Hello Fans of Science and Reason,
Well it was about here that the day shifted direction heavily. So now I’m picking it up, rather late in the day, and in a cheap and poor imitation of the tone and style of Stephen Colbert introducing his deeply missed “Meanwhile” I can only say that my twice monthly carefully “existentialized”, finely honed tour de week of science, art, and the purpose of the universe will only be a shadow and links of itself!
So let’s all watch and have a good smile wondering what the Kagu are they thinking?
I have always been a fan of space exploration. In the old days when adventurers went to some new land (to them) they often just said it was theirs when they got there even though there were already people living there with rich cultures already. Let’s just say some things have changed. Now that Chandrayaan-3 has landed on the moon it appears that the hot new gift is an acre of Moon! It does make you wonder how mapping Mars could help us live there
We also tend to forget or not know about what happened even in our own locales before we showed up. Consider how much Buried History must be under San Francisco and what people knew about astronomy before the current settlers came and threw them off their land. Eclipses are nothing new, it’s just that they are much easier to predict and learn about… What did the Navajo know about eclipses?
Sadly we are still in the covid era and don’t really know if it’s the middle or nearing the end of it. Fortunately you can easily see what your local epidemiologist thinks. There are even 7 questions with answers ready for you and your family to help you prepare for fall.
I must say that 'Absolutely Devastating News': about Antarctica doesn’t give me much hope for Putting conservation gardening into practice.
Fall is rapidly approaching. Though not necessarily cool weather and air cleaned by gently rainfall. That means that it’s time to start preparing to make some tough decisions about what cool and interesting science topic you would like to explore. This week offers some interesting one, such as…
This is Not Your Usual Heat Extreme - Livestream - Tue 09/12 11:00 AM
The False Promise of Optimization - 09/12/2023 07:00 PM
Use and Abuse of Science in the World of Sport: 2 Talks- Livestream - 09/13 03:00 PM
Skeptalk: Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Livestream - 09/14/2023 07:30 PM
Our normal format is that we feature short “one and done” types of learning opportunities. Sometimes opportunities arise that, while they don’t fit our calendar format we think you need to know about them so you can decide if you really want to miss it. A Tourist Tour of the Universe is one of those we need to make sure you know about. The “TTotUn” is a 6-week, richly illustrated tour of the universe as astronomers understand it today, presented in everyday language and without any math. It starts on Tue Oct 10 and lasts for 2 hours each week. It is being taught by Professor Andrew Fraknoi, who I happen to think is a great lecturer that you really should experience yourself. You need to register for this. Follow these three easy steps to register: Sign in or create a free account then Join the Institute and finally, Register for the class.
Here’s a cool resource DoseNet Empowering students and communities through a network of radiation and environmental sensors!
Have you ever wondered Why The United States Didn’t Adopt the Metric System
One last one… Please don’t tell me you use this stuff (insert real voice of contempt here)… Taopatch isn’t applied Science or even Research
Have a great week learning cool and interesting things about how the universe works and get some rest!
herb masters
“Life need not be easy, provided only that it is not empty.”
~ Lise Meitner, physicist who discovered nuclear fission
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 09/11/2023
Meiotic Chromosome Dynamics in Zebrafish - 09/11/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Speaker: Dr. Sean Burgess, Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis
Scanning Probe Nano-Optics: from biochemical nano-fingerprinting to light-matter interactions in quantum materia - 09/11/2023 02:30 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Scanning probe optical microscopy offers access to material properties beyond the fundamental diffraction limit in conventional optics. In this talk, I will start by introducing nano-spectroscopic material identification - nano-fingerprinting. Nanoscale composition and heterogeneity of a range of materials, including natural specimens and biomedical devices, can be delicately identified without perturbation. Furthermore, scanning probe optics facilitates the investigation of nanoscale light-matter interactions in quantum materials. A representative topic is the study of confined light-matter waves - polaritons - in van der Waals (vdW) materials. Using the nano-optical apparatus, we have studied various polaritons in vdW materials and their heterostructures, showing unique nanophotonic virtues in reduced dimensions. Notably, weak vertical bonding in vdW systems allows the engineering of hybrid polaritons in heterostructures. Nano-optical responses can be tailored on demand by stacking, twisting, microstructuring, and isotope heterostructuring of the constituent vdW layers.
Speaker: Siyuan Dai, Auburn University
SCVAS Learn: Warblers 2023 - Part 2 - East and West - Livestream - 09/11/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
The fall migration of Warblers is an exciting event for birders. It can also daunting because many of these tiny tree-top insectivores lack the distinctive breeding plumage that makes them so memorable. How do we sort through the many similar features and identify the individuals we find? Why are there so many species on our checklist which (according to the range maps) shouldn’t be here at all? In this three-part presentation, instructor Matthew Dodder will guide you through the basic (and not-so-basic) challenges of our “confusing Fall Warblers”. We will discuss places to go to find Warblers, what marks and behaviors to watch for, and how to enjoy some of the most confusing and enigmatic migrants of the fall season.
Fee covers all three sessions
Europa: Exploring an Ocean World - 09/11/2023 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Over two decades ago, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft revealed that beneath a frozen ice shell, Jupiter’s moon Europa likely harbors a deep, salty ocean of liquid water that may present a habitable environment for life. As a result, Europa has become a foremost target for Solar System exploration.
In this talk, Dr. Trumbo will discuss our current state of knowledge about Europa, recent discoveries made using Earth-based observatories, and NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission to explore this potentially habitable world.
Speaker: Samantha Trumbo, Cornell University
Tuesday, 09/12/2023
This is Not Your Usual Heat Extreme - Livestream - 09/12/2023 11:00 AM
Woods Institute for the Environment
2023 has seen heat records smashed around the world in places like Phoenix, AZ, where temperatures of 110 degrees or more continued for over 30 straight days. Rising temperatures and increased heat have been accurately projected in climate change modeling, but to describe 2023 temperatures as the new normal is inaccurate; we are just beginning to feel the effects of a changing climate, and things will likely get worse. How much worse it gets depends on our ability to mitigate GHG emissions and implement adaptation measures.
Stanford scientists and other climate experts will discuss what we know about extreme heat and the range of possible future scenarios we should reasonably prepare for. They will discuss the health implications of extreme heat for people, especially vulnerable populations, and highlight additional significant impacts on the planet and nature.
Panelists
Noah Diffenbaugh, Senior Fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Lisa Patel, Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Stanford Medicine
Paul Schramm, Climate Science Team Lead, Climate and Health Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Moderated by Chris Field, Perry L. McCarty Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Register at weblink
Illuminating Birds - Drawing as a Way of Knowing - Livestream - 09/12/2023 06:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Join us to learn about the history of bird art and how the practice is still relevant today from artist and science illustrator Jane Kim. Recently, Jane was invited to be the Avian Artist-in-Residence at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University as part of their current exhibit "Illuminating Birds." Over the course of the exhibition, Jane will develop a new public mural for Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood to be installed in the spring of 2024.
Register at weblink to receive Zoom link
The False Promise of Optimization - 09/12/2023 07:00 PM
The Interval at Long Now San Francisco
Coco Krumme traces the fascinating history of optimization from its roots in America's founding principles, to its dominance as the driving principle of our modern world. Optimized models underlie everything and are deeply embedded in the technologies and assumptions that have come to comprise not only our material reality, but what we make of it. How did a mathematical concept take on such outsized cultural shape?
Krumme's work in scientific computation made her aware of optimization's overreach, where she observed that streamlined systems are less resilient and more at risk of failure. They limit our options and narrow our perspectives. Optimal Illusions exposes the sizable bargains we have made in the name of optimization and asks us to consider what comes next.
Speaker: Coco Krumme, applied mathematician and writer
Wednesday, 09/13/2023
Policy Implications for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Beyond the Hype - Livestream - 09/13/2023 09:00 AM
Stanford University
Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a set of technologies that includes automated systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, and decision-making (source: GAO 2023). AI has promising applications in healthcare, but such broad potential use in health and healthcare decision-making raises important policy issues as well as compelling ethical and equity challenges.
Join us as national experts in healthcare, technology, and policy explore these issues and more.
Speakers:
Aneesh Chopra, MPH, President, CareJourney; former US Chief Technology OfficerJerome Adams, MD, MPH, FASA, Executive Director, Health Equity Initiatives, Purdue University; former US Surgeon GeneralRohini Kosoglu, MPS, Policy Fellow, Stanford HAI; former Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President
Moderator:
Kavita Patel, MD, MS, FACP, Director, Stanford Biodesign Policy Program
Register here: bit.ly/HPWS_AI
Building Climate Change Resilience - How can ocean numerical models help? - Livestream - 09/13/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Ocean acidification (OA), hypoxia (H), and warming are projected to have profound impacts on marine ecosystems and resources of the California coast. These large-scale climatic stressors interact with local circulation and anthropogenic stressors, such as nutrient loading, to exacerbate conditions. However, understanding of the relative attribution of global-to-local stressors requires a numerical ocean model that can resolve the full spatial and temporal scales of the mechanistic linkages between drivers and ecosystem consequences. In this talk, I will (1) describe the development and validation of a coupled physical, biogeochemical and lower trophic ecosystem model that is foundational to my research, (2) present findings on the key drivers of coastal eutrophication and its implications for aerobic and calcifier habitats, (3) discuss ongoing work to disentangle the relative contribution of natural variability and climate change and (4) review how the model is informing management actions, including evaluating water quality management options to increase local resilience of coastal ecosystem to climate change and testing the effect of marine carbon dioxide removal technologies.
Speaker: Faycal Kessouri, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
Data Dignity and the Inversion of AI - 09/13/2023 12:00 PM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
In this talk, Jaron Lanier will discuss a piece he published in The New Yorker (“There Is No AI”) about applying data dignity ideas to artificial intelligence (AI). Large-model AI can be reconceived as a social collaboration between the people who provided data to the model in the form of text, images and other modalities. This is a figure/ground inversion of the usual conception of AI as being a participant or collaborator in its own right. Explanations of model results and behaviors would then center around the relative influence of specific inputs through a provenance calculation mechanism. This formulation suggests new and different strategies for long-term economics in the context of high-performance AI, as well as more concrete approaches to many safety, fairness and alignment questions.
Speaker: Jaron Lanier, Microsoft
Register to attend in person, or watch online (See weblink)
The John and Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series at Bodega Marine Laboratory - 09/13/2023 12:00 PM
Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute
Join us for the John & Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series, featuring speakers from within the marine sciences community and beyond.
Please register to join us on Zoom.
Speaker: Tamara Barriquand - Assistant Professor, Cal Poly Humboldt
Use and Abuse of Science in the World of Sport: Two Talks- Livestream - 09/13/2023 03:00 PM
McGill University
Is Sport a Breeding Ground for Pseudoscience?
In high-performance sport, success and failure are separated by increasingly smaller margins. The will to win has made athletes and coaches ever more experimental, vowing to leave no stone unturned. But blunted critical faculties and lax consumer regulations coalesce, allowing pseudoscience to thrive. Thousands of products and services now flood the market, claiming to improve performance or promote recovery. Some are underpinned by rigorous science, most are not. What are the implications of such an unregulated commercialist culture? What are the solutions? In this talk, Dr. Tiller reframes the sporting world through the critical lens of science.
Speaker: Nicholas B. Tiller, UC Los Angeles
Food for Thought: Tackling Nutrition Science for Sport Performance
Optimal performance in sport requires training coupled with proper nutrition. If you have an interest in food, and who doesn't, you are familiar with the struggle to make good nutritional choices when it comes to what we eat. Outlandish claims about food, nutrition and eating patterns abound. Decisions made about personal nutritional health or performance objectives are at risk of being sidetracked by widely accessible mis- and dis-information. Staying on track requires keeping step with the ever-evolving, evidence-based science.
Speaker: Liz Mansfield, Sports Nutrition Expert
Part of the Trottier Public Science Symposium
Energy and Resources Group Colloquium - 09/13/2023 04:00 PM
Giannini Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Váleri Vásquez
Advances in Nuclear Fusion: Conversation with a Plasma Physicist - 09/13/2023 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
If you don't understand how nuclear fusion works, that's totally okay!
This event is for you.
From what we know nuclear fusion has the potential to completely and radically change the way in which we get energy, how our world is powered, and could potentially usher in a revolution in the fight against climate change.
But how does it work and what have these recent advances actually been?
On December 5, a team at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history to reach this milestone, also known as scientific energy breakeven, meaning it produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it. This historic, first-of-its kind achievement will provide unprecedented capability to support NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Program and will provide invaluable insights into the prospects of clean fusion energy.
Speaker: Dr. Mordecai “Mordy” Rosen, an acclaimed Plasma Physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which conducted this experiment is coming to Manny's to discuss.
196 Days Off the Planet with Astronaut Dan Bursch - 09/13/2023 06:00 PM
Santa Clara University Santa Clara
Dan Bursch will discuss the adventure of living in space during his stay on the International Space Station from December 2001 until June 2002. Through pictures and stories, he will discuss the challenges of working on an international program, and show just a few of the beautiful views of our spaceship Earth.
Advance registration required here
Refreshments (pizza, sandwiches, drinks) will be served at the presentation for pre-paid attendees only.
Attendance is free if you don't wish to have food and refreshments. $15 General, $12 Members, $9 Students for the food and refreshments.
The next decade of discovery with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory - 09/13/2023 07:00 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Join us for a special public event to celebrate KIPAC’s 20th anniversary! During this event, we will have a panel Q&A to discuss the exciting science we will be able to advance in the next decade with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. With the ability to survey the entire sky in only three nights, the Rubin Observatory will provide an unprecedented astronomical data set that sheds light on some of the biggest questions facing astronomy and cosmology, from the nature of dark matter and dark energy, to the smallest galaxies in the Universe and even supermassive black holes. Don’t miss this opportunity to interact with a group of astrophysicists with a wide range of expertise; we look forward to an engaging conversation with you!
Attend in person or online
Thursday, 09/14/2023
The Power of Milky Way’s Stellar Streams Enabled by Multi-Object Spectroscopic Surveys - 09/14/2023 03:30 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Speaker: Ting Li, University of Toronto
100 Years to Thrive: Designing Longer and Wealthier Lives - 09/14/2023 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Feel like you are always running out of time? What would you do differently with an extra 25 years of longevity to build a fulfilled life?
Please join us for a conversation on making the most of our increased longevity and designing lives with greater well-being, meaning and purpose. Dr. Laura Carstensen and Mark T. Johnsen will touch on the multiple facets of building a wealthier life with increased life spans.
Health - align health spans to life spans: One-hundred-year lives are quickly becoming commonplace, but healthy long lives require us to consider what we should be doing at all life stages to promote well-being.
Career - working more flexible years to provide well-being beyond just financial stability: Having a fulfilling career helps give us a sense of purpose but can also be taxing on us in this fast-paced world, particularly when we have so many obligations to our families, friends and communities. How should we be thinking of education and work in order to foster meaningful and healthy career spans?
Building Financial Stability - assessing the risks and rewards of a 100-year life span: Supporting 100-year lives requires creative and flexible roadmaps at all stages of life from early education for children and teaching financial literacy at an early age to re-thinking the safety nets of Medicare and Social Security.
Family and Friends - multigenerational families and communities: The energy and curiosity of youth combined with wisdom and life experiences of older generations creates opportunities for families, friends and workplaces to reap the benefits of age diversity.
Life Transitions - opportunities to reset: One-hundred-year lives can present multiple transitions, such as retirement, birth of a child, divorce, death of a loved one, and provide us with lifelong learning opportunities and ways to discover and pave a new path, course-correct, and find purpose.
Speakers: Laura Carsensen, Stanford University; Mark Johnsen, Wealth Architects
After Dark: See for Yourself - 09/14/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
The Exploratorium is your playground after dark! Wander the galleries, sip a cocktail, and choose your own adventure with 600+ interactive exhibits. Peek into our workshop for exhibits in development and the tools and machines that help bring them to life. And don’t miss The Great Animal Orchestra, our summer exhibition featuring a symphony of wildlife sounds from around the world, made visible through real-time spectrograms.
Cell Phone Miniscope Turn your phone into a mini microscope! Grab a kit and follow directions to convert your device into a picture-taking miniscope. See the Exploratorium at its smallest, then take your special lens with you for more shots no one else will have.
Plant Prints
Create take-home artworks that invite you to see familiar plants in new ways. Using a monoprinting technique, this activity gets you up close to the details of each specimen and leaves you with a handmade print that showcases the natural beauty and architecture of the plant.
A World with Plants: Saging the World
From the Olsen twins to Halsey, sage smudging has been a trend among celebrities and all over social media. Directed by Rose Ramirez, Deborah Small, and David Bryant, and produced by the California Native Plant Society, Saging the World is a short documentary bringing attention to the ecological and cultural issues surrounding harvesting and burning white sage (Salvia apiana). Focusing on Native advocates who have protected and cherished white sage for generations, the film highlights traditional practices of Indigenous communities and dives into the theft and appropriation of the plant. The documentary is presented in conjunction with our temporary exhibition ¡Plantásticas! Our lives with plants, developed with collaborators from the Latinx and Indigenous communities to celebrate the history and science of plants. Co-presented by the American Indian Film Festival
Frank Drake Award Ceremonies: Open to Everyone - 09/14/2023 06:00 PM
SRI International Menlo Park
Help celebrate leaders in the search for life in the Universe - the recipient of the nonprofit SETI Institute’s Drake Award and the next generation of SETI scientists earning the SETI Forward Award. The Drake Award, honoring the Father of SETI, Frank Drake, is the world's premier prize highlighting the science behind the question - Are We Alone? This year’s winner is Dr. John Rummel of NASA. Past winners include Charles Townes, Victoria Meadows, Jason Wright, William Borucki, Paul Horowitz, and the late Frank Drake himself.
The event is a friend-raiser and fund-raiser for the Institute’s scientific and educational programs devoted to the search for life elsewhere in the Universe. Virtual guests will enjoy a pre-awards reception featuring previous Drake Award recipients and some special guests. You'll be able to join the conversation with live Q&A and discussion.
In-person guests will enjoy a hosted reception, the awards ceremony, and a dessert reception, allowing you to meet and talk with the award recipients, and a number of the Institute’s fascinating scientists, technologists, and supporters.
In-person tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-drake-awards-in-menlo-park-ca-tickets-689503031127
Skeptalk: Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Livestream - 09/14/2023 07:30 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
If we don’t understand the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic, we won’t understand the risks that could lead to future viral emergence events and pandemics. I will discuss the multitude of scientific lines of evidence relevant to this topic, including epidemiological and evolutionary data. Analyses of these data reveal overwhelming evidence of a zoonotic origin.
Speaker: Michael Worobey, University of Arizona
Friday, 09/15/2023
Morning Hike at Rancho Cañada del Oro - 09/15/2023 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
Corical regulation of REM Sleep - 09/15/2023 12:00 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, James Lin and Nisa Leung Seminar Room (E153) Stanford
Speaker: Franz Weber, Univ of Pennsylvania
Attend in person or online here.
Saturday, 09/16/2023
The Physics Show - 09/16/2023 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills
The Physics Show is a fun science show for kids and their families. This year we will have two weekends of shows in September and two weekends of shows in January.
The September shows are already selling out!
Saturday September 16, 2023 at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm
Sunday September 17, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Saturday September 23, 2023 at 10:00 am and 3:30 pm
The Physics and Chemistry of the Atomic Nucleus - Livestream - 09/16/2023 10:30 AM
California Section American Chemical Society
The atomic nucleus truly sits at the intersection of chemistry and physics - over the decades both scientific fields have laid claim to these uniquely mysterious quantum systems. I will talk in this presentation about the current state-of-the-art in nuclear science, including the new Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, which is opening a new era for studies of the nucleus. I’ll also discuss what we are learning each day to advance our understanding of nuclei across the Segre chart, and through these studies, our knowledge of the origin of the elements and isotopes we find on Earth and across the cosmos.
Speaker: Heather Crawford, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Sunday, 09/17/2023
Morning Hike at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve - 09/17/2023 09:00 AM
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Los Altos
Join POST for this guided hike at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve! A POST Representative will share a few words about POST’s decades of conservation success before hiking groups leave to explore a moderate to strenuous 4.5 mile hike with 800 feet of elevation gain.
POST has made many contributions towards protecting Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve and the surrounding lands over the past several decades, which are now managed by Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. This area contains diverse plant ecosystems and water features that make it an important habitat for a variety of wildlife. This hike will feature views of a lake, pond, and stunning redwood groves. The area also contains bedrock mortars, highlighting the presence of Native peoples in this area since time immemorial.
All attendees must RSVP via Eventbrite at the event weblink. More detailed information regarding parking and meet-up locations will be sent out to all attendees prior to the event.
The Physics Show - 09/17/2023 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills
The Physics Show is a fun science show for kids and their families. This year we will have two weekends of shows in September and two weekends of shows in January.
The September shows are already selling out!
Saturday September 16, 2023 at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm
Sunday September 17, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Saturday September 23, 2023 at 10:00 am and 3:30 pm
Presidio: Changes Through Time - 09/17/2023 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.
Monday, 09/18/2023
The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly: Invasive Insects and Disease - Livestream - 09/18/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University Biology Colloquium
Speaker: Curtis Ewing, CalFIRE
SCVAS Learn: Warblers 2023 - Part 1 - Rare and Regular - Livestream - 09/18/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
The fall migration of Warblers is an exciting event for birders. It can also daunting because many of these tiny tree-top insectivores lack the distinctive breeding plumage that makes them so memorable. How do we sort through the many similar features and identify the individuals we find? Why are there so many species on our checklist which (according to the range maps) shouldn’t be here at all? In this three-part presentation, instructor Matthew Dodder will guide you through the basic (and not-so-basic) challenges of our “confusing Fall Warblers”. We will discuss places to go to find Warblers, what marks and behaviors to watch for, and how to enjoy some of the most confusing and enigmatic migrants of the fall season.
Fee covers all three sessions
September LASER Event - 09/18/2023 07:00 PM
Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge Stanford
Program (the order of the speakers might change):
Michal Kosinski(Stanford Univ) on "Theory of Mind Might Have Spontaneously Emerged in Large Language Models"The uniquely human ability to impute unobservable mental states to others may have spontaneously emerged in large language models...Read moreAmy Karle(Media Artist) on "Digital Dreams and Bio-realities: Reimagining Humanity Through Art and Technology"Art that explores what it means to be human at this time of merging with technology...Read moreEti Ben Simon(UC Berkeley) on "The Emotional Brain in a Sleepless World"Not getting enough sleep dramatically changes how we feel and think...Read more
Tuesday, 09/19/2023
Popping the Science Bubble: Two talks - 09/19/2023 05:30 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Special delivery! How your cells' microscopic delivery service works
Speaker: Joseph Slivka, Physics, UC Berkeley
To Energize or not to Energize - Mitochondrial Control of Organismal Metabolism, Proliferation, and Differentiation
Speaker: Rumi Sherriff, Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley
Attend in person or online.
Jobs, Truth, and AI: Where do we go from here? - 09/19/2023 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
Join Lexi Reese, Democratic Candidate for US Senate from California and the only technology leader in the race, and Kent Beck, original signer of the Agile Manifesto and author of the Extreme Programming book series, for a 45-minute fireside chat on Jobs, Truth, and AI.
Be part of a workshop where we co-create AI Objectives & Key Results for the country. Let’s improv being a very functional Senate for the night (no filibusters allowed). Together, let’s build a modern regulatory framework and set of suggestions for making sure we get the best from AI, while also protecting and strengthening people, the planet, our economy and our democracy in the process.
Exploring Shadows at the South Lunar Pole - Livestream - 09/19/2023 06:00 PM
Night Sky Network
Join the NASA Night Sky Network on Tuesday, September 19 at 6:00 PM Pacific Time (9:00 PM Eastern) along with Dr. Erwan Mazarico from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will bring us up to date about NASA’s plans to explore the lunar south pole region.
The lunar south polar region is the target of the Artemis program. It is very different from the equatorial regions explored by Apollo, particularly due to the lighting and thermal conditions. Both permanently shadowed regions and areas of high solar illumination can co-exist in close proximity, presenting challenges and opportunities for robotic and human exploration. Hear from Dr. Mazarico about how the lighting conditions contribute to NASA's plans, and how we plan to explore the lunar south pole region.
Mycological Society of San Franciso Monthly Meeting - 09/19/2023 07:00 PM
Mycological Society of San Francisco San Francisco
Noah Siegel has spent two decades seeking, photographing, identifying, and furthering his knowledge about all aspects of fungi. He has hunted mushrooms throughout the United States and Canada, as well as New Zealand and Australia. his photos have been on the covers and in articles of many journals, books, and websites. He is an active member of the Humboldt Bay Mycological Society and the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. He travels and lectures extensively across America, following the mushrooms.
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Wednesday, 09/20/2023
Carbon-negative Technology To Solve the Climate Crisis - 09/20/2023 12:00 PM
CITRIS at UC Berkeley Berkeley
The John and Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series at Bodega Marine Laboratory - 09/20/2023 12:00 PM
Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute
Measuring the Earth - Livestream - 09/20/2023 12:00 PM
John Muir Laws
Everything COVID from a Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective - 09/20/2023 06:00 PM
San Mateo Public Library San Mateo
How to build LLM-based product - 09/20/2023 07:00 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
Unveiling the Secrets of Volcanoes in the Springerville Volcanic Field - 09/20/2023 07:30 PM
Marin Science Seminar San Rafael
Nerd Nite SF #136: Maggot Therapy, Waves, & Your Brain on Exercise! - 09/20/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Thursday, 09/21/2023
Developing a National Eviction, Displacement, and Housing Precarity Risk Model in a Post-Pandemic World - 09/21/2023 12:00 PM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
Application of LoRa Protocol in IoT - 09/21/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State Dept. of Engineering Science Rohnert Park
After Dark: SMARTBOMB - 09/21/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
NightLife - 09/21/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz and the Edges of the Universe - 09/21/2023 06:30 PM
Humble Sea Brewing Co Santa Cruz
Unraveling the Mystery of Avian Keratin Disorder in Alaska - Livestream - 09/21/2023 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Clocking Electrons: an Attosecond Stopwatch - 09/21/2023 07:00 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Public Lecture Series Menlo Park
Friday, 09/22/2023
Two talks: StorageX International Symposium - Livestream - 09/22/2023 09:00 AM
Stanford University
Coastal Walk at Cowell-Purisima Trail - 09/22/2023 10:00 AM
Cowell Purisima Coastal Trailhead Half Moon Bay
Saturday, 09/23/2023
Free National Parks Day - 09/23/2023 07:00 PM
Various
Drop-in at the Charleston Slough Observation Deck - 09/23/2023 09:00 AM
Charleston Slough Observation Deck Palo Alto
National Public Lands Day 2023 - 09/23/2023 09:00 AM
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Coastal Clean-up Day 2023 - 09/23/2023 09:00 AM
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Physics Show - 09/23/2023 10:00 AM
Foothill College Los Altos Hills
Kitchen Chemistry at Vasona - 09/23/2023 10:30 AM
Youth Science Institute Los Gatos
Family Nature Walks - Foothills Nature Preserve - 09/23/2023 11:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Fall Equinox Family Lunch + Learn with Dr. Bryan Mendez - 09/23/2023 12:30 PM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Jazz Under the Stars - 09/23/2023 08:00 PM
College of San Mateo Bldg 36 San Mateo
Sunday, 09/24/2023
Resilient Forest Series - 09/24/2023 10:00 AM
The West Mill at Green Valley Farm + Mill Sebastopol
Latinx Engineering Day 2023 - 09/24/2023 12:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Wonderfest: Beauty of the Poincaré Conjecture - 09/24/2023 03:00 PM
San Francisco Public Library San Francisco
City Public Star Party - 09/24/2023 07:30 PM
City Star Parties - Parade Grounds at the Presidio San Francisco
Monday, 09/25/2023
Advising for Biology Majors - 09/25/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Substrate-driven assembly of a translocon for multipass membrane proteins - 09/25/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Black Holes and Quantum Theory - 09/25/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park