Greetings Fans of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,
Are you ready for the last stretch of holiday indulgences? If you have young people around that need to be distracted or calmed down here’s something that might help… 25 Christmas Science Ideas I’m not much of a holiday person, but I do love to watch people truly enjoy whatever might be their reason for the season. Spending time with those that we cherish is the best. I hope that you have friends or family to share the Science of Christmas. Hard to think that it was only 60 years ago that Apollo 8 orbited the moon! Here’s 12 facts you may not know about Christmas. Of course there are some easy answers to some of the common christmas mysteries too, I can’t skip this one science of cats in space story, even if it isn’t really a christmas story!
I recently had a discussion about the “hard” and “soft” sciences. I think it is an interesting discussion/question. I think they require a significantly different mindset to understand and appreciate. I have a feeling that the debate over what “good” and “bad” science is going to be very similar in the coming couple of years. What's the gripe between 'hard' and 'soft' sciences? Be prepared… A brief history of politics and science It isn’t exclusively politician vs scientist… The most epic fights in science
It’s that time of year when the schools shut down for awhile and consequently there are fewer calendar listings but the quality is still really great. So this should be an easier time because you don’t have to decide on which you will go to. For something entirely different to do, may I suggest you bring some visiting friends and family to a presentation? Here are a few that I think offer some interesting topics…
LASER Event - 12/16/2024 07:00 PM
Family-Friendly Winter Fun Agar Art - Painting w/ Microbes! - 12/17/2024 06:00 PM in Oakland
After Dark: Twinkle Twinkle - 12/19/2024 06:00 PM in San Francisco
In case you are looking for something to keep people distracted from the turkey and the rest of what’s on the table, this might help… https://archimedes-lab.org/index.html
Imagine Mr./Ms. Claus trying to navigate to all of the places he/she has to get to in a very short period of time, for what has to be done. This is somewhere around 40 to slightly less than 48 hrs. This requires an exceptionally good understanding of where they are at any given moment. This, even with GPS, is an incredible challenge. This is why maps are so important. Maps That Show How The World Really Is, even cartography needs math and science!
But wait there’s more Bizarre History of Cats in Space! Not just cats actually!
Here’s a good one to refer new science fans to… Understanding Science 101
DOE Explains...the Standard Model of Particle Physics
Is Technology Worthy of Our Faith?
Living in the Age of Risky Science
Finally… Here’s to looking ahead!
Have some great holidays and I’ll be back next year!
herb masters
Looking for more cats in space.
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Note: I’m trying to some format changes in how we list the next 2 weeks of events in the hopes of people getting to the end of the list of them. I’m editing down the descriptions heavily to give an idea of what it is but you need to go to the link to find out more details if you are interested. Let us know what you think.
Monday, 12/16/2024
Exploring the cell death phenotypic landscape - 12/16/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Scott Dixon, Stanford University
Room: Auditorium
December LASER Event - 12/16/2024 07:00 PM
Alway Building, Rm M112 Stanford
Changan Chen (Stanford/AI) on 4D Audio-Visual Learning: A Visual Perspective of Sound Propagation and Production" Alberto Salleo (Stanford/ Material Science) on "Soft Polymers for Bioelectronics" Karoline Karlic (UC Santa Cruz/ Photography) on "Unseen California: Photography, Place and Environment "
Tuesday, 12/17/2024
Family-Friendly Winter Fun Agar Art - Painting w/ Microbes! - 12/17/2024 06:00 PM
Counter Culture Labs Oakland
Join Counter Culture Labs for an exciting workshop focused on DIY just-for-fun biotechnology. We will be making colorful agar art with our engineered glowing microorganisms. Agar is the substrate on which microbes grow on.
Astronomy on Tap Tucson #102: Alien Worlds + Catching PikaBOOMs - Livestream - 12/17/2024 06:30 PM
Astronomy on Tap Tucson
Tucson’s local flavor of Astronomy on Tap, Space Drafts, is excited to present its 102nd edition! This month, Josh Liberman, who will tell us about hunting for alien worlds with huge telescopes, and Jeniveve Pearson who will tell us about Rubin Observatory’s search for transient objects.
Wednesday, 12/18/2024
2024 Astronomy Picture of the Day - Livestream - 12/18/2024 06:00 PM
NASA Night Sky Network
Join the NASA Night Sky Network with Dr. Robert Nemiroff for a tour of highlights from the Astronomy Picture of the Day archive for 2024.
Science Is A Piece of Cake: California Forests - 12/18/2024 07:00 PM
KQED, The Commons San Francisco
Learn about California's beautiful forests via cake! KQED Check, Please! producer Cecilia Phillips hosts a cake bake-off, where California's rich forests will serve as our visual prompt.
Thursday, 12/19/2024
Lunch Break Science - Livestream - 12/19/2024 11:00 AM
The Leakey Foundation
Lunch Break Science is a dynamic live web series featuring fascinating short talks, engaging interviews, and lively Q&A with Leakey Foundation scientists.
After Dark: Twinkle Twinkle - 12/19/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Learn about the celestial bodies that illuminate our sky: the Sun, shooting stars, and near-Earth asteroids.
Friday, 12/20/2024
In Town Star Party - 12/20/2024 07:15 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Come join San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) for an evening of stargazing.
Saturday, 12/21/2024
The Physics Show - Three Performances - 12/21/2024 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills
The 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.
Family Astronomy: Winter Solstice - The Longest Night - 12/21/2024 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Explore the fascinating history, diverse cultural customs, and ancient rituals associated with the Winter Solstice.
Sunday, 12/22/2024
The Physics Show - Three Performances - 12/22/2024 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills
The 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.
Thursday, 12/26/2024
After Dark: Let It Glow - 12/26/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Saturday, 12/28/2024
Fungus Among Us at Sanborn Park - 12/28/2024 10:30 AM
Sanborn Science and Nature Center Saratoga
Glow Fest - 12/28/2024 11:00 AM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Family Astronomy Workshop: The Glistening Wonders of Stars - 12/28/2024 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Sunday, 12/29/2024
Glow Fest - 12/29/2024 11:00 AM
ExplOratorium San Francisco