Hello SciSchmoozers,
Well it has been a crazy week and I am going to have to just tease you with some various links that have provided some distraction from the news and life. It has been a challenging year and most people seem to want to get on to 2024. I love it when someone says they can’t wait until something completely out of there control happens! It’s not as if a new year will make any difference!!
These are pretty crazy times with people believing a lot of conspiracies that are hard to understand how they could even have been thought up. When I hear about someone who has “come around” to the ideas of science and how they explain this to others I cheer quietly to myself (and you!). Escape from the rabbit hole: the conspiracy theorist who abandoned his dangerous beliefs. Here’s an interesting contrast… Maestro of more than music
There are some great opportunities to learn cool and new stuff this week. I’m on the road and not nearly as good at this as Bob is so please bare with me. Here are a few presentations that look pretty interesting this coming week.
Fire as a social-ecological system - Livestream Tue @ 12:30PM
Doors Open 2023: Go Behind - the - Scenes at the Physical Archive Wed @ 6:00 PM in Richmond
After Dark: California Coastal Sounds Th @ 6:00 I do have to give this one a big recommendation! It is a great send-off to The Great Animal Orchestra which closes Oct 15.
Potholer54 discussion with Eugenie Scott - Livestream @ 7:30 PM
And there are many more!
I’m curious how many of you are going to go somewhere to see the annular eclipse. There’s so much to be amazed by and learn about how our own little section of the solar system works. Consider this weekend a warmup for the total solar eclipse that is coming next year. (Yes, you have to wait!)
Before the weekend… Draconid meteor shower 2023: All you need to know
Learn about the Upcoming Solar Eclipses (with Andrew Fraknoi) - Livestream
Immerse yourself in the eclipse experience.
Annular solar eclipse coming on October 14!
7 tips for viewing the sun safely
Here’s a note from Alex Filippenko… I encourage you to view the partial eclipse, even if you don't go to the path of annularity. For example, seen from Berkeley, CA, about 77% of the Sun will be covered. The beginning, middle, and end of the eclipse will be at 8:05 am, 9:19 am, and 10:42 am PDT (respectively) --- I got this information by clicking on Berkeley on the map at Eclipse Map — October 14, 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse .
This seems to be worthy of eclipse related attention… Nichelle Nichols - The Unseen Interview
Looking ahead, be sure to catch The Joy of Science - 10/16/2023 05:30 PM if you possibly can. and there will be a fun Halloween party at CSICon in a few weeks and there’s still time to register!
Are you a coffee drinker/user? The Design of Coffee: An Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Computers, AI, and digital life seems to continue to garner attention for various reasons… 1969: Introducing the MOOG SYNTHESISER, Here's What Jesus Really Looked Like, According to AI, Using DNA evidence to picture suspects
I just got my first set of hearing aids and this article has a certain resonance!… Loud sounds at movies and concerts can cause hearing loss, but there are ways to protect your ears
Here’s another proposal for how to teach the world view in schools.
Have a great week learning cool new stuff.
herb masters
“The science-denial machinery is a serious adversary, and it has a big advantage over real science: it does not need to win its dispute with real science; it just needs to create a public illusion that there is a dispute.”
Sheldon Whitehouse
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 10/09/2023
Choanoflagellate Transcriptional Networks: Towards the Origin of Animal Cell Types - 10/09/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Speaker: Maxwell Coyle, UC Berkeley
Quantum Limited Thermal and Thermoelectric Transport in Graphene - 10/09/2023 02:30 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
In low-dimensional systems, a growing number of many-body quantum phenomena have emerged from the combination of reduced dimensionality, strong interactions, and topology. Thermal and thermoelectric transport, which is sensitive to energy- and entropy-carrying degrees of freedom, provides a discriminating probe of emergent excitations in quantum materials. In this talk, I will discuss several recent developments in the measurement of thermal and thermoelectric transport in graphene-based nanostructures in the quantum limit.
Speaker: Philip Kim, UC Berkeley
Mitigating climate and air pollution from the electricity and transportation sectors in the United States - 10/09/2023 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
In this talk, I will cover a few recent papers and projects that focus on the measurement of emissions and the costs, benefits, and opportunities associated with a transition to sustainable, deeply decarbonized, and equitable energy systems is needed in the United States.
Speaker: Inês M.L. Azevedo, Stanford University
Attend in person or via Zoom (see weblink)
The role of the rhomboid superfamily: Guardians of membrane-related processes and homeostasis - 10/09/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Sonya Neal, UC San Diego
Room: Auditorium
The Motions of Stars and Gas in Disk Galaxies - 10/09/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Studies of disk galaxies, like our own Milky Way, are foundational to our current understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Studies of their rotational motions provided one of the first pieces of evidence for the existence of dark matter. I will discuss similar kinematic measurements we use to understand their internal mass distribution and structural components. I will provide context for the instruments and software required to obtain and analyze the optical spectroscopy used for these studies.
Speaker: Dr. Kyle Westfall, UC Santa Cruz
The past has left its traces on the world, and we only have to know how to read them - 10/09/2023 04:15 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Animals arose over five hundred million years ago, and by the end of the Cambrian had diversified into today’s phylum-level forms. This early history is obscured by the fact that the first animals were soft-bodied and left only enigmatic fossils. Here we take a comparative genomic approach to inferring the early evolutionary history of early animals and the subsequent events that gave rise to vertebrates. We show that, with a few notable exceptions, animal chromosomes are remarkably stable and evolve slowly over hundreds of millions of years, and that some gene linkages extend even further back in time. We then use these deeply conserved aspects of genome organization to (1) show that ctenophores rather than sponges are the earliest branching lineage of living animals, which has implications for the evolution of nervous systems, and (2) decipher the history of Paleozoic polyploidy and promiscuity in our vertebrate lineage.
Speaker: Daniel Rokhsar, UC Berkeley
Tribal Energy Development - today and prepare for the future - 10/09/2023 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
US Tribes are developing their energy visions, but there are challenges. Strategic Energy Planning assists to meet many of the challenges.
Speaker: Sandra Begay, Sandia National Labs
Tuesday, 10/10/2023
Cybersecurity Futures 2030: National Security Implications for Policymakers - Livestream - 10/10/2023 10:00 AM
Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity
How do current cybersecurity frameworks hold up to the challenges of the future? What are the potential gaps in our knowledge? What are the possible courses of action for governments, citizens, and the private sector?
This session will explore these questions and other major themes that emerged from a series of cybersecurity workshops held in the Middle East, North America, Europe, Africa, and South Asia over the past year. The workshops, which engaged participants from academic, intelligence, military, political, and private sector backgrounds, were based on exploring four scenarios and points of view about the cybersecurity problem set in 2030.
A virtual seminar featuring:
Dawn Thomas, Co-Director of CNA’sCenter for Emergency Management and Operations and Director of the Center of Critical Incident Analysis, Security and Safety Division, CNA Institute for Public Research (IPR)Ann Cleaveland, Executive Director for the Berkeley Center for Long-Term CybersecurityAlison Vernon, Senior Research Scientist, Organizations, Roles, and Missions Program, Operational Warfighting Division, CNAAlan Cohn, Partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP
with introductions by: David Kaufman, Vice President and Director, Security and Safety Division, CNA Institute for Public ResearchRegister at weblink to attend
Fire as a social-ecological system - Livestream - 10/10/2023 12:30 PM
Stanford University
The interaction between fire and humans has a long history and fire has enabled the persistence of ecosystems and humans alike. Yet, as fires of large magnitudes and frequencies can (and have) destabilized the social-ecological interactions mediated by fire and the processes they support, a novel understanding is needed to create ‘room for the fire’ under the new environmental and social conditions. In this talk I will examine how this can be achieved in fire dependent social-ecological systems. First, I will review the role of fire in ecosystem resilience by taking a closer look at fire adapted Mediterranean type ecosystems. I will show how state-of-the-art technology can help us monitor and understand ecological processes dependent on a fire regime, taking two examples: Portugal and California. I will then explore how social processes and human encroachment in the landscape could have affected these dynamics over time. Finally I will zoom out to fire as a requirement for energy solutions and how this may require a new way of living with fire. All these results require adjusting the way we address fire mediated social-ecological interactions.
Speaker: Maria Santos, Stanford University
Imaging frozen electrons in a 2D Wigner crystal - 10/10/2023 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
In most condensed matter systems we think of electrons as delocalized particles that roam about the internal landscape of a material. This is especially true when the number of electrons in a crystal is less than the number of lattice sites, in which case most materials are metallic. But what if Coulomb repulsion between electrons is the dominant energy in a material? In that case you might expect electrons to freeze in place, like water turning into ice, since it costs too much potential energy for them to move around. Such behavior is, in fact, a 90-year-old prediction of quantum mechanics, but achieving such “electron-ice” (also called a “Wigner crystal”) is surprisingly difficult in practice. So far Wigner crystals have only been seen in a few experimental systems.
Speaker: Mike Crommie, UC Berkeley
Resilient Societies: Silicon Valley's Reinvention - 10/10/2023 04:30 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Over the past decade, tech companies have become new and powerful players on the international stage. Borderless digital platforms and cutting-edge innovations in biotech, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence have not only revolutionized our way of life, but have also exponentially increased in speed, reshaping our institutions, norms, and values. These impacts are global in scale.
Moreover, the San Francisco Bay Area has been at the center of unprecedented events this year: broad-scale layoffs in the tech sector, bank failures in the spring, and the launch of generative AI such as Chat GPT. These events have created jitters in the region and the world. Indeed, resilience is required from both sides, society and economy, with regulators and innovators playing an important role.
The DWIH San Francisco will focus on resilient societies in 2023, and we'll look at how the Bay Area keeps advancing and innovating in the face of these problems. A resilient society must, at its foundation, recognize this complexity and find a balance between social responsibility and innovation. A society must welcome innovators from many multidisciplinary backgrounds to be resilient. Additionally, interdisciplinary formats and networking venues are required to be able to share ideas and combine strengths. Yes, Silicon Valley is no stranger to this approach, but how can an international perspective strengthen the resilience spirit? Together with our partners, we will respond to this query. We will discuss how to make the most of the advantages of business, government, and civil society.
Editor's Note: This event does not include admission to the ExplOratorium itself.
Conversational AI and the Future of the Web - 10/10/2023 05:30 PM
Cloudflare San Francisco
After a long break, we are back in person. We are bringing together experts in Conversational AI to discuss the latest trends and advancements. Our panelists will delve into topics like Artificial Intelligence, Language Models, and the Future of the Web. Don't miss this opportunity to gain insights from industry leaders and network with fellow enthusiasts. Reserve your spot now and be part of this engaging conversation.
Panel:
Arte Merritt, Founder at ReconifyStefan Kojouharov, Founder at Chatbot's Life and Chatbot Conference Eros Marcello, Founder at black dream ai Marlinda Galapon, Principal Conversation Designer at Zendesk
See weblink for agenda and to register
Learn about the Upcoming Solar Eclipses (with Andrew Fraknoi) - Livestream - 10/10/2023 06:00 PM
Oakland Public Library
Two dramatic eclipses of the Sun are coming to North America during the 2023-24 school year - an annular (“ring of fire”) eclipse Oct. 14, 2023 and a total eclipse Apr. 8, 2024. People in two narrow paths will have the full eclipse experience each time. Everyone else (an estimated 500 million people, including all of us in the Bay Area) will see a nice partial eclipse, where the Moon covers a good part of the Sun. Learn more about these upcoming solar eclipses with astronomer Andrew Fraknoi!
Fraknoi’s talk will describe how eclipses come to be (and why they are total only on Earth), what scientists learn during eclipses, exactly when and where the eclipses of 2023 and 2024 will be best visible, and how to observe the eclipses and the Sun safely.
Speaker: Andrew Fraknoi retired a few years ago as the chair of the astronomy department at Foothill College and still teaches short, noncredit courses on astronomy at the University of San Francisco and SF State.
Register at weblink
Wednesday, 10/11/2023
Motivation, Representation, and Autonomous Agents - 10/11/2023 09:15 AM
Gates Computer Science Building Stanford
The past decade’s series of dramatic AI successes has brought us closer to realizing the dream of the autonomous agent - an artificial system that can learn about its world, make decisions, and set and achieve goals, all with minimal human intervention. Nature has given us an incredible motif for the autonomous agent. Humans are born with core motivations that drive behavior, and as they gain experience, they develop increasingly sophisticated representations of their worlds, which in turn facilitate increasingly complex behaviors.
How should we attempt to realize this motif for intelligence to create autonomous agents? In this seminar, the speaker will cover a number of efforts aimed at assembling pieces of it - starting with their own research into intrinsic motivation and adaptive “world model” representations, including work inspired by biology and, in particular, human development. They will also describe some of the opportunities language models provide for us to make increasingly autonomous systems.
Speaker: Nick Haber
Attend in person or online (see weblink). Lecture starts at 10:00.
Within and trans-generational responses of sea urchins to climate change - Livestream - 10/11/2023 11:00 AM
Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute
Speaker: Sam Karelitz, Florida State University
Register at weblink to receive connection information
How river rocks round and fine alongstream due to fluvial abrasion - 10/11/2023 03:30 PM
Estuary & Ocean Science Center Tiburon
Along rivers, bedload transport causes collision and wear of sediment particles, by both surface attrition that produces sand and silt, and chipping that produces larger fragments. As a result, riverbed sediments exhibit two downstream trends: rounding and fining where particle size decreases with distance downstream. Sediments supplied by hillslopes to rivers are initially angular upstream, and smooth into rounded gravels downstream as a result of abrasion. The transition from angular to round particles in fluvial environments indicates that a significant fraction of particle mass has been lost due to abrasion, but very little is known about the dependence of fragmentation on rock properties and width of the grain size distribution of a batch of rocks supplied from hillslopes to channels.
Speaker: Erin Bray, San Francisco State University
Attend in person or online (register at weblink)
Energy and Resources Group Colloquium - 10/11/2023 04:00 PM
Giannini Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Sara Souza
Exploring Health and Environment: Navigating Chemicals in Our Everyday Lives - 10/11/2023 05:00 PM
4D Molecular Therapeutics Emeryville
The presentation delves into the prevalent challenges of human infertility and congenital defects exacerbated by environmental toxins. Chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, present in plastics, cosmetics, and personal care items, disrupt hormones and pathways as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). Despite efforts to replace BPA with alternatives labeled “BPA-Free,” these substitutes carry similar risks. These findings emphasize the potential health risks, urging consumer awareness, policy reform, and sustainable alternatives.
Speaker: Sonya Schuh, St. Mary's College
Doors Open 2023: Go Behind - the - Scenes at the Physical Archive - 10/11/2023 06:00 PM
Internet Archive Physical Archive Richmond
We are excited to offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the physical collections of books, music, film, and video in Richmond, California.
With this special insider event we are opening the doors to an often unseen place. See the lifecycle of physical books - donation, preservation, digitization, and access. Also, samples from generous donations and acquisitions of books, records, microfiche, and more are presented.
We look forward to offering this glimpse into a very important part of the Internet Archive in its mission to bring Universal Access to All Knowledge.
Light refreshments will be provided
The Peril and Profit of Near-Earth Objects - 10/11/2023 07:00 PM
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series Los Altos Hills
Near-Earth objects present both an existential threat to human civilization and an extraordinary opportunity to help our exploration and expansion across the solar system. The risk of a sudden, civilization-altering collision with an asteroid or comet has markedly diminished in recent decades due to diligent astronomical surveys, but a significant level of danger persists. At the same time, remarkable strides have been made in advancing technologies that pave the way for a new vision of space exploration - one that entails missions and outposts within the inner solar system fueled by resources extracted from asteroids, starting with the most accessible near-Earth objects. These objects contain exploitable extraterrestrial resources delivered to the inner solar system by gravitational perturbations from the planets. And they have been naturally preprocessed into objects the ideal size for industrial operations.
Speaker: Dr. Robert Jedicke from the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy
Editor's Note: The Astronomy Society of the Pacific website was in error when it said the venue is closed for renovation. The event will be held in person at Smithwick Theater.
What Can AI Teach Us About the Human Mind...and vice versa? - 10/11/2023 07:30 PM
Marin Science Seminar San Rafael
Scientists often use models to study complicated and interesting phenomena (think the model of the atom, mouse models to study cancer, etc.). In particular, computational models allow us to improve our understanding of phenomena that cannot be observed directly, whether due to time (such as predicting earthquakes) or access constraints (such as understanding the functions of the human mind). Depending on what they are modeling and why, computational models may use statistics, simulation, and/or artificial intelligence (AI). In this talk, Prof. Irina Rabkina (TLHS ’10) will discuss the use of AI models in Cognitive Science, what they can teach us about the human mind, and how that new understanding can, in turn, be used to improve AI as a tool.
Speaker: Irina Rabkina, Occidental College
Thursday, 10/12/2023
Coastal Walk at Cowell-Purisima Trail - 10/12/2023 10:00 AM
Cowell Purisima Coastal Trailhead Half Moon Bay
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful Thursday walk along the Cowell-Purisima trail that POST helped create by protecting adjacent farmland. While it may be foggy, we hope to catch gorgeous views of the ocean, nearby farmland, and glimpses of harbor seals, pelicans, hawks, rabbits, and whales during the winter season.
You will be guided by POST ambassadors who will share details about POST’s work with farmers on the coast, and to create recreational opportunities along one of the most scenic stretches of our state’s coastline!
This walk is moderate at about 4.5 miles round trip with about 400 feet of gradual elevation gain. It is mostly flat throughout, however, it is quite a long walk.
Register at weblink
Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium - Nicole Magnus - 10/12/2023 12:00 PM
Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium San Jose
Speaker: Nicole Magnus, Senior Technical Program Manager at NVidia
After Dark: California Coastal Sounds - 10/12/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Listen carefully to the secret sounds of the animal world. In this collection of videos created by scientist Karen Bakker she takes you up close to five species and their fascinating sounds, and the stories of how scientists have studied them. Drawing from her book The Sounds of Life, Karen invites you to listen for more than buzzes from bees, reflect on the depth of the “elephant dictionary,” and learn how some plants communicate health through sound - as well as the many ways digital technologies are offering new ways for humans to hear and understand these sounds.
Karen Bakker is a Canadian scientist and author known for her work on digital transformation, environmental governance, and sustainability. She teaches at the University of British Columbia and is currently a visiting professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Dan Dugan, from the Nature Sounds Society, will discuss and demonstrate the "The How To's"
LEARNhow wildlife is disturbed by human noisehow the national parks are conserving their natural soundscapesTUNE UP YOUR EARShear the difference between mono, stereo, and surround soundhear the environment that we usually try to ignorehear the individual voices in a chaotic jungle soundscapeLISTENtake your ears on a micro-vacation to California coasts, valleys, deserts, and mountains.
NightLife - 10/12/2023 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.
Venture into our latest aquarium exhibit Venom to encounter live venomous animals and learn the power of venom to both harm and heal.
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. For adults 21+.
How Birds are Responding to Climate Change - Livestream - 10/12/2023 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Audubon Society
When we contemplate how bird diversity has changed, we often focus on the handful of species we have lost entirely. But while we have yet to lose a single bird species to our rapidly changing climate, birds and other creatures are currently adapting and responding in myriad ways. Across the world, species are shifting their geographic distributions, shifting the timing of life history events, and even shifting their body shapes and sizes. Integrating field research and citizen science over decades to centuries, the research presented in this talk demonstrates the complex ways that species are responding to a changing climate.
Speaker: Morgan Tingley, UC Los Angeles
Potholer54 discussion with Eugenie Scott - Livestream - 10/12/2023 07:30 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
Join Bay Area Skeptics president Eugenie Scott in a wide-ranging conversation with science journalist and creator of the very popular skeptical YouTube channel, Potholer54. Through clips from the channel, Scott and Hadfield discuss his approach to his long-time production of science-related videos, and the importance of outreach to the public to encourage critical thinking and accurate scientific knowledge. With over 232,000 subscribers and over 32 million views, Potholer54 is one of the most popular YouTube science-related sites.
Speaker: Peter Hadfield is a geologist by training, and a journalist by profession
Friday, 10/13/2023
Bair Island Walking Tour - 10/13/2023 10:00 AM
Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail Redwood City
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a walking tour at Bair Island! You’ll be guided by POST ambassadors who will share the history of this beautiful protected space, information about the species that live there, and what you can do to contribute.
This easy 1 mile walk with little to no elevation gain will highlight the wetlands and the marine life that live within, such as: Endangered Ridgeway’s rails and salt marsh harvest mice. Also cottontail rabbits, peregrine falcons, pelicans, egrets, terns, and stilts. We recommend bringing binoculars to catch sight of some of the beautiful birds at Bair Island.
Register at weblink
Icy Moon Geology - 10/13/2023 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Chloe Beddingfield, UC Santa Cruz
Public Astronomy Viewing Nights - 10/13/2023 07:30 PM
Sonoma State University Public Astronomy Rohnert Park
Come for public viewing of the night sky at Sonoma State University's Observatory.
Check the weblink for weather conditions before going as the event is weather dependent.
How to Survive the A.I. Apocalypse - 10/13/2023 08:00 PM
Grand Theater San Francisco
After two sold-out shows in NYC, Shiva and Ben of KRAZAM are coming to SF, bringing you the knowledge you need to survive in the post-AI world!
Live ComedyInteractive SegmentsExclusive New KRAZAM VidsExistential DreadForbidden KnowledgeAppSec Lessons
Saturday, 10/14/2023
Annular Solar Eclipse - 10/14/2023 07:30 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
This fall, here in the Bay Area, we will have one of our last chances to experience a solar eclipse in our own back yard until 2024! Chabot Space & Science Center will be open early to ensure guests have the best chance to spot the annular solar eclipse from our Observation Deck or to watch a live feed inside of the museum. After the eclipse ends, stick around for a day full of eclipse-themed science demonstrations, special guest speakers, planetarium shows, and much more!
Ticket includes admission to the Center and 1 pair of eclipse viewing glasses
Partial Eclipse Viewing At Houge Park - 10/14/2023 07:30 AM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Everyone is invited to join us at Houge Park to observe a partial solar eclipse where the moon will cover most of the sun. Come between 7:30 and 8 if you want to see the full eclipse, but don't hesitate to join us after the eclipse has started, it will be a slow moving spectacle. The eclipse will start at about 8:10 am and go till about 10:40 am and the moon will cross with a maximum intersection of 75% at 9:20 am.
Sun screen and perhaps a blanket or lawn chair are good things to bring. We will have eclipse glasses and various instruments to safely view the eclipse and the features of the sun's surface and atmosphere. In case of clouds we expect to be able to live stream what the eclipse is looking like from other sites with clearer views.
Solar Eclipse viewing party - 10/14/2023 08:00 AM
Sage and Drifter bar. San Francisco
The Sage and Drifter bar hosts an eclipse viewing party,
On Saturday October 14 there will be a Total Annular Solar Eclipse of the Sun! The path of totality crosses the US from Oregon to Texas. From San Francisco 83% of the Sun will be covered.
Safely View this spectacular event with host astronomer Steve White. Witness this rare event through a large 8” telescope equipped with a professional solar filter.
The Sage & Drifter is a neighbor hood bar with an upscale drink menu & friendly knowledgeable staff. Enjoy a delightful specialty cocktail while viewing the eclipse and rubbing shoulder with like minded enthusiasts.
Host Steve White has taught astronomy at Sierra and Hartnell colleges. He will bring his 45 years of experience to answer all your questions and enlighten you on current Solar Physics. Steve will have his 8” SCT telescope equipped with a Solar Filter and Eclipse viewing glasses.
Two live feeds showing the Annular eclipse as it crosses the US will also be viewed on TV.
Sold out
Eclipse Viewing Party - 10/14/2023 08:30 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
On October 14, an annular solar eclipse will be visible across the United States. The Lawrence will have eclipse glasses for sale leading up to and during the eclipse. Join us for a viewing party and an exploration of how eclipses occur!
Partial Solar Eclipse at Stanford/KIPAC - 10/14/2023 08:30 AM
IM South Fields Palo Alto
Please join us to watch the solar eclipse together! While the Bay Area is not on the path of annularity, we will still have around 80% coverage with a partial eclipse and would love to invite you to celebrate this astronomical event together! Please see below an overview of the program:
8:30-10:30 am: Eclipse observing with telescopes and other viewing equipment. The full annular eclipse will also be live streamed. At the event, you will have the opportunity to observe with:
White-light solar telescopes H-alpha solar telescopes Sun spotters Solar binoculars A solar viewer Eclipse glasses
9:30-11:30 am: Stations with hands-on activities centered around the eclipse, solar physics, optics, and the solar system, These include:
Solar S'more Pocket Solar System Experimenting with UV-sensitive Beads Magic with Optics Solar Spectroscopy Make a Pinhole Camera The Solar System at Scale Spin to Win Ask a Solar Physicist
Although weather-permitting, this event is free, open to all, and especially kids- and family-friendly! While walk-ins are also welcome, registration is strongly encouraged.
Fall Baylands Bioblitz - 10/14/2023 09:00 AM
Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter Palo Alto
Join the BioBlitz.club and Environmental Volunteers for a Fall BioBlitz in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve and Byxbee Park.
Fall is a wonderful time for migrating birds. Join us to learn about some of our native and non-native species, become a community scientist and help us collect scientific data.
Please bring a digital camera or smartphone. Download the free iNaturalist smartphone app prior to the program and create a free account prior to the event. Instructions on the Bioblitz and how to join the 2023 project will be sent prior to event, and will also be available a printed guide for the day of. Help the City of Palo Alto document the biodiversity of this great preserve.
We will have families check in at the EcoCenter and then embark to record as many plants and animals as possible. Volunteers will be on site to take small groups/families who would like to learn more about plants, insects, birds, or how to use iNaturalist.
Solar Eclipse Viewing - 10/14/2023 09:00 AM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Start your morning with a solar eclipse at the Exploratorium!
Join us for an outdoor solar eclipse viewing in front of Pier 15. Exploratorium educators will be present to demonstrate safe viewing techniques and engage families in hands-on activities. We have a limited supply of free eclipse glasses available to hand out.
On October 14, 2023, an annular solar eclipse will be visible from a narrow "path of annularity" in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. During this event, the moon will cover the center of the Sun, creating a mesmerizing "ring of fire" in the sky. For those outside the path of annularity, a partial eclipse will be visible.
If you're unable to make it to the path of annularity, the Exploratorium is the next best place to be! The Bay Area will experience a partial solar eclipse, with 76.5% of the Sun being eclipsed by the moon.
Can't join us in person? No worries! You can still be part of the action by downloading our eclipse app or visiting our website. We will be broadcasting live, close-up images of the spectacular ring of fire from telescopes located in the Valley of the Gods, Utah, and Ely, Nevada.
Whether you choose to join us in person or online, prepare to be awestruck by this rare celestial event.
TechFest - 10/14/2023 10:00 AM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
CHM’s all-day TechFest events offer special family-oriented experiences included in the price of Museum admission. We’ll be bringing you tech-themed demos, performances, hands-on activities, and more. Explore CHM exhibits, shop in the Museum store, enjoy a tasty treat from the Cloud Bistro or a visiting food truck, and have fun at Techfest!
We're discovering how technology opens up new possibilities in the world of creativity. Come see exciting ways that artists and musicians use computers and cutting-edge technology to push the boundaries of their imaginations. Have fun expressing your own creativity as you make and tinker at CHM!
Fire Ecology Hike - 10/14/2023 10:00 AM
Martin Griffin Preserve Stinson Beach
Join us to learn about the importance of getting ‘good fire’ back onto coastal landscapes and our ongoing work to steward the preserve using prescribed burning. A guided 4-mile hike will reveal the progress and preparations we’re making within two unique burn projects in coastal prairie and coastal redwood habitats.
The moderately strenuous hike will begin with 1-mile uphill climb to our coastal prairie restoration site. You will learn why fire is an important stewardship tool to protect these incredibly diverse and increasingly rare habitats. We will then proceed to some upland redwood forest. There we have an example of a redwood understory burn that is intended to protect our iconic trees from a high-intensity wildfire.
Limited to 30 participants. Registration required at weblink
Friends and family birding day at Bouverie Preserve - 10/14/2023 10:00 AM
Bouverie Preserve Glen Ellen
Join us for a fun-filled day of birding at Bouverie Preserve! Whether you’re an experienced birder or just starting out, this event is perfect for nature enthusiasts of all ages. Spend the day exploring the beautiful preserve and spotting a variety of bird species in their natural habitat.
Bring your friends and family along to enjoy a day of outdoor adventure and bird-watching. Our knowledgeable guides will be there to help you identify different birds and share interesting facts about their behavior and habitat. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars and cameras to capture the breathtaking moments!
Located at Bouverie Preserve, this event offers a unique opportunity to connect with nature and learn more about the diverse bird species found in the area. Don’t miss out on this exciting adventure!
Register at weblink
Family Nature Day at Huddart Park - 10/14/2023 10:00 AM
Huddart Park Woodside
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Friends of Huddart & Wunderlich Parks, and San Mateo County Parks for a family-friendly morning filled with hikes for all ages, hands-on learning experiences and arts activities. Register now to reserve a free ticket for you and your friends and family!
$6 parking fee, cash only
Sunday, 10/15/2023
Presidio: Changes Through Time - 10/15/2023 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.
California Soundscapes Berkeley Bird Festival - 10/15/2023 12:15 PM
Goldman Theater at the Brower Center Berkeley
The Nature Sounds Society's lecture-demonstration with surround sound.
LEARN how wildlife is disturbed by human noise how the national parks are conserving their natural soundscapes TUNE UP YOUR EARS hear the difference between mono, stereo, and surround sound hear the environment that we usually try to ignore hear the individual voices in a chaotic jungle soundscapeLISTENtake your ears on a micro-vacation to California coasts, valleys, deserts, and mountains.
HOW TO ATTEND Free! In the Goldman Theater at the Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way Berkeley, California 94704. Straight ahead in the ground-floor lobby.
VOLUNTEER We could use some help at the Nature Sounds Society's table in the ground-floor lobby. Call Dan or Sharon at 415-821-9776.
Wonderfest: Innovation in the Search for ET - 10/15/2023 02:00 PM
Alameda Free Library Alameda
Humans have sought "signs from above” for millennia. The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) began circa 1960, and, today, grows ever deeper and more technologically diverse. The scope of modern research is breathtaking. Methods include targeted searches for electromagnetic (EM) signals near known Earth-like exoplanets, continuous EM scans over the entire sky (e.g., PANOSETI at the Bay Area's Lick Observatory, pictured), the hunt for exotic forms of communication, and the careful search for ET artifacts on/near Earth.
Speaker: Dan Werthimer, Berkeley SETI Research Center
Monday, 10/16/2023
Citizen Science: Making Science Accessible & Working with Animals - 10/16/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Speakers: Lynette Lyon, CEO, The Lyon Ranch and Rebecca Kopel, Sonoma State University Biology Graduate Student
The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 - 10/16/2023 12:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck San Francisco, catching most of the city asleep. For approximately one minute, shockwaves buckled streets, shattered water mains, collapsed buildings, crushed hundreds of residents to death and trapped many alive. For the next three days, fires ignited and nearly destroyed what was then the largest city in the American West.
Join us in-person as Matthew Davenport describes the massive devastation and combines history and science to tell the dramatic true story of one of the greatest disasters in American history.
Speaker: Matthew Davenport, author; Julia Flynn Siler, moderator
Phonon thermal conductivity in ferroelectric materials: the case for “polarization caloritronics” - 10/16/2023 02:30 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Joseph Heremans, Ohio State University
Synthetic biology for sustainability - 10/16/2023 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
Speaker: Michael Jewett, Stanford University
Social dynamics in swarming bacterial colonies - 10/16/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Karine Gibbs, UC Berkeley
Room: Auditorium
Quantum Nanophotonics - 10/16/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Speaker: Dr. Marina Radulaski, UC Davis
UC Berkeley Physics Colloquium - 10/16/2023 04:15 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Speaker: Jure Zupan, University of Cincinnati
The Joy of Science - 10/16/2023 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
It's a challenge to make the best decisions in a world that is unpredictable and full of contradictions. Help is now available in the form of advice from quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili, who shares 8 lessons from the heart of science that he says can help people get the most out of life.
As he writes in The Joy of Science, Al-Khalili invites people to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The scientific method has served mankind well in its quest to see things as they really are. Underpinning the scientific method are core principles that can be deployed outside of the laboratory too, in our own lives. Knowing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking and more - Al-Khalili says these are all deeply relevant to everyday lives.
Speaker: Jim Al-Khalili is distinguished professor of theoretical physics at the University of Surrey and is one of Britain’s best-known science communicators. His other books include The World According to Physics, Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed, and Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology. Moderated by Kishore Hari, Science correspondent for Tested.com.
Tuesday, 10/17/2023
Understanding Food Loss and Waste - 10/17/2023 12:00 PM
Acterra
Food that is lost or wasted on its journey from farm to fork creates the potent greenhouse gas methane and results in lost environmental resources, energy, and economic productivity. Reducing food loss and waste (in the U.S., the goal is to cut food waste by 50% by 2030) represents a very important opportunity to combat the climate crisis while improving food security. Join us for a virtual presentation by Dr. Lisa K. Johnson and Selena Mao followed by moderated discussion including time for audience questions.
Speakers: Lisa K. Johnson, North Carolina State University and Selena Mao, ReFED; Nicole Angiel, Actera, Moderator
Stanford Applied Physics/Physics Colloquium - 10/17/2023 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Speaker: Jeongwan Haah, Microsoft
The Kitchen Mycologist: The delicious surprises, the unfortunate flops, the great tips, and the ultimate lessons I learned - 10/17/2023 07:00 PM
Mycological Society of San Francisco San Francisco
Speaker: Eugenia Bone is an internationally known food and nature writer. Her work has appeared in many anthologies, magazines, and newspapers, including The New York Times, The National Lampoon, Saveur, Gourmet, BBC Science, and The Wall Street Journal, where she is a frequent book reviewer.
Attend in person or online.
Wednesday, 10/18/2023
Mote Aquarium’s Aquaculture Laboratory & Latest Inclusion Efforts - Livestream - 10/18/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
The John and Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series at Bodega Marine Laboratory - 10/18/2023 12:00 PM
Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute
Biotic interactions among nearshore marine species under global change - 10/18/2023 03:30 PM
Estuary & Ocean Science Center Tiburon
Energy and Resources Group Colloquium - 10/18/2023 04:00 PM
Giannini Hall Berkeley
Snowy Owls of the Northeast - Livestream - 10/18/2023 05:30 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
The UFO Movie They Don't Want You to See (2023) - Livestream - 10/18/2023 06:30 PM
SETI Institute
Birding Under the Influence - Livestream - 10/18/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Thursday, 10/19/2023
Warm-Start Reinforcement Learning: From Function Approximation Error to Sub-Optimality Gap - 10/19/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State Dept. of Engineering Science Rohnert Park
Zombies? Or the Workings of a Federal Science Agency? The National Woldlife Health Center - Livestream - 10/19/2023 06:00 PM
US Geological Survey Public Lecture Series
Scales and Tails: Reptiles and Amphibians of the Bay Area - Livestream - 10/19/2023 07:00 PM
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Nerd Nite SF: # 137 The Halloween Nerdtacular! - 10/19/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Friday, 10/20/2023
Using biochemistry to understand human circadian timekeeping and develop new therapeutic approaches - 10/20/2023 12:00 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, James Lin and Nisa Leung Seminar Room (E153) Stanford
Coupled modeling of earthquake and fault-zone fluid transport: fault-valve instability - 10/20/2023 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Global Insights to Anticipate and Address Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Challenges - Rescheduled - 10/20/2023 03:10 PM
South Hall Berkeley
Saturday, 10/21/2023
Wellness Walk - 10/21/2023 09:00 AM
Cooley Landing Education Center East Palo Alto
Family Nature Walks - Foothills Nature Preserve - Rescheduled - 10/21/2023 11:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Bat Fest 2023 - 10/21/2023 04:00 PM
Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve Morgan hill
City Public Star Party - 10/21/2023 06:00 PM
City Star Parties - Point Lobos San Francisco
Jazz Under the Stars - 10/21/2023 07:00 PM
College of San Mateo Bldg 36 San Mateo
Sunday, 10/22/2023
Drop-in at the Charleston Slough Observation Deck - 10/22/2023 09:00 AM
Charleston Slough Observation Deck Palo Alto
Hike at Windy Hill - 10/22/2023 09:00 AM
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve Portola Valley
Resilient Forest Series - 10/22/2023 10:00 AM
The West Mill at Green Valley Farm + Mill Sebastopol
Monday, 10/23/2023
Tethering of H3K9me2 Chromatin to the Nuclear Periphery in Mammals - 10/23/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Physics Condensed Matter Seminar - 10/23/2023 02:30 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
UC Observatory STARS Program - 10/23/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Mechanistic basis for amphibian resilience to climate change and disease - 10/23/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
UC Berkeley Physics Colloquium - 10/23/2023 04:15 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Building Enduring Companies for Planetary Health - 10/23/2023 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
How to Build Personalization into LLM Recommendations - 10/23/2023 07:00 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View