Hello Lovers, Students, Supporters, and Respecters of Science!
You may have read or heard that Earth has set a new record temperature. Multiple times actually! I'm often amazed by what things look like when compared to how they appear or are depicted. Sometimes what appears to be a simple answer to a question or problem is just not good enough! There are many such examples so I'm only listing a few here... When you consider how you might do something like measure the temperature of the earth, I think it becomes easier to understand How to Respond to Climate Change Skeptics. It might also help to understand more about the Measurement for our Planet
Have you ever thought about how far our local solar system planets are from each other and the sun? Like many things there are nuances to how to think about it. For instance does Jupiter really orbit around the sun or is there a better way to describe it? So if we're 1 AU from the Sun, what's the closest planet to all of the other ones? What is our closest neighbor? What is the closest planet?... “Mars is always closer to Earth, and the rest of the inner planets, than it is to Jupiter.”
You may have noticed more chatter about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer recently. In part I think is due to the time of year. The Trinity test was done on July 16, 1945 and Little Boy and Fat Man were dropped within the first 9 days of August 1945 killing somewhere between 154,000 and 219,000 people. This year though also has a couple of film options that I think warrant your attention. Tonight (7.9.23) MSNBC is broadcasting “TO END ALL WAR: OPPENHEIMER & THE ATOMIC BOMB” and “Oppenheimer” will be released on 7.21.23. I'll be watching both!
Here are some opportunities you might want to take advantage of...
-Chasing Arrows: The Truth About Recycling - Virtual Watch Party & Panel Discussion - Livestream Wed @ 6
-Bioblitz at Coyote Creek Visitor Center with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and Bioblitz.club Sat @ 9
-Potrero Hill STEM Festival 2023 Sat @ 11
-Raptor Encounter in Coyote Valley Sun @ 5:30
After Dark: Biophony this Thursday is going to be a special one... “join us for a conversation about the act of listening. Bernie Krause and David Harrington have each spent over 50 years in careers dedicated to sharing transcendent sound experiences with listeners. Krause’s work has centered on his explorations of soundscape ecology; Harrington’s on his founding and leadership of the world-renowned San Francisco–based Kronos Quartet.” This will be one for the ears!
In case I haven't lost you yet, check out some of these...
The Biologist Blowing Our Minds
Remember the little helicopter that could? Well, Ingenuity is getting a bit more independent these days.
Smokey the Bear was wrong about wildfires. (His middle name is not “the”!) and 8 Myths About Public Understanding of Science
A 5,000-year-old ‘Ivory Lady’ has added some new context to the discussions of gender and equity!
Neglect of a Museum’s Collection Could Cause Scientific Setbacks
Scientists Warned of a Salton Sea Disaster. No One Listened.
MDMA and the White Supremicist
Visible planets and night sky for the month of July
Have a great week learning new and cool things as well as about older still cool things!!
herb masters
“Science can teach us, and I think our own hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to invent allies in the sky, but rather to look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in, instead.” Bertrand Russell
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 07/10/2023
Are we building a Tech world that we really want? - 07/10/2023 05:00 PM
INSEAD SF Hub San Francisco
Tech innovations have been historically - for 1000s of years - moving the needle of our civilization. Digital tech, such as the internet and AI, do so with an increasingly faster pace.
However, historically technology (and science) has also created significant risks - from climate ones (e.g., the industrial revolution) to extinction ones (e.g., nuclear). Are digital innovations accelerating risks as well as opportunities? What risks, and how to manage them? How can we continue to innovate while managing the downside(s)? What is the role of management, leadership, and governance - including regulations - to this purpose? What are some key challenges we need to overcome and opportunities created on the way to doing so? Can we get the best of all worlds: the EU regulatory and human rights focus, the Valley tech innovation focus and the China fast development focus? In this event we will discuss these issues both more generally and then more specifically with a panel of executives.
Learning outcome:
Specific tech risks and governance as well as regulatory approaches to manage them Implications of (not) managing online and AI trust & safety for business, society and geopolitics Management and governance principles and practices for responsible tech innovation
Speaker: Professor Theos Evgeniou
Wednesday, 07/12/2023
Western Flyer: Literary History Heads Back to Sea - Livestream - 07/12/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
In 1940, John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts chartered the fishing vessel Western Flyer for a six-week exploration of Mexico’s Gulf of California, resulting in the publications Sea of Cortez (1941) and The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951). The boat returned to fishing for decades, changed names and owners, disappeared, sank, and was in disrepair when marine geologist John Gregg purchased it in 2015. Inspired by a vision to restore the iconic boat and bring it back into service for research and education, he launched the Western Flyer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission “to stir curiosity by connecting art and science in the spirit of John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, and their journey on the Western Flyer.” The vessel has been almost completely renovated and is scheduled to return to Monterey Bay this summer, when it will embark on the next phase of its journey, taking students and researchers out on the water to learn, observe, and create. Sherry Flumerfelt, the Executive Director of the Western Flyer Foundation, will talk about the history of the Western Flyer, its incredible restoration, and the organization’s programs aimed at inspiring the next generation of marine scientists, writers, and artists.
Register at weblink to receive connection link.
July LASER Event - Livestream - 07/12/2023 12:00 PM
LASER Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous
Victoria Vesna (UCLA) on "Vibrations Matter: Art & Science of Deep Listening" Yizhou Dong (Mt Sinai) on "Lipid nanoparticles enabled mRNA therapeutics" Sara Ludy (Media Artist) on “Materializing the Immaterial”
See weblink for details
Chasing Arrows: The Truth About Recycling - Virtual Watch Party & Panel Discussion - Livestream - 07/12/2023 06:00 PM
Ecology Center
Reduce, reuse, then recycle: this was where recycling was intended to fit within the circular economy. Instead, the petrochemical and packaging industries have exploited this fundamental premise and used recycling as a cover to increase plastic production exponentially. The truth is: The onus for solving our plastic pollution crisis isn’t on recyclers; it’s on plastic producers. They are simply making too much plastic, most of which cannot be recycled.
Join us for a virtual watch party of “Chasing Arrows: The Truth About Recycling,” a short film produced in partnership with the Emmy Award-winning Peak Plastic Foundation that outlines how the plastics industry is trashing recycling with non-recyclable plastics and exposes the recycling myths industry promotes, such as blaming the recycling system and consumers for plastic pollution.
After the film, stick around for a dynamic panel discussion featuring zero waste experts and members of the Alliance of Mission-Based Recyclers - the original pioneers of mission-driven, community-based nonprofit recycling and zero waste in the U.S.
Hear from Eureka Recycling, Eco-Cycle, Ecology Center, and Recycle Ann Arbor as they delve into the current zero waste landscape and share valuable insights from their communities. A live Q&A session will follow the panel discussion.
Register at weblink
Thursday, 07/13/2023
NightLife LIVE - 07/13/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
The NightLife LIVE concert series kicks off with funk-soul sounds from the legendary Tommy Guerrero and a psychedelic opening set by Ritmos Tropicosmos.
Jam out to musicians across genres from indie pop to hip hop and bossa nova at our crowd-favorite outdoor summer concert series. From July to October, every second Thursday night will feature a different NightLife LIVE lineup of music, art, and science.
We’re transforming the Academy into the ultimate eclectic music venue where you can groove to a spectrum of artists alongside our iconic exhibits (aquarium and chill, anyone?). Catch live performances on the West Garden stage, tinker with interactive art installations by local artist Felicia Ann, listen to Mellow Sessions’ live jazz-inspired melodies next to our 25-foot-deep Philippine Coral Reef, and more.
After Dark: Biophony - 07/13/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Tonight, in celebration of the West Coast premiere of The Great Animal Orchestra, we tune our ears to the sounds and the science of the biophony. This term, coined by soundscape artist Bernie Krause, is a way of describing the total nonhuman symphony created by all living organisms in a habitat. We'll dig into the science of that biophony, what it reveals about the health of an ecosystem, and how artists and scientists capture and join in on the conversation. Tonight only, you'll be able to hear about some of these projects and studies directly from Bernie Krause as he shares his approach to recording the natural world, what changes he has heard in our planet's ecological systems over his lengthy career, and his experience in developing The Great Animal Orchestra.
Narrow Band Imaging: Amazing Images taken in Light Poluted Environments - 07/13/2023 07:00 PM
Los Altos Public Library Los Altos
Speaker: Frank Meschia
Saturday, 07/15/2023
Bioblitz at Coyote Creek Visitor Center with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and Bioblitz.club - 07/15/2023 09:00 AM
Coyote Creek Visitor's Center Morgan Hill
Join Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, Bioblitz.club, and POST for a BioBlitz! A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get an overall count of the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms that live in a place.
Join the BioBlitz at Coyote Creek Visitors Center where you and experts come together to explore Anderson Lake Park, and document observations of all living things in a short period of time.
Docents will guide you and teach you to use the iNaturalist app on your smartphone to record all the living things you encounter. Flowers, trees, butterflies, dragonflies, and beetles, birds, and squirrels. We love them all - now let’s go find them!
Register at weblink
Investigating Space: Revealing Star Formations with the James Webb Space Telescope - 07/15/2023 11:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Explore the James Webb Space Telescope, which is the most ambitious, complex, and pioneering mission embarked upon by NASA, its international partners, and the Space Telescope Science Institute. In the short time this pioneering infrared space telescope has been operating it has expanded our knowledge of the lifespan and variety of star formations. Hear from the scientists who helped build and design it and the astronomers who are using it for research. Watch a Live Science theater show, see interactive astronomical demonstrations and hands-on activities fun for the whole family.
Summer Science Fundays - Ice Cream Shake-Up - 07/15/2023 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
As part of its season of summer programs and exhibits, The Lawrence Hall of Science will host ten Summer Science Fundays, each offering family-friendly shows, hands-on science activities, and more. Summer Science Fundays include events that will be familiar to Lawrence members and repeat visitors, and exciting new opportunities to explore science.
The Lawrence Hall of Science is UC Berkeley’s public science center, with a mission to inspire and engage through science discovery and learning in ways that advance equity and opportunity. In addition to exhibits and programs for kids and families, The Lawrence develops curricula and learning materials for educators and researches how kids learn science.
July 15 - Ice Cream Shake-Up: On National Ice Cream Day, we celebrate the sweetest of the seven basic tastes, the one made possible by sugars. Make your own ice cream and learn about the science behind this tasty treat.
Summer is a bustling time at The Lawrence Hall of Science because our most important visitors are out of school, yet still brimming with curiosity. Our Summer Science Fundays provide a gigaton of fun and educational activities for families. Summer Science Fundays showcase local community organizations, including SaveNature, Cal Taiko Band, Les Aerielles, and more, to bring a variety of unique experiences to our visitors.
Family Nature Walks - Foothills Nature Preserve - 07/15/2023 11:00 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.
Potrero Hill STEM Festival 2023 - 07/15/2023 11:00 AM
Potrero Hill San FranciscoSTEM Saturday is a neighborhood festival committed to providing fun, exciting and hands on STE(A)M activities to diverse populations in Potrero Hill and beyond. Our mission is a free, all-community event that inspires young people to become tomorrow’s STEM leaders. Join us on for an OUTDOOR gathering at The Potrero Hill Neighborhood House and surrounding block! We will have food and drink for purchase and an open-air, outdoor STEM corridor with hands-on activities, demos and fun local resources.
Tech Topple: Watch The Dominos Fall - 07/15/2023 01:00 PM
The Tech Museum of Innovation San Jose
YouTube sensation Flash Domino and his group of chain reaction masterminds attempt to build a world-record domino topple that will leave you in awe! See their construction in process, then join us for the big topple. Plus, don’t miss the return of a special IMAX movie “Dream Big!” and chain reaction-themed building activities.
From Sunday, July 9 to Saturday, July 15, watch the construction of the topple.
Sunday, 07/16/2023
Presidio: Changes Through Time - 07/16/2023 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.
Raptor Encounter in Coyote Valley - 07/16/2023 05:30 PM
Laguna Seca San Jose
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (OSA) in welcoming master falconer and educator Antonio Balestreri to Laguna Seca in North Coyote Valley! Guests will experience several of our native raptor species, including an American Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, and the Red-tailed Hawk.
This educational presentation will focus on the roles raptors play in our environment, some of the day to day challenges they face, and of course raptor biology and conservation. Sign up for this unique opportunity to see these rescued and captive-bred raptors up close.
Best for ages 10+. Exact location and parking will be sent after registration
Monday, 07/17/2023
Tesla, Redwood Materials and Building a Better Battery Supply Chain - 07/17/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Demand for lithium ion batteries is expected to grow 500 percent by 2030, and the race for raw materials is on. Lithium mines around the world are opening or expanding, while children as young as six in the Congo carry sacks of cobalt-laced rocks on their backs for less than $2 a day. Recycling presents promising opportunities, yet before millions of batteries can be recycled, they have to be made in the first place. At the same time, advances in battery chemistry continue to be made, and it’s not hard to imagine a near future when batteries don’t require lithium or cobalt at all. What’s the state of battery technology? And with demand seemingly ceaselessly increasing, how can we ever get to a truly sustainable supply chain?
JB Straubel co-founded Tesla Motors and spent 15 years as its chief technology officer. Now he heads Redwood Materials, a company dedicated to creating a circular battery supply chain in the United States.
Join Climate One Host Greg Dalton in person with JB Straubel as we explore what it will take to build a better battery supply chain and electrify the world.
How the James Webb Space Telescope is Transforming Astronomy - 07/17/2023 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Since the first public release of images obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope in July 2022, this observatory has been pushing the current state of knowledge from the farthest reaches of the Universe to some of the closest objects we can observe in the Solar System. The detection of the first galaxies after the Big Bang was the driver for the massive space telescope - and although that goal remains the quest of many astronomers, JWST has also contributed to new understandings about extrasolar planets, star formation and evolution, and phenomena much closer to home.
We are now seeing the Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Solar System in a whole new light! This presentation will highlight some of the spectacular discoveries already being made with JWST in its first year of science.
Speaker: Stefanie Milam, JWST Deputy Project Scientist for Planetary Science
Tuesday, 07/18/2023
Popping the Science Bubble: Two talks - 07/18/2023 05:30 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Message to an Ocean World: The Europa Clipper Mission - Livestream - 07/18/2023 06:00 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Dark Matter Searches with Astrophysical Objects - 07/18/2023 07:00 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
California Nature Trivia with California Academy of Science and Deep Look - 07/18/2023 07:00 PM
KQED Headquarters San Francisco
Astronomy on Tap Tucson #89: Mass Effect + Star Stories - Livestream - 07/18/2023 07:30 PM
Astronomy on Tap
Wednesday, 07/19/2023
A Sign in Space - WRETI: Writing in Response to ETI - Livestream - 07/19/2023 09:00 AM
SETI Institute
Nerd Nite SF #134: Sharks, DNA, & Tarot! - 07/19/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Thursday, 07/20/2023
Coastal Walk at Pillar Point Bluff - 07/20/2023 10:00 AM
Pillar Point Bluff Moss Beach
NightLife - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Navigating a Post-Pandemic World - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
After Dark: World Wide Web. Of Life. - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
From Snow To Flow - When Snow Falls On A Mountain, Where Does It Go? - Livestream - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
US Geological Survey Public Lecture Series
Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: The Shadow the Scientist Initiative - 07/20/2023 06:30 PM
Humble Sea Brewing Co Santa Cruz
Offshore Wind and Seabirds in California - Livestream - 07/20/2023 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Friday, 07/21/2023
Search for Life Beyond Earth - SOLD OUT - 07/21/2023 08:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Saturday, 07/22/2023
Bubblefest Weekend - 07/22/2023 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Summer Science Fundays - Chemistry Funday - 07/22/2023 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Observing Animals and Nature - 07/22/2023 11:00 AM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Rediscovering the Distant Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope - 07/22/2023 08:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
City Public Star Party - 07/22/2023 08:30 PM
City Star Parties - Point Lobos San Francisco
Sunday, 07/23/2023
Bubblefest Weekend - 07/23/2023 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Sunset Photography Hike at La Honda Creek - 07/23/2023 10:00 AM
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve La Honda
Monday, 07/24/2023
Life on Other Planets - Livestream - 07/24/2023 03:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco