Boogie Woogie with the StarSchmooze
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Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie
Hello SciShmoozers(?),
I hope that you have been enjoying the evenings and taking some Perseid showers. This is pretty comfortable weather in the evenings so it isn’t too difficult to go outside and hangout looking up for awhile. A good lawn chair might be nice. This might also be a good time to consider some applications of quantum mechanics at the beach
It seems as if there have been scientists for millennia, however for most of human history, scientists haven’t been called “scientists”… “By 1834, the pursuit of science had become so wide and varied that English academic William Whewell feared that science itself would become like “a great empire falling to pieces.” He had an idea that worked. If you’re interested in “science” as a topic, I think you might enjoy The Pursuit of Science in the National Interest. You might like to listen to some thought provoking natural music while you read. Continuing to keep Oppenheimer in the discussions, The Lost Women of the Manhattan Project is another excellent addition to the conversation. I’m amazed at how much is being revealed these days about how important women have been in science that we never heard before… In mycology’s early days, botanical drawing was, for some women, a calling. Their mushroom renderings were key to establishing this new field. Here’s another one,The Unsung Heroine of Lichenology
We’re not that far from the pandemic shutdown of a lot of our lives and businesses. The battle between those who made decisions based on science and those that denied was pretty incredible. You may not recognize the name but I’m sure you would recognize Dr Sherri Tenpenny. Here’s a reminder. Well as we know, government can move slowly but does get some things done. I wonder what Dr. Semmelweis would think? There are many risks out there. Do you know about this hidden danger? Be careful.
There are some cool and important presentations this week… (Thu is packed!)
Lunch Break Science: Neanderthals, Denisovans, and your genes - Livestream Th 11:00
Science Education: What We Get Wrong and How to Do It Better - Livestream Th 4:00
After Dark: Sea Life Th 6:00 San Francisco
Discarded Worlds: Astronomical ideas that were almost correct... Fri 7:30 Livermore
This doesn’t work well with our calendar format but you may know someone who should know about the Marin Science Seminar and that the Internship Application Now Open.
Note: On Mon 8.28 a $10 discount is available (with the magic word, WonderfestPromo) Andrew Fraknoi: Two Eclipses of the Sun in San Francisco.
Continuing to keep Oppenheimer in the discussions, The Lost Women of the Manhattan Project is another excellent addition to the conversation.
Recycling has “been over-emphasized, over-utilized, and has caused us to overlook more sustainable strategies—namely producing less waste in the first place!” Would you agree that recycling might be part of the problem as well as the solution?
You may have heard about Florida. There are some heroic efforts to change some of what you heard. Well there is some hope.
This came in and might be a good effort. We haven’t had time to review the legitimacy of it and don’t endorse or condemn it but it’s a cool idea… Electrify School Buses
Way back in the day when science was revered even in elementary school, I was sent to a geometry class in 3rd grade. That and the mathematical logic classes for the next two years shaped much of how I think and look at life and the world around us. (Some might not say for the better!) Still, I do love geometry. But, I don’t remember the term “scissors congruence”. I think I might be falling down another webhole!
Here’s a reality check that probably isn’t a real surprise… Let’s get real about Moon 2024 (note the date it was published!)
Debating the impact of machine-created art, Miller, with a sly smile, told us, “I think if we teach machines to be creative, then they’ll be beneficent toward us, rather than just keeping us around as household pets.”
Have a great time learning new and cool stuff about how this amazing universe we call home works.
herb masters
“There is talk of a new astrologer [Nicolaus Copernicus] who wants to prove that the earth moves and goes around instead of the sky, the sun, the moon, just as if somebody were moving in a carriage or ship might hold that he was sitting still and at rest while the earth and the trees walked and moved. But that is how things are nowadays: when a man wishes to be clever he must . . . invent something special, and the way he does it must needs be the best! The fool wants to turn the whole art of astronomy upside-down. However, as Holy Scripture tells us, so did Joshua bid the sun to stand still and not the earth.”
― Martin Luther -[stating his objection to heliocentrism due to his Scripture's geocentrism]”
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 08/14/2023
Growing a Sustainable Future: The Role of Agrivoltaics in California’s Water-Energy-Food Nexus - Livestream - 08/14/2023 01:30 PM
California Council on Science & Technology
Agrivoltaics is the co-location of solar panels on agricultural lands that results in the co-production of agricultural products and electricity. Globally, it is a growing area of research that has the potential to address challenges in the water-energy-food nexus. In the US, there has been a recent expansion of research into the compatibility of various crops with a range of solar panel designs. Understanding crop-panel interactions is critical to simultaneously maximizing crop yield and energy yield, while gaining other benefits like increased water use efficiency. However, to date, there has been limited investment in agrivoltaics research or development in California, despite California being a leader in both agriculture and solar energy production. This panel of experts will discuss the potential for development, challenges, and benefits of agrivoltaics in California.
Key questions that the briefing aims to discuss:
What impact could agrivoltaics have in all three domains of the water-energy-food nexus in California? What tradeoffs need to be considered at scale?How would including agrivoltaics in environmental and land use planning affect progress toward California’s zero emission energy goals?What factors must be considered when assessing viability of agrivoltaics at scale across different regions of California? Would crop type and panel design need to be different among regions?What does installing photovoltaic systems on farmland require, and how might farmer decisions and behaviors change after installing an agrivoltaic system?Moderator:
Karen Ross Secretary of the California Department of Food & Agriculture
Panelists:
Majdi Abou Najm, UC Davis
Jordan Macknick, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Ranjitha Shivaram, Stanford
2023 Drake Awards - 08/14/2023 06:30 PM
SETI Institute: SETI Talks Mountain View
The Drake Awards is the SETI Institute's annual celebration of SETI science and the field's pioneers. Join us in person in Menlo Park, CA, or virtually to honor this year's recipient Dr. John Rummel, together with a celebration of undergraduate recipients of the SETI Forward Award and the Carl Sagan Center Director's Award.
Dr. Moiya McTier, Author and Astrophysicist, will host this year's Drake Awards.
Prior to his recent focus on business with Friday Harbor Partners, John Rummel was a visiting scholar at McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law (Montréal) and a Senior Scientist with the SETI Institute. Earlier, he was the founding Director of the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy and retired as Professor of Biology at East Carolina University (Greenville, NC). This year he stepped down as the representative of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) to the International Science Council’s Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) where he was also the former (and founding) Chair of COSPAR’s Panel on Planetary Protection, and led the development of COSPAR’s unified policy and its current approach to addressing planetary protection concerns. More recently, Rummel represented COSPAR on The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group, which developed approaches to establishing a legal regime that would promote the orderly and productive use of in-space resources.
Attend in person or online. Register at weblink
SCVAS Learn: Shorebirds 2023 - Livestream - 08/14/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Each summer, millions of Arctic breeding Shorebirds leave their northern nesting grounds and make their way toward southern wintering grounds. In Santa Clara County, we have many locations where dense clouds of these magnificent birds can be seen and admired as they arrive for the season. Others simply pass through on their way further south. Each species is truly unique yet identifying them can often be a challenge especially when they shed their colorful breeding plumage. Join SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder for an online class focusing on Santa Clara County’s diverse Shorebirds. Learn how to differentiate between the confusing “Peeps” and how to spot juvenile birds within the crowded flocks. We will dive first into the common species found here, and them move on to the rarer visitors and the challenges they present to birders. This class was first offered in 2021 and has been updated.
This is a three session class. See weblink
Space Weather and Human Exploration - 08/14/2023 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Join Leila Mays, deputy director, and Elon Olsson, software lead, from the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, to explore the science of space weather. Tracking eruptions and radiation from the Sun to storms rippling throughout the Solar System, they will combine beautiful visualizations of computer simulations with cutting-edge observations to reveal the latest in space weather research - including how they forecast its effect on human space exploration.
Elon Olsson will be the program’s interactive “pilot,” immersing attendees in powerful solar storms in the OpenSpace visualization platform on the Morrison Planetarium dome.
Tuesday, 08/15/2023
Popping the Science Bubble: Two talks - 08/15/2023 05:30 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Uranium: Skeletons from its Past, Myths of its Presents & Questions for Its Future
Speaker: Joe Brackbill, Chemistry, UC Berkeley
Turning the Tables on CO2 Fuels from Sunlight
Speaker: Rajiv Ramanujam Prabhakar, Chemical Science Division, Berkeley Lab
Attend in person or online (See weblink)
Slowly changing dimensions and fast changing facts - the story of the traditional data warehouse - Livestream - 08/15/2023 06:00 PM
IEEE Computer Society of Silicon Valley
The classic or traditional data warehouse is a crucial part of the data analytics supported decision making infrastructure in many organizations. The classic data warehouse is still a key tool in generating actionable insights into an organization’s performance. This talk will detail the rationale for having a data warehouse system distinct from other OLTP based operational systems in the organization, provide insights into dimensional modeling, and conclude with some recent developments in the area.
Speaker: Vishnu Pendyala, San Jose State University
Register at weblink to receive connection information
OSIRIS-REx is coming home - Livestream - 08/15/2023 07:30 PM
San Jose Astronomical Society
On September 24, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will complete its 7-year journey to the primitive asteroid Bennu, returning to Earth with a substantial sample of surface material. Why are these asteroids important? What were the challenges in the mission design? Why did the science team have an unusual role in the operational aspects of the mission? Did our assumptions about what we would find at Bennu pan out or was it a total surprise? What will happen with the sample? Ed Beshore, former Deputy Principal Investigator of the mission will discuss these and other questions.
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Wednesday, 08/16/2023
How copepods cope and sea stars survive: Understanding reslilence and vulnerability of marine animals in a changing climate - 08/16/2023 04:00 PM
UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Bodega Bay
Speaker: Dr. Melissa Pespeni, UC Davis
Register at weblink to attend virtually or in person
Nerd Nite SF: Pirates, Baby Animals, & Living on All Algae Diet - 08/16/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Nursery Earth: The Wondrous Lives of Baby Animals (and the Incredible Sacrifices of Their Parents)
At any given moment, most animals on the planet are babies - from chicks and tadpoles to caterpillars and marine larvae. Their tiny, hidden lives reveal some of nature’s strangest workings: A salamander embryo breathes with the help of algae inside its cells. The young grub of a Goliath beetle dwarfs its parents. Mouse embryos can absorb cancerous cell grafts - and develop into healthy adults. At once incredibly vulnerable and incredibly vital, baby animals are not just beings in progress, but beings in their own right. And our planet needs them all: the maggots as much as the kittens! Meanwhile, every animal baby has parents. Whether they stick around to nurse their young or die before their eggs hatch, all animal parents invest in the next generation . . . sometimes in truly bizarre ways, like the caecilian mom who grows an extra “milk skin” or the mama mite who’s literally bursting with pride.
Speaker: Danna Staaf is an author, artist, and marine biologist who earned a PhD from Stanford University with her studies of baby squid.
Super Slime Me or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Live on Algae
Algae enthusiasts and plankton party animals, welcome to the wacky world of green gastronomy! Over the past few weeks, our speaker has been on a wild, strange and sometimes hilarious adventure through the uncharted territory of munching on nothing but algae. He’s been surviving on some slime sublime as a means of investigating the potential of our tiny green friends to meet the challenges of everything from the impending climate catastrophe to life in space. Get ready to dive into weird self-experimentation, the carbon impact of food, and how you too might one day be eating algae on a daily basis.
Speaker: Elliot Roth is the founder of Spira, a company that uses genetically engineered algae grown by a global network of farming partners to make designer materials, starting with natural colors.
The Greatest Pirate Who Ever Lived (A Woman!)
Chang Yi Sao or Sek Yeung led thousands of pirates to carve out a community of misfits in the South China Sea. Learn about her and other colorful figures from the early 1800s China, and how she retired on a pile of riches paid by the British and Chinese governments.
Speaker: Christina Li
Thursday, 08/17/2023
Lunch Break Science: Neanderthals, Denisovans, and your genes - Livestream - 08/17/2023 11:00 AM
Leakey Foundation
Tune in to meet Dr. Fernando Villanea and learn about exciting new research on Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry in indigenous North, South, and Central American populations. He will share how these genes helped people adapt to the novel environments found on the American continent and how they impact our health today. He’ll also answer your questions in a live Q&A session.
There are several ways to join the Lunch Break Science fun!
Subscribe to ourYouTube channeland click the bell for a notification when the show starts.Watch on our website’s “Live” page.Follow us onFacebookand watch onFacebook Live.Sign up via our neweducational program and content hub.
Shaking Things Up: Earthquake Preparedness and Resiliency - Livestream - 08/17/2023 12:00 PM
Midday Science Cafe @ UC Berkeley
The West Coast is part of one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world, and researchers at UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab are developing tools and techniques that advance earthquake preparedness and resiliency. In this month’s Midday Science Cafe, we will hear from UC Berkeley’s Dr. Sarina Patel and learn about MyShake, an app developed by UC Berkeley's Seismology Lab that leverages the power of citizen science to collect seismic data using smartphones. We will also hear from Dr. Floriana Petrone, a visiting faculty scientist from Berkeley Lab who contributed to developing software to better understand how seismic activity affects the structural integrity of buildings and other critical infrastructure.
Register at weblink to attend
Science Education: What We Get Wrong and How to Do It Better - Livestream - 08/17/2023 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
Science has advanced enormously in the past 500 years, guided by experimental tests of theory and practice. In that same time, science teaching and education - guided primarily by tradition and dogma - has remained largely medieval.
Nobel Prize-winner Carl Wieman will discuss research from university classrooms that reveals how traditional teaching fails to give students an understanding of scientific knowledge and the nature of science itself and can even support the development of anti-science beliefs. However, that same research also reveals how to improve science teaching, offering lessons on how to provide all students with the quality of science education so critically needed in the modern world.
Register at weblink to attend
NightLife - 08/17/2023 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 60,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.
Step inside the iconic Shake House and our four-story Osher 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 indoor coral reef displays in the world: our 212,000-gallon Philippine Coral Reef habitat.
Take in the interstellar views from the Living Roof, then grab a bite from the Academy Café and head to the West Garden outdoor bar to drink and dine under the stars. For adults 21+.
After Dark: Sea Life - 08/17/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Beneath the San Francisco Bay lies an incredible diversity of life that’s connected to all of the world’s waterways. This means that we can tell a lot about the ocean’s health by examining what we see, sense, and hear locally - and we have just the instrument to give us some clues. Join marine scientists, technicians, and educators as they pull a one-ton carbon dioxide (CO2) buoy out of the water and explore its scientific instruments and the organisms that have colonized it. On loan to us from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the CO2 buoy has been anchored between Piers 15 and 17 since April 2013, collecting data on water temperature, salinity, and CO2 levels in the atmosphere and the Bay. Every year, we pull it out of the water to calibrate and replace the sensors and to clean off corrosion and marine organisms.
Building a Bird Friendly City - 08/17/2023 07:00 PM
David Brower Center Berkeley
On June 6, Berkeley’s City Council approved the Bay Area’s newest and strongest bird-safe building ordinance. Find out what this new ordinance means for buildings in Berkeley and learn how to make your home safer for birds.
Speaker: Glenn Phillips, Golden Gate Audubon Society
Click here to watch the lecture or attend in person
Point Bonita Lighthouse Sunset Tour - 08/17/2023 07:00 PM
Point Bonita Lighthouse Sausalito
On 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 moonrise.
Reserve your space at www.recreation.gov.
This 90-minute tour starts at the Point Bonita Trailhead service gate where you will check in. Led by a ranger or volunteer docent, the group will go on a half mile hike to the lighthouse, which includes a downhill slope, a hand carved tunnel, and a suspension bridge to the lighthouse itself. The suspension bridge has a sheer drop on either side.
NightSchool: Bed Time - Livestream - 08/17/2023 07:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences
Wake up, it's Bed Time! No, not that kind - we’re talking about RIVER beds, MUSSEL beds, and MORE. We’re so excited we can hardly sleep!
Watch on YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook. See weblink
Friday, 08/18/2023
Exploring the Art, Culture, and Science of Solar Eclipses - Livestream - 08/18/2023 09:00 AM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
ASP2023 promises to be exciting as we approach our two upcoming solar eclipses crossing the Northern Hemisphere; the Annual Solar Eclipse on October 14, 2023, and the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. Our day will feature three talks and small group discussions will expore perspectives about solar eclipses through art, culture, history, and science.
Who is invited? Astro 101 instructors, K-12 educators, scientists, science communicators, public engagement professionals in astronomy, and the general public.
See weblink for speakers and schedule
Discarded Worlds: Astronomical ideas that were almost correct... - 08/18/2023 07:30 PM
Tri-Valley Stargazers Livermore
Astronomy is more than just observing; it's making sense of those observations. A good theorist needs to blend a knowledge of what’s been observed, with a good imagination... and no fear of being wrong. Ptolemy in ancient Rome, the medieval bishops Oresme and Cusa, the 19th century astronomers Schiaparelli and Pickering, all rose to the challenge; and they were all almost correct. Which is to say, they were wrong... sometimes hilariously, sometimes heartbreakingly so. What lessons can 21st century astronomers take from these discarded images of the universe?
Speaker: Brother Guy Consolmagno, Director, Vatican Observatory
Attend in person or online. See weblink
Sunday, 08/20/2023
Morning Hike at Rancho Cañada del Oro - 08/20/2023 09:30 AM
Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve Morgan hill
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for an excursion where you’ll explore the Mayfair Ranch �€" Longwall Canyon trails of Rancho Cañada del Oro! You will be guided by POST Ambassadors who will share with you the history of the preserve, the region, and the importance of conservation in the area.
The hike is moderate to strenuous at about 4 miles round trip with about 700 feet of gradual elevation gain.
This wonderful preserve is a hub for wildlife, such as deer, bobcats, mountain lions, and more! In the Spring, you can expect a colorful array of wildflowers adorning the hillsides, and you may get a chance to see a beautiful little creek running through Llagas meadow.
Sign up at weblink
Presidio: Changes Through Time - 08/20/2023 11:00 AM
The Presidio San Francisco
Join 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 who now occupy these buildings, and how the landscape has been transformed over the years. Afterward take advantage of the food trucks nearby and the stunning views of the Golden Gate.
Monday, 08/21/2023
SCVAS Learn: Shorebirds 2023 - Livestream - 08/21/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Each summer, millions of Arctic breeding Shorebirds leave their northern nesting grounds and make their way toward southern wintering grounds. In Santa Clara County, we have many locations where dense clouds of these magnificent birds can be seen and admired as they arrive for the season. Others simply pass through on their way further south. Each species is truly unique yet identifying them can often be a challenge especially when they shed their colorful breeding plumage. Join SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder for an online class focusing on Santa Clara County’s diverse Shorebirds. Learn how to differentiate between the confusing “Peeps” and how to spot juvenile birds within the crowded flocks. We will dive first into the common species found here, and them move on to the rarer visitors and the challenges they present to birders. This class was first offered in 2021 and has been updated.
This is a three session class. See weblink
Tuesday, 08/22/2023
Everything You Never Knew You Wanted to Know about Mosquitoes - 08/22/2023 06:00 PM
San Mateo Public Library San Mateo
Radical Sharing - 08/22/2023 07:00 PM
The Interval at Long Now San Francisco
Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies in California's National Marine Sanctuaries - Livestream - 08/22/2023 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
Wednesday, 08/23/2023
Vision and signaling behavior in cleaner shrimp-client fish mutualisms - Livestream - 08/23/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Survival of the Friendliest - Livestream - 08/23/2023 06:00 PM
Leakey Foundation
Thursday, 08/24/2023
After Dark: Visualize and Sonify - 08/24/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
NightLife: Pacific Island Paradise - 08/24/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Point Bonita Lighthouse Sunset Tour - 08/24/2023 07:00 PM
Point Bonita Lighthouse Sausalito
Friday, 08/25/2023
Sunset Science: Stars Across Cultures ft Native Skies Star Stories - 08/25/2023 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Pictures of Distant Worlds - SOLD OUT - 08/25/2023 08:00 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Saturday, 08/26/2023
Science Saturday: Water Wild! - 08/26/2023 10:00 AM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
Stewardship Saturday: Searching for Marine Life in the San Francisco Bay - 08/26/2023 10:00 AM
Angel Island Tiburon Ferry Belvedere Tiburon
Science Safari - Backyard Sanctuaries - 08/26/2023 10:30 AM
Youth Science Institute Los Gatos
Family Nature Walks - Foothills Nature Preserve - 08/26/2023 11:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Nocturnal: Space, The Final Frontier - 08/26/2023 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Fear and Loathing in the Heavens: The 1910 Return of Halley’s Comet - 08/26/2023 07:30 PM
East Bay Astronomical Society Oakland
City Public Star Party - 08/26/2023 07:45 PM
City Star Parties - Point Lobos San Francisco
Dark Energy - How to observe the invisible - 08/26/2023 08:00 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Jazz Under the Stars - 08/26/2023 08:30 PM
College of San Mateo Bldg 36 San Mateo
Sunday, 08/27/2023
BioBlitz at Hellyer Park - 08/27/2023 09:00 AM
Hellyer County Park San Jose
Resilient Forest Series - 08/27/2023 10:00 AM
The West Mill at Green Valley Farm + Mill Sebastopol
Monday, 08/28/2023
Sonoma State University Biology Colloquium - 08/28/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Andrew Fraknoi: Two Eclipses of the Sun - 08/28/2023 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Re-examining the 'wood-wide web' - 08/28/2023 08:00 PM
Bay Area Mycological Society Berkeley