Greetings Fans of Science, Reason. and Critical Thinking,
Well this has been another week of science experienced and applied! We do live in amazing times but often forget the limitations that are still part of our lives. The earthquake on Thu ended up being a non-event for most people that were actually impacted by it! There was some localized damage, but for the most part, most of the reaction was precautionary and nothing happened. One of the surprising impacts of the quake was one most people never thought of or would expect. At Devil’s Hole there was a seiche! Yes, about 500 miles from the hypocenter of the quake there was impact on a small group of endangered fish! Check out the color of the water at the beginning and end of this video… Video of waves in Devils Hole caused by a 7.0 earthquake two minutes earlier off the coast of northern California and check it around 5:50 and 6:20! That doesn’t look so bad but… imagine you are a tiny pupfish and there are only a few hundred of you!
On another topic of watching what nature and the universe can do… Professor Filippenko shared this… “Let me alert you to the upcoming Geminid meteor shower. The shower will be most active the entire week of Dec. 10-16, but it will *peak* on the nights of Dec. 12/13 (Thu./Fri) and 13/14 (Fri./Sat.). It will be visible most of the night starting around 8 pm local time (though after midnight, especially around 2 am, is optimal because the "radiant" Gemini is highest in the sky). This is one of the two best and most reliable meteor showers all year (the other one being the Perseids in August). Unfortunately, this year moonlight will be a huge problem: the full moon is on Dec. 15, so the sky will be lit up quite brightly and only the bright meteors will be visible. Try to at least block the Moon with a building or a tree, and look away from it in the sky.” Here’s two resources… The 2024 Geminid meteor shower: All you need to know | Geminid meteor shower: Visual guide on when and where to get the best view.
I think it is pretty commonly thought that science doesn’t inform people as much as it claims to. In the skeptic community, nothing is above doubt. I think this coming Thu there will be an excellent presentation on this. Massimo Pigliucci will be presenting on The Problem with Scientism and the Nature of the Skeptic Community for the Dec Skep Talk at Bay Area Skeptics.
Of course there are many other presentations going on in the next week that are worth catching, even though we are rapidly approaching christmas, which doesn’t stop science as some would believe but does slow down the number of events! Please consider these…
-Wonderfest: Overcoming Limits of Human Vision Tue 12.10 @ 7:00 in Novato (Note that if you can’t make a Wonderfest presentation, they are usually available later on their youtube channel)
-Earth Out of Balance Wed 12.11 @ 9:30 AM in San Francisco
-Breathless: Catie and the Robot Thu @ 7:30 in San Francisco (also Sat @ 1:30)
You really should get tickets soon for The Physics Show If you have never had fun with physics ... you haven't been to The Physics Show! There are multiple shows running from after christmas through most of January.
There’s a new CERN course teaches particle physics basics online
Have you ever wondered why On These Questions, Smarter People Do Worse
Here’s another series worth your time… Discover Our Universe - KIPAC Public Lectures
Friday the 13th is coming to a calendar near you!
A post T-day message… Black Hole Has Daily Meals Worthy of Thanksgiving
Have another week of learning cool new things about our home universe!
herb masters
“There are quotes about Friday being unlucky as well as the number 13 being unlucky. They are mostly historical, unattributed, and date back to 1656. For example "Now Friday came, you old wives say, Of all the week's the unluckiest day." (1656) Wiki User
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 12/09/2024
The Lingering Hubble Tension and New Puzzling Measurements of Dark Energy - 12/09/2024 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
Mechanisms of enzyme regulation by dynamic polymerization - 12/09/2024 04:00 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
Beyond the cellular powerhouse: Mitochondrial cell biology and genetics - 12/09/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Responsible Governance of AI: Realities, Roadblocks, and Resolutions - 12/09/2024 04:00 PM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
Tuesday, 12/10/2024
Simplifying Complex Molecule Synthesis and Functionalization - 12/10/2024 11:00 AM
Latimer Hall Berkeley
An Update on Alzheimer’s: Assessment, Treatment and Prevention - Livestream - 12/10/2024 12:00 PM
UC Berkeley
City of Campbell Climate Action & Adaptation Plan - 12/10/2024 01:00 PM
Campbell United Methodist Church Campbell
Algorithms for electronic structure theory: from classical to quantum - 12/10/2024 04:00 PM
Latimer Hall Berkeley
'Power Metal' The race for the resources that will shape the future - 12/10/2024 06:00 PM
Ecology Center Berkeley
Heroes Never Die: The Blizzard Saga - 12/10/2024 07:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
Wonderfest: Overcoming Limits of Human Vision - 12/10/2024 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Migration on Manitou - 12/10/2024 07:30 PM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
Wednesday, 12/11/2024
Earth Out of Balance - 12/11/2024 09:30 AM
swissnex San Francisco San Francisco
Soft and flexible electronics for stem cell engineering and brain-machine interfaces - 12/11/2024 10:30 AM
Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2) Stanford
Sensor data fusion approaches to understanding nitrate at higher resolution in coastal ocean areas - Livestream - 12/11/2024 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Research Institute
Advanced Fabrication of Superconducting Qubits for a Quantum Computer - 12/11/2024 04:00 PM
Soda Hall Berkeley
Sorting the Solar System - Livestream - 12/11/2024 04:30 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Thursday, 12/12/2024
UC Berkeley Integrative Biology Seminar - 12/12/2024 12:30 PM
Valley Life Sciences Building Berkeley
After Dark: Glow with the Flow - 12/12/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Artificial Intelligence, Hope and the Human Spirit - In Person Sold Out - Livestream - 12/12/2024 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
The Problem with Scientism and the Nature of the Skeptic Community - Livestream - 12/12/2024 06:30 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
Colombia: South America’s Birding Mecca - Livestream - 12/12/2024 07:00 PM
Marin Audubon Society
Breathless: Catie and the Robot - 12/12/2024 07:30 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Friday, 12/13/2024
Brainstem Dynamics Regulating REM Sleep - 12/13/2024 12:00 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, James Lin and Nisa Leung Seminar Room (E153) Stanford
Geminids Meteor Shower - 12/13/2024 11:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Saturday, 12/14/2024
Land x Good Fire: Prescribed Burn Planning - 12/14/2024 09:00 AM
Audubon Canyon Ranch Marshall
King Tide Day in San Rafael - 12/14/2024 09:00 AM
Grand Marina Building San Rafael
Come join your neighbors and local scientists to document the highest tides of the year! Teams will use community science kits to explore how low-lying spots along the waterfront are affected by king tides. Measure flooding and take pictures alongside local experts.
San Rafael is one of the Bay Area’s most vulnerable cities to sea level rise, and the information you collect will help our community prepare. This event is free but please register in advance. Waterproof boots recommended!
King Tides Walk - 12/14/2024 09:30 AM
Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter Palo Alto
Family Nature Adventures: Snooze and Snuggle-Hibernating Animals! - 12/14/2024 10:30 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Breathless: Catie and the Robot - 12/14/2024 01:30 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
The origin of the Universe & evolution of large scale structure and how it affects your observing - 12/14/2024 07:30 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Sunday, 12/15/2024
Winter Bird Walk - 12/15/2024 09:00 AM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
King Tides: A Royal Tide Watch Along the Embarcadero - 12/15/2024 10:00 AM
Between Pier 3 and 5 San Francisco
Monday, 12/16/2024
Exploring the cell death phenotypic landscape - 12/16/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Scott Dixon, Stanford University
Room: Auditorium
December LASER Event - 12/16/2024 07:00 PM
Alway Building, Rm M112 Stanford
Wednesday, 12/18/2024
2024 Astronomy Picture of the Day - Livestream - 12/18/2024 06:00 PM
NASA Night Sky Network
Science Is A Piece of Cake: California Forests - 12/18/2024 07:00 PM
KQED, The Commons San Francisco
Thursday, 12/19/2024
Lunch Break Science - Livestream - 12/19/2024 11:00 AM
The Leakey Foundation
After Dark: Twinkle Twinkle - 12/19/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Friday, 12/20/2024
In Town Star Party - 12/20/2024 07:15 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Saturday, 12/21/2024
The Physics Show - Three Performances - 12/21/2024 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills
Family Astronomy: Winter Solstice - The Longest Night - 12/21/2024 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Sunday, 12/22/2024
The Physics Show - Three Performances - 12/22/2024 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills