Hello again Science fans!
These past few years have put us all through a bit of a wringer. Prior to the pandemic, 11% of Americans reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to the Household Pulse Survey, a tool of the Census Bureau. Then came COVID, and that number increased to 42.6%. Today, it is down to 20.7%, but that is still almost double pre-pandemic numbers. The political climate certainly contributes to this, I’m sure. But the biggest component seems to be young adults. According to “The Morning” newsletter from the New York Times on August 8, the percentage of young adults reporting symptoms had been rising for around a decade before COVID. Uncertainty about their future, inflation, rent increases, and job loss, as well as the Supreme Court’s ruling abolishing the federal right to abortion all affect younger people more.
The older we are, the happier we tend to be. A study from Boston College asked people between 18 and 80 about their memories from the early part of the pandemic. The older the participants were, the more positive their memories, which is not what one might expect as those same people would be more at risk from COVID.
The recent breakneck changes in the political environment seem to be helping improve the national mood somewhat. It turns out that Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for Vice President, is a map nerd and used Global Information Systems (GIS) software extensively as governor of Minnesota.
The Animal Kingdom
The common loon, a bird so associated with Canada that it appears on the tails side of the dollar coin, informally called the Loonie, has a haunting call that instantly brings me back to summer fishing vacations on Canadian lakes. Here’s what the call sounds like. One loon, who is at least 38 years old, has now hatched at least 42 offspring, a record! (She’s in Michigan, though).
Then there’s this adorable, 4 week old mountain lion kitten who is now at the Oakland Zoo. Briar is the 27th mountain lion rescued by its Bay Area Cougar Action Team.
Friday was the 80th birthday of the most well known public service mascot in the US, Smokey Bear. The history of this iconic bear is more involved than you may know, and quite interesting.
Climate and the Environment
The streak of months with new average global heat records ended with July at 13, although not by much. This in a month that included the two hottest days ever recorded on the planet. California continued to break records, however.
The World Economic Forum recently released their 2024 Energy Transition Report. The US comes in at #19, with a score of 64.0, the same as last year. China has moved ahead of us (barely). Sweden, which leads the pack with a score of 78.4, is followed by Denmark and Finland.
As heat waves become more frequent and severe, different indexes have been developed to report just how bad things are. Researchers have determined that five of the six indices don’t capture the severity of the heat and humidity. Only one, the lethal heat-stress index, was able to capture what its name suggests, especially in low humidity areas.
Since communicating scientific information accurately and clearly is critical to acceptance, this seems like something that should be fixed.
Space
The biggest news from space is probably the problems with the Boeing Starliner capsule, currently docked at the International Space Station, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore appear to be stranded there and will have to wait until 2025 to return to Earth…using SpaceX instead of the Starliner. The theme from Gilligan’s Island is now playing in my head…”a three hour cruise”!
There’s a lot of stuff in space. Starlink alone accounts for thousands of small satellites. China launched their first set of satellites to compete with Starlink, the Qianfan broadband network, and the launch did not go well. The rocket’s upper stage broke up after the deployment, leaving more than 300 trackable pieces of debris in orbit. The 18 satellites are where they are supposed to be, however.
A far more successful mission ended a 15 year career last week. Originally only intended to function for seven months, the NEOWISE spacecraft detected more than 200 near-Earth objects, including 25 new comets.
Artificial Intelligence
The “singularity”, when man and machine merge, seems closer than ever. Futurist Ray Kurzweil now says we’ll reach it by 2045. That’s only 21 years away! The effects on humanity will be profound.
AI has such promise. It also has significant drawbacks when used by bad actors. One of the good uses is analyzing huge amounts of data, and it often finds things missed by the original authors and peers. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs developed an algorithm to sift through scientific papers looking for predictions for possible thermoelectric materials, and it was so successful that it may be used to search out other topics as well.
This week’s event pics
Mainstream Monotony - AI in Journalism & Storytelling, Thursday, August 15, 7:00 PM, at the San Francisco Chronicle
How Birds Sense the World - Livestream, Thursday, August 15, 7:00 PM
Mapping our Galactic Backyard, Monday, August 19, 7:30 PM, San Francisco
Have a great week in Science!
Bob
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 08/12/2024
Transforming Hearing Aids into Multifunctional Communication and Health Devices with A.I. - 08/12/2024 06:00 PM
AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) San Jose
Transforming Hearing Aids into Multifunctional Communication and Health Devices with Artificial Intelligence With over 1.5 billion people suffering from hearing impairments according to the World Health Organization, hearing aids are crucially important medical wearable devices. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to increased risks of social isolation, depression, dementia, fall injuries, and other health issues. However, partly due to the historical stigma associated with assistive devices and functional limitations, only a small fraction of people who need help with hearing have actually adopted the devices.
In this talk, the speaker will present a new class of multifunctional hearing and health devices with embedded sensors and artificial intelligence. With an extremely energy-efficient embedded deep neural network accelerator, these devices continuously classify sound with advanced machine learning algorithms, enhance speech and reduce noise, serve as a continuous monitor for physical and cognitive activities, an automatic fall detection and alert system, as well as a personal assistant with connectivity to the cloud. Furthermore, these devices stream audio from phones and other devices with two-day battery life, translate languages, transcribe speech, and remind the wearer of medication and other tasks.
Rapid advances in sensors and artificial intelligence are bringing an array of new devices, applications, and user benefits to the world. We will discuss how these technologies are transforming the traditional hearing aids into smart multipurpose devices, helping people not only hear better but live better lives.
Speaker: Achintya Bhowmik, Stanford University School of Medicine
Tuesday, 08/13/2024
Nucleophilic addition with computations: From the Felkin-Anh rule to the Grignard reaction - 08/13/2024 11:00 AM
Lewis Hall Berkeley
The study of the Grignard reaction is part of our long-standing interest in the study of nucleophilic addition. Many years ago, calculations could be performed using very simplified models of the reagents. These very simplified models of the chemical systems were successful in providing qualitative insights for many reactions. Today, it is possible to model reactions while using realistic representations of the chemical species and methods that represent properly the thermodynamics and kinetics of complex systems. Thus, we have looked at the Grignard reaction in an attempt to provide insight into this reaction, which has remained elusive despite extensive studies since its discovery in 1900. We will present the arguments that lead us to believe that the Grignard reaction can occur via numerous parallel pathways. We now pursue this topic by trying to understand the role of additives such as LiCl.
Speaker: Odile Eisenstein, University of Montpellier
Room: 9
Safety technology can be used in occupational settings to mitigate or even eliminate hazards. However, its implementation in workplaces has not been widely adopted. To understand the state of safety innovation in the workplace, the National Safety Council (NSC) launched its Work to Zero initiative in 2019, supported by a grant from the McElhattan Foundation. The goal of the Work to Zero initiative is to eliminate workplace fatality risk through technology implementation. To do this, Work to Zero research focuses on technology solutions and ways to integrate them into the workplace. This webinar will provide an overview of Work to Zero's initial research to identify and map viable technology solutions to the top workplace hazards and contributing risk factors, as well as provide insights from recent survey findings illustrating the trends in workers' perception and use of technology in the last three years.
Speaker: Kate Crawford, National Safety Council
See weblink to join the webcast
Wonderfest: The Most Famous Equation - 08/13/2024 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Around the world, people recognize that E=mc^2 oozes cosmic insight. But what does this "most famous equation" really say? What are energy and mass? And what makes the speed of light, c, so important? [Hint: mass, moving at speed c, doesn't turn into energy!] Using little more than common experience and middle-school math, Einstein's "special relativity" gem can come to life - providing surprising insights into the nature of reality.
Speaker: Tucker Hiatt, founder, Wonderfest
Wednesday, 08/14/2024
28th Annual Intern Symposium - Livestream - 08/14/2024 09:00 AM
Monterey Bay Research Institute
Summer interns at the Monterey Bay Research Institute give short presentations on their work. See list of talks, speakers, and times at the weblink, where you can also register.
Physical-biological processes and the fate of phytoplankton in (sub)mesoscale systems - Livestream - 08/14/2024 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Speaker: Filipe Pereira - Postdoctoral Scholar, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Register at weblink to receive connection information
The Evolution of the Digital You - POSTPONED - 08/14/2024 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Speaker: Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, Clinical Professor, Researcher and Writer, Stanford University's Department of Psychiatry; Gerald Anthony Harris, Commonwealth Club, Moderator
Editor's Note: This seminar has been postponed. New date TBA.
Thursday, 08/15/2024
Lunch Break Science - Livestream - 08/15/2024 11:00 AM
The Leakey Foundation
Lunch Break Science is a dynamic live web series featuring fascinating short talks, engaging interviews, and lively Q&A with Leakey Foundation scientists. Each episode digs deeper into the latest human origins discoveries, with topics like Neanderthals, chimpanzee behavior, and more! Even better, you can interact with researchers during the show and have your questions answered on air.
See weblink to join
A New Approach to Climate Modeling - Livestream - 08/15/2024 01:00 PM
UC Berkeley Retirement Center
Speaker: Michael Wehner, Senior Scientist in the Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division at LBNL.
Wehner is leading the development of a new approach to climate modeling called "end-to-end attribution." This approach is helping scientists better understand how much worse disastrous weather is becoming, and enabling them to quantify the differences in terms of damage and destruction. He and his colleagues have proposed adding a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, which would encompass storms with wind speeds greater than 192 mph.
Register at weblink
Mainstream Monotony - AI in Journalism & Storytelling - 08/15/2024 05:30 PM
San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco
In an age where artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly intertwined with our daily lives, the boundaries between human experiences and AI-generated narratives get blurred. This panel discussion challenges journalists, neuroscientists and entrepreneurs to explore the impact of AI on the creative process of storytelling.
In a recent interview, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati said that AI may fill creative jobs that were replaceable in the first place- through this discussion, we aim to provoke thoughts on the nature of authenticity, the ways creative work might change, and the ethical implications of using AI in storytelling.
The event also touches upon the ownership of ideas and whether AI supports or falsifies creative processes and raises the question: What happens to the integrity of a journalistic project when AI is part of the work?
Register at weblink
ACROBiosystems South San Francisco Cell and Gene Therapy Workshop - 08/15/2024 05:30 PM
South San Francisco Conference Center South San Francisco
Join ACROBiosystems' CROConnect Cell and Gene Therpy Workshop to connect with top scientists from ImmuneBridge and Gator Bio to gain insights on advnced cell and gene therpy techniques!
Admission includes networking dinner & drinks and the raffle for CRO's limited edition golden llama. PLUS, free parking at the conference center!
Register at weblink
Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's - There's Hope - 08/15/2024 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Dr. Paul Alan Cox is an American ethnobotanist whose scientific research focuses on discovering new medicines by studying patterns of wellness and illness among Indigenous peoples.
Chosen by Time magazine as one of 11 Heroes of Medicine, Dr. Cox leads a remarkable team of world-class scientists. Their objective is singular: to improve patient outcomes for individuals suffering from Alzheimer's, ALS and Parkinson's disease - known collectively as "tangle diseases."
His team has sought to discover how to stop protein tangles in the brain. This has led to new ways to prevent, diagnose, and slow the progression of these debilitating diseases.
Join us in-Person or online for this fascinating deep dive into a hopeful new look at tangle diseases.
Discounts for Members and free Leadership Circle members and students
After Dark: Insectacular - 08/15/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Insects may be small, but they have a huge impact on our environment. Hear from researchers and scientists tonight and learn about entomology, the benefits of eating insects, and the wonder of the diverse bugs all around us. Then stop by our Living Systems Gallery, where you can take a close look at mutant flies and observe the lives of scavenger bugs. For those who RSVP in advance, Pairings: Bugs will give you an opportunity to taste the crunch and sip on our exclusive cocktail The Embugliato.
Ages 18+
An Evening with Michael Pollan - Livestream - 08/15/2024 06:30 PM
Manny's San Francisco
Author Michael Pollan is coming back to Manny's discuss all the things! His recent works, his upcoming work, how to eat, advances in the efforts towards psychedlics for therapuetic use, and his thoughts on the world today.
He's doing this to support the civic work of Manny's at this critical time (which is very kind of him) so think of this as a combo incredible author talk/book signing/and fundraiser to support your favorite civic gathering space.
We'll have different ticket levels as always but will add in a general donation level to support our work.
Also we will be selling copies of "How to Change Your Mind" by the author for his to sign after the event.
Attend online for $10. Tickets at weblink. General admission is sold out, but pre-reception tickets are available for $72.
How Birds Sense the World - Livestream - 08/15/2024 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
When you watch and listen to birds, have you wondered about what the birds themselves see and hear? Ed Yong, author of An Immense World, will take us on a magical tour through the sensory lives of our feathered friends. We'll learn about the secrets hidden in their plumage and songs, and the incredible ways in which they see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and more.
Speaker: Ed Yong, author
See weblink for Zoom information
Friday, 08/16/2024
Sustainability Undergraduate Research in Geoscience & Engineering Research Symposium - 08/16/2024 10:00 AM
Braun (Geology) Corner (Bldg 320), Room 105 Stanford
The Sustainability Undergraduate Research in Geosciences and Engineering (SURGE) program provides visiting undergraduates a mentored research experience in topics related to Sustainability. We invite all Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability members, family, and friends to join us in celebrating the culmination of their work. SURGE scholars will be presenting the research projects they have been working on over the past 8 weeks. Feel free to drop by for any of the sessions below. We hope to see you there!
Agenda:
10:00AM - Welcome remarks (Braun 105)
10:15AM - 11:05AM - Session I: Research Pitch (Braun 105)
11:10AM - 12:10PM - Session I: Poster Presentation (Hartley Conference)
12:15PM - 1:15PM - Lunch
1:20PM - 2:05PM - Session II: Research Pitch (Braun 105)
2:10PM - 3:10PM - Session II: Poster Presentation (Hartley Conference)
3:15PM - 4:00PM - Closing reception with light refreshments (Mitchell Patio)
Family Astronomy: Radio Astronomy - 08/16/2024 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Family Astronomy is back! Witness the beauty of the cosmos up close and let the wonders of the universe leave you awestruck. Radio waves have a significant role in unravelling the mysteries of the universe. This session will showcase an illuminating journey into the captivating realm of radio astronomy. Our expert staff will lead an engaging talk, then get ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into hands-on activities designed to spark imagination. Participants will have the opportunity to access our observatories for post-workshop telescope viewing.
Family with children 8+ $25 Adults, $15 Youth 8+, Children under 2 Free
Intended for families with children 6 - 12
Cost does not include general admission
Saturday, 08/17/2024
Foothills Family Nature Walk - 08/17/2024 11:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Environmental Volunteers' Family Nature Walks program is designed to help community members get to know our local open space areas. Small 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.
Editor's Note: Time has changed since our initial listing of this event.
Sunday, 08/18/2024
Trail Maintenance Volunteer Work Day at the EEC - 08/18/2024 09:30 AM
Don Edwards Refuge Environmental Education Center Alviso
Help us with some trail maintenance around the Environmental Education Center! Activities may include sign cleaning, pruning overgrown vegetation, weeding, and litter pickup. All gloves and tools will be provided, so just make sure to dress comfortably and bring a can-do attitude.
Please arrive promptly at 9:20am to allow time for check-in before we get started.
Please note, volunteers under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Prior registration is required. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trail-maintenance-volunteer-work-day-at-the-eec-tickets-923358338647
Monday, 08/19/2024
August Butterfly Walk - 08/19/2024 01:30 PM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
Join Garden volunteers Sally Levinson and Andy Liu for a guided walk through the Garden in search of butterflies, as you learn about their plant relationships and amazing life cycle. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Registered children welcome. Pre-registration is required, space is limited. Groups larger than 6 people, please contact us to make separate arrangements for a private tour.
This walk follows uneven terrain, with areas of paved and unpaved trail. For accessibility inquiries, please email gardenprograms@berkeley.edu, or call 510-664-7606.
All program fees include same-day admission to the Garden, rain or shine.
Mapping our Galactic Backyard - 08/19/2024 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Join us on a journey through the Sun's galactic backyard as we explore our corner of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Using the latest 3D models enabled by the Gaia space astrometry mission, we will map the nearest 10,000 light years around our solar system, revealing nebulous clouds of interstellar gas, giant cavities carved out by powerful supernova explosions, and a colossal wave-like structure along the closest spiral arm to Earth. We will discuss how these gaseous structures are shaping and being shaped by the youngest generation of stars, and how us Earthlings are getting a front-row seat to all the action as we voyage through the Milky Way.
Speaker: Catherine Zucker, Harvard & Smithsonian
Wednesday, 08/21/2024
Elucidating driving mechanisms in North Atlantic: Physics-informed and trustworthy ML for ocean science - Livestream - 08/21/2024 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Climate Adaptation Science Fair - 08/21/2024 06:00 PM
KQED, The Commons San Francisco
Baking with the Stars: Recipes for getting started in Astrophotography - 08/21/2024 07:00 PM
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers San Francisco
Nerd Nite SF #145: Semiconductors, Missing Antimatter and the Mighty American Beaver - 08/21/2024 07:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Thursday, 08/22/2024
Grid Regionalization in the West: Reliability Benefits from Increased Cooperation in Electricity Markets and Operations - Livestream - 08/22/2024 01:30 PM
Stanford University
Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry - Livestream - 08/22/2024 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
What’s the (dark) Matter with our Universe? Rubin Observatory is on the Case! - 08/22/2024 05:00 PM
The Dutch Goose Menlo Park
NASA’s Mission to Touch the Sun -- Parker Solar Probe - Livestream - 08/22/2024 05:30 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
After Dark: Try for Yourself - 08/22/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Friday, 08/23/2024
'Small Town University' - Livestream - 08/23/2024 05:30 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
The Many Worlds Around Other Stars - SOLD OUT - 08/23/2024 08:00 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Saturday, 08/24/2024
Science at Cal - Music and the Brain - 08/24/2024 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Space Science Fact vs. Hollywood Space Science-Fiction, What they Get Right and What they Get Wrong - 08/24/2024 07:30 PM
East Bay Astronomical Society Oakland
Dark Energy - How to observe the invisible - SOLD OUT - 08/24/2024 08:00 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Sunday, 08/25/2024
Why Tides Matter - 08/25/2024 10:30 AM
Don Edwards Refuge Environmental Education Center Alviso
Sunset Raptor Encounter in Coyote Valley - 08/25/2024 05:30 PM
North Coyote Valley Conservation Area San Jose
Monday, 08/26/2024
Live Imaging Analysis of Chromosome Movement Along a Centrosome, and Apical-Basal Axis During Metaphase to G1 Interphase - 08/26/2024 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park