and masks are encouraged, but not required.Rain, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Monday, 09/25/23
How to Avoid Obliteration: Disability as a Model for First Contact - LivestreamBecause humanity is a young (and presumably vulnerable) technological species, many of the models we use for first contact are decidedly grim. Our most prevalent examples of conflict between civilizations with different military/economic/technological force are the horribly destructive historical encounters between the 'old' and 'new' worlds. Drawing from these examples, ...
As part of The Marine Mammal Center’s Sea Otter Awareness Week 🦦 celebrations, our experts will be LIVE on Facebook and YouTube sharing their knowledge and experience with the smallest marine mammal. Text JOIN to 65179 to receive a reminder text with an event link. With over 25 years of ...
Substrate-driven assembly of a translocon for multipass membrane proteinsBob Keenan is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at UChicago, where he has been a member of the faculty since February of 2005. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from UC San Francisco. His research interfaces biology and chemistry to understand molecular mechanisms that underlie fundamental ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Black Hole Information ParadoxStephen Hawking's black hole information paradox is a conflict between gravity and quantum mechanics, and it has been both a crisis and a guiding light for theoretical physicists for over 40 years. I will describe recent work showing that wormholes in quantum gravity lead to a new formula for entropy  --  this formula ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
eWEAR SymposiumSpeakers:Dr. Chun-cheng Piao“Sensors - Opportunities and challenges in buildingâ€Alastair Grant“DigiLens holographic waveguides - what, how and why?â€Â Jason Hartloveto be finalizedÂ
Learn about the transformative benefits of gardening and composting in urban settings, and how these activities link to climate action.Ania Korsunska is an advocate for urban gardening and sustainability, blending her background in data science research and health communications with her passion for climate solutions. With over six years of ...
What underlies our sense of fairness? Chimpanzees react negatively to allocations of resources in which they receive less than others. Human children (from around 8 years onward) react similarly, and they react negatively to allocations in which they receive more than others. New evidence suggests that aversion to unequal distribution ...
Despite playing an important role in the food web and carbon cycle of the Southern Ocean, zooplankton biodiversity and dynamics in subsurface waters remain largely understudied. Our understanding of temporal variability in the zooplankton community is hampered by logistical constraints that come with working in this remote oceanic region of ...
Young children’s learning may be an important model for artificial intelligence (AI). Comparing children and artificial agents in the same tasks and environments can help us understand the abilities of existing systems and create new ones. In particular, many current large data-supervised systems, such as large language models (LLMs), provide ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Beyond Roll Call: Inferring Politics from Text The ideal point model is a staple of quantitative political science. It is a probabilistic model of roll call data - how a group of lawmakers vote on a collection of bills - that can be used to quantify the lawmakers’ political positions, which are called “ideal points.†In this ...
The Apollo missions showed scientists that the craters on the Moon were from impacts rather than volcanoes, overturning previously held hypotheses. Now, new research using data collected by China's Chinese Chang’E 1 and 2 orbiters has discovered a hot spot under the surface. Using an instrument that made observations at ...
Where: Cost: Free
After Dark: College NightAs back to school season is in full effect, tonight we invite anyone with a college ID to join us for free for a night of cinema and science. Don’t miss a special conversation between soundscape ecologist Bernie Krause and director Vincent Tricon, whose film Bernie Krause: A Life with ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
 Geologic settings required for a viable geothermal resource depend on a variety of specific conditions to be present and active, hence goldilocks.Geothermal energy has a big role to play in the move to renewable energy, possibly supplying as much as 8% of U.S. electrical needs by 2050.New technology that expands ...
In honor of Steinhart Aquarium’s 100th anniversary, let's party like it’s 1923 and celebrate a century of aquatic wonder and innovation.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Varies
Science is a Piece of Cake: A Geology Bake-OffDo you know your Bay Area geology? Learn about all the bizarre, gorgeous and really freaking old formations via ... cake! KQED's Check, Please! Bay Area Producer Cecilia Phillips, in partnership with the California Academy of Sciences and local bakeries, will host a cake bake-off where rocks serve as visual ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: In Person: $20 / Livestream: Free.
Friday, 09/29/23
Cyber Defending Taiwan: Lessons from UkraineDeepening Taiwan’s defense and resilience in the cyber domain is key to advancing diplomatic solutions to the rising geopolitical tensions with China in the region.This one-day conference engaging private, public, and academic leaders will focus on increasing the resilience of Taiwan to threats and vulnerabilities in the cyber domain and ...
Oceans Seminar Series - Two TalksExploring the Resilience of Tunicates: Oceans survivors of 550 Million Years of EvolutionWhile climate change is a major threat to marine life, it is impossible to know exactly how quickly species will adapt to warmer and more acidic seawater, or which species will survive into the future. In this seminar, we will ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
StorageX Tech Talk - Two TalksImpact of fixed-resistance thin films on improved lithium-metal battery performanceSpeaker: Kenzie Marie Sanroman Gutierrez, Ph.D. Student, Stanford UniversityEnabling In-the-Field Operation of Second-Life Battery Energy Storage: Analysis and AlgorithmsSpeaker: Aadil Khan, Ph.D. Student and Xiaofan Cui, Postdoc, Stanford UniversityAttend in person or online
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Nanomaterials in 3D Functional Mesosystems: From Neural Interfaces to Environmental MonitorsComplex, three dimensional (3D) micro/nanostructures in biology provide sophisticated, essential functions in even the most basic forms of life. Compelling opportunities exist for analogous 3D structures in man-made devices, but existing design options are highly constrained by comparatively primitive capabilities in fabrication and growth.Recent advances in mechanical engineering and materials ...
Join the Young Birders Club to bird the babbling Stevens Creek and mature riparian habitat of McClellan Ranch. We will visit the feeders to observe birds such as the Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Oak Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker, and stroll along the Stevens Creek Trail for the Anna’s Hummingbird, California Scrub-Jay, California ...
Where: CupertinoCost: Free
Stewardship Saturday: Studying Marine Mammals in Elkhorn SloughTraverse Moss Landing’s Elkhorn Slough with The Marine Mammal Center, Kayak Connection, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Rehabilitation Team! Through this event you will learn more about The Marine Mammal Center and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s work along the California coast, the different types of marine mammals present in ...
Did you know that California has a holiday just to celebrate biodiversity? Let’s celebrate by having a month long BioBlitz through iNaturalist to help scientists document our local pollinators. Come learn about local pollinator species and how you and your family can contribute to scientific research and conservation!
Los Cenzontles Mexican American Music Performance at the Lawrence Hall of ScienceJoin us to celebrate Mexican music and culture featuring Los Cenzontles, a Bay Area-based arts academy and band that amplifies Mexican American culture through education, performance, and production. Los Cenzontles will perform music, teach visitors about various musical instruments, and discuss how music relates to immigrant traditions, cultural identity, and ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with museum admission ($20 for guests 3+)
 CSM's Family Science & Astronomy Festival + Makerspace (formerly Family Science Day) brings the wonders of science to our community! Future scientists-in-the-making are welcomed to campus to participate in fun makerspace activities, watch Chef Ed make comets, visit fascinating biology, chemistry, geology, and math stations for hands-on demos hosted by ...
Where: San MateoCost: check website
How to Photograph an EclipseThis talk will focus on how to take pictures of the eclipse while still allowing you to enjoy the experience. It is based on a series of talks I gave in 2016-17 prior to the last US eclipse and has been updated for the latest information. Taking photos of eclipses ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
The Peril and Profit of Near-Earth Objects; Is Asteroid Mining Possible and Practical?Near-Earth objects present both an existential threat to human civilization and an extraordinary opportunity to propel our exploration and expansion across the solar system. While the risk of a sudden, civilization-altering collision with an asteroid or comet has markedly diminished in recent decades due to diligent astronomical surveys, a significant ...
Charla is the inaugural Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Officer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York, and the elected President of SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science). At CSHL, she is an academic administrator who guides DEI-motivated institutional change initiatives; on the ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Imaging the Brain at High Spatiotemporal ResolutionThe brain enables physicists and astronomers to explore the universe. Dr. Na Ji will describe how concepts in physics and astronomy help us understand the brain by imaging neurons at sub-micron spatial and millisecond temporal resolution.Speaker: Dr. Na Ji, UC Berkeley
In 1977, the physicist Freeman Dyson1 proposed the burial of biomass, as a scalable, economical solution to the CO2 problem. Today we know2 that the harvested vegetation should be buried in an engineered dry Environmental Chamber. Plant biomass can be preserved for thousands of years by burial in a dry ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Alzheimer's Disease: recent advances and practical tips for prevention - LivestreamA third of dementia cases worldwide are estimated to be at least partly attributable to seven modifiable factors. At this virtual event, hear Dr. Irina Skylar-Scott discuss practical strategies you can put into place in your daily life to improve and maintain cognitive function. Also hear about current treatments, and opportunities to ...
The Universe is magnetic. From stars to galaxies to intergalactic space, magnetic fields thread the cosmos. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, hosts a magnetic field that helps to sculpt the interstellar medium: the “stuff between the stars†out of which new stars are born, and into which some old ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $12 Members & Seniors
Tuesday, 10/03/23
IEEE Day Panel Discussion on Ethical AI: Shaping the Future Responsibly - LivestreamWith a focus on “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for a better tomorrow†to align with the theme of the IEEE day.Panelists:Dr. Ruchi Dass, Managing Director, HealthCursor, UKhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drruchidass/Dr. Katharina Koerner, Tech Diplomacy Network, USAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katharina-koerner-privacyengineering/Chinmay Nerurkar, Principal Engineer, Microsofthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nchinmay/Dr. Vishnu S. Pendyala, SJSU, San Jose, CA, USAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/pendyala/Moderator: Meenakshi Jindal, Netflix, Los Gatos, USAhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakshijindal/Register ...
Where: Cost: Free
Live Taping - The Future of Everything w/Russ Altman with Special Guest, Karl DeisserothJoin us for an electrifying live taping of "The Future of Everything" podcast with host Dr. Russ Altman, Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, Genetics, Medicine, Biomedical Data Science, and Computer Science (by courtesy), and special guest Dr. Karl Deisseroth, D.H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Singapore's Multi-Stakeholder Approach to AI GovernanceOur flagship autumn Seminar Series on International Technology Management in 2023 will examine ways in which new digital technologies, business models, and data governance frameworks are addressing problems and opportunities at the interface between the digital economy and the external world, with special attention to new patterns of competition and ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Clearview AI, Facial Recognition Technology, and Threats to Our PrivacyAre you one in a million? One in a billion? What if an app could pick you out of a crowd based on your face alone?New York Times tech reporter Kashmir Hill was skeptical when she got a tip about a mysterious app called Clearview AI that claimed it could, ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25 General, $15 Members in person, $10/Free web
we are piloting a three-part Human-Centered AI Vodcast. A sort of hybrid podcast, live audience and seminar series. Through this series, we hope to better understand what all of you want from AI. So, welcome to Stanford Human-Centered AI Vodcast, where we don't sweep anything under the rug; where we ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Innovating Solutions at the Ocean-Climate Nexus - LivestreamThis talk will provide an introduction to Ocean Visions, a relatively new organization working through a collaborative partnership to advance a new agenda for solutions at the ocean-climate nexus.With a range of partners including MBARI, Ocean Visions works on a “Four R†agenda to abate the ocean-climate crisis:Reduce: Developing ocean-based ...
Researchers used to define objectives for artificial intelligence (AI) agents by hand, but with progress in optimization and reinforcement learning, it became obvious that it’s too difficult to think of everything ahead of time and write it down. Instead, these days the objective is viewed as a hidden part of ...
Climate change has been deemed the greatest threat to global public health. And yet, there is a yawning research gap surrounding the impact that this anthropogenic phenomenon may have on health-relevant infrastructure and decision-making. In this talk, I present my dissertation work structured around a theoretical framework and four lead ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Radical Founders AI: Geoffrey Hinton in Conversation with Fei-Fei LiIn this Radical AI Founders Masterclass, Geoffrey Hinton and Fei-Fei Li will share their experiences building tech-first startups and scaleups, offering up their guidance, advice, and personal viewpoints. This discussion is delivered in partnership with the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, and the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.Stanford ...
Cody Coleman is a co-founder of Coactive AI, an analytics platform for visual content, and serves as the CEO. Coactive leverages AI to make it easy for enterprises to search, filter, and analyze large amounts of image and video data by bringing structure to unstructured data. Coleman is also a founding ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Special Screening of 'Collision'A worldwide increase in shipping traffic is threatening our oceans, its inhabitants and the planet. Collision is a powerful feature documentary which highlights the severely under-reported issue of fatal ship strikes on whales, a threat which is endangering their very existence. The film suggests solutions to encourage and convince governments and global ...
Where: San RafaelCost: $13.25 General, $9.75 Seniors/Youth, $7.75 Members
Zoom Lenses for Bird PhotographyThis presentation will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of zoom lenses for bird photography. Zoom lenses offer many benefits such as flexibility, excellent image stabilization, and portability. Mastering the zoom lens allows one to capture compelling, professional quality bird photographs without breaking the bank.Speaker: Shravan SundaramSee weblink for Zoom information. ...
Hear Seth Shostak, Earth’s official Alien Hunter, talking about space exploration with host Haritina Mogoșanu.Seth Shostak directs the search for extraterrestrials at the SETI Institute in California - trying to find evidence of intelligent life in space. He is also committed to getting the public, especially young people, excited about ...
Where: Cost: Free
Thursday, 10/05/23
Building for Heat Resilience in Urban Areas - LivestreamA majority of the population around the world, including nearly 80% of the U.S. population, reside in urban areas. As average temperatures rise and extreme heat events become more common due to climate change, the built environment and lack of vegetation in cities combine to make that heat even more ...
Where: Cost: Free
Volcanism on Exoplanets: New Insights from JWST and Beyond - LivestreamUp until now, the quest to find evidence of active volcanism on other worlds has been limited to our own solar system. We've definitively seen volcanoes erupting on Jupiter's moon, Io; we've possibly found evidence of geologically recent volcanism on Venus; and Mars has the largest volcano, although dormant, in ...
Is it a good idea to use machine learning (ML) predictions in education? Would machine learning models treat all students fairly? I will start this talk with our recent analysis on middle school and high school datasets that reveal potential fairness risks of applying vanilla ML on students. To improve ...
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
Leading the Circular RevolutionJoin us and the city of Zurich for an evening exploring how cities can lead the way towards a more sustainable way of living by embracing the circular economy.While occupying only 3% of the planet's territory, cities use 75 % of global resources. The circular economy has emerged as a ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
After Dark: UsersGrapple with the complicated relationship between people and technology tonight at After Dark. In the feature-length documentary Users, filmmaker Natalia Almada explores major questions confronting humanity as we develop increasingly intimate relationships with technology. Then immerse yourself in the power and harmony of the natural world with the west coast ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
CFC Birdy Hour: Burrowing Owls of the Bay Area - LivestreamLearn the latest about the life and times of our local Burrowing Owls from a researcher who has studied them for over 30 years. There's more to know about their migratory behavior and about the attachment Burrowing Owls show to their mates and to where they nest. While Burrowing Owls ...
Where: Cost: Free
NightLife: The Art of NatureAt this NightLife, Mother Nature takes center stage as our ultimate muse. See what happens when art and nature collide as we celebrate 10 years of our BigPicture: Natural World Photography exhibit.Featured events:Dive into the enchanting world of underwater kelp forest ecosystems with a talk and photography showcase from 2023 ...
First Friday: Light & DarkSince the creation of our planet, light has been crucial to the survival of all living things on Earth. Equally important is the absence of that light where shadows play an important role in understanding the world around us. At October’s First Friday event, try your hand at creating an ...
Where: OaklandCost: $15 General, $10 Kids/Seniors, $5 Members
Getting Started with Astronomical Spectroscopy - RescheduledAstronomical spectroscopy is the study of the electromagnetic spectrum of stars and other celestial objects through a spectroscope. Spectroscopy is one of the best tools we have for deciphering the chemical and physical properties of the universe, and is the backbone of modern astrophysical research. In fact, about 75% of ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Studying Exoplanets with The James Webb Space TelescopeThe James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful and complex astronomical space observatory ever built. It launched in December 2021 into orbit in the Sun - Earth system. The large 6.5-m diameter JWST primary mirror and its infrared instruments allow it to see some of the very first luminous ...
Join the Young Birders Club to bird the lush green grass and towering Oak and Redwood trees of Cuesta Park! We'll look for resident birds, including Red-tailed Hawks, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches, Western Bluebirds, and American Robins, and keep an eye out for incoming wintering sparrows.This trip is designed for ...
A remarkably rich chemistry is at play in the regions of space where solar systems are born. In this talk, Professor Bergner, the College of Chemistry’s first-ever astrochemist, will describe how powerful telescopes combined with lab experiments are revealing the chemical outcomes in these exotic physical environments. Professor Bergner will ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Critter Search at SanbornSome of the most interesting critters are hard to find. Join us as we look for some of the smaller residents of Sanborn Park. Look for Salamanders under rocks, Millipedes under logs, and newts in the ponds! Let’s see who we can find!Register at weblink
Bioethics (or Medical Ethics) has emerged and developed rapidly as an independent (but interdependent) discipline from standard ethics since WWII. While the Nazi doctors trial and atrocities brought to light many previously unthinkable transgressions, a developing discipline actually pre-dated the Nazi regime with respect to protections of human subjects in ...
Where: Cost: Free
Sunday, 10/08/23
Five Dollar Day at The Lawrence Hall of ScienceVisit The Lawrence and enjoy all the hands-on science we offer for just $5 per person. $5 Days are part of our efforts to increase access to our programs for all.
Where: BerkeleyCost: $5
Solar ObservingIt’s there for us year round, lighting our days and providing energy for our lives, so maybe it’s time to give it a closer look. Join SJAA for amazing and detailed views of the Sun, and be assured that we’ll be using special telescopes that will keep your eyeballs perfectly ...
Quantum Limited Thermal and Thermoelectric Transport in GrapheneIn low-dimensional systems, a growing number of many-body quantum phenomena have emerged from the combination of reduced dimensionality, strong interactions, and topology. Thermal and thermoelectric transport, which is sensitive to energy- and entropy-carrying degrees of freedom, provides a discriminating probe of emergent excitations in quantum materials. In this talk, I ...
In this talk, I will cover a few recent papers and projects that focus on the measurement of emissions and the costs, benefits, and opportunities associated with a transition to sustainable, deeply decarbonized, and equitable energy systems is needed in the United States. For example, in [1], we show that ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
The Motions of Stars and Gas in Disk GalaxiesStudies of disk galaxies, like our own Milky Way, are foundational to our current understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Studies of their rotational motions provided one of the first pieces of evidence for the existence of dark matter. I will discuss similar kinematic measurements we use to understand their ...
The past has left its traces on the world, and we only have to know how to read themAnimals arose over five hundred million years ago, and by the end of the Cambrian had diversified into today’s phylum-level forms. This early history is obscured by the fact that the first animals were soft-bodied and left only enigmatic fossils. Here we take a comparative genomic approach to inferring the ...
US Tribes are developing their energy visions, but there are challenges. Strategic Energy Planning assists to meet many of the challenges.Speaker: Sandra Begay, Sandia National Labs
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Tuesday, 10/10/23
Cybersecurity Futures 2030: National Security Implications for Policymakers - LivestreamHow do current cybersecurity frameworks hold up to the challenges of the future? What are the potential gaps in our knowledge? What are the possible courses of action for governments, citizens, and the private sector?This session will explore these questions and other major themes that emerged from a series of ...
The interaction between fire and humans has a long history and fire has enabled the persistence of ecosystems and humans alike. Yet, as fires of large magnitudes and frequencies can (and have) destabilized the social-ecological interactions mediated by fire and the processes they support, a novel understanding is needed to ...
In most condensed matter systems we think of electrons as delocalized particles that roam about the internal landscape of a material. This is especially true when the number of electrons in a crystal is less than the number of lattice sites, in which case most materials are metallic. But what ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Resilient Societies: Silicon Valley's ReinventionOver the past decade, tech companies have become new and powerful players on the international stage. Borderless digital platforms and cutting-edge innovations in biotech, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence have not only revolutionized our way of life, but have also exponentially increased in speed, reshaping our institutions, norms, and values. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Conversational AI and the Future of the WebAfter a long break, we are back in person. We are bringing together experts in Conversational AI to discuss the latest trends and advancements. Our panelists will delve into topics like Artificial Intelligence, Language Models, and the Future of the Web. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from industry ...
Two dramatic eclipses of the Sun are coming to North America during the 2023-24 school year - an annular (“ring of fireâ€) eclipse Oct. 14, 2023 and a total eclipse Apr. 8, 2024. People in two narrow paths will have the full eclipse experience each time. Everyone else (an estimated 500 million people, including ...
Where: Cost: Free
Wednesday, 10/11/23
Motivation, Representation, and Autonomous AgentsThe past decade’s series of dramatic AI successes has brought us closer to realizing the dream of the autonomous agent - an artificial system that can learn about its world, make decisions, and set and achieve goals, all with minimal human intervention. Nature has given us an incredible motif for ...
Along rivers, bedload transport causes collision and wear of sediment particles, by both surface attrition that produces sand and silt, and chipping that produces larger fragments. As a result, riverbed sediments exhibit two downstream trends: rounding and fining where particle size decreases with distance downstream. Sediments supplied by hillslopes to ...
The presentation delves into the prevalent challenges of human infertility and congenital defects exacerbated by environmental toxins. Chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, present in plastics, cosmetics, and personal care items, disrupt hormones and pathways as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). Despite efforts to replace BPA with alternatives labeled “BPA-Free,†these ...
Where: EmeryvilleCost: Free
Doors Open 2023: Go Behind - the - Scenes at the Physical ArchiveWe are excited to offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the physical collections of books, music, film, and video in Richmond, California.With this special insider event we are opening the doors to an often unseen place. See the lifecycle of physical books - donation, preservation, digitization, and access. Also, samples from ...
Near-Earth objects present both an existential threat to human civilization and an extraordinary opportunity to help our exploration and expansion across the solar system. The risk of a sudden, civilization-altering collision with an asteroid or comet has markedly diminished in recent decades due to diligent astronomical surveys, but a significant ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free
What Can AI Teach Us About the Human Mind...and vice versa?Scientists often use models to study complicated and interesting phenomena (think the model of the atom, mouse models to study cancer, etc.). In particular, computational models allow us to improve our understanding of phenomena that cannot be observed directly, whether due to time (such as predicting earthquakes) or access constraints ...
Where: San RafaelCost: Free
Thursday, 10/12/23
Coastal Walk at Cowell-Purisima TrailJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful Thursday walk along the Cowell-Purisima trail that POST helped create by protecting adjacent farmland. While it may be foggy, we hope to catch gorgeous views of the ocean, nearby farmland, and glimpses of harbor seals, pelicans, hawks, rabbits, and whales during the ...
Listen carefully to the secret sounds of the animal world. In this collection of videos created by scientist Karen Bakker she takes you up close to five species and their fascinating sounds, and the stories of how scientists have studied them. Drawing from her book The Sounds of Life, Karen ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $19.95 General, Free for members
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 60,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.Venture into our latest ...
When we contemplate how bird diversity has changed, we often focus on the handful of species we have lost entirely. But while we have yet to lose a single bird species to our rapidly changing climate, birds and other creatures are currently adapting and responding in myriad ways. Across the world, species are shifting their geographic ...
Join Bay Area Skeptics president Eugenie Scott in a wide-ranging conversation with science journalist and creator of the very popular skeptical YouTube channel, Potholer54. Through clips from the channel, Scott and Hadfield discuss his approach to his long-time production of science-related videos, and the importance of outreach to the public ...
Where: Cost: Free
Friday, 10/13/23
Bair Island Walking TourJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust for a walking tour at Bair Island! You’ll be guided by POST ambassadors who will share the history of this beautiful protected space, information about the species that live there, and what you can do to contribute.This easy 1 mile walk with little to no ...
Deep ocean industrial and hazardous waste disposal was a pervasive global practice near coastlines in the 20th century. Uncertainty in the quantity, location, and contents of the discarded materials at historic dump sites pose ongoing risks to marine ecosystems and human health. This talk will describe observations and analytic techniques ...
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Public Astronomy Viewing NightsCome for public viewing of the night sky at Sonoma State University's Observatory.Check the weblink for weather conditions before going as the event is weather dependent.
Where: Rohnert ParkCost: Free
How to Survive the A.I. ApocalypseAfter two sold-out shows in NYC, Shiva and Ben of KRAZAM are coming to SF, bringing you the knowledge you need to survive in the post-AI world!Live ComedyInteractive SegmentsExclusive New KRAZAM VidsExistential DreadForbidden KnowledgeAppSec Lessons
Where: San FranciscoCost: $35
Saturday, 10/14/23
Annular Solar EclipseThis fall, here in the Bay Area, we will have one of our last chances to experience a solar eclipse in our own back yard until 2024! Chabot Space & Science Center will be open early to ensure guests have the best chance to spot the annular solar eclipse from ...
Where: OaklandCost: $30 Adult, $25 Youth/Sr/Student, under 2 free
Partial Eclipse Viewing At Houge ParkEveryone is invited to join us at Houge Park to observe a partial solar eclipse where the moon will cover most of the sun. Come between 7:30 and 8 if you want to see the full eclipse, but don't hesitate to join us after the eclipse has started, it will ...
The Sage and Drifter bar hosts an eclipse viewing party,On Saturday October 14 there will be a Total Annular Solar Eclipse of the Sun! The path of totality crosses the US from Oregon to Texas. From San Francisco 83% of the Sun will be covered.Safely View this spectacular event with ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Annular Solar EclipseLearn MoreFor general eclipse information, and specifics on this eclipse, check out the NASA 2023 Solar Eclipse website!Eye safety is very important when looking at the sun! Here’s a helpful NASA guide on Eclipse Safety.To see the path of this annular eclipse, and next year’s total eclipse, check out NASA’s 2023 ...
Where: Los Altos HillsCost: Free
Eclipse Viewing PartyOn October 14, an annular solar eclipse will be visible across the United States. The Lawrence will have eclipse glasses for sale leading up to and during the eclipse. Join us for a viewing party and an exploration of how eclipses occur!
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free with admission
Partial Solar Eclipse at Stanford/KIPACPlease join us to watch the solar eclipse together! While the Bay Area is not on the path of annularity, we will still have around 80% coverage with a partial eclipse and would love to invite you to celebrate this astronomical event together! Please see below an overview of the ...
Where: Palo AltoCost: Free
Annular Eclipse LiveOn Saturday, October 14, an annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central, and South America. The SETI Institute and Unistellar are joining together for an expanded SETI Live, with teams on the ground in Oregon, Nevada, and Utah using eVscopes equipped with solar filters to observe the event. Additionally, we’re ...
Where: Cost: Free
Fall Baylands BioblitzJoin the BioBlitz.club and Environmental Volunteers for a Fall BioBlitz in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve and Byxbee Park.Fall is a wonderful time for migrating birds. Join us to learn about some of our native and non-native species, become a community scientist and help us collect scientific data.Please bring ...
Start your morning with a solar eclipse at the Exploratorium!Join us for an outdoor solar eclipse viewing in front of Pier 15. Exploratorium educators will be present to demonstrate safe viewing techniques and engage families in hands-on activities. We have a limited supply of free eclipse glasses available to hand ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Friends and family birding day at Bouverie PreserveJoin us for a fun-filled day of birding at Bouverie Preserve! Whether you’re an experienced birder or just starting out, this event is perfect for nature enthusiasts of all ages. Spend the day exploring the beautiful preserve and spotting a variety of bird species in their natural habitat.Bring your friends ...
Where: Glen EllenCost: Free
Family Nature Day at Huddart ParkJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Friends of Huddart & Wunderlich Parks, and San Mateo County Parks for a family-friendly morning filled with hikes for all ages, hands-on learning experiences and arts activities. Register now to reserve a free ticket for you and your friends and family!$6 parking fee, cash ...
Where: WoodsideCost: Free
Fire Ecology HikeJoin us to learn about the importance of getting ‘good fire’ back onto coastal landscapes and our ongoing work to steward the preserve using prescribed burning. A guided 4-mile hike will reveal the progress and preparations we’re making within two unique burn projects in coastal prairie and coastal redwood habitats.The ...
Where: Stinson BeachCost: Free
TechFestCHM’s all-day TechFest events offer special family-oriented experiences included in the price of Museum admission. We’ll be bringing you tech-themed demos, performances, hands-on activities, and more. Explore CHM exhibits, shop in the Museum store, enjoy a tasty treat from the Cloud Bistro or a visiting food truck, and have fun ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Sunday, 10/15/23
Presidio: Changes Through TimeJoin the National Park Service and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the GGNRA!This half-mile, level walk shows the historical changes to the Presidio, from the Spanish fort all the way to the new Tunnel Tops. Who benefitted from these changes, and who did not?Learn about the people who lived here, and ...
The Nature Sounds Society's lecture-demonstration with surround sound.LEARNhow wildlife is disturbed by human noisehow the national parks are conserving their natural soundscapesTUNE UP YOUR EARShear the difference between mono, stereo, and surround soundhear the environment that we usually try to ignorehear the individual voices in a chaotic jungle soundscapeLISTENtake your ...
Humans have sought "signs from above†for millennia. The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) began circa 1960, and, today, grows ever deeper and more technologically diverse. The scope of modern research is breathtaking. Methods include targeted searches for electromagnetic (EM) signals near known Earth-like exoplanets, continuous EM scans over ...
At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco, catching most of the city asleep. For approximately one minute, shockwaves buckled streets, shattered water mains, collapsed buildings, crushed hundreds of residents to death and trapped many alive. For the next three days, fires ignited and ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $20 General, $10 Members
Phonon thermal conductivity in ferroelectric materials: the case for “polarization caloritronicsâ€What is the nature of the thermal fluctuations of polarization in ferroelectric materials, the equivalent of magnons in ferromagnetic materials? In displacement ferroelectrics they are phonons involving the atoms that carry Born effective charges; these describe the electrical polarization induced by the displacement of individual atomic sublattices. These phonons are ...
Synthetic biology is one of the most promising fields of research for the 21st century. It offers powerful ways to build the global economy, manufacture sustainable materials, and address climate change. However, current access to biotechnology breakthroughs is unequal, largely due to bottlenecks in infrastructure and education. Here, I describe ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Scalable Quantum Nanophotonics: From Nanofabrication to Quantum Circuit MappingDr. Radulaski explores light and matter interaction at the nanoscale for applications in quantum and classical informationprocessing hardware. Photonic systems are the leading candidates for creating reliable sources of quantum information and other important tools for quantum computing. Recent advances in photonic technology have important applications in building quantum networks, ...
Dr. Karine Gibbs studies the social behaviors of tiny organisms. Her team asks how bacteria recognize one another, engage in collective behaviors such as territory formation, and cause disease. They use molecular biology, biochemistry, and live-cell imaging to examine shapeshifting, fast-moving residents of humans and animals. Dr. Gibbs (A.B., Harvard ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Scouting for light new physicsThe two most common ways particle physicists are searching for the existence of new forces or new degrees of freedom are either by producing heavy new particles directly, using collisions at the highest achievable energies, or by measuring precisely processes that are very rare. In the colloquium I will review ...
The US State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) develops and executes US international energy policy through diplomatic and programmatic engagement that promotes a low-emissions future, energy security for the United States and our allies and partners, and economic prosperity through sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy access. In a conversation ...
It's a challenge to make the best decisions in a world that is unpredictable and full of contradictions. Help is now available in the form of advice from quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili, who shares 8 lessons from the heart of science that he says can help people get the most ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10 General, Free for Members
Tuesday, 10/17/23
Understanding Food Loss and WasteFood that is lost or wasted on its journey from farm to fork creates the potent greenhouse gas methane and results in lost environmental resources, energy, and economic productivity. Reducing food loss and waste (in the U.S., the goal is to cut food waste by 50% by 2030) represents a ...
Extreme wildfire has become a global crisis - affecting lives, property, air quality, economies and ecosystems. What role can technology and startups play in helping address it? Bill Clerico is the founder and managing partner at Convective Capital, a wildfire-focused venture capital firm and will share his perspectives on the ...
Quantum error correction was invented as a graceful answer to how quantum computing would be feasible despite continuous noises from environment. It was soon realized that gauge theories had been a quantum error correcting code in disguise. This perspective has influenced designs of quantum fault-tolerant protocols. On the other hand, ...
Speaker: Eugenia Bone is an internationally known food and nature writer. Her work has appeared in many anthologies, magazines, and newspapers, including The New York Times, The National Lampoon, Saveur, Gourmet, BBC Science, and The Wall Street Journal, where she is a frequent book reviewer.Attend in person or online.
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free
Astronomy on Tap Tucson #92: Revealing the Hidden - LivestreamUnveiling the Missing Universe with Arizona’s Own Space TelescopeSpeaker: Carlos VargasThe Search for Stealth Ocean WorldsSpeaker: Adeene DentonOn tap this month, we have Steward Observatory professor Carlos Vargas and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory postdoc Adeene Denton! Carlos will tell us all about the University of Arizona’s very own view of ...
