Greetings SciFans,
Remember the good old days when science had all the answers? Richard Whately declared “Phrenology is true as…the sun is now in the sky.”
I remember (sort of) when the first heart transplant was announced in 1967. The advancements in medicine since are incredible. From the developments in vaccines (yes, vaccines are real, save lives, and reduce suffering) to the world's first human eye transplant. Now as I type this missive I watched a rocket launch a payload into space and return to earth, standing up on end as it was (sort of) before it launched… except it is now standing up on a ship! I find it interesting when science pops up with an alternative idea or view of how our impact on nature plays out. Here’s one of those articles. The surprising biodiversity of abandoned coal mines (there’s an audio version there as well)
It’s great to think of science and the practice of it as being universal. Sadly, it isn’t. There are scientists working around the world on amazing things but many still have to struggle to learn and help humanity. Consider the recent history of the practice of science in Russia and Ukraine. Another article worth your attention… 'Midinformation' And The COVID Pandemic I also recommend that you listen to Peter Hadfield, better known as Potholer54 (note: this starts after about about 10 minutes of intro}.
We all hear the term used and use it ourselves. Do you know This About Net Zero? and what is the color of absolute zero?
There is so much still to learn… You might want to check these out…
1- Scientific Collaboration Amidst Shifting US-China Relations - 11/14/2023 03:30 PM
2- Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins - From Spices to Vices - 11/15/2023 06:00 PM
3- Water Above, Water Below, Water Within - 11/15/2023 07:00 PM
I just saw this and I think it is amazingly cool I highly recommend it! It seems like such a better thing to do than sit in APEC traffic jams! hm The Western Flyer, 1940-2023: What it was and what it will become - 11/14/2023 07:00 PM Hopkins Marine Station Pacific Grove See it live or on line.
I’m not sure why, but the calendar is loaded with events this week that I am a bit overwhelmed. There are so many and APEC will help you choose because you won’t want to try and get to the other side of it!
I now ask you to watch The Futurists (1967) | Scientists Predict The 21st Century
Meditation Is Big Business. The Science Isn’t So Clear. I’ve been feeling my age lately… Believing we can rewrite the manual for human lifespan is like believing in the tooth fairy.
Do you know a woman who would make a great scientist? L'Oréal USA For Women in Science has a great offer.
Science and Skepticism are heavily impacted by politics in so many positive and negative ways. I think it’s worth considering how often politics and misinformation are used to divide groups and seriously undermine how we understand the need to understand. Misinformation about science is often used to sway public opinion and distract from what the focus or understanding really is. One need look no further than the battle over women having control and choice in their healthcare. Many think politics exists outside of science. I don’t think so. “The Misinformation-Outrage Cycle ‘Democracy requires an educated populace that can analyze policies,’” is a six part series worth being shared.
I started out as a kid being pretty good at math. By the time I had graduated from high school, I wasn’t. That being said, I still think math is cool and very underrated. So when we got notice here at the Schmooze that on Jan 5th, Mathematics: A Quick Revue | A mathematical variety show hosted by the American Mathematical Society and open to the public. Hosted by comedian and author Matt Parker was happening I thought we should give you advance warning.
A special shout out and pointer to two of my favorite places to hang out. CuriOdyssey opened IlluminOdyssey last Thu 11.9, and this Thu 11.16 Glow opens at the explOratorium. Go see them both, with someone you care about. I’ll also put a plug in here for making a year end donation if you haven’t already! Why is it that science museums won’t create a donation/support option for making donations in multiples of 𝛑$$?
I was fortunate to be able to go to Ely, Nevada with the explOratorium eclipse crew. From what I understand, if you stayed here you missed seeing most or all of it. You can watch and hear what we saw from Ely and Valley of the Gods. You can also get info on the next big eclipse event for North America on April 8th, 2024. If you have never experienced an eclipse the April 8th will be your easiest to see in quite awhile.
It’s been awhile since I ‘did the Schmooze’! A special bit of thanks to David for stepping in and covering for me while I was gone or sick. As always the seriously underappreciated and underrecognized Bob Siederer has been holding the Science Schmooze behind the scene for seemingly as long as it has been around. Thanks guys.
You probably have some friends and family that would like to know about cool geeky things to do in the SF Bay Area and beyond. You should forward the SciSchmooze or send this link to them… Science Schmooze and tell them to subscribe!
Have a great week learning new and cool things about how this amazing universe works. About that absolute color question… ABSOLUTE ZERO COLOR or White is the color of Zero.
herb masters
“I never knew I had an inventive talent until Phrenology told me so. I was a stranger to myself until then!” - - -Thomas Alva EDISON
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 11/13/2023
Rewinding the Clock -- the Quest to Reverse Aging - 11/13/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Speaker: Alex Trapp, Retro Biosciences
Attosecond Science and the 2023 Nobel Prize - 11/13/2023 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Anne l’Huillier, and Ferenc Krausz, for discoveries that launched attosecond science and technology at the turn of the century, before SLAC ever had an x-ray free electron laser or hosted any ultrafast research. Subsequent advances at LCLS and PULSE as well as other labs around the world helped to establish the breadth and importance of research at the attosecond frontier, making the case for Nobel recognition of the foundational work.
Speaker: Phil Bucksbaum, Stanford University
Attend in person or on Zoom (see weblink)
The Burden of Wake and the Reasons for Sleep: how sleep promotes synaptic homeostasis - 11/13/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Chiara Cirelli received her medical degree and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Pisa, Italy, where she started investigating the molecular correlates of sleep and wake and the role of the noradrenergic system in sleep regulation. She continued this work as Fellow in experimental neuroscience at the Neuroscience Institute in San Diego, California, and since 2001 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she is currently Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Cirelli’s research is aimed at investigating the functions of sleep by using a combination of electrophysiological, molecular, genetic, and ultrastructural approaches.
Speaker: Chiara Cirelli, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Room: Auditorium
Achieving Fusion Gain in the Laboratory: How Physicists Design, Deploy, and Interpret Experiments at the National Ignition Facility - 11/13/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Speaker: Dr. Jim Gaffney, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs
UC Berkeley Physics Colloquium - 11/13/2023 04:15 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Speaker: Gavin Crooks, Berkeley Institute for the Theoretical Sciences
Building a portfolio of scalable carbon removal solutions - Considerations of durability, scalability and energetics - 11/13/2023 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
In order to limit global warming and avoid the most disastrous effects of climate change, we need to (1) drastically reduce emissions and (2) remove large amounts of legacy greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. There are many approaches to CDR (carbon dioxide removal), the process to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it away for decades, centuries and millennia: from planting new forests, capturing and sequestering carbon from waste biomass, spreading crushed rock on agricultural fields to react with CO2 in rainwater, building chemical adsorption-looping processes or enhancing the oceans ability to store carbon dioxide. In this talk we’ll have a look at specific benefits and challenges across CDR technologies. We will explore considerations of durability, verifiability, and scalability and discuss how a balanced portfolio of solutions can maximize climate value.
Speaker: Frauke Kracke, Frontier
Attend in person or online (See weblink)
Cosmic Alchemy: How Neutron Star Smash-Ups Forge Heavy Atoms - 11/13/2023 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
The source of about half of the heaviest elements in the Universe has been a mystery for a long time. Although the general picture of element formation is well understood, many questions about the astrophysical details remain to be answered. The key may lie in the collision of neutron stars - violent, energetic, and unusual events that we are now beginning to observe. This talk will focus on recent advances in our understanding of the origin of the heaviest and rarest elements in the Universe.
Speaker: Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, UC Santa Cruz
Tuesday, 11/14/2023
Addressing Deep Ocean Knowledge Gaps for Earth's Present and Future - 11/14/2023 10:00 AM
Mitchell Earth Sciences Building (04-560) Stanford
The ocean's midwaters below 200 m and above the seafloor, formerly thought to be entirely devoid of life, are now thought to be home to a biomass of animals larger than in the rest of the ocean combined. These organisms, many of which vertically migrate between the twilight or midnight zones and the surface ocean on a daily basis, may provide critical ecosystem services by contributing to climate regulation via the biological carbon pump and in provisioning predatory fishes that are the focus of global fisheries. Burgeoning interests in harvesting this unparalleled biomass and conducting deep-sea mining, as well as predictions for climate-driven declines in midwater fauna, are confronted by glaring knowledge gaps in our understanding of the structure, functioning, and connectivity of these deep ocean ecosystems. Addressing these knowledge gaps is crucial to establishing baselines by which the scientific community can assess the current and future status of deep ocean organisms and ecosystems in a changing climate. Through interdisciplinary work spanning predator ecology, biological oceanography, and social-ecological systems, I aim to generate fundamental knowledge and inform sustainability benefitting both ocean and human health.
Room 350/372
Permitting Reform: How Best to Combine Accelerating the Energy Transition, Protecting the Environment, and Ensuring Fairness - Livestream - 11/14/2023 11:00 AM
Stanford University
Robust standards for protecting frontline communities and the environment are critically important, but permitting clean energy projects is often complex, contentious and slow. Finding ways to speed permitting while still ensuring robust standards is necessary if the US is to meet its clean energy goals for 2030 and beyond. However, despite broad agreement that reform is needed, philosophies differ about approach. Should regulations be changed to prioritize some kinds of projects or locations? Can reviews be streamlined in ways that still allow full consideration and broad engagement? Will progress come mainly from changes in regulations or from more collaborative approaches?
Experts in energy and energy politics from Stanford, government and the private sector will provide insights into the permitting process including how permitting and the environmental assessment process might be improved for completion efficiency and strengthened for environmental and human health and safety outcomes.
Speakers:
Dan Reicher, Senior Research Scholar, Stanford Woods Institute for EnvironmentAna Unruh Cohen, Senior Director for NEPA, Clean Energy & Infrastructure, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)Philip Bredesen, former Governor of Tennessee and Founding Chairman, Silicon RanchModerated by Chris Field, Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Nonprofits and wildfire. The evolution of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council: From hazardous fuels reduction to technology leader - Livestream - 11/14/2023 12:30 PM
Stanford University
The webinar and presentation will showcase the role nonprofits play in regional wildfire mitigation, and the evolution of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council (SCCFSC) from a grassroots nonprofit to a leader in hazardous fuels reduction (HFR) and technology implementation. With its 501 (c)3 status granted in 2002, SCCFSC’s path was typical: people in their community concerned about local wildfire risk. Started as an all-volunteer organization, over time, SCCFSC hired experts in wildfire - former CAL FIRE and local fire agency personnel with expertise in wildfire firefighting, fuels management, fire behavior and agency leadership. In recent years, SCCFSC leadership has leveraged those skills to win some of the largest HFR grants and contracts in California, expand collaboration with various organizations and introduce new programs to include evaluating, implementing, and scaling wildfire technology solutions. SCCFSC is now a value-added reseller (VAR) for a variety of machine learning and artificial intelligence-based solutions for early wildfire detection throughout several regional counties. This evolution is essential to deepen impact for stakeholders and provide new, sustainable revenue streams that also facilitate early adoption of technology to reduce regional wildfire risk.
Speaker: Seth Schalet
See weblink for connection information
Silicon Valley Talks: Henry Lowood, Replayed - 11/14/2023 01:00 PM
Hohbach Hall, Room 122 Stanford
Join the Silicon Valley Archies in welcoming Henry Lowood, the Harold C. Hohbach Curator for History of Science & Technology Collections, as he discusses his most recent book, Replayed.
Since the early 2000s, Henry Lowood has had a key role in initiatives devoted to the preservation and documentation of virtual worlds, digital games, and interactive simulations, establishing himself as a major scholar of game studies. Replayed offers Lowood’s far-flung and significant publications on these subjects in a single volume.
“Understanding how AI models learn is the new frontier in machine learning research. In this talk, I argue that we can use human language to better understand how AI learns and, vice versa, use AI to better understand how humans acquire the defining human property: language. I will present an AI model of language that learns in a manner more similar to human infants, along with several interpretability techniques to better understand AI’s inner workings. I show that AI interpretability can bring several new insights for neuroscience, cognitive science, the study of animal communication, and finally, elucidating similarities and differences between humans and machines.
Speaker: Gasper Beguš
Register at weblink to attend
Scientific Collaboration Amidst Shifting US-China Relations - 11/14/2023 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
US-China relations constitute the most consequential bilateral relationship in the world today, and science and technology are at the heart of these troubled ties. Yet, the prevalent discourse routinely falls into false binaries: China versus the US, authoritarianism versus democracy, open science versus national security. This reductionist frame bolsters techno-nationalism and overlooks the transnational nature of many ethical challenges in the development of science and technology. In a world fractured by nations, races, and governing systems, can science transcend political borders? This talk will give a brief overview of the role of scientific collaboration in the history of US-China relations, analyze current challenges, and explore potential paths forward.
Speaker: Yangyang Cheng, Yale Law School
Past to Future Carbon Cycle Feedbacks - 11/14/2023 03:30 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Sandra Kirtland-Turner
Adapting Food Systems to Climate Change - 11/14/2023 05:00 PM
Gunn Building (SPIER) Stanford
Global food insecurity is rising, due in part to the impact of climate change on weather patterns. In South Asia, where 25% of the world’s hungry and 40% of the world’s malnourished children and women live, increasing climatic risks such as floods, droughts, cyclones, and heat waves pose a tremendous challenge to farmers and to policy makers.
The King Center on Global Development invites you to hear about how South Asia’s great progress in the last four decades in food production and availability can be maintained and furthered in this adverse context. Claudia Sadoff, former executive managing director at CGIAR, and Rikin Gandhi, co-founder and executive director of Digital Green, will share their perspectives on the impact of local policies and programs, as well as share the challenges still to be overcome.
Chronodiversity: Thinking about Time with Trees - 11/14/2023 07:00 PM
Club Fugazi San Francisco
Big trees, old trees, and especially big old trees have always been objects of reverence. From Athena’s sacred olive on the Acropolis to the unmistakable ginkgo leaf prevalent in Japanese art and fashion during the Edo period, our profound admiration for slow plants spans time and place as well as cultures and religions. At the same time, the utilization and indeed the desecration of ancient trees is a common feature of history. In the modern period, the American West, more than any other region, witnessed contradictory efforts to destroy and protect ancient conifers. Historian Jared Farmer reflects on our long-term relationships with long-lived trees, and considers the future of oldness on a rapidly changing planet.
Speaker: Jared Farmer, Author
An Overview of Shark Research in Hawaii - Livestream - 11/14/2023 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
Please join us for “An Overview of Shark Research in Hawaii”. We are honored to have as our guide Dr. Kim Holland of the University of Hawaii’s Institute of Marine Biology. Dr. Holland will present a broad-strokes overview of past and current research at Hawaii’s Institute of Marine Biology and will focus on the physiological ecology and behavior of several shark species found in Hawaiian waters. The talk will discuss research with both captive and wild animals.
Come and learn of the discoveries that have come from various types of electronic transmitters (e.g., acoustic and satellite-linked) and what they have revealed about aspects of shark movements and physiology - previously unknown.
Register at weblink
Wonderfest: Jaws of Life: The (R)evolutionary Story of the Mammalian Bite - 11/14/2023 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
One of the defining features of all mammals is, surprisingly, the set of bones that form the hearing system. Those bones evolved from jaw components in our mammalian ancestors. In the evolutionary process of repurposing them for hearing, mammals came to possess a jaw configuration different from all other jawed vertebrates. Here is the story of how the unique jaws of mammals fundamentally changed the form and function of how we bite.
Our speaker is Dr. Jack Tseng, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley, where he directs the Functional Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution (FAVE) Laboratory. Dr. Tseng's specialties include the evolution of humanity's best friend, the dog.
The Western Flyer, 1940-2023: What it was and what it will become - 11/14/2023 07:00 PM
Hopkins Marine Station Pacific Grove
In 1940 John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts climbed aboard the Western Flyer and embarked on an epic journey of science, discovery and friendship to the Sea of Cortez. The boat itself, sometimes called "the most famous fishing vessel ever " sank in Puget Sound 70 years later, but has recently been restored, returning to Monterey Nov. 4. In September, Professor William Gilly and Dr. Susan Shillinglaw taught a Stanford class "Discovering Monterey Bay through Oceanography, Ecology and Literature." That field course conducted at-sea testing for Western Flyer's new educational and research programs. Professors Gilly and Shillinglaw will discuss the course and the boat's history.
Attend in person or online (register at weblink)
Wednesday, 11/15/2023
The John and Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series at Bodega Marine Laboratory - CANCELED - 11/15/2023 11:00 AM
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.
Editor's note: This event is no longer listed on the UC Davis website.
Merlin Sound ID: Challenges in Real-time Analysis of Bird Vocalizations - Livestream - 11/15/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
The Merlin Bird ID app integrates Merlin Sound ID, a sophisticated system designed for real-time classification of bird vocalizations on mobile devices. With a global user base numbering in the millions, we’re not only achieving our initial goal of connecting people with their neighborhood birds but also extending the utility of Sound ID as a versatile monitoring tool. This presentation will start with an overview of the Merlin Sound ID architecture and functionality. I will then delve into the technical challenges surrounding noisy annotations and how we use them for training and evaluation. Finally I will explore our benchmarking procedures and ongoing efforts to enhance performance. This talk aims to shed light on the challenges and solutions associated with deploying real-time auditory classification systems in ecological applications.
Speaker: Grant van Horn, University of Massachusets
Register at weblink
Homo addictus: cosmology, archaeological science, and human material relations through time (Part 1) - 11/15/2023 12:00 PM
Archaeology Center (Bldg 500) Stanford
Besides biological essentials, humans thrive on materials and derive comfort from objects. This entangles people, materials, and things. At dividual and individual levels, making, mending, and consuming things creates and lubricates social relationships and obligations. Peering into the deep past, humans and their ancestors initially worked materials such as stone to make tools, and with time made more things appealing to sensory, utilitarian, and symbolic functions and desires. Increased cycles of exchange and interconnections at various scales, from the local, and regional to the global, have through time, brought people and regions of the world closely together. In the 21st century, human material relations reached a point where people and things are almost inseparable. While some may think that this dependence and interdependence is natural, parts of the world such as the Global North are experiencing massive problems with overconsumption of materials and things.
Speaker: Shadreck Chirikure, University of Oxford
Energy and Resources Group Colloquium - CANCELED - 11/15/2023 04:00 PM
Giannini Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Jennifer Sowerwine
Editor's Note: This event is no longer listed on UC Berkeley's website
Youth Talk: The Influence of Environmental Activism on Gen Z Voting - 11/15/2023 05:30 PM
Eshleman Hall, Senate Chambers, 5th Floor Berkeley
“The Impact of Environmental Activism on Gen Z Voting” unites four environmental leaders from a variety of backgrounds for a thought-provoking discussion about environmental activism and civic engagement. Representing the voices of student activists as well as professional environmentalists, our speakers will explore the movement’s impact on voting and youth turnout in recent elections and discuss the strength of environmental activism as a form of civic engagement. Accomplished leaders in their own right, panelists will share their personal journeys and provide key takeaways from the intersection of environmentalism and politics, to inspire the next generation of voters and citizen leaders.
Speakers:
Sharon Daraphonhdeth, UC BerkeleyAbigail Dillen, EarthjusticeDaniel Kammen, UC BerkeleyAshi Mishra, UC BerkeleyValeria Espinosa, UC Berkeley
Register at weblink
Science Uncorked: Unraveling a Giant: Collaborative Effort in the Entangled Whale Response & Prevention Program - 11/15/2023 06:00 PM
Gourmet au Bay Bodega Bay
Pairing delicious wines with delicious ideas, this series features talks by scientists from UC Davis' Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute and Bodega Marine Laboratory
Speaker: Ryan Berger
Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature’s Toxins - From Spices to Vices - 11/15/2023 06:00 PM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
An evolutionary biologist tells the story of nature’s toxins and why we are attracted - and addicted - to them, in this “magisterial, fascinating, and gripping tour de force” (Neil Shubin).
A deadly secret lurks within our spice racks, medicine cabinets, backyard gardens, and private stashes. Scratch beneath the surface of a coffee bean, a red pepper flake, a poppy seed, a mold spore, a foxglove leaf, a magic-mushroom cap, a marijuana bud, or an apple seed, and we find a bevy of strange chemicals. We use these to greet our days (caffeine), titillate our tongues (capsaicin), recover from surgery (opioids), cure infections (penicillin), mend our hearts (digoxin), bend our minds (psilocybin), calm our nerves (CBD), and even kill our enemies (cyanide). But why do plants and fungi produce such chemicals? And how did we come to use and abuse some of them? Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience, Most Delicious Poison reveals:
The origins of toxins produced by plants, mushrooms, microbes, and even some animalsThe mechanisms that animals evolved to overcome themHow a co-evolutionary arms race made its way into the human experienceAnd much more
This perpetual chemical war not only drove the diversification of life on Earth, but also is intimately tied to our own successes and failures. You will never look at a houseplant, mushroom, fruit, vegetable, or even the past five hundred years of human history the same way again.
Speaker: Joah Whiteman, UC Berkeley
After APEC: What's China's Role in California's Green Transition? - 11/15/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
As government officials, diplomats and business leaders from across the Asia-Pacific converge in San Francisco for APEC 2023 Leaders Week, the question on everyone’s lips is: What next for the U.S.-China relationship? Amid the climate crisis, which necessitates urgent energy transition, how do the two largest economies work together against the backdrop of geopolitical tension? Where does California - the world’s fifth largest economy, a green energy leader and oriented toward Asia across the Pacific - fit in?
Governor Gavin Newsom’s October trip to China underscored the critical relationship between the Golden State and China. California has many trade, technology development, and business relationships with China related to clean energy. At the same time, the United States is broadly looking to reduce reliance on China for products, talent and innovations through many policy incentives for local content and domestic manufacturing and broader policy efforts. How will this trend of localization play out in California, and what does this mean for California to meet its ambitious climate and clean energy targets?
As APEC dialogues unfold, join us to analyze the degree of linkages between China and California in low-carbon energy and the implications for policy at the state, federal and multilateral levels.
Speakers: Michael Davidson, UC San Diego; David Hochschild, California Energy Commission,
Home2Headwaters: Where Does Your Water Come From? - 11/15/2023 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
In July 2022, Nina Gordon-Kirsch walked more than 240 miles, tracing the Mokelumne River - the river that provides tap water to the East Bay.
She left her home on Lisjan Ohlone land (so called Oakland) and 33 days later she arrived on Washoe land, at the headwaters of the Mokelumne River in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
On her journey, Nina interviewed farmers, river conservationists, hydropower employees, and regular citizens, collecting stories about how we all relate to water. She walked on the Bay Trail, through the Delta Islands (swam a few river crossings), kayaked upstream for 2 days, and backpacked off-trail in a remote river canyon. After one month of walking, Nina made it to her destination and now has an important story to tell.
Both Nina and a film crew documented her journey and are raising money to make an educational curriculum to bring into Bay Area schools about where their drinking water comes from. Help support the making of the film by donating here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/home2headwaters
Nina is grateful to the Sogorea Te Land Trust and Darrell Cruz for granting her permission to walk on Chochenyo-Ohlone land and Washoe land, respectively.
Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs): Transformative Potential and Risk Management - 11/15/2023 06:30 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs): Transformative Potential and Risk Management - Emergence, tokens, blockchain technology, applications, workflows, challenges, strategies. - By Dr. Andrew Park, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have recently drawn considerable attention. The foundations of NFT technology date back to advances in computer science in the late 1970s. In this talk, we examine the emergence of NFTs, from their technical origins, the introduction of blockchain technologies and the first token-based collectibles that led to modern day NFT products. We categorize the current use cases for NFTs, introduce their potential future applications, and highlight the challenges managers face in incorporating them into their existing workflows. By presenting our NFT adoption framework, we offer managers strategies for evaluating the risks and benefits of NFTs.
Water Above, Water Below, Water Within - 11/15/2023 07:00 PM
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series Los Altos Hills
Water is everywhere. Its atoms, hydrogen and oxygen, are the first and fifth most abundant elements in the universe. Water is found in abundance in many environments; it finds its way into planets of all shapes and sizes, where it modifies the properties of everything it touches. Water is crucial to life, both as a habitat and as a solvent. But it also has many other roles in the evolution of habitable and uninhabitable environments on a planetary scale. In this talk, Dr. Schaefer will discuss the ways in which Earth acquired its water, how water modifies the evolution and habitability of the Earth, and how the habitability of rocky planets orbiting other stars may be different.
Laura Schaefer is an Assistant Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Stanford University. She is a planetary scientist who focuses on how gases and rocks react with each other to form the atmospheres of rocky planets, both inside and outside the Solar System. She is fascinated by lava worlds and the volcanic moon Io, as well as the distant past of planet Earth and its neighbors Venus and Mars.
CROSSINGS: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet - Livestream - 11/15/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as alien forces of death and disruption. More than a million animals are killed by cars each day in the U.S. alone; creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates; and the very noise of traffic chases songbirds from vast swaths of habitat. Today road ecologists are seeking to blunt that destruction through innovative solutions. Conservationists are building bridges for California’s mountain lions and tunnels for English toads, engineers are deconstructing the labyrinth of logging roads that web national forests, and community organizers are working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon American cities. In his talk, Ben Goldfarb will discuss the ecological harms wrought by transportation and the movement to redress them - and how we can create a better, safer world for all living beings.
Speaker: Ben Goldfarb, journalist
Register at weblink
Renewable Power! Powering Electric Cars and Storing Renewable Energy with Energy-dense Batteries - Livestream - 11/15/2023 07:30 PM
Marin Science Seminar San Rafael
Speaker: Jason Lipton, HRL Laboratories
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Through the Fantastic Eyes of Frogs and Toads: How scientists study what frogs and toads see - 11/15/2023 07:30 PM
Marin Science Seminar San Rafael
Speaker: Rayna Bell, California Academy of Sciences
Editor's Note: This event was originally scheduled on 11/08/2023
Thursday, 11/16/2023
North Ridge Trail Hike at Purisima Creek Redwoods - 11/16/2023 09:00 AM
Purisima Creek North Ridge Trailhead Woodside
Join POST for a beautiful and strenuous but rewarding 4.5-mile hike through the redwoods at Purisima Creek Redwoods!
This out-and-back hike is moderately strenuous, with several inclines and declines. The hike itself will be roughly 4.5 + miles in totality, with about 1400 ft. elevation gain throughout the hike. We will enjoy the stunning views of redwoods along the trail. Please consider your ability to complete this hike. We will rest throughout the hike, and we advise all hikers to bring sturdy shoes, a water bottle, and a light snack (energy bar, cereal bar, trail mix, etc).
Register at weblink
Editor's Note: If you use Google Maps to find Purisima Creek North Ridge Trailhead, the address given is in Los Altos and is incorrect. The parking lot is located on Skyline Blvd in Woodside.
Clearing the Air: Health Impacts of Indoor Air Pollution - Livestream - 11/16/2023 12:00 PM
Midday Science Cafe @ UC Berkeley
Indoor air quality - the air quality within and around homes, buildings, and other structures - affects our health and comfort just as outdoor air quality does. In this month’s Midday Science Cafe, we bring you two experts who are studying the impacts of indoor air pollution from two different perspectives. We’ll hear from Dr. Laura Kwong, who focuses on developing engineering solutions that address public health issues in low-income communities, including those related to air pollution from cookstoves in refugee camps. We’ll also hear from Dr. Xiaochen Tang, who studies the impacts of first- and second-hand vaping - inhaling aerosolized liquid produced by an e-cigarette - debunking one of the misleading messages from vaping advocates that there are no secondhand exposures.
Speaker: Laura Kwong, UC Berkeley; Xiaochen Tang, Berkeley Lab
Register at weblink to attend
Fireside Chat with Professor of Energy Resources Engineering, Emerita, Margot Gerritsen - Livestream - 11/16/2023 12:00 PM
Stanford Energy
Join us for an open dialogue and Q&A with Professor of Energy Resources Engineering, Emerita, Margot Gerritsen. Her talk will center on Sustainable Energy Systems with the theme of Energy Equity incorporated throughout. Leading with case studies, join us to explore the unintended consequences of certain policy decisions, political pressures in today's world, and how creative design thinking can produce solutions.
Professor Gerritsen's latest research projects include traffic congestion and emissions simulation and mitigation, and wildland fire prediction and mitigation. She is also the co-director of Women in Data Science (WiDS, widsconference.org) and the host of the WiDS podcasts.
Register at weblink
Environmental and Energy Economics Seminar - CANCELED - 11/16/2023 12:10 PM
Cheit Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Kelsey Jack, UC Santa Barbara
Room 325
Editor's Note: This talk is no longer listed on UC Berkeley's website, so we assume it has been canceled.
Smart Grid Seminar: Jianhui Wang, Southern Methodist University - Rescheduled - 11/16/2023 01:30 PM
Environment & Energy Building (Y2E2) Stanford
This event has been rescheduled for November 30, 2023
A Highly Linear Distributed Amplifier Using Ultra-wideband Intermodulation Feedforward Linearization - 11/16/2023 04:00 PM
Sonoma State Dept. of Engineering Science Rohnert Park
Distributed amplifiers (DA) are critical components in various applications such as electronic measurement instruments, high-speed wireless systems, RADAR, and optical networks. In this lecture an introduction to distributed amplifiers and their applications will be presented. After this a feedforward intermodulation design technique to improve linearization will be discussed. Finally, a prototype utilizing this new technique will be presented.
Speaker: Alex Stameroff, Keysight Technologies
Attend in person or online here. Passcode: 2009A
Storytelling with Cafe Ohlone - 11/16/2023 04:00 PM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Have you ever wondered about the indigenous traditions of Berkeley and the East Bay? Join us to hear Ohlone storytellers sharing their culture! Bring a blanket and a snack to our Outdoor Nature Lab and hear Cafe Ohlone co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino tell Ohlone stories while taking in a beautiful Bay Area sunset.
A Trip to Avian Mars - The Weird and Wonderful Birds of Australia - Livestream - 11/16/2023 06:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Bay Area birders often visit the Australian Garden in the UCSC Arboretum to see the hummingbirds. A glance at the plants, however, quickly reveals that Australian plants the hummingbirds visit are distinct and, in some cases, even bizarre compared to what we are used to in our own flora. What about the birds that associate with these plants in Australia? What are these birds like? And what about Australian birds more generally?
For UC Santa Cruz professor Bruce Lyon, going to Australia to study and observe birds is like going to avian Mars - in many ways the birds there are so completely different from our birds that it feels like visiting a different planet. In particular, one is struck by differences in evolutionary history, behavior and ecology. Bruce will show a selection of photographs from a month-long visit to a field station/nature park near Melbourne in 2016 where he had the opportunity to immerse himself completely in the natural history of Australian birds. He will cover some of the broad-brush features that make Australia’s bird life different from most other places and he will present natural history vignettes of a few of the more charismatic species to give a sense of the diversity of birds, and their behaviors and breeding systems, that one might see in a typical temperate Australian woodland.
NightLife: Book Fair - 11/16/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Attention bookworms: Cue the nostalgia, because we’re bringing a good old-fashioned book fair to NightLife!
After Dark: Glow Opening - 11/16/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Be the first to find your bliss at the Exploratorium this winter! Join us tonight for the opening of Glow, our luminous seasonal exhibition exploring the beauty and science of light. Get cozy and curious among radiant artworks, some of them being shown in the US for the first time.Come create music with light, touch quantum physics, unveil hidden crystals, see yourself in mechanical mirrors, meditate on color in motion, and bask in the brilliance of a seemingly boundless moon.
Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: The United States of… Water - 11/16/2023 06:30 PM
Humble Sea Brewing Co Santa Cruz
On Earth, water naturally occurs in 3 states: liquid, solid, and vapor; all of which you can find in your kitchen.
But have you ever wondered what would happen if your microwave could heat a cup of water to temperatures greater than the surface of the Sun? What would happen if it were exposed to the crushing pressure of the Earth’s core?
Wonder no more, and dive in with us (pun intended) in our journey to explore the most exotic phases of water, and where to find them in the Universe!
Speakers: Artem Aguichine and Johathan Fortney, UC Santa Cruz
Prey-go-neesh Nes-kwe-chohl: California Condors Return to Yurok Country - Livestream - 11/16/2023 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Tiana Williams-Claussen, Director of the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, will join us and provide an update on the newly released population of California condor in Yurok country in far northern California, after conclusion of the first year of initial releases. She will also discuss biology of the birds, their cultural importance to the Yurok people, and next steps for condor reintroduction in the Pacific Northwest.
Equalizing Equity - 11/16/2023 07:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
Is it possible to create wealth AND foster social justice? Can investing in startups that close opportunity gaps for communities of color and low-income groups also be good business? Is it possible for venture capital to truly focus on a double bottom line?
Renowned venture capitalists and social activists Freada Kapor Klein and Mitchell Kapor are exploring these questions for companies and funds valued at millions and billions of dollars. Along with Liz Carey and Troy Cosey, they'll provide perspectives as entrepreneurs, investors, and social impact leaders.
Join us for an evening of thought-provoking ideas and actionable strategies, including a roadmap for creating wealth and addressing inequalities with companies that defy the assumptions of Silicon Valley venture capitalists and Wall Street financiers.
What to Expect
Insights and stories from the Kapors' book, Closing the Equity Gap: Creating Wealth and Fostering Justice in Startup Investing. A hard look at the challenges faced by entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities and how they have overcome them. Personal insights and stories behind remarkable companies that have achieved social and economic justice and significant growth.
Attend in person or online
Fungal and Animal Interactions - 11/16/2023 07:30 PM
Bay Area Mycological Society Berkeley
Todd Elliott grew up in the Southern Appalachians, and his passion for the natural world has led him to work as a naturalist, biologist, and photographer on six continents. His collaborations and publications from this research include the naming of more than 100 fungal species and five genera, and he is an author of the Timber Press field guide Mushrooms of the Southeast (USA). Todd’s most recent work involves the study of interactions between birds, reptiles, mammals, and fungi.
Come join Todd Elliott as he takes you on a globe-trotting adventure to see the many ways that fungi and animals interact. These associations have rippling ecosystem impacts for fungal, plant, and animal communities all over the world. Todd will cover fungal associations ranging from insects to apex predators and a multitude of fascinating interactions in between.
Friday, 11/17/2023
Morning Hike at Rancho Cañada del Oro - 11/17/2023 09:30 AM
Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve Morgan hill
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for an excursion where you’ll explore the Mayfair Ranch - Longwall Canyon trails of Rancho Cañada del Oro! You will be guided by POST Ambassadors who will share with you the history of the preserve, the region, and the importance of conservation in the area.
The hike is moderate to strenuous at about 4 miles round trip with about 700 feet of gradual elevation gain.
This wonderful preserve is a hub for wildlife, such as deer, bobcats, mountain lions, and more! In the Spring, you can expect a colorful array of wildflowers adorning the hillsides, and you may get a chance to see a beautiful little creek running through Llagas meadow.
Register at weblink
Scientific World Building: a Cascadian Example - 11/17/2023 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Menno Fraters, UC Santa Cruz
Insomnia Treatment: What Have we Learned and What do we Still Need to Know? - 11/17/2023 12:00 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, James Lin and Nisa Leung Seminar Room (E153) Stanford
Speaker: Charles Morin, Laval University
Attend in person, or click here to attend online.
Public Tours of Bodega Marine Laboratory - 11/17/2023 02:00 PM
UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Bodega Bay
These tours are led by our wonderful crew of ocean-loving docents, and visitors will learn about ongoing marine and coastal science research at Bodega Marine Laboratory and its history on the Sonoma Coast. Plus, you'll get to meet a variety of colorful and diverse ocean creatures.
The front gates will be open to allow visitors in from 1:45 until 3:45pm on Fridays. Please plan to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to your tour start time.
Public tours are only available by reservation on Eventbrite. If your preferred tour time is already full, you can place your name on a waitlist through Eventbrite to claim a spot if one becomes available.
Saturday, 11/18/2023
Holiday Mineral and Gem Sale - 11/18/2023 10:00 AM
Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Mineral and Gem Society annual holiday sale by members of the club. Come and see wonderful gifts of nature and art - gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals, and lapidary arts. Browse the bargains and pick up some great gifts for the holidays.
The sale supports the mineral and gem society and earth sciences education and scholarship. The Society is an all-volunteer California 501(c)3 non-profit incorporated in 1949. For more information, visit the society web pages:
http://scrockngem.org
and https://www.facebook.com/pg/scmgs, or email scruzmgs@gmail.com
Go On A Lichen Hike V2 - 11/18/2023 10:00 AM
Rock Spring Trailhead Stinson Beach
This hike was originally scheduled for Sept 23 (as part of Mt Tamalpais State Park Science Quest Day), but had to be cancelled. Folks who RSVP'd to the original hike will be given early access to sign up. Then Friends of Mt Tam Members and then the general public.
Come learn about the mesmerizing yet often overlooked world of lichens! We will meet at the Rock Springs trailhead, and walk a loop trail to meet some of the charismatic lichens of the area. These grow on rocks, trees, and on the ground. Participants will get to know certain lichen species, as well as lichen growth forms, and lichen ecology. The hike will be easy to moderate, with frequent stops to look at lichens. Bring a magnifying glass or hand lens if you have one - lichens are even more fascinating up close!
Register at weblink
Jazz Under the Stars - 11/18/2023 05:45 PM
College of San Mateo Bldg 36 San Mateo
Jazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us on the 4th floor observatory for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own KCSM 91.1. Founded in 1964, KCSM has grown to become one of the top 35 most listened to non-commercial stations in the US. With their help, the Astronomy department at CSM opens its observatory doors and balcony, for a night of science and fun! We operate for public viewing four 8” dobsonian telescopes, prefect for viewing the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. We also have a 140mm refractor, with which we view the craters on the moon. Finally, our 8’ schmidt-cassegrain is for our deep sky needs. It can peer deep into globular clusters, and nebulae! Our astronomers will also be available for questions and conversation, which you wouldn’t get anywhere else! Feel free to ask us your questions about the cosmos. Occasionally we even have the chance to image galaxies! Don't miss out, join us at our next Jazz Under the Stars!!
Weather dependent, check the weblink before attending.
City Public Star Party - 11/18/2023 06:00 PM
City Star Parties - Point Lobos San Francisco
Come join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers for an evening of stargazing at Land’s End! We meet at the USS San Francisco Memorial at El Camino del Mar parking lot
Telescopes will be set up to show you the craters and mountains of the Moon, planets, bright and colorful double stars, and deep sky objects including star clusters and nebulas!
SFAA members with telescopes are encouraged to attend and share their views of the stars with the general public.
Dress warmly. Rain, heavy fog and overcast skies cancel. Check the SFAA website for a cancellation notice before leaving for the star party.
Sunday, 11/19/2023
Holiday Mineral and Gem Sale - 11/19/2023 10:00 AM
Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Mineral and Gem Society annual holiday sale by members of the club. Come and see wonderful gifts of nature and art - gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals, and lapidary arts. Browse the bargains and pick up some great gifts for the holidays.
The sale supports the mineral and gem society and earth sciences education and scholarship. The Society is an all-volunteer California 501(c)3 non-profit incorporated in 1949. For more information, visit the society web pages:
http://scrockngem.org
and https://www.facebook.com/pg/scmgs, or email scruzmgs@gmail.com
Monday, 11/20/2023
Stem Cells and the MS in Biotechnology at Sacramento State - Livestream - 11/20/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Speaker: Alexis Arellano and Rana Ghobashy, UC Davis
Physics Condensed Matter Seminar - 11/20/2023 02:30 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Steve Dodge
Tuesday, 11/21/2023
Determining the age and origins of nuclear materials for nuclear forensics investigations - 11/21/2023 03:30 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Wednesday, 11/22/2023
The John and Mary Louise Riley Seminar Series at Bodega Marine Laboratory - CANCELED - 11/22/2023 11:00 AM
Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute
Saturday, 11/25/2023
Science Saturday: Monarch Madness - 11/25/2023 10:00 AM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
Family Astronomy: The Moon and Tides - 11/25/2023 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Monday, 11/27/2023
Paleoart and Scientific Illustration - 11/27/2023 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Quantum Textures of the Many-Body Wavefunctions in Magic-Angle Graphene - 11/27/2023 02:30 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
Control of movement in Hydra - 11/27/2023 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
UC Berkeley Physics Colloquium - 11/27/2023 04:15 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Energy Seminar: Fireside Chat with Sally Benson - 11/27/2023 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford