Hello again Science Fans!
There is a lot of interesting stuff in the science news this week, so let’s dig into it.
California is on the verge of eliminating the sale of internal combustion engine-driven automobiles. Sales of new vehicles will be prohibited starting in 2035 and it is expected that several other states will follow California’s lead.
One significant issue with electric vehicles (EVs) is the battery system. Charging takes a long time when connected to 120V home outlets. Even with faster 240v chargers, charging isn’t quick. There aren’t enough fast chargers available in the “wild” to support this many EVs, and California’s electric grid does not have the capacity to support this much charging. Lithium ion batteries are the current state-of-the-art when it comes to long lasting batteries, but there’s a new technology developed by engineers at MIT that may solve the problems these batteries have. This new technology uses aluminum, sulfur, and salt, all common materials.
This development reminds me a bit of our goal of putting a man on the moon. President John Kennedy challenged the country to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. The technology didn’t exist when he made this challenge, but we rose to the occasion and invented it. So too, perhaps, better battery technology.
Travels to the moon are back in the news, of course, with the pending launch of Artemis 1, using a Space Launch System rocket. The Apollo missions put us on the moon 50 years ago, and now Artemis, named after Apollo’s twin sister, is poised to follow. The launch is currently scheduled for Monday at 5:33 AM PDT. Here’s all you need to know about Artemis 1.
Pictured above is a processed image taken by the JWST of the planet Jupiter. The detail is stunning and even shows some distant galaxies in the background. Also clearly visible are aurora at both poles.
JWST also detected carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a distant planet for the first time. This is an early example of the discoveries we can expect from this amazing feat of engineering.
Last month I wrote about the Griffin Warrior, my classmate Jack Davis, and his wife Shari Stocker (see above). All were back in the news this week in a story about further discoveries at this site, DNA analysis on the Warrior’s remains, and a reconstruction of what the Griffin Warrior might have looked like.
Climate change is threatening crop yields around the world as legacy crops that have been grown for generations can no longer tolerate increased temperatures. Most plants use one type of photosynthesis, but a common weed, Purslane, uses two which helps it survive both heat and drought. Using CRISPR technology, genetic engineers are looking to modify plants to use both types, perhaps solving a pending food crisis.
California is not the only place suffering from drought. Throughout Europe, rivers are drying up revealing some ancient archaeological treasures. Here is some information on what's being uncovered.
Finishing up, last week I wrote about the 6 month anniversary of the Ukraine-Russia war. Some environmentalists are attempting to measure the impact of the devastation in hopes of forcing Russia to make reparations. I hope they are successful.
Have a great week in Science, and enjoy the upcoming Labor Day weekend!
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 08/29/2022
Superconductivity in nickelate heterostructures - 08/29/2022 02:30 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Nickel and copper are nominally very similar in chemistry so the search for superconductivity in nickelates is a story almost as old as the quest to understand the high temperature superconductivity of the cuprates. A central feature of these efforts was to find a nickelate with a similar electronic structure to that of the cuprates and a significant part of this approach utilized thin filmsand heterostructures.
In this seminar I will describe some of the most important advances made in the search for superconductivity in nickelates.
First, I will discuss the efforts made in the context of perovskite nickelate heterostructures and then I will introduce the recent discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates[1] and the ever-growingfamily of nickelate superconductors.
Finally, I will come back to the comparison between nickelates and cuprates by examining what we have learned so far on the physics of the nickelates. In particular I will focus on results from x-ray scattering [2] and muon spin rotation [3] that suggest acoexistence of superconductivity and magnetism thatmay be as a result oftheproposed multi-orbital natureof the nickelates.
Speaker: Jennifer Fowlie, Stanford University
See weblink for Zoom information.
UC Berkeley Physics Colloquia - Canceled - 08/29/2022 04:15 PM
UC Berkeley
Tuesday, 08/30/2022
Chemical synthesis against "undruggable" targets: from bacterial infection to cancer - 08/30/2022 11:00 AM
Tan Hall Berkeley
A major challenge in drug design is targeting the disease-driving mechanism without perturbing the normal function of healthy cells. In this talk, I will discuss how to address this challenge by exploiting unique chemical features inexorably linked to the diseased state. I will describe how a highly modular total chemical synthesis of macrolide antibiotics provides a powerful tool for generating variants that overcome antibiotic resistance. I will then focus on cancer cell signaling and new strategies that utilize two therapeutic agents simultaneously to overcome current challenges to oncology drug discovery. I will describe how to target the critical kinase mTOR (mechanistic target of Rapamycin) only in the tissue where cancer is forming and not the rest of the body to enhance therapeutic efficacy and mitigate toxicity in glioblastoma, a lethal form of brain cancer. Lastly, I will report on an approach that leverages the immune system to attack the intracellular "undruggable" oncogene K-Ras (G12C), which can overcome primary drug resistance to current small molecules targeting this oncogene in lung and colon cancer.
Speaker: Ziyang Zhang, UC Berkeley
Optical and Electron-Beam Spectroscopy of Single Solid-State Emitters - Towards Building Blocks for Coherent Optoelectronics - 08/30/2022 04:00 PM
LeConte Hall, Rm 1 Berkeley
Solid-state single-photon emitters (SPEs) with controlled photon-number, polarization, and spectral mode are critical building blocks in coherent optoelectronics, an emerging area with transformative potential in quantum information processing and energy transduction.[1,2] However, our understanding of SPE structure-function relationships remains limited, and only a few classes of SPEs fulfill the stringent demands on stability, single-photon purity, and long optical coherence times set by applications in quantum optics. My talk highlights specific spectroscopic tools for assessing SPE photo-physics and identifies pathways for their rational chemical design.
First, I will demonstrate how a combination of photon-correlation spectroscopy and optical interferometry provides access to SPE optical coherences on timescales inaccessible with other spectroscopic techniques. Using this photon-correlation Fourier spectroscopy (PCFS), I show that individual lead-halide perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) at low temperatures display highly efficient single-photon emission with minimal spectral diffusion. I further identify remarkable optical coherence times as long as 80 picoseconds, an appreciable fraction of their 210 picoseconds radiative lifetimes.[3,4] These measurements reveal that PQDs are the first colloidal semiconductor nanomaterial with potential application in quantum optics and present a starting point for the rational chemical design of lead halide perovskite-based SPEs [5] with fast emission, wide spectral tunability, and straightforward hybrid-integration with nanophotonic components. I will briefly touch on recent work on the optical control of detrimental charging dynamics in colloidal SPEs using ultrafast mid-infrared pulses.[6]
Second, I will show how scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in conjunction with cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging can delineate structure-function relationships of established SPEs with sub-diffraction limited spatial resolution. We show that different sub-crystalline domains in nanodiamonds containing optically active silicon-vacancy centers (SiV) display changes in zero-phonon line (ZPL) energies and differences in brightness that we correlate with local lattice strain. Our results provide a comprehensive picture of the structural sources of inhomogeneous broadening of SiVs in diamond and demonstrate the utility of STEM-CL in studying critical SPEs photo-physics.[7]
Wonderfest: Humble Spud: The Potato's Wonderful History and Promising Future - 08/30/2022 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Potatoes are often invisible on one's plate, but this is a food you can rely on to soothe your soul and your stomach. Due to the humble spud's capacity to keep people alive in so many diverse environments, several cultures lay claim to originating it. The potato actually first emerged 10,000 years ago in highland South America. While introducing the science of the potato and its complexities of diversification, we will learn how it is farmed in its home and how pople are helping it adapt to the changing climate.
Speaker: Christine Hastorf, UC Berkeley
Thursday, 09/01/2022
The Coming 6th Generation of Mobile Wireless - Livestream - 09/01/2022 04:00 PM
Sonoma State Engineering Colloquium
The first commercial 5G deployments were in March of 2019 - barely three years ago and the path to 6G is already a few years under way. It is without a doubt that 6G will be evolution and revolution beyond 5G, but some of the differences are already quite clear. Not only is the technology going to be different, the change in commercial and government approach to commercial wireless systems has already begun. This talk will cover what remains to be realized from the original 5G vision and what to expect from the work on 6G during the next decade.
Speaker: Roger Nickols, Keysight
Why Have False Beliefs and Conspiracy Theories Become so Powerful? - 09/01/2022 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Why does a lie travel around the world while the truth is still lacing up its boots? In all areas, not just politics, science, and medicine, outrageous or fascinating false information outpaces truth, which is often more nuanced. False narratives pose a real danger to democracy, to our health, and to society. This series will discuss the reasons for that destructive state of affairs and what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society.
In this first part of our series, Dr. Joe Pierre, health sciences clinical professor at UCLA and specialist in delusional thinking and conspiracy theories, will discuss the age-old psychological reasons that conspiracy theories and other false narratives have been successful throughout human history. He will also look at how false narratives have been noticeably empowered and accelerated during the past few years by COVID isolation and modern technologies, among other factors.
This will be an intense, information-packed event; be sure to bring your questions or send them to us in advance at personalgrowthmlf@gmail.com. Also look for the next events in this series, which will use the insights from this event to discuss how we can reach out to a friend who has become ensnared in a conspiracy theory, and actions we can take as individuals and as a society.
Speaker: Joe Pierre, UC Los Angeles; Eric Siegel, Commonwealth Club, Moderator
Attend in-person or online
NightLife - 09/01/2022 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
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 the albino alligator), the night is sure to be wild.
Step inside the iconic Shake House and our four-story Rainforest, where you can explore the Amazon"s treetops surrounded by free-flying birds and butterflies. Reservations for these exhibits are no longer required. However, please note that the last entry into the rainforest is 7:30 pm - our animals need their sleep.
Venture into our latest aquarium exhibit Venom to encounter live venomous animals and learn the power of venom to both harm and heal.
Bask in the glow of one of the largest living coral reef displays in the world: our 212,000-gallon Philippine Coral Reef tank.
Take in the interstellar views from the Living Roof, then grab a bite from the Academy Cafe and head to the West Garden outdoor bar to drink and dine under the stars. For adults 21+.
After Dark: See for Yourself - 09/01/2022 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
The Exploratorium is your playground after dark! Wander the galleries, sip a cocktail, and let a DJ from Hip Hop for Change set the vibe. Don"t miss your last chance to see the Exploratorium"s Art of Tinkering exhibition before it closes on September 5! You"ll discover artworks, contraptions, and exhibits that will make you see familiar materials in new ways - and keep you tinkering all night.
Cell Phone Miniscope 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Crossroads
We invite you to open your eyes to the amazing world of the ultra-tiny! Be sure to grab a miniscope kit and directions - then convert your cell phone into a portable, picture-taking miniscope using a simple plastic lens from a laser pointer. Use it to see the Exploratorium at its smallest scale, then take it home to continue exploring new environments!
Making Smalltalk: The Origins and Impact of the Groundbreaking Software Environment - 09/01/2022 07:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
Before the Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, Python, Java, and Objective-C, there was Smalltalk.
50 years ago this September, Smalltalk, which ultimately revolutionized personal computing, graphical user interfaces, and programming languages, was first created at Xerox PARC in Alan Kay"s Learning Research Group as a way to help children learn by using computers.
Join us for a night with Smalltalk pioneers and 2022 CHM Fellows Adele Goldberg and Daniel Ingalls to celebrate Smalltalk"s 50th anniversary. In an interactive discussion with moderator John Markoff, Goldberg and Ingalls will explore Smalltalk"s original mission in education and its influence on the world of object-oriented programming languages, development environments, and software engineering methodologies. Adding to the conversation will be newly-recorded remarks for this historic occasion from Smalltalk creator Alan Kay.
What You"ll Learn
How can computing transform learning? How did research into computing for education lead to graphical user interfaces? What is live programming, why is it so useful, and why hasn"t it taken off in the industry?Why have Smalltalk and object-oriented programming become so influential on other programming languages?How did Smalltalk influence the development of Agile software development methodology?How did Smalltalk become used in the finance industry?
NightSchool: Introduced & On The Loose - Livestream - 09/01/2022 07:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences
As humans move across the globe, we sometimes bring along other species, intentionally or not, that lay down roots (sometimes literally) in new locations. Join us as we learn how these introduced species impact their newfound homes.
Friday, 09/02/2022
Better Imaging of 3D Nanocrystals - 09/02/2022 02:00 PM
Tan Hall Berkeley
Electron diffraction of 3D nanocrystalline molecular assemblies is an increasingly popular alternative to conventional crystallographic approaches. My group is focused on the investigation of tools and methods that facilitate the rapid and accurate determination of atomic molecular structures from 3D nanocrystals. Our recent work involves the use of 4D STEM to map nanoscale changes in crystalline lattice features within nanocrystals, and analyses of the effects of radiation damage on nanoscale molecular assemblies interrogated by high-energy electrons. Our collective knowledge of these problems informs on the trustworthiness of molecular structures obtained by electron diffraction and portends a growing utility for the method.
Speaker: Jose Rodriguez, UC Los Angeles
Bioinorganic Actinide Chemistry: Oxymoron or Allegory? - 09/02/2022 04:00 PM
LeConte Hall, Rm 1 Berkeley
From potential contamination of individuals with radioactive fission products after a nuclear accident to the therapeutic use of radioisotopes for cancer diagnostics and treatment, the coordination and biological chemistry of actinides have become increasingly relevant to a number of applied problems. Understanding the fundamental bonding interactions of selective metal assemblies presents a rich set of scientific challenges and is critical to the characterization of f-element coordination chemistry, and to the development of highly efficient separation reagents or new therapeutic agents. Our approach to these challenges uses a combination of biochemical and spectroscopic studies on both in vitro and in vivo systems to characterize and tune the selective binding of man-made, f-block metal ions by natural and biomimetic ligand architectures. These studies will be discussed with a focus on emerging applications in separation, isotope production, and medicine.
Speaker: Rebecca Abergel, UC Berkeley
First Fridays: Close Encounters with Wildlife-Featuring Mary Roach and her new book Fuzz - 09/02/2022 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Join our fun and informative family event, where you can learn about local wildlife, meet live animals and learn about how they"ve adapted to our changing local environment. Meet experts who specialize in animal rescue, and help to re-build local animal habitats.
Featuring
Mary Roach"s latest book "Fuzz" explores the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology. Chabot Space & Science Center and A Great Good Place For Books welcome Mary Roach for a (limited capacity) talk plus a book signing. Throughout the Center watch the chapters of "Fuzz" come to life and meet and learn about some of the animals that "break the law" for one night only!
Saturday, 09/03/2022
Family Nature Walks - Foothills Nature Preserve - 09/03/2022 10:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Environmental 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 activities, and a chance to learn more about the plants and animals all around us. Join us for some fun, outdoor learning!
Each group will have a maximum limit of 12 participants.
Families/groups are welcome to sign up for as many as they like. The nature walks are intended for children aged 6 to 11, and we ask that each group is accompanied by an adult.
There is no Planet B - Livestream - 09/03/2022 07:30 PM
Mt. Tam Astronomy
We have entered the era of New Space, when private interests have been given the green light and are finally making headway into the commercialization of the final frontier. It's already past the time for tough questions. Will mining asteroids really save the Earth? Can humans avoid extinction by moving our civilization to Earth-orbiting space colonies or terraforming and colonizing Mars? What about the hype over space tourism, or the tens of thousands of internet satellites planned for low Earth orbit? Is any of it even realistic? The speaker will give us her take on the recent developments in space exploration and what it means for all of humanity, now and into the future.
Speaker: Carolyn Porco, NASA
See weblink for Zoom information
Sunday, 09/04/2022
Einstein! - 09/04/2022 07:00 PM
Wheeler Hall Berkeley
100 years ago, Albert Einstein faced difficulty proving his then-new theory of gravity called "general relativity". Our astronomers played the pivotal role in proving general relativity true - one of many scientific feats in Lick Observatory"s history!
At the end of the play, you will have the chance to engage the playwright/actor and a UC Berkeley astronomer in a Q&A session.
Tuesday, 09/06/2022
Buried Problems: Hunters Point Shipyard in a Time of Climate Change - Livestream - 09/06/2022 12:30 PM
SF Planning + Urban Research Assoc. (SPUR)
UC Berkeley Cosmology Seminar - 09/06/2022 01:10 PM
Campbell Hall, Rm 131 A Berkeley
My Friend Is a Science Denier - What Can I Do? - Livestream - 09/06/2022 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Wednesday, 09/07/2022
The James Webb Space Telescope: Our Giant Eye on the Invisible Sky - Livestream - 09/07/2022 12:30 PM
Osher Livelong Learning Institute
Thursday, 09/08/2022
Streamlining Building Decarbonization for a Cleaner California - Livestream - 09/08/2022 12:30 PM
SF Planning + Urban Research Assoc. (SPUR)
Myths and Facts of Healthy Aging - 09/08/2022 03:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
The State of Data Engineering - 09/08/2022 05:00 PM
Microsoft Reactor San Francisco
Field Journaling and Birds - How, Why, and Where to Start - Livestream - 09/08/2022 06:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
NightLife: Smoke and Mirrors - 09/08/2022 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: Seaworthy - 09/08/2022 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
How to Effectively Push Back Against Misinformation - Livestream - 09/08/2022 06:30 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
Friday, 09/09/2022
Bair Island Interpretive Walk - 09/09/2022 10:00 AM
Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail Redwood City
Strong Light-Matter Interaction in the Deeply Sub-wavelength Regime - 09/09/2022 02:00 PM
Tan Hall Berkeley
Saturday, 09/10/2022
Redesigning Our Communities for Life After Fossil Fuels - Livestream - 09/10/2022 10:00 AM
Post Carbon Institute
Moving the Needle: How key interventions can increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM - 09/10/2022 10:30 AM
California Section American Chemical Society
Science at Cal - An Inside Look: UC Berkeley"s Center for the Science of Psychedelics - 09/10/2022 11:00 AM
Valley Life Sciences Building Berkeley
50th Anniversary Coastside Community Celebration - 09/10/2022 12:00 PM
Johnston House Half Moon Bay
Sunday, 09/11/2022
Blue Innovation 2022 - 09/11/2022 10:00 AM
Seymour Marine Discovery Center Santa Cruz
Solano Avenue Stroll - 09/11/2022 10:00 AM
Solano Avenue Stroll Berkeley
Hike at Calero County Park - 09/11/2022 04:00 PM
Calero County Park San Jose
Monday, 09/12/2022
Sonoma State University Biology Colloquium - 09/12/2022 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
UC Berkeley Condensed Matter Physics Seminar - 09/12/2022 02:30 PM
Physics North Berkeley
How to Decide Which Medical and Health Information You Should Trust - 09/12/2022 03:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
UC Berkeley Physics Colloquia - 09/12/2022 04:15 PM
UC Berkeley
Astronomers for Planet Earth: A Cosmological View on Climate - 09/12/2022 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco