Greetings Science Fans, Acceptors, and Supporters!
As we are nearing the winter solstice there are a lot of really fun and inspirational things going on. I think an interesting social challenge we are facing in so many areas in and out of science is reflected in the Audubon's 124th Christmas Bird Count that starts this coming week. Earlier this year there was a bit of a flurry in the news about the Audubon Society changing it's name. It decided not to, but they are going to change the name of a bunch of birds! It is a great chance to be a part of history and science! Keep in mind that science isn’t all that new!
I'm sure that you have heard that a 'polyphenolic and organosulfur enriched nutraceutical spice consumed since ancient times, has shown excellent health-promoting and disease-preventing effects on many common human diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, blood pressure, and diabetes, through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering properties, as demonstrated in several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies.' But what is the evidence, or how do you check the accuracy of the statement? Thank goodness for Google and Google Scholar! Those that know me know that I rarely turn down garlic and usually ask for extra. Sometimes it is good to check out something that gets too much advertising to believe. Sometimes it is nice to just go with the cultural beliefs and not worry about the science! Sometimes it's nice to hear How Wastewater Is Made to Be Safely Drinkable
You might ask why I started with a Doonesbury cartoon, and those two paragraphs. It was to remind myself and hopefully you that science isn't static or free of emotion. You can think of it as a living evolving, understanding of how the universe works. There are things that are generally known to be true but there is a lot to learn, unlearn, and relearn! Sometimes it's good to question what you think you know. You may know of musica universalis. It appears that TESS has found an example of this about 100 light years from here!
If you are young enough (that's a loaded opening) you might catch the opposite of what happened on Saturday. In 1986 I went to Peru to see what was almost the perihelion of Halley's Comet. It wasn't nearly as spectacular as I had hoped. (Ask me to tell you that story sometime!) Well Saturday was the aphelion of Halley's Comet. I hope that if you are around in about 37 years and it is a better show than I saw! You can get some practice looking at the sky at the San Mateo County libraries the week after christmas at Skywatch With Us: Telescopes at the Library or Geminids Meteor Shower Viewing at Chabot
Even though we are coming in to one of the lowest density of cool presentations to catch there are still some worth seeing. For example...
After Dark: Art x Climate @ the Exploratorium Thu @ 6:00 also... Saturday Cinema: The Art + Science of Luminous Animations Sat @ 1:00
Here's your warning to help avoid disappointment... Tickets are on sale for all of The Physics Show performances. If you can't have fun with physics … ... you aren't a very fun person! These tickets sell out about as quick as the tickets for the summer lectures and music performances at Lick Observatory! They run from 1.6.24 to 1.21.24. Don't delay just order them now.
I have to say that this is one of the coolest sentences I have read in quite awhile... “Volunteers spend warm, rainy nights on the sides of Chileno Valley Road with camera equipment, buckets, and reflective vests, picking up newts and shuttling them to the other side of the road.” “In some areas, they blanketed the road,” says a volunteer newt-rescue organizer.
The images that we get from incredible telescopes both on earth and in space do inspire wonder. However the images that come from our oceans are more amazing and startling to me than any galaxy out there. These are just plain charming!
The stories of adventurers often become legends. Here's one that is still developing... Endurance: Shackleton's lost ship is found in Antarctic and, also in the Weddell sea, A23a is on the move. There will be more debate about climate change!
In case you missed it The 33rd First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony
A couple of weeks ago Bob wrote a reminder/update of who and what we are. Keep those comments, notes, and suggestions coming. It has been great to hear from readers that we don't hear from.
Have a great week learning cool new stuff and sharing it with friends and family. You may remember this... The Medium Is The Message (1967)
herb masters
“Paranoia’s the garlic in life’s kitchen, right: you can never have too much.” – Thomas Pynchon
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 12/11/2023
AGU23 Wide. Open. Science. - 12/11/2023 07:00 PM
Moscone Center West San Francisco
For more than 100 years AGU has been opening science - opening pathways to discovery, opening greater awareness to address climate change, opening greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Exploring the Universe with Gravitational Waves - 12/11/2023 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
A new era in astrophysics was inaugurated with the 2015 discovery of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes in data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Since then, LIGO and its sister project Virgo have observed several more gravitational waves from the collision of black holes and neutron stars. These discoveries have effectively opened a new observational window on the Cosmos, with a rich science potential ranging from astronomy to cosmology to nuclear physics.
Speaker: Laura Cadonati, Georgia Institute of Technology
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Our Data Relations: Empowering Indigenous Genomic Data Sovereignty and Data Futures - 12/11/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Krystal Tsosie is an Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences and School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Her genomics research interests are specific to Indigenous communities and people in health, biomedicine, conservation biology, and paleogenomics.
Room: Auditorium
Tuesday, 12/12/2023
AGU23 Wide. Open. Science. - 12/12/2023 07:00 PM
Moscone Center West San Francisco
Exploring Quantum Error Correction Frontier with Programmable Atom Arrays - 12/12/2023 04:00 PM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
A broad effort is currently underway to develop quantum computers that can outperform classical counterparts for certain computational or simulation tasks. Suppressing errors is one of the central challenges for useful quantum computing, requiring quantum error correction for large-scale processing. However, the overhead in the realization of error-corrected “logical” qubits, where information is encoded across many physical qubits for redundancy, poses significant challenges to large-scale logical quantum computing. In this talk, we will discuss the recent advances involving programmable, coherent manipulation of quantum systems based on neutral atom arrays excited into Rydberg states, allowing the control over several hundred qubits in two dimensions. In particular, we use this platform to explore quantum algorithms with encoded logical qubits and quantum error correction techniques.
Speaker: Mikhail Lukin, Harvard University
Ben Santer: 2023 Stephen Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication - 12/12/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Climate One is delighted to present the 2023 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication to atmospheric scientist Ben Santer.
Santer has spent decades researching and identifying the human fingerprints on the climate system changes we’re now all seeing. He was lead author on the historic 1995 conclusion of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which proclaimed that “the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate.” That was the first time the IPCC authoritatively stated humans are causing climate change. At the time, climate scientist Stephen Schneider told Santer that the sentence he wrote would change the world. Santer’s foundational work also laid the groundwork for the expanding field of attribution science, which enables activists and lawyers to ascribe proportionate blame to specific polluters in lawsuits demanding damages for climate-disrupting emissions.
Join us for this special in-person conversation with Ben Santer, atmospheric scientist, MacArthur “Genius” and Fowler Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; and Kassie Siegel, director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Speakers: Ben Santer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Kassie Siegel, Center for Biological Diversity; Greg Dalton, Climate One, Host
Attend in person or online
Wednesday, 12/13/2023
AGU23 Wide. Open. Science. - 12/13/2023 07:00 PM
Moscone Center West San Francisco
Addressing Microfiber Pollution through Cross-Sector Collaboration - Livestream - 12/13/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Due to growing concerns over the presence and persistence of microfiber pollution in the environment as well as their potential ecological and human health impacts, scientists from the textile industry, marine conservation, government, and academia are working together to address this critical issue. With interest initially stemming from plastic pollution research, global scientists are finding that microfibers are prevalent in all environment compartments from soil, sea, air, to living organisms, and that both non-plastic and plastic fibers could be of concern. Through cross-sector collaboration, important foundational work is being conducted to (1) define microfiber; (2) assess potential sources, prevalence and causes; (3) build standardized methodology to measure and estimate the prevalence; and (4) build recommendations for reducing microfiber pollution through sustainable textile innovation and policy solutions for a variety of stakeholders. This presentation will discuss a multi-pronged approach to drive solutions through research, prevention, and mitigation measures for microfiber pollution.
Speakers: Krystle Moody Wood, Sustainable Textile Expert; Carolynn Box, Marine Pollution Expert
Register at weblink
Putting Science to Work for Communities Facing Climate Threats - 12/13/2023 12:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
People’s lives and livelihoods depend on science. But when those lives and livelihoods are threatened by impacts of a changing climate, how many of us know a scientist we can turn to who can help us protect our communities?
Community science happens when lay people and scientists do science together to advance community priorities. Natasha Udu-gama is director of AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange, which connects communities with scientists and supports them as they work together to tackle local challenges related to natural hazards, natural resources and climate change. Thriving Earth Exchange has launched more than 250 projects in more than 15 countries since 2013. Daniel Wildcat is a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University and serves on the steering committee of Rising Voices, a network of tribal and community leaders and earth scientists that brings Indigenous and earth sciences into partnership. Angela Chalk is an AGU Community Science Fellow and executive director of Healthy Community Services in New Orleans.
How can scientists and community leaders work together to solve local and global problems?
Join Climate One Host Greg Dalton in this special, in-person conversation with Udu-gama, Wildcat and Chalk, presented in collaboration with AGU at Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.
Transforming Earth Observation data into impact with mapping and AI - 12/13/2023 03:00 PM
Mitchell Earth Sciences Building (04-560) Stanford
Where is the “ChatGPT for the Earth”?
Despite the recent rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), its potential to address critical environmental issues has yet to be realized. In this talk, Dr. Ben Strong, Lead Scientist at the nonprofit Earth Genome, discusses the untapped potential of AI in tackling pressing environmental challenges through organizing, analyzing, and communicating environmental data.
As a case study, Dr. Strong presents Earth Genome’s groundbreaking "Earth Index'' platform. Earth Index rethinks environmental monitoring by leveraging large AI foundation models. This monitoring approach enables any user regardless of technical background to create actionable, locally fine-tuned maps of environmental impact through iterative human-in-the-loop training of custom machine learning models. Earth Index’s practical applications are vast, ranging from tracking gold mining in the Amazon to uncovering previously unmapped Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the American South. The value of this approach is demonstrated by real world impact, including collaborations with indigenous groups, journalists, and other NGOs.
Through the lens of Earth Genome's experiences, Dr. Strong makes a case for the necessity of foundational AI research and cross-sector collaborations between academia, nonprofits, and other industries. This talk is a journey into how AI can be a pivotal tool in environmental mapping and action, leading to significant on-the-ground impacts.
Speaker: Ben Strong, Earth Genome
Room: Hartley Conference Center, 1st Floor
Sustainable Future Semiconductor Industry by Innovative Technologies: Transforming Physical Challenges into Growth Opportunities - 12/13/2023 04:00 PM
Soda Hall Berkeley
In the last few years, we have witnessed an unprecedented amount of data being generated, processed, and stored for creating new values in our daily lives in the digital transformation (DX) era, opening a significantly high growth opportunity in the semiconductor industry. In order to satisfy such demanding market requirements while considering extremely smaller physical dimensions of silicon devices than 10 nm, however, there is an exciting and fruitful concern about how to achieve technical advancements in a profitable way. Thus, the key is cost-effectively improving PPA (power-performance-area) by relentless drive of technical innovations through ecosystem-wide and shared efforts. In this colloquium, I will present how we have satisfied the market’s requirements in the previous technology nodes and what challenges should be overcome for future technology nodes. Then, I will discuss promising innovative technology candidates including structures, materials, processes, and equipment for the next decades.
Speaker: Daewon Ha, Samsung Electronics
Science Uncorked: How is Climate Change Impacting California Kelp Forests? A Focus on the Purple Sea Urchin - 12/13/2023 06:00 PM
Gourmet au Bay Bodega Bay
Pairing delicious wines with delicious ideas, this series features talks by scientists from UC Davis' Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute and Bodega Marine Laboratory
Speaker: Maya Munstermann
Deploying a LLM Chatbot using BigDL-LLM and Llama2 on an Intel Laptop - 12/13/2023 07:00 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
Due to the ongoing expansion of large language models (LLMs), leading to performance degradation, heightened memory requirements, and increased computational demands, there is a growing urgency for efficient quantization to compress LLMs into a more compact form. Additionally, optimization across platforms is pivotal for enhancing the accessibility of LLMs. BigDL-LLM is designed to make efficient LLM development more accessible all Intel platform users, spanning from CPUs to GPUs, from clients to the cloud.
BigDL-LLM is an open source library designed to run large language models (LLMs) using low-bit optimizations (FP4/INT4/NF4/FP8/INT8) on Intel XPU , for any PyTorch model with very low latency and small memory footprint.
Speakesr: Jiao Wang, Intel; Guogiong Song, Intel
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
NASA X Nerd Nite! - 12/13/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Dr. Kirk David Knobelspiesse of the PACE Mission
PACE stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem and its data will help us better understand how the ocean and atmosphere exchange carbon dioxide. In addition, it will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean. Novel uses of PACE data will benefit our economy and society. For example, it will help identify the extent and duration of harmful algal blooms. PACE will extend and expand NASA’s long-term observations of our living planet. By doing so, it will take Earth’s pulse in new ways for decades to come. Come get the details in a nutshell during this presentation!
Dr. Marcela Loria-Salazar
Marcela works at the University of Oklahoma’s School of Meteorology and was one of the first professors in Oklahoma to be hired for the study of air quality. She studies aerosols and aerosol transport using different platforms. One is with measurements, and one is with satellite retrievals. Marcela has also created applications from plume injection heights and identified ways to use them for air quality monitoring. She also assimilates satellite data to data fishing models. Through working with polar orbiting satellites, she can fill gaps created by clouds. She and her team take the retrievals and try to forecast how to get the AOD full picture by attempting to remove the cloud and create the AOD retrieval from that using polar satellites. She wants to move toward using the scenario data to have more data points and more observations.
Dr. Jeremy Werdell
Jeremy Werdell is an Oceanographer in the Ocean Ecology Laboratory (OEL) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the Project Scientist for the PACE mission. Jeremy currently oversees the SeaWiFS Bio-optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), NASA bio-Optical Marine Algorithm Data set (NOMAD), and OEL in-water bio-optical algorithm development efforts. His research interests extend to the on-orbit calibration of ocean color satellite instruments, the validation of remotely-sensed data products, the collection and analysis of in situ biogeochemical oceanographic measurements, and the assimilation of the above to study how the global ocean and various regional ecosystems are changing with time. When time permits, Jeremy moonlights as a teacher and student mentor (and wannabe chef). He has led several internationally attended workshops on bio-optical algorithm development and helped instruct undergraduate and graduate-level courses on ocean optics and biology.
Geminids Meteor Shower Viewing - 12/13/2023 11:45 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Join us on our Observation Deck and be dazzled as we make our annual trip through the Geminids Meteor Shower. The Geminids, named for the constellation where the shower appears to originate, is one of the best meteor showers to catch this year. The source of the shower is Asteroid 3200 Phaethon, a small asteroid about 3.17 miles (5.10 kilometers) across. Join our expert astronomer, Gerald McKeegan, at midnight in Studio 3 for a talk about the origins of the Geminids Meteor shower.
Bring warm clothing or optional blankets, chairs or sleeping bags.
Event is weather permitting.
Thursday, 12/14/2023
AGU23 Wide. Open. Science. - 12/14/2023 07:00 PM
Moscone Center West San Francisco
For more than 100 years AGU has been opening science - opening pathways to discovery, opening greater awareness to address climate change, opening greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
This year, as we convene >25,000 attendees from 100+ countries in San Francisco for AGU23, our theme is: Wide. Open. Science. 2023 might be the official year of Open Science but we also see it as an opportunity to affirm AGU’s overarching values and beliefs. It is a message for all of us to carry as we come together to share, inspire, collaborate, engage and most of all rededicate ourselves as a united community grounded in wide open science.
See weblink for registration information. Attend in person or online
Schedules vary day to day. See weblink for costs, which are cheaper on or before November 2. A wide variety of discounts are available, as well as single day admission.
'The Geek Way' - A Handbook for a New Culture - 12/14/2023 05:30 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
What if the most important innovation in tech isn't what companies make but how they make them? New York Times bestselling author Andrew McAfee will share the elements of what he calls "the Geek Way," a new corporate culture that's fast-moving, egalitarian, evidence-driven, and more.
Humans have an extraordinary ability to cooperate and learn fast, and that has led to breathtaking innovations. But under the wrong conditions, we create bureaucracy, chronic delays, cultures of silence, and other classic dysfunctions of the Industrial Era.
Join us to learn how McAfee's new book, The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results, can serve as a handbook for thriving in a faster-moving world.
What to Expect
Andrew McAfee, cofounder and codirector of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, will explore four norms of the Geek Way: science, ownership, speed, and openness. Learn through provocative, insightful stories from iconic (and lesser-known) tech companies. Take away key insights from a book that Google's Eric Schmidt calls a “handbook for disruptors.”
See weblink for agenda and to register
Say “Good Night” to Insomnia - 12/14/2023 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
If you have trouble sleeping, you’re not alone: 50 - 70 million people in the United States struggle with ongoing sleep disorders. What many of us don’t realize is that poor sleep can impact your health in many ways.
Insomnia is defined as a lack of sleep and includes common symptoms like trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up frequently. Multiple factors can cause insomnia, yet many people don’t yet realize how wearable technology can give them insights into their sleep. Lifestyle factors such as proper nutrition and exercise are imperative as well to obtain a good night's sleep.
This lecture will describe optimal sleep and discuss the relationship between sleep and alcohol, depression and weight gain. Eric Pifer, M.D., will explain how new technology collects sleep measurements at home and uses it with integrative therapies to promote restorative sleep. Find out how to optimize sleep through wearable tech that can measure sleep quality, physical activity, and heart rate variability. Use data collected to create, develop and track sleep goals.
Speaker: Eric Pifer, Sutter Pacific Medical foundation; Patty James, Commonwealth Club, Moderator
NightLife - 12/14/2023 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.
Visit the BigPicture exhibit in the Piazza to marvel at the most recent winners of the BigPicture Natural World Photography competition.
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.
After Dark: Art x Climate @ the Exploratorium - 12/14/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
How would you depict the impacts of climate change? Join the Exploratorium for a conversation with artists, scientists, educators, and poets on responding to and capturing the effects of climate change around the country. Find inspiration with artists who were part of the Art x Climate Project at the US Global Change Research Program. Be in community with leaders of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) and scientists who have been studying the effects of climate change on Earth - inside and out. You won’t think about climate change - or art - the same way again.
Skepticism’s Time Warp. Are we winning or losing? - Livestream - 12/14/2023 07:30 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
In my Skeptical Inquirer column, The Time Warp, I review early SI issues to examine skepticism with the knowledge provided by the passage of time. From one perspective, all skepticism does is win, win, win. From another perspective, all skepticism does is lose, lose, lose. How can today’s skeptics use this understanding to shape the future towards the winning side?
Speaker: Dr. Craig Foster, Northshore School District, Bothell, Washington
Friday, 12/15/2023
AGU23 Wide. Open. Science. - 12/15/2023 07:00 PM
Moscone Center West San Francisco
For more than 100 years AGU has been opening science - opening pathways to discovery, opening greater awareness to address climate change, opening greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
This year, as we convene >25,000 attendees from 100+ countries in San Francisco for AGU23, our theme is: Wide. Open. Science. 2023 might be the official year of Open Science but we also see it as an opportunity to affirm AGU’s overarching values and beliefs. It is a message for all of us to carry as we come together to share, inspire, collaborate, engage and most of all rededicate ourselves as a united community grounded in wide open science.
See weblink for registration information. Attend in person or online
Schedules vary day to day. See weblink for costs, which are cheaper on or before November 2. A wide variety of discounts are available, as well as single day admission.
As an industry, we are dealing with some enormous challenges. Infrastructure dating back over a century must be upgraded to deal with seismic threats and dwindling natural resources because of climate change. The escalating frequency of wildfires and intensifying droughts is straining our systems beyond what they were originally designed for. And we are challenged to adapt to these changes while keeping our services affordable.
This is not a false dilemma.
And the only way we can solve our most challenging, most pressing issues, is by working together, by collaborating, and by innovating. And by challenging the status quo. With billions of planned investments in our infrastructure, there exists a unique opportunity to do things better. By fostering partnerships among infrastructure owners, academia, industry, consultants, and regulators, we will be able to confront these challenges head-on.
The Center for Smart Infrastructure (CSI) is a collaborative hub that will assist utilities in managing their infrastructure, water supply, and natural resources. Its goal extends to climate adaptation, enhancing water and wastewater operations, and supporting emergency preparedness for safer communities. Through exploration of cutting-edge innovations, utilization of remote sensing and monitoring technologies, and data-driven decision-making, the Center aims to revolutionize our approach.
The Center for Smart Infrastructure envisions a future where adaptive systems embody “intelligence for life.” Through this collaboration, the Center will bring partners together to provide innovative solutions that navigate today’s challenges, while ensuring a sustainable and resilient systems for the next century.
Speaker: Clifford Chan, General Manager,East Bay Municipal Utility District See weblink to join the presentation
Public Tours of Bodega Marine Laboratory - 12/15/2023 02:00 PM
UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Bodega Bay
These tours are led by our wonderful crew of ocean-loving docents, and visitors will learn about ongoing marine and coastal science research at Bodega Marine Laboratory and its history on the Sonoma Coast. Plus, you'll get to meet a variety of colorful and diverse ocean creatures.
The front gates will be open to allow visitors in from 1:45 until 3:45pm on Fridays. Please plan to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to your tour start time.
Public tours are only available by reservation on Eventbrite. If your preferred tour time is already full, you can place your name on a waitlist through Eventbrite to claim a spot if one becomes available.
Saturday, 12/16/2023
Albany Bulb Birding Bioblitz - 12/16/2023 09:30 AM
Albany Bulb Albany
Join Wholly H2O for a fun adventure at the Albany Bulb! Get ready to have tons of fun showing off your documenting and observing skills by capturing the local birds . Check out iNaturalist to see what other bird species our community has documented at Lafayette Reservoir, such as the White-crowned sparrow and the Caspian Tern .
Bring family, friends, snacks and get ready to learn a bunch, share your expertise, and look at migrating birds. To get a jump on recognizing the calls of some birds we will be exploring, see our interactive 28 Birds of NorCal bird call guide!
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. So, bring your smartphone or another camera, sunblock, water to stay hydrated, snacks, and prepare for maximum wonderment.
Fungus Among Us at Sanborn - 12/16/2023 10:30 AM
Sanborn Science and Nature Center Saratoga
Join us for a hike to learn about the amazing world of fungi! Are they a plant? Which ones are poisonous? What happens to it after the mushroom dies? Learn more about one of the oldest living terrestrial beings on our planet! Ages 7 - 12
Mycological Society of San Francisco 51st Fungus Fair - 12/16/2023 10:30 AM
El Camino High School South San Francisco
When the first rains tease up the chanterelles and porcini, fungus lovers head to the Fungus Fair: A Celebration of Wild Mushrooms.
The 2023 MSSF Fungus Fair will display fungi collected in various locations in California. Annual collections have been made by MSSF since 1972. This historical information is a potentially important contribution to science as climate change affects our local ecosystems.
Creative and hands-on mushroom activities for people of all ages.Lectures: David Arora, Alan Rockefeller, Christian Schwarz, Roberto Flores Arzu, Elsa Vellinga, Cat Adams, Dr. Kathryn MeierWorkshops: Christian Schwarz, JR Blair, Jack Laws, Eleana Hsu, Wilder Herbertson [Workshops require a separate add-on ticket, in addition to your general admission ticket.]Naturalistic displays of more than 300 species of locally collected fungiIdentification table - bring your specimens to find out the species!Educational tables on varied subjects such as medicinal mushrooms, myco-remediation, cultivation, ecology, psychedelic fungi, dyes from fungi, toxicology, edible mushrooms, and more...Microscopes and spore printsVendors with fun mushroom productsMingle and meet other mushroom loving people.Come and try a bowl of delicious mushroom soup.Book signing by the authors.
The Fair provides information on the uses and abuses of fungi, with displays and exhibits on ecology, toxicology, and cultivation. Campsite gourmands learn how to serve up the safe and scrumptious species through identification tutorials, and sales of books, teas, snacks, and fresh edibles.
Foothills Family Nature Walk - 12/16/2023 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!
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.
Limited to 12 participants
Saturday Cinema: The Art + Science of Luminous Animations - 12/16/2023 01:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Celebrate the Exploratorium’s winter exhibition Glow: Discover the Art of Light with radiant animations, both meditative and kinetic. Five short films capture the holiday spirit, the translucent elements of nature, the radiance of winter’s starry skies and ancestral stories, and the science of salt crystals shaped like jeweled snowflakes.These films shine light on the creative and diverse ways that individuals draw gleaming inspiration from nature, chemistry, manufactured materials, and mathematical forms.Running time: 30 minutes Wâhkôhtowin (All My Relations) by Barry Bilinsky (2022, 6 min.)The filmmaker, of Cree Metis and Ukrainian descent, explores the power of stories as they are shaped over many nights and many years, through all languages across the world. This beautifully animated story unfolds in an intimate tipi setting between a grandmother and her children’s children on a clear winter night. Through an Indigenous worldview we learn of our relation to the stars and the spirit world and of our connection to our ancestors. Co-presented with the American Indian Film Institute. The Arctic by Wenting Zhu (2018, 3 min.)This film captures crystallization, revealing radiant growth patterns of different salts. It serves as a reminder of the “stunning beauty of the ice worlds.” Produced by Yan Liang, founder of Beauty of Science. Co-presented with Beauty of Science.
White Out by Jeffrey Scher (2007, 3 min.)More than two thousand individual watercolor paintings animate a celebratory world of winter play. Colorful images shimmer against the brightness of snow while capturing the frivolity of humans slipping and sliding in frosty cold. Jeffrey Scher is an Emmy Award winning animator who has made music videos for Bob Dylan, Graham Nash, Joan Baez, Paul Simon, and others.
Attraction by Emily Scaife (2017, 4 min.)Take a peek into an alluring world of insect and plant life animated in a field of translucent colors, giving view to the dust and desires of an alternative tiny universe. Painting directly on film, the artist conjures an imagined landscape that shimmers with pulsating, lustrous forms such as erupting fungal fantasies and bursting botanicals.
Let Your Light Shine by Jodie Mack (2014, 4 min.)In this exuberant handmade animation, optical polyrhythms and a thousand rainbows explode off the screen. The artist Jodie Mack’s playful nature is captured in this prismatic celluloid experience.
Screenings at 1:00 and 3:00
Fractionalization and emergent gauge symmetries in quantum condensed matter - 12/16/2023 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Since this is a hastily arranged “in-house” colloquium, I plan to make it partially pedagogic concerning a body of thought that has developed in condensed matter theory over the past half century, but which has only much more recently come to be satisfactorily understood. I will plan to spend roughly half of the time explaining what the title means, and the second half with describing some recent developments (some of which are original to my group) in terms of expanding these ideas and searching (still with uncertain success) for realizations in the world of quantum materials.
Speaker: Steve Kivelson, Stanford University
City Public Star Party - 12/16/2023 05:00 PM
City Star Parties - Parade Grounds at the Presidio San Francisco
Come join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers for free public stargazing of the Moon, planets, globular clusters and more!
SFAA members with telescopes are encouraged to attend and share their views of the stars with the general public.
Dress warmly. Due to the pandemic, social-distancing and masks are encouraged, but not required.
Rain, heavy fog and overcast skies cancel. Check the SFAA website for a cancellation notice before leaving for the star party.
Editor's Note: The time for this event is now one hour earlier than originally listed. It begins at 5:00 PM.
Sunday, 12/17/2023
Morning Hike at Rancho Cañada del Oro - 12/17/2023 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.
Register at weblink
WONKA and Loving Chocolate - 12/17/2023 01:00 PM
Cameo Cinema St. Helena
"It comes from cocoa, a leafy-green plant; ... chocolate is salad!" Why do so many of us love chocolate despite its non-saladesque qualities? Wonderfest joins St. Helena's Cameo Cinema for the Science On Screen® presentation of Wonka, portraying the wondrous backstory of Earth's greatest magician, inventor, and chocolate-maker. Q&A with UC Berkeley happiness expert Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas will follow the special screening. Ticket purchase includes a small-size popcorn and chocolate treats from the Master Chocolatier at Yountville's Kollar Chocolates.
Our interviewee, Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, is Science Director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. She is a leading researcher on the neuroscience and psychology of prosocial skills that bolster human happiness. Disclaimer: Dr. Simon-Thomas may not suggest that eating chocolate is a prosocial skill, or that chocolate is salad, but she does attribute her life-long love of chocolate to Willy Wonka (and, perhaps, to a biological affinity for theobromine).
Tuesday, 12/19/2023
Tour of highlights from the Astronomy Picture of the Day archive for 2023 - Livestream - 12/19/2023 06:00 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Wonderfest: Innovations in Forensic Science: A Brief History - 12/19/2023 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Thursday, 12/21/2023
The Kitchen Mycologist: The delicious surprises, the unfortunate flops, the great tips, and the ultimate lessons I learned - 12/21/2023 05:00 PM
Sonoma County Mycological Association
Family Astronomy: Winter Solstice - The Longest Night - 12/21/2023 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
After Dark: See for Yourself - 12/21/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Saturday, 12/23/2023
Foothills Family Nature Walk - 12/23/2023 11:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Makerspace Science Talk with Adam Larson - 12/23/2023 11:30 AM
Seymour Marine Discovery Center Santa Cruz
Family Astronomy: Edible Astronomy - 12/23/2023 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland