Hello Science, Reason, and Irish for a day (or more), Inclined Readers,
I’m going to go much lighter this week. Last week was loaded with a lot of links and content.
I missed it last week but Feb 11 it was International Day of Women and Girls in Science. I personally think more than a month should be “allotted” for this rather than just a day. But keep in mind that today is the illustrious St. Pat’s Day and There have been many Irish scientists and inventors that should be given credit where credit is due! Scientists should have many days throughout the year dedicated to them! You might consider getting ready for Nov 10-17! Here’s one more article of stimulating thoughts and conversation.
Last week, science faired well at the Academy Awards with Oppenheimer taking the best picture award. Too bad women were so underrepresented. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it.
So let’s take a look at some upcoming opportunities coming in the next week. I think these look particularly interesting.
1- Virtual Tour: Caltrain Electric Trains Deep Dive Wed @ 12:30
2- The UFO Movie THEY Don’t Want You to See - Livestream Th @ 4:00
3- Rocketfest Wed 10:00-4:00 Oakland
4- Twilight Marsh Walk Sat @ 6:30 Fremont
5- Historic Women of Mycology - Livestream - 03/21/2024 06:30 PM
If you happen to be in Pacific Grove on Tues evening… If I had a Magic Wand…”Stories of how Hospice and Palliative Medicine can make wishes come true
Check out some of these…
SWOT Satellite Catches Coastal Flooding During California Storms
Trends in US public confidence in science and opportunities for progress
The future of US astronomy just dimmed by half
You should, whether you should go to see the eclipse or if you stay home to watch it, be making plans, time is short. Here are a few links for you to check out for info… Eclipsophile, and Immerse yourself
A request for you… Please share this with others. Have them subscribe. The only thing we get out of all of the work we do, Bob in particular, is the feedback and thanks we get from you and the satisfaction of getting the word out that science has something for all of us. Thanks for reading and all of the support you give in feedback and suggestions. Keep them coming!
Have a great week learning new cool things and enjoying old familiar things in a new way with new friends.
herb masters
“I’m the type of woman that if I want the Moon, I’ll get it down myself.”
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 03/18/2024
ab initio thermodynamics and beyond - 03/18/2024 02:30 PM
Birge Hall Berkeley
A central goal of computational chemistry is to predict material properties using first-principles methods based on the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. However, the high computational costs of these methods typically prevent rigorous predictions of macroscopic quantities at finite temperatures.
In this talk, I will demonstrate how to enable such predictions by combining advanced statistical mechanics with machine learning interatomic potentials.
Speaker: Bingqing Cheng, IST Austria
The Age of Human-Robot Collaboration: Deep-Sea Robotic Exploration - 03/18/2024 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
OceanOne is a robotic diver with a high degree of autonomy for physical interaction with the marine environment. The robot’s advanced autonomous capabilities for physical interaction in deep-sea are combined with the cognitive abilities of a human expert through an intuitive haptic/stereo-vision interface. OceanOne was deployed in several archeological expeditions in the Mediterranean with the ability to reach 1000 meters and more recently the robot was tested in challenging tasks at Deep Dive Dubai. Distancing humans physically from dangerous and unreachable spaces while connecting their skills, intuition, and experience to the task promises to fundamentally alter remote work.
Speaker: Oussama Khatib, Stanford University
Attend in person or register at weblink to attend online
Lessons from sleep in the deep: seal sleep at sea reveals clues to sleep's function and evolution - 03/18/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Dr. Jessica Kendall-Bar is a Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellow at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. Her research combines engineering, data science, ecology, and visualization to measure behavior and physiology of marine animals amidst a changing climate. For her dissertation, she developed a non-invasive system to record and visualize the first recordings of marine mammal sleep at sea, published in Science. She is an award-winning scientist, artist, and science communicator who designs data visualization courses, large-scale exhibits, immersive analytical tools, and decision support tools. Her data visualizations, published in local news outlets, The New York Times and The Atlantic, have informed international policy in domains ranging from marine mammal conservation to coral reef restoration.
Speaker: Jessica Kendall-Bar, UC San Diego
What Physicists Do Seminar - CANCELED - 03/18/2024 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Speaker: TBA
Programmable control of indistinguishable particles: from clocks to qubits to many-body physics - 03/18/2024 04:15 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Quantum information science seeks to exploit the collective behavior of a large quantum system to enable tasks that are impossible (or less possible!) with classical resources alone. This burgeoning field encompasses a variety of directions, ranging from metrology to computing. While distinguished in objective, all of these directions rely on the preparation and control of many identical particles or qubits. Meeting this need is a defining challenge of the field. There are several promising platforms that are targeting these capabilities, and I will focus on one such platform - optically-trapped neutral atoms.
Speaker: Adam Kaufman, University of Colorado, Boulder
Gaming and Inclusivity - 03/18/2024 05:30 PM
swissnex San Francisco San Francisco
Join us for a captivating exploration into the intersection of gaming and inclusivity at our upcoming event on Monday, March 18, 2024 and engage in a thought-provoking conversation with diverse figures from the vibrant gaming world, with the spotlight on storytelling.
Our panelists, including developers immersed in empowering storytelling through their artistic projects and a researcher delving into the societal potentialities of games, will share their experiences of inclusivity and empowerment within the gaming realm.
This event is an opportunity to gain insights from the creators shaping the narrative landscape and understand the broader social impact of gaming.
Experience a dynamic mix of testimonials and game showcases, providing a comprehensive exploration of how gaming serves as a powerful force for historically and socially invisible communities. Discover the hidden potential of storytelling in gaming and its ability to open new avenues for understanding diverse experiences.
Register at weblink
Tuesday, 03/19/2024
CRISPR: Opportunities and Challenges - Livestream - 03/19/2024 02:00 PM
UC Berkeley
Speakers:
Jodi Halpern: Bioethics and Medical Humanities in the UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program, Co-Founder and Co-Lead Berkeley Group for Ethics and Regulation of Innovative Technologies.
Leah Witkowsky: molecular biologist by training who has applied her knowledge to a subsequent career in scientific governance, ethics, and multi-perspective engagement. Executive Director of the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public at UC Berkeley.
Jodi Halpern and Leah Witkowsky will address the ethical challenges CRISPR presents and a framework for how to address them.
Register at weblink
Building the Next Era of the Internet - 03/19/2024 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Is it time for a vision of a better internet with a playbook to build the future?
The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship doesn’t have to die and can, in fact, be saved with blockchain networks. He separates this movement, which aims to provide a solid foundation for everything from social networks to artificial intelligence to virtual worlds, from cryptocurrency speculation - a distinction he calls “the computer vs. the casino.”
With lucid and compelling prose - drawing from a 25-year career in the software industry - Dixon shows how the internet has undergone three distinct eras, bringing us to the critical moment we’re in today.
Moderator: Kate Rooney, CNBC Technology Reporter
Attend in person or online
If I had a Magic Wand…” Stories of how Hospice and Palliative Medicine can make wishes come true - 03/19/2024 07:00 PM
Hopkins Marine Station Pacific Grove
A stethoscope and a magic wand both deeply listen to the heart, uncovering wishes more significant than a cure for the critically ill. Asking about these wishes reveals the most impactful gifts healthcare can offer, transcending traditional medicine. This approach, reminiscent of "The Little Prince," teaches us that true healing involves seeing with the heart, making healthcare a magical act of fulfilling deep-seated desires.
Speaker: Dr. Dawn Gross, UC San Francisco
Attend in person or register at weblink to attend online.
Illuminating Fungi - the Science of Fungal Bioluminescence - 03/19/2024 07:30 PM
Randall Museum San Francisco
Fungal bioluminescence was first described by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.), and continues to fascinate and puzzle scientists today. While over 100 species of fungi are known to produce luminescent mushrooms or mycelium, the chemical and genetic basis of the light-producing reaction was only recently discovered, and the reason these fungi glow remains somewhat of a mystery. Come learn about our current understanding of the evolution, ecology and biochemistry of this phenomenon. And yes, there will be lots of pictures of glowing mushrooms!
Speaker: Brian Perry, California State University East Bay
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Astronomy on Tap Tucson #96: Galaxies Going Bananas + Space Drafts Trivia! - 03/19/2024 07:30 PM
Astronomy on Tap
On tap this month, we have Steward Observatory graduate student Haowen Zhang talking about how galaxies in the early universe are going bananas! We’ll also be hosting another trivia game featuring a Borderlands gift card as a prize, and of course, you won’t want to miss the latest Astronomy in the News with Steward postdocs Jackie Champagne and Danny Krolikowski!
Wednesday, 03/20/2024
Toward Holistic Bioimaging to Elevate Human Health - 03/20/2024 12:00 PM
Stanley Hall Berkeley
Holistic imaging of diverse functional, anatomical, and molecular architecture that span multiple levels, from cells to an entire system, remains a major challenge in biology. In this talk, I will introduce a series of technologies that enable integrated multiscale imaging and molecular phenotyping of both animal tissues and human clinical samples. I will discuss how we engineer (1) the physicochemical properties of biological tissues, (2) molecular interactions, and (3) molecular transport all together to achieve integrated organ-wide 3D molecular analysis at unprecedented speed and resolution. I will also discuss how these technologies can be commercialized and deployed synergistically to study a broad range of biological questions.
Speaker: Kwanghun Chung, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New Directions in Greening Infrastructure - 03/20/2024 12:00 PM
Social Sciences Building Room 820 Berkeley
As the effects of climate change become more obvious, moving away from fossil fuels has only become more urgent. But to do so, new energy sources - and new infrastructure - are desperately needed.
The panel will feature Johnathan Guy, PhD Candidate in Political Science; Caylee Hong, a PhD candidate in Anthropology, and Andrew Jaeger, PhD Candidate in Sociology. The panel will be moderated by Daniel Aldana Cohen, Assistant Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley.
Register at weblink
Conservation Priorities and Environmental Offsets: Markets for Florida Wetlands - 03/20/2024 12:10 PM
Giannini Hall Berkeley
We introduce an empirical framework for valuing markets in environmental offsets. Using newly-collected data on wetland conservation and offsets, we apply this framework to evaluate a set of decentralized markets in Florida, where and developers purchase offsets from long-lived producers who restore wetlands over time. We find that offsets led to substantial private gains from trade, creating $2.2 billion of net surplus from 1995 - 2018 relative to direct conservation. Offset trading also generated new hydrological externalities. A locally differentiated Pigouvian tax would have prevented $1.3 billion of new flood damage while preserving more than two-thirds of the private gains from trade.
Speaker: Will Rafey, UC Los Angeles
Virtual Tour: Caltrain Electric Trains Deep Dive - 03/20/2024 12:30 PM
SF Planning+Urban Research Assoc. (SPUR)
In advance of the in-person tour of Caltrain’s new electric trains, join us for a deep dive into the ins and outs of this electrification project. This is an opportunity to learn more about the project and ask questions prior to the tour.
Sebastian Petty / Transportation Policy Manager, SPURBrent Tietjen / External Affairs Manager, Caltrain Electrification
Register at weblink
Berkeley Geographers’ multifaceted perspectives on California’s environmental change - 03/20/2024 03:30 PM
McCone Hall Berkeley
Berkeley Geographers have a long and proud history of research on the hydroclimate and geomorphology of California. In this talk by Geography faculty, we will feature work by Berkeley Geographers on this topic, including changes in the distant past, rainfall and other hydrological trends in modern times and future, and impacts on water resources and policy.
Speaker:John Chiang, Professor UC Berkeley GeographySpeaker:Laurel Larsen, Associate Professor,UC Berkeley GeographySpeaker:Kurt Cuffey, Professor,UC Berkeley Geography
Policy Advocacy for the Environment - Need, Progress, and Challenges - Livestream - 03/20/2024 03:40 PM
Estuary and Ocean Science Center
Speaker: Sheldon Gen, Professor, San Francisco State University
See weblink for Zoom information
How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age - 03/20/2024 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Why slow down as you get older?
Caroline Paul has always filled her life with adventure: From mountain biking in the Bolivian Andes to pitching a tent, mid-blizzard, on Denali, she has never been a stranger to the exhilaration the outdoors can hold. Yet through it all, she has long wondered, Why aren’t women, like men, encouraged to keep adventuring into old age?
Now she is sharing her quest to understand not just how to live a dynamic life in a changing body, but why she says we must. She dives deep into the current research on aging and highlights the results with the stories of women like 93-year-old hiker Dot Fisher-Smith, 80-year-old scuba diver Louise Wholey, 52-year-old BASE jumper Shawn Brokemond, 64-year-old birdwatcher Virginia Rose, and the many septuagenarian Wave Chasers who boogie board together in the San Diego surf. These women aren’t experts. But their experiences and the scientific studies that back them up offer important insight into our own physical and emotional health as we age, showing that growing older is no reason for women to sell themselves short. She’s chronicled it all in her new book Tough Broad, a high-spirited call for women to embrace the outdoors, not back away from it, in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond.
Speaker: Caroline Paul, Author; Julia Flynn Siler, Author and Journalist, Moderator
Communicating Algorithmic Science to the Public - 03/20/2024 05:45 PM
Calvin Laboratory Berkeley
Algorithms increasingly pervade every aspect of daily life. The importance of this societal development is widely acknowledged, but how much does the public understand about the underlying science? This panel discussion brings together a theoretical computer scientist with science communicators specializing in math and computer science, to explore the question of how to communicate algorithmic science to a broad audience.
Panel:
Alex Bellos is a British popular-science writer whose books have sold more than a million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages. He is the puzzle columnist for The Guardian, as well as one of the main presenters of the YouTube channel Numberphile, and has presented science documentaries for BBC Radio. He is currently writing a book about theoretical computer science for the general reader, which will be published by Knopf in the United States.
The Crossroads of Security, Privacy and AI Technologies - 03/20/2024 06:45 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
The need for security surrounds us with phishing emails, mobile phone scams and enterprise breaches all too familiar. Privacy concerns have become part of our culture from privacy statements (few read) on every website to high-profile social media CEOs testifying before the Senate. AI is impacting nearly every industry and has entered the mainstream consciousness with the advent of ChatGPT.Given this climate it’s important to understand the interplay between these technologies, resulting challenges and opportunities presented. Topics to be covered will be:
The relationship between security and privacy.A brief overview of their vendor landscapes.Innovative product solutions and techniques particularly those leveraging AI.Overcoming technical challenges when these areas collide (e.g. generative AI).
Speaker: Richard Schaefer, PrivacyCode.ai
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
NERD NITE SF #140: Mind n’ Melodies March - 03/20/2024 07:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
They say that music soothes even the savage beast, and while we can’t vouch for any beast-related benefits, we are excited to welcome the brain-tingling Dan McCalley and Shell Space to the stage for this month’s Nerd Nite!
Dan McCalley - “A New Era in Mental Healthcare: Brain Stimulation Therapy for Addiction and Beyond”
A (brief) history of alcohol and drug use throughout human society, a look at our previous (not-so-great) attempts to treat addiction, and a final pitch for how brain stimulation may bring about a new era of medicine for addiction and beyond.
Bio: Dan McCalley, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford. His research focuses on developing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, an FDA-approved depression treatment, for addiction.
Shell Space (Band) - “Nerd Rock”
A musical tour of nerdom, from literature to mathematics and everything in between.
Bio: Shell Space is a six-piece indie rock band birthed in Berkeley. Their songs reference Tilden Park, rectangles, and feldspar
Find Shell Space’s music here!
Beware of the Aliens! Studies on invasive plant pathogens at the Dominican University - 03/20/2024 07:30 PM
Marin Science Seminar San Rafael
Speaker: Wolfgang Schweigkofler, Dominican University
Thursday, 03/21/2024
Silicon Valley Leaders Symposium - Roger Crockett - 03/21/2024 12:00 PM
San Jose State University San Jose
Speaker: Roger Crockett, Founder & President, ROC Leadership Advisory at Western Digital Corp.
UC Berkeley Astronomy Colloquium - 03/21/2024 03:30 PM
Physics North Berkeley
Speaker: Adam Riess, Johns Hopkins University
The UFO Movie THEY Don’t Want You to See - Livestream - 03/21/2024 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
In an age when misinformation, alternative facts, and conspiracy theories have become mainstream, UFOs have become one of the most talked-about phenomena throughout popular culture. What is in our skies? What do we know, and how do we know it? And most importantly: Are we being visited?
Join us for a free Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream with Brian Dunning, the producer of the feature-length indie documentary film The UFO Movie THEY Don’t Want You to See. Dunning and host Kenny Biddle will talk about the science behind today’s UFO/UAP phenomenon, why Dunning made the film - which is available to stream now on Amazon Prime and other online platforms - as well as the reactions to it so far from the UFO community. What answers does science have to give us? Dunning and his film will tell us.
Register at weblink
At the Tipping Point: Promise to Our Planet 2024 - 03/21/2024 05:00 PM
Cooley Landing Education Center East Palo Alto
As we witness the far-reaching effects of climate change, from the retreat of Arctic ice to unprecedented heatwaves and ecological shifts, we acknowledge that we stand at a critical juncture. "At the Tipping Point'' delves into the dynamics of complex systems, emphasizing that seemingly small efforts can spark monumental change, altering the fate of our planet. Our event is a collective call to action, encouraging each of us to be the small yet impactful changemakers who play a part in reaching the positive tipping point in climate change.Join us for an enriching experience at our annual highlight event. We are privileged to present Davina Hurt, a distinguished member of the BAAQMD Board, as our 2024 Keynote Speaker and Katie Rueff as Master of Ceremonies.
This celebration is more than just an event; it's a convergence of knowledge, inspiration, and community. Be part of the movement as we come together to address the challenges our planet faces, share insights, and build a sustainable future. Act now, and let's tip the scales towards a healthier and more resilient planet for generations to come.
Event Schedule:
Networking Reception Electric Vehicles Expo Grassroots Ecology Learning Station Induction Cooking Demo with Chef Kelvin Briggs Presentation of the 2024 Champions of Promise Awards honoring local sustainability champions in our community Fund A Future segment to fundraise for Acterra’s community-based programs And more
Science on Tap: Ancient Ecology - Paleontology of California's Centeral Coast - 03/21/2024 05:30 PM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
Dive into the ancient world with an incredible panel of experts discussing fossils, paleontology, and local digs! Learn more about the tooth discovered in Santa Cruz last year from Santa Cruz Museum’s Collections Manager Kathleen Aston, explore current research happening with paleontologist Wayne Thompson, and get some great insights into other fossils, bones, and more with Archeologist and Tribal Liaison Mark Hylkema! Alvarado Street Brewery will be returning with delicious drinks, so it’ll be an amazing night with fantastic people. Our last Science on Tap sold out so be sure to reserve your seats today!
Register at weblink
Current and future sinkhole susceptibility in karst and pseudokarst areas of the conterminous United States - Livestream - 03/21/2024 06:00 PM
US Geological Survey Public Lecture Series
Speakers: Nathan Wood, USGS Western Geographic Science Center & Dan Doctor, Florence Bascom Science Center
Why It's Not Too Late: Rebecca Solnit and John King on the Climate Stories we Tell - 03/21/2024 06:00 PM
David Brower Center Berkeley
Writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit is the author of twenty-five books on feminism, environmental and urban history, popular power, social change and insurrection, wandering and walking, hope and catastrophe. She co-edited the 2023 anthology Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility. Her other books include Orwell’s Roses; Recollections of My Nonexistence; Hope in the Dark; Men Explain Things to Me; A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster; and A Field Guide to Getting Lost. A product of the California public education system from kindergarten to graduate school, she writes regularly for the Guardian, serves on the board of the climate group Oil Change International, and in 2022 launched the climate project Not Too Late (nottoolateclimate.com).
John King is The San Francisco Chronicle’s urban design critic, a post that touches on everything from the city’s changing skyline to the urgent need for the Bay Area to take a more proactive and thoughtful approach to adapting our shorelines to future sea level rise. A two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism, he also is the author of “Portal: San Francisco’s Ferry Building and the Reinvention of American Cities,” published in 2023 by W.W. Norton.
NightLife is a Drag - 03/21/2024 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Sashay into a night of greatness and glam as we celebrate the undeniable impact and artistry of drag.
After Dark: Illumination - 03/21/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Explore the wonders of light with 650+ interactive exhibits and brilliant conversations led by scientists. Play with your brain’s perception at Adapting to Color, investigate the mystery behind the Monochromatic Room, and prepare to have your mind blown by Bright Black. Don’t miss the talk between science journalist Joshua Sokol and cosmologist Dr. Aparna Venkatesan about the consequences of our rapidly changing night sky, and a discussion about urban lighting design for human and ecological health.
Historic Women of Mycology - Livestream - 03/21/2024 06:30 PM
Sonoma County Mycological Association
Join us on a journey through history, as we take a look at the lives and often overlooked contributions of the women who came before us. From groundbreaking research to pioneering discoveries, we will shed light on the work of trailblazing women who defied societal norms and made significant contributions to our understanding of fungi and their impact on the world. Gain insight into their lives, challenges and enduring legacies that continue to inspire and empower us.
Speaker: Alisha Millican, Alabama Mushroom Society, University of West Alabama
See weblink for Zoom link
Exploring the Perth Mint: Australia's Treasured Legacy - Livestream - 03/21/2024 06:45 PM
Peninsula Gem and Geology Society
See weblink to gain access to the meeting if you are not a member
What an Owl Knows - RESCHEDULED - 03/21/2024 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
Human’s fascination with owls was first documented in the cave paintings at Chauvet in southern France. With their forward gaze and quiet flight, owls are often a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and foresight. But what does an owl really know? And what do we really know about owls? Some 260 species of owls reside on every continent except Antarctica, but they are far more difficult to find and study than other birds because they are cryptic, camouflaged, and mostly active at night. Jennifer Ackerman explores the rich biology and natural history of owls and examines remarkable new scientific discoveries about their brains and behavior.
Speaker: Jennifer Ackerman, author
Editor's Note: This event has been rescheduled for July 18, 2024
The Importance of Islands to Avian Evolution - Livestream - 03/21/2024 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
Islands play a key role in both the evolution of new avian species and the extinction of others. Because islands are isolated land masses, species which arrive on islands evolve separately from their parent group and through genetic drift eventually become unique. At the same time, because island species are restricted to small areas and have small populations, they are also susceptible to chance events like hurricanes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and rising sea levels - and human-caused pressures. This talk focuses on issues unique to islands and how we might protect island species.
Speaker: Bob Lewis, birder
See weblink for Zoom information
Friday, 03/22/2024
Designing Advanced Nanocatalysts by Looking at Atoms and Molecules on Reactive Surfaces - 03/22/2024 02:00 PM
Etcheverry Hall Berkeley
Clarification of the nature of active sites at both solid-gas and solid-liquid interfaces has been a long-standing question in surface chemistry, holding paramount significance in crafting innovative catalytic materials that demand minimal energy consumption. A bimetallic Pt alloy, or mixed catalyst, is an excellent platform to uncover the contentious role of the metal metal oxide interface because the alloyed transition metal can coexist with the Pt surface layer in the form of an oxidized species on the bimetal surface during catalytic reactions. The real-time imaging of catalytically reactive atomic sites using operando surface techniques, including ambient pressure scanning tunneling microscopy, can reveal the nature of reactive sites on the catalytic surfaces.
In this talk, I present in-situ observation results of structural modulation on Pt-based bimetal catalysts and mixed catalysts and its impact on the catalytic activity.
Speaker: Jeong Young Park, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Room 3108
Can Psychedelics Catalyze Genius in the Sciences and Arts? - 03/22/2024 07:00 PM
The Berkeley Alembic Berkeley
Dr. Bruce Damer is a scientist who had a major breakthrough, catalyzed by his ayahuasca and other psychedelic experiences, in which he saw how life might have originated. Presented to colleagues and appearing in published journal articles, the vision has crystallized into solid science that grapples with one of the greatest mysteries in human inquiry. Two years ago Dr. Damer took the reputational risk to reveal his methods in the hope that it would inspire others in science, tech, design, and leadership to come forward and share their psychedelic stories. The Center for MINDS was born as a result, a new research and community organization pursuing this next path for psychedelic studies and practice. Dr. Damer will describe his journey and share how the new organization could catalyze not only innovation but top-to-bottom societal change for a brilliant and long future.
Speaker: Bruce Damer, UC Santa Cruz
Saturday, 03/23/2024
Morning Hike at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve - 03/23/2024 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.
Register at weblink to attend.
Rocketfest - 03/23/2024 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Blast off to Chabot Space & Science Center for a day filled with hands-on fun! The Center is hosting our first-ever Rocketfest. These feats of engineering allow us to send satellites into orbit, study Earth’s upper atmosphere and eventually send humans to other planets. Discover more about rockets through hands-on activities, live science demonstrations, special guest speakers and more!
Native vs. Non-native at Vasona - 03/23/2024 10:30 AM
Youth Science Institute Los Gatos
Meet various native and non-native animals of Santa Clara County. Learn about the critical roles the native animals play and the negative effects the non-native ones play. Have an up-close interaction with some amazing critters!
Ages 7 - 12
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren)
Junipers Junior Naturalist Family Flower Day - 03/23/2024 10:30 AM
Bouverie Preserve Glen Ellen
Want to learn more about flowers? How to identify them? Figure out what pollinates them? Do some observational drawing? Join us for a day all about flowers at Bouverie Preserve. We will stroll through the various habitats of the preserve to find all the flowers we can. And who knows what else we might see along the way!
The whole family is invited to enjoy this Junipers Junior Naturalist adventure together.
Bring water and a sack lunch. Dress for walking outdoors. Please register in advance.
Twilight Marsh Walk - 03/23/2024 06:30 PM
Don Edwards Refuge Headquarters & Visitors Center Fremont
Take a relaxing walk in an area that often has striking sunsets while learning about the Don Edwards SF Bay Refuge.
Experience the salt marsh at twilight on an easy stroll along refuge trails (about .6 miles). At the setting of the sun we will observe the beginning of nature’s night shift. Come discover the sights, sounds, and smells of the refuge as night descends. Not suitable for young children. Tickets are limited. If you are not able to attend please cancel through this website. You can also call 510-377-5659 for help if you cannot cancel and someone on the waitlist will be notified. This program is led by Mary and Gene Bobik.
Very Small Interplanetary Spacecraft - Crazy and Crazier - Livestream - 03/23/2024 07:30 PM
East Bay Astronomical Society Oakland
This research project began with a simple question: what is the smallest spacecraft that can deliver a cell phone camera to within one diameter of a near earth asteroid, take a few thousand pictures, and then return to earth and download the images? Two proposed solutions have emerged, both weighing less than 0.1 kg: BLISS - the Berkeley Low-Cost Interplanetary Solar Sail, and BEARS - Berkeley Electrospray Autonomous Robotic Spacecraft.
The spacecraft are designed with off-the-shelf technology, including sensors from cell phones for inertial and image sensing, solar cells and a LiPo battery, redundant radiation-tolerant computation, and both RF and laser communication. We assume that swarms of thousands of such spacecraft will be deployed, and that a mission failure rate of 50% for individual spacecraft is acceptable, allowing for aggressive optimization.
Some simulations of spacecraft trajectories and performance will be presented, as well as some speculation on the theoretical limits to performance of such spacecraft.
Speaker: Kristofer S. J. Pister, UC Berkeley
Attend in person or Watch here.
Sunday, 03/24/2024
Coastal Walk at Pillar Point Bluff - 03/24/2024 10:00 AM
Pillar Point Bluff Parking Lot Moss Beach
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful walk at Pillar Point Bluff just north of Half Moon Bay! You will be guided by POST ambassadors who will share details about the area’s interesting natural history, from the coastal scrub habitat to the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve which hosts tide pools and breeding grounds for harbor seals.
The walk is moderate at about 2.5 miles round trip with about 300 feet of gradual elevation gain.
In 2004, POST stepped in to fund protection of the Bluff, restore it to ecological health, and construct a 1.6-mile section of the California Coastal Trail that now runs across it. Today all 161 acres of the Bluff are fully protected in perpetuity - a process that took four transactions, 11 years of work, and an array of visionaries, landowners, and donors, both public and private.
Register at weblink
Monday, 03/25/2024
Sonoma State University Biology Colloquium - 03/25/2024 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Speaker: TBA
Exploring the High-Redshift Universe with Millimeter-Wave Line Intensity Mapping - 03/25/2024 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
Answering outstanding questions in cosmology - such as understanding the physics of inflation, dark energy, and reionization - requires observations of ever-increasing volumes of the universe. In this talk I will discuss a new technique for measuring large volumes at high redshift: line intensity mapping (LIM) of far-IR emission lines from galaxies.
Speaker: Dr. Kirit Karkare, SLAC
Attend in person or via Zoom (see weblink)
What Physicists Do Seminar - CANCELED - 03/25/2024 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Speaker: TBA
Tuesday, 03/26/2024
AI and Science for Climate Symposium - 03/26/2024 11:30 AM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
Wonderfest: BLACKBERRY and Corporate Psychology - 03/26/2024 05:00 PM
Cameo Cinema St. Helena
Uncovering the Ocean's Deepest Secrets - Livestream - 03/26/2024 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
Mushroom Parasites - 03/26/2024 07:30 PM
Bay Area Mycological Society Berkeley
Wednesday, 03/27/2024
Carbon cycling and oxygen dynamics at the seafloor - Livestream - 03/27/2024 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
AI and Science for Climate Symposium - 03/27/2024 11:30 AM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
Leveraging Medical Discourse to Answer Complex Questions - 03/27/2024 06:45 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
Science on Tap: From Healthy Whales to Healthy Oceans - 03/27/2024 07:00 PM
Museum of Art and History Santa Cruz
Healthcare Simulation Lab: Empowering future medical providers through healthcre simulations - 03/27/2024 07:30 PM
Marin Science Seminar San Rafael
Thursday, 03/28/2024
Molecular Scale Engineering of Polymer Membranes for Environment, Energy and Health - Livestream - 03/28/2024 12:00 PM
California Section American Chemical Society
Reinventing Cities: Can zero-carbon development play a role in San Francisco’s recovery? - 03/28/2024 12:30 PM
SF Planning + Urban Research Assoc. (SPUR) San Francisco
NightLife - 03/28/2024 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: See for Yourself - 03/28/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Will AI Be Humanity’s Last Act? - 03/28/2024 06:30 PM
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive Berkeley
Science Is a Piece of Cake: Astronomy Cake-off - 03/28/2024 07:00 PM
KQED, The Commons San Francisco
Friday, 03/29/2024
Public Astronomy Viewing Nights - 03/29/2024 08:30 PM
Sonoma State University Public Astronomy Rohnert Park
In Town Star Party - 03/29/2024 08:45 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Saturday, 03/30/2024
A Night for Beginning Astronomers - 03/30/2024 07:00 PM
Muir Woods Community Clubhouse Mill Valley
Sunprint Kit Celebration at the Lawrence Hall of Science - 03/30/2024 10:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Through the Looking Glass Pilot - 03/30/2024 10:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Science Saturday: Dino Day! - 03/30/2024 10:00 AM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
Stewardship Saturday: Experiencing Fish Kitchen - 03/30/2024 11:00 AM
Marine Mammal Center Sausalito
Afternoon Hike at Mindego Hill - 03/30/2024 03:00 PM
Mindego Hill Trail Head Redwood City
Sunday, 03/31/2024
Through the Looking Glass Pilot - 03/31/2024 10:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Solar Observing - 03/31/2024 01:30 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Science on Tap: Ancient Ecology - 03/31/2024 05:30 PM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
Monday, 04/01/2024
Through the Looking Glass Pilot - 04/01/2024 10:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Symbolic Systems Forum - 04/01/2024 12:30 PM
Margaret Jacks Hall (Bldg 460) Stanford
What Physicists Do Seminar - CANCELED - 04/01/2024 04:00 PM
Sonoma State University - What Physicists Do Rohnert Park
Opening Windows into the Cell: Bringing structure to cell biology using cryo-electron tomography - 04/01/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
AI & the Humanities: AI is Weird - 04/01/2024 05:00 PM
Stephens Hall Berkeley
The Formation of New Worlds and the Building Blocks of Life - 04/01/2024 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco