Hello again Science Fans!
Almost a month ago, July 24th to be exact, was the last SciSchmooze I wrote. David Almandsmith has been filling in for Herb, who’s traveling, and for me as I recovered from some successful surgery. Thanks from both of us to David!
In that Schmooze, I discussed the first images from the JWST, including what was possibly the oldest galaxy we’ve seen so far. Well, that distinction didn’t even last one week!
Imagine the night sky on a different planet in a different galaxy, one that is in the process of merging (that’s a polite way of saying colliding) with another galaxy. The view would be pretty awe inspiring. Here’s a description of the process, and potential views.
So far JWST has mostly been looking at objects very far away, and has provided us with some spectacular images. It will be focused on the next interstellar object though, once one is found. Oumuamua was the first such object ever recorded, and that happened in 2017. Since then, comet Borisov became only the second interstellar object. Now that JWST is up and running, it will be able to bring new tools to the table when the next one is discovered.
Of course, there are plenty of asteroids which orbit our sun, crossing Earth’s orbit occasionally at the same place. If scientists can find the remnants of such an asteroid, they can examine first hand rocks from the earliest times of the solar system. Some Mountain View-based scientists are doing just that.
Staying local, Bruce Mackintosh, formerly a physics professor at Stanford, has been appointed Director of UC Observatories, which includes Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton in San Jose. Congratulations Bruce!
NASA and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) are inviting amateur astronomers to become official Eclipse Ambassadors to prepare communities off the central paths for the upcoming solar eclipses crossing North America in October 2023 (annular) and April 2024 (total). Details on the program, and how to apply are here. Anyone 18 or over can apply.
Coming back from space, there is a lot of environmental news. First up is UniWave 200, an experimental sea platform that uses an artificial blowhole to generate energy. It has been in use off King Island in Australia for a year and has been more successful than expected.
Then there is the news that an extreme heat belt, where the heat index could reach 125 degrees F at least one day a year, is coming. While most of the area stretches from Texas to Illinois, locally the greater Mojave desert area is included. There is also the prospect of a massive California Flood.
Some communities are thinking outside the box to try to address the heat, including covering 1 million square feet of LA pavement with reflective paint.
While local involvement is good, and every little bit helps, there also needs to be a focus on the bigger picture. Climate change will make many currently populated areas unlivable, and the people who live there need to go somewhere. The world is not prepared for this migration. I’ve written before that Canada needs to prepare for an influx of southern neighbors in the upcoming years, but this is really a global problem.
Nuclear energy is also a potential solution, but it comes with big problems. California is considering keeping its one remaining nuclear plant open longer than planned, as is Germany.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russia is playing with fire by using the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility, the largest in Europe, as a military base. Russia and Ukraine have been trading blame for attacks around the plant these past weeks. An accident, or deliberate false flag operation, would be catastrophic to the local area, as well as a wide swath of Europe.
I haven’t updated you about my friend in Ukraine in quite a while. She is back at home, which is in the city of Zaporizhzhia, about 30 miles from the plant of the same name, which is actually in Enerhodar. There has been some shelling in her neighborhood over the past week. While she’s worried about a nuclear accident, she also told me that this coming Wednesday, August 24, is Ukraine’s Independence Day, and the 6 month anniversary of the start of the war. The expectation is that Russia will try to do something “memorable” on that day. That, and possible retribution for attacks in Crimea, have her concerned. Me too.
Keep an eye on the news on Wednesday, and good thoughts for my friend and her family please.
Let’s finish up with some social science stuff.
Ever wonder why we can speak, unlike other primates? Turns out we have something missing from our larynx that all the other primates have. I hadn’t thought about this until I came across the article, but my larynx has been on my mind these past few weeks as my surgery involved removal of my thyroid. The thyroid is located in the neck, and the nerves that control the larynx pass behind it and are sometimes damaged during a thyroidectomy, affecting the voice. Fortunately, I didn’t have any problems and my voice is as annoying as always.
I’ve also wondered, from time to time, why those who know the least about a subject sometimes seem to think they know the most. This has become more obvious in the past two years as we confront COVID misinformation, exacerbated by social media platforms. Here’s a study that looks at the broader potential outcomes of such behavior.
I’ll be back next week with another edition of the SciSchmooze. Have a great week in Science!
Bob
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 08/22/2022
What's up with the Sun? Recent results from NASA's Parker Solar Probe - Livestream - 08/22/2022 06:00 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
What is faster than a speeding bullet? What can fly through turbulence without fastening its seat belt? What can tell us about the origins of our solar system at the same time performing its main mission to understand our closest star? NASA's Parker Solar Probe! The Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft was designed to solve 3 mysteries of the sun as well as the very practical goal of furthering our understanding of space weather. The talk will cover Parker's measurements of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs- billions of tons of material hurling through space at millions of miles an hour - part of space weather), as well as recent Venus encounters and a few other surprises that Parker has discovered!
Speaker: Kelly Korreck, NASA
Drug Discovery using AlphaFold, Neural Networks, and Docking Algorithms - Livestream - 08/22/2022 07:00 PM
SF Bay Association of Computing Machinery
From 2020 to 2022, I embarked on two different drug discovery projects. The first project dealt with small molecule drugs, using machine learning to expedite processes within computational chemistry. On the second project, I worked on protein therapeutics, particularly nanobodies. Unlike the small molecule drugs, synthetic nanobodies and antibodies are more easily accepted by the body since the mimic our immune system. Discovering effective nanobodies remains a time consuming process, mostly involving extensive wet-lab procedures. I was to develop biocomputational techniques to accelerate the determination of nanobodies with higher specificity and affinity to a pathogenic target, reducing costs and time-to-market and thereby saving lives.
Speaker: Anirudh Venkatraman, Homestead High School
Register at weblink
Tuesday, 08/23/2022
August Bird Walk - FULL - 08/23/2022 09:30 AM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
August Butterfly Walk - First session - 08/23/2022 01:30 PM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
Join Sally Levinson, 'caterpillar lady', and Sarab Seth, 'butterfly guy,' for a guided, family friendly, one hour walk through the Botanical Garden in search of butterflies. Bring binoculars if you have them. This walk follows uneven terrain, with areas of paved and unpaved trail. While masks are not required outdoors, we will be in close proximity during this walk, so you may consider bringing a mask for the tour.
Includes garden admission
August Butterfly Walk - Second session - 08/23/2022 03:00 PM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
Join Sally Levinson, 'caterpillar lady', and Sarab Seth, 'butterfly guy,' for a guided, family friendly, one hour walk through the Botanical Garden in search of butterflies. Bring binoculars if you have them. This walk follows uneven terrain, with areas of paved and unpaved trail. While masks are not required outdoors, we will be in close proximity during this walk, so you may consider bringing a mask for the tour.
Includes garden admission
Monterey Bay: Bountiful and Biodiverse - Livestream - 08/23/2022 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
We are honored to host award-winning wildlife photographer, Jodi Frediani, for her presentation, "Monterey Bay: Bountiful and Biodiverse." Monterey Bay, nature's magic kingdom, is a place of wonder, discovery, and beauty. A myriad of marine species from phytoplankton to enormous blue whales use Monterey Bay as their home or critical habitat. Animals migrate tens of thousands of miles to this special place. Its rich ecosystem stretches miles deep and has far-reaching effects. Monterey Bay and surrounding waters were designated as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 1992. As a federally protected area, it runs from Marin to Cambria. The heart of the sanctuary is the 25-mile wide bay that stretches between Santa Cruz and Monterey/Pacific Grove.
"Monterey Bay: Bountiful and Biodiverse" will focus on dozens of the species that inhabit the bay itself. We will take a photographic journey visiting most of the marine mammals and many of the smaller creatures that call the Bay home. We'll observe the behaviors of species such as transient killer whales, blue, fin, gray, and, of course, humpback whales. We'll check out a variety of dolphins and porpoises, southern sea otters, sea lions and harbor seals, some sea birds, Mola molas, and the various species they all feed on.
Consider this presentation as a celebration of the biodiversity of this "Serengeti of the Sea" in our backyards.
Wednesday, 08/24/2022
Morning Hike at La Honda Open Space Preserve - 08/24/2022 10:00 AM
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve La Honda
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful hike at Lower La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve where you'll experience the area's sweeping views and gorgeous rolling grasslands! The preserve is over 6,100 acres, of which POST has contributed 5,200 acres. You will be guided by a POST Ambassador on the meandering trails of Lower La Honda Creek, featuring a still-active cattle operation and views of the surrounding ridgelines! You will hear all about the human and natural history of this beautiful preserve!
The hike is moderate to strenuous at about 6 miles round trip with about 1100 feet of gradual elevation gain. There are some steep portions of this hike so hiking poles, closed-toed shoes with tread, and plenty of water/snacks for yourself is recommended.
Register at weblink
Advancing Sustainability: From Bio-based Materials to Nanostructured Polymers for Battery Membrane Applications - 08/24/2022 04:00 PM
Tan Hall Berkeley
From a materials standpoint, polymer sustainability efforts can be accelerated through the sourcing of materials from renewable feedstocks, along with the harnessing of polymer/plastics waste in the creation of closed-loop frameworks that valorize traditional waste. For the renewables case, lignin is the largest natural source of aromatic carbon on the planet, and thus, lignin-derived products have emerged as critical elements in the next generation of polymers.
Speker: Thomas Epps III, University of Delaware
See weblink for Zoom information or attend in person
Thursday, 08/25/2022
Life in Space: a conversation with National Geographic Explorers - 08/25/2022 05:30 PM
CANOPY Jackson Square San Francisco
Join us for a discussion with National Geographic Explorers, Julia De Marines, Jenny Gil, and moderated by Kathy Ho on how we detect life in the universe and if we were ever to find life, how humans would survive an interplanetary journey.
Register at weblink
The Bird Genoscape Project: Harnessing the Power of Genomics for Migratory Bird Conservation - Livestream - 08/25/2022 06:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Most populations of migratory birds are now threatened. It is estimated that the populations of 1 out of every 2 songbirds are declining in the Western Hemisphere with impacts predicted to worsen with climate change. However, because migratory birds have breeding, migratory, and wintering areas and may move vast distances between them, understanding where the steepest population declines are occurring has been difficult or impossible. Join us for a presentation by Dr. Kristen Ruegg to learn about her work to address this critical issue as part of The Bird Genoscape Project - an effort to bring together scientists from across the Western Hemisphere to map the migratory routes of migratory songbirds using genomics.
NightLife: Level Up - 08/25/2022 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Grab your Player 2 (or 3 or 4) and get your game on at NightLife.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Story Mode Swamp 6 - 10 PM
For one night only, find out more about video game history...literally, we mean find it. Join the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (MADE) in a scavenger hunt and look for plaques scattered around the museum to learn more about this entertaining and evolving medium.
Arcade Mode Piazza 6 - 10 PM
Check out our makeshift Academy Arcade and play the world's only 10-player strategy arcade game, Killer Queen, vie for the high score on pinball machines from the Pacific Pinball Museum, or test your luck at winning a Claude plushie in our Claw-de machine (see what we did there?)
VS. Mode African Hall 6 - 10 PM
Ready, set, smash. Watch 64 players go head-to-head at the Academy's first-ever Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament, hosted by YungWaff.
Free Play Mode East Garden 6:30 - 9:30 PM
From on-screen to in-person, let the nostalgia commence and jam out to the sweet sounds from your favorite video games with local orchestral powerhouse, Awesome Orchestra.6:30-7:00: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate7:00-7:30pm: "To Far Away Times" music from Chrono Trigger7:40-8:30pm: Celeste Symphonic Suite8:40-9:05pm: "Clip Joint Calamity" from Cuphead9:05-9:30pm: "Floral Fury" from Cuphead
View Collection Science Today7 PM
Omanyte, I choose you! Enter the Pokemon universe and learn about the real-life inspiration behind some of your favorite Pokemon with our very own Curatorial Assistant in Geology, Maricela Abarca. And as an added bonus: we've hidden a few Pokeballs around the museum for those that "gotta catch ...˜em all".
Power Down Curiosity Grove6 - 10 PM
Don't worry, board game lovers, we know gaming isn't just digital. Local SF gem, Game Parlour, is back for another round at NightLife with a variety of classic board games.
The National Geologic Map Database: A wealth of geologic information at your fingertips! - Livestream - 08/25/2022 06:00 PM
US Geological Survey Public Lecture Series The USGS and State Geological Surveys have been making geologic maps since the 1800s - this data (and more) can be found in the National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB). Geologic maps provide information about the earth materials beneath our homes, and are essential for energy and mineral exploration, environmental studies, hazard mitigation, and more. Learn about the history of geologic mapping and how to access over 100,000 geologic maps and publications covering the U.S.
Speaker: David Soller, USGS Geologist
After Dark: See for Yourself - 08/25/2022 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. Bid farewell to our Art of Tinkering exhibition, closing September 5. You'll find 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!
Saturday, 08/27/2022
Science Saturdays - Water Wild - 08/27/2022 10:00 AM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Dive in for a refreshing look at rivers, creeks, and streams. We'll focus on freshwater wildlife, watershed science, and the Museum's role in studying the health of these important places.
Younger Lagoon Reserve Tour - 08/27/2022 10:30 AM
Seymour Marine Discovery Center Santa Cruz
This 90-minute, behind-the-scenes hiking tour takes visitors into Younger Lagoon Reserve adjacent to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, Younger Lagoon Reserve contains diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other wildlife. Come and see what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitats, and learn about the workings of one of California's rare coastal lagoons.
Register at weblink. Limited to 18 people.
In Conversation: Heather Dewey-Hagborg and Annalee Newitz - 08/27/2022 03:00 PM
McEvoy Foundation for the Arts San Francisco
Join artist and biohacker Heather Dewey-Hagborg and science fact and fiction writer Annalee Newitz for a lively conversation on the generative intersection of art and science. This event is free with registration.Drawing from their boundary-breaking practices, the two will discuss the increasingly blurring lines between the natural and the unnatural in biotechnology and beyond. Dewey-Haborg's 2019 installation Lovesick, on view in MYR, was made in collaboration with research scientists and depicts a custom retrovirus that increases production of oxytocin (the "love hormone") in the human body. Newitz explores both science fiction and nonfiction in their award-winning articles, books, and podcasts. This conversation is co-presented with the Exploratorium, where Dewey-Hagborg is Artist-in-Residence, and is introduced by MYR guest curator Elizabeth Thomas.This conversation is presented in conjunction with MYR, an exhibition at McEvoy Arts exploring deep time and human existence on Earth. The artworks on view bring science and speculation together to explore how deeper visions of space and time relate to contemporary existential anxieties, particularly the imminent climate emergency. Admission to exhibitions at McEvoy Arts is free.
Reading the Tea Leaves of Eternity: Dark Energy, Dark Matter, and the Beginning of Time - 08/27/2022 04:00 PM
Jonas Center Novato
New Messengers (Gravitational Waves and Neutrinos) and What They Can Tell Us
The speakers will give a 90-minute talk followed by 30 minutes of question and answer
Speakers: Dan Hooper, Gordan Krnjaic, Joshua Frieman, Angela Olinto, University of Chicago
Sunday, 08/28/2022
Coastal Walk at Pillar Point Bluff - 08/28/2022 04:00 PM
Pillar Point Bluff Moss Beach
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for an afternoon walk at Pillar Point Bluff just north of Half Moon Bay! You will be guided by a POST representative who will share details about the area's interesting natural history, from the coastal scrub habitat to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve that hosts tide pools and breeding grounds for harbor seals.
The walk is moderate at about 2.5 miles round trip with around 350 feet of gradual elevation gain.
In 2004, POST stepped in to fund protection of the bluff, restore it to ecological health, and construct a 1.6-mile section of the California Coastal Trail that now runs across it. Today, all 161 acres of the bluff are fully protected in perpetuity - a process that took four transactions, 11 years of work, and an array of visionaries, landowners and donors, both public and private.
Register at weblink to receive directions.
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 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 and muon spin rotation 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 - 08/29/2022 04:15 PM
UC Berkeley
Speaker: TBA
See weblink for Zoom information. In person attendance TBD.
Thursday, 09/01/2022
Why Have False Beliefs and Conspiracy Theories Become so Powerful? - 09/01/2022 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
NightLife - 09/01/2022 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: See for Yourself - 09/01/2022 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Making Smalltalk: The Origins and Impact of the Groundbreaking Software Environment - 09/01/2022 07:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
NightSchool: Intorduced & On The Loose - Livestream - 09/01/2022 07:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences
Friday, 09/02/2022
Better Imaging of 3D Nanocrystals - 09/02/2022 02:00 PM
Tan Hall 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
Saturday, 09/03/2022
There is no Planet B - Livestream - 09/03/2022 07:30 PM
Mt. Tam Astronomy
Sunday, 09/04/2022
Einstein! - 09/04/2022 07:00 PM
Wheeler Hall Berkeley