SciSchmoozing Waste & Words
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Bike sharing rentals seemed like a great idea and many millions of these bicycles were manufactured in China, clogging sidewalks and streets. Excess bikes numbering in the millions were rounded up and scrapped. This created tons of non-recyclable waste. This was a tiny trickle of the over 2 billion tons of waste created annually world-wide. Every year another 13 million tons of waste plastic enters our oceans. In less than 20 years, there will be more tons of plastic in the ocean than tons of fish. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and 15% of methane entering the atmosphere in the US comes from landfills. When Carmen and i order a take-out meal, it usually comes in a plastic bag and is, depending on the city, full of non-recyclable plastic containers of food. Some rare grocery stores provide numerous items in bulk and charge by the weight while subtracting the tare weight, i.e. the weight of the empty container you brought with you. Over 30% of food in the US goes to waste because of oversupply, over-purchase, cosmetic imperfections, etc. There is a local organization that is committed to reducing some of that waste: Imperfect Foods. Just sayin’.
SPACE
The Perseids are coming! The Perseids are coming! The Perseid Meteor Shower will peak August 9 - 13, with the best viewing after midnight. So pack some hot chocolate and blankets, invite a friend or three, and drive to a good dark viewing area. (Also see “My Picks” below for Saturday) My favorite location is Inspiration Point east of Berkeley, but the parking lot fills up during every meteor shower. Most of the meteors are the size of sand grains and burn up above 80 kilometers altitude, but the streaks across the sky are bright and magical. Those tiny rocks orbit the Sun in an elliptical stream and our Earth plows through that stream every year on the same date. ¿Where do they come from? They were shed from Comet Swift-Tuttle which completes its orbit every 133 years. If you hang around another 103 years, the comet will return with a brightness greater than any but a handful of stars.
Of the 5,000+ exoplanets discovered, only a few hundred are Earth-size. In our Solar System, however, three of the eight planets are Earth-size; a much higher ratio. It may be that planets as ‘small’ as Earth are more easily ejected from star systems. Ejected planets might even outnumber planets that are still bound to their mother stars. These ejected planets are called ‘Rogue Planets’ and there could be trillions of them roaming our Galaxy. Even though they wouldn’t receive warm sunlight, interior temperatures from geothermal fission in some of these rogue planets could keep their surfaces warm. Weird.
Andrew’s guess of 451 made him the winner of a model kit of a Strandbeest. This week we are raffling off a kit to build a tensegrity stand. Just send an email before noon Friday to david.almandsmith [at] gmail.com with an integer between 0 and 1,000.
SKEPTICISM
As an ex-president faces more charges, his public support grows. This is not at all mysterious to Marcel Danesi, professor of social semiotics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Toronto. His recent book is Politics, Lies and Conspiracy Theories: A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective. He posits that dehumanizing rhetoric, irony, suggesting implications, etc. change the cognitive functioning of audience members making it easier for them to perceive nonexistent threats and accept conspiracy theories. Similar themes were touched upon during a weeklong dive into the world of John F. Kennedy Jr. A team of researchers conducted a meta-analysis on belief in conspiracy theories and found that ‘believers’ had a tendency to: perceive threat and danger; rely on intuition; and being antagonistic and feeling superior. By studying the above sources, you too should be able to follow in the footsteps of some very powerful people.
A dietary supplement company, Balance of Nature, got caught suggesting overly rosy benefits of using their products and tricking folk into regular deliveries. They ended up paying $1.1 million in the settlement.
HEALTH
Imagine living in barbecue-loving Texas and becoming allergic to red meat! Blame the Lone Star Tick. There is a range map for the biting beasty on this website.
The Keeley Institute (1979 - 1965) fed gold to alcoholics to cure their condition. It was expensive and ultimately proved to be no more effective than other interventions. Now in 2023, gold is being used to cure cancers. The treatment is not yet ready for prime time but it's technologically fascinating.
My Picks of the Week (put reminders on your mobile phone)
– Shorebirds 2023 Livestream Monday 7 - 8:30PM
– Is Sports a Breeding Ground for Pseudoscience? Livestream Thursday 7:30PM
– HangOut with Richard Sanders: Skeptical Box of Tricks Saturday 3 - 4:30PM Berkeley
– Perseids Meteor Shower in North Coyote Valley Saturday 8pm - Midnight
– Perseids Meteor Shower Saturday 11:45 - 3AM Chabot Space & Science Center, $
– Bair Island Walking Tour Sunday 10AM - Noon Redwood City
ENVIRONMENT
Cristina comes from a coal mining family. She says her blood is as black as coal. She’s not from West Virginia; she lives in Spain. Her story takes us from the worst of coal mining to her involvement in restoring the landscape that was destroyed. I think you will enjoy it.
The International Seabed Authority decided to delay approvals for seabed mining operations in spite of considerable industry pressure to go ahead. Al Jazeera produced a 50-minute video on one such proposal to initiate seabed mining and the potential damage to deep sea ecosystems.
PALEONTOLOGY
¿A pterosaur with baleen? Well, a strainer is a strainer.
Fun Nerdy Videos
Grazing a goat in a circular field - Up and Atom – Jade Tam-Holmes – 1 min
Was the Boring Billion really so boring? - Geo Girl – Rachael Phillips – 1 min
Supplements and bunk - Cup O’Joe - Joe Schwarcz - 5 mins
Science News without the Gobbledygook - Sabine Hossenfelder - 17 mins
What does I.Q. actually measure? - Veritaseum - Derek Muller - 33 mins
Enjoy your activities this week (as you expand your empathy bubble),
Dave Almandsmith, Bay Area Skeptics
“Ours is a culture and a time immensely rich in trash as it is in treasures.”
― Ray Bradbury (1920 - 2012) American author and screenwriter
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 08/07/2023
The Heat Will Kill You First - 08/07/2023 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
The world is waking up to a new reality: wildfires are now seasonal in California, the Northeast is getting less and less snow each winter, and the ice sheets in the Arctic and Antarctica are melting fast. Heat is the first-order threat that drives all other impacts of the climate crisis. As the temperature rises, it is revealing fault lines in our governments, our politics, our economy and our values. Journalist Jeff Goodall says the basic science is not complicated: Stop burning fossil fuels tomorrow, and the global temperature will stop rising tomorrow. Stop burning fossil fuels in 50 years, and the temperature will keep rising for 50 years, making parts of our planet virtually uninhabitable. The hotter it gets, the deeper and wider our fault lines will open.
Goodell's book The Heat Will Kill You First is about the extreme ways in which our planet is already changing. It is about why spring is coming a few weeks earlier and fall is coming a few weeks later - and the impact that will have on everything from our food supply to disease outbreaks. It is about what will happen to our lives and our communities when typical summer days in Chicago or Boston go from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. A heatwave, Goodell explains, is a predatory event, one that culls the most vulnerable people; but that is changing - as heatwaves become more intense and more common, they will become more democratic.
As an award-winning journalist who has been at the forefront of environmental journalism for decades, Goodell might be his most provocative yet, explaining how extreme heat will dramatically change the world as we know it.
Speaker: Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone; Andrew Dudley, Commonwealth Club, Moderator
SCVAS Learn: Shorebirds 2023 - Livestream - 08/07/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Each summer, millions of Arctic breeding Shorebirds leave their northern nesting grounds and make their way toward southern wintering grounds. In Santa Clara County, we have many locations where dense clouds of these magnificent birds can be seen and admired as they arrive for the season. Others simply pass through on their way further south. Each species is truly unique yet identifying them can often be a challenge especially when they shed their colorful breeding plumage. Join SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder for an online class focusing on Santa Clara County’s diverse Shorebirds. Learn how to differentiate between the confusing “Peeps” and how to spot juvenile birds within the crowded flocks. We will dive first into the common species found here, and them move on to the rarer visitors and the challenges they present to birders. This class was first offered in 2021 and has been updated.
This is a three session class. See weblink
Thursday, 08/10/2023
After Dark: Conversations About Landscape - 08/10/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Tonight, join Mycelium Youth Network on an epic quest . . . to the magical realm of Oakland! As a part of their Gaming for Justice (G4J) program, MYN will present an interactive, virtual Dungeons and Dragons - based adventure that immerses players in one of several ecological and social movements from Oakland’s history. The G4J program offers youth and adults alike a way to imagine themselves as the heroes of the climate movement, and to build new worlds through imaginative game play.
Mycelium Youth Network (MYN) prepares East Bay youth - who are most vulnerable to and already feeling the effects of environmental racism - for climate change. Their programs draw on Indigenous traditions that emphasize youth environmental stewardship, in combination with a rigorous STEAM curriculum. MYN empowers youth to grow as visionary leaders and budding environmentalists, connect with ancestral teachings, and trust in the wisdom of the natural world.
Meteor Magic: Exploring the Perseid Meteor Shower - Livestream - 08/10/2023 07:00 PM
Peninsula Open Space Trust
The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most anticipated celestial events of the year, captivating skywatchers and astronomy enthusiasts around the world. It occurs annually from mid-July to late August, with its peak usually observed around the second week of August. Named after the constellation Perseus, from which they appear to originate, the Perseids treat us to a celestial spectacle like no other.
But what causes this mesmerizing display? We’ve reached out to our friend Dr. Samuel Singer to help uncover the starry mystery. We’ll also share a list of places you can go on your own to view the dazzling display in the Bay Area.
Join POST, Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, and astronomy educator Dr. Samuel Singer for a webinar that will uncover the astronomical history and science phenomenon of the Perseid meteor shower. This webinar will be interactive and provide the audience with many opportunities to ask Dr. Sam your cosmic questions.
Register at weblink to attend
Is Sports A Breeding Ground For Pseudoscience? - Livestream - 08/10/2023 07:30 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
Success and failure in sport are distinguished by increasingly smaller margins. In their pursuit of performance, athletes and coaches have become ever more experimental, leaving no stone unturned. But blunted critical faculties and lax consumer regulations have created a sporting culture where pseudoscience can thrive; thousands of products and services flood the market, all claiming to improve performance or promote recovery. Some are underpinned by rigorous science, most are not. The problem is exacerbated by pervasive social media which exploits flaws in human cognition, offers disproportionate influence to anti-science ideologies, and facilitates the spread of mis- and disinformation. What are the implications of this unregulated commercialist culture? And what are the possible solutions? In this talk, Dr. Nick Tiller (Harbor-UCLA) reframes the sporting world through the critical lens of science. From chiropractic to cryotherapy, sports shoes to supplements, Tiller scrutinizes some of sport’s most popular products and practices, offering a treatise on how skepticism (not cynicism) can reform sport and exercise and possibly save the world.
Speaker: Nicholas Tiller, Harbor-UCLA
See weblink to join the lecture
Friday, 08/11/2023
Exoplanet research, the First Year of Exoplanet Discoveries with the James Webb Space Telescope - SOLD OUT - 08/11/2023 08:00 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Speaker: Andy Skemer, UC Santa Cruz
Saturday, 08/12/2023
Hike at Windy Hill - 08/12/2023 09:00 AM
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve Portola Valley
Join POST on a guided hike on one of the first open spaces we protected as an organization! A POST Representative will share a few words about POST’s decades of conservation success before hiking groups leave to explore a strenuous but rewarding 6.5 mile hike with 1,500 feet of elevation gain.
Windy Hill was the first land protection project POST ever completed. Today, it’s an ideal spot for flying kites, walking dogs, mountain biking and horseback riding. The grassy ridge top of this popular 1,312-acre open space preserve is clearly visible from many spots along the Peninsula and is an ideal property to highlight POST’s work to expand the extensive recreational trail networks in our region.
All attendees must RSVP via Eventbrite. More detailed information regarding parking and meet-up locations will be sent out to all attendees prior to the event.
Register at weblink
Summer Science Fundays - Cal Taiko Band - 08/12/2023 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
As part of its season of summer programs and exhibits, The Lawrence Hall of Science will host ten Summer Science Fundays, each offering family-friendly shows, hands-on science activities, and more. Summer Science Fundays include events that will be familiar to Lawrence members and repeat visitors, and exciting new opportunities to explore science.
The Lawrence Hall of Science is UC Berkeley’s public science center, with a mission to inspire and engage through science discovery and learning in ways that advance equity and opportunity. In addition to exhibits and programs for kids and families, The Lawrence develops curricula and learning materials for educators and researches how kids learn science.
Aug 12 - Cal Taiko Band: UC Berkeley’s Taiko band will perform. Visitors will be able to experience the rhythm created by traditional taiko drumming. UC Berkeley students will play massive drums built from animal skins and ancient tree trunks. This troupe of youthful and energetic drummers will channel the heartbeat and spirit of their homeland and will talk about this cultural tradition that traces its roots back more than 1,000 years in Japan.
Summer is a bustling time at The Lawrence Hall of Science because our most important visitors are out of school, yet still brimming with curiosity. Our Summer Science Fundays provide a gigaton of fun and educational activities for families. Summer Science Fundays showcase local community organizations, including SaveNature, Cal Taiko Band, Les Aerielles, and more, to bring a variety of unique experiences to our visitors.
HangOut with Richard Saunders: The Skeptical Box of Tricks - 08/12/2023 03:00 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Ever wanted to learn how to bend a spoon just like the “psychics”? Or what about those people who use divining rods? Just how do they seem to be able to find water? Maybe you’d like to discover the truth behind those amazing patches and wrist bands that claim to improve your balance and strength. All these fascinating topics and more will be covered in this workshop hosted by one of Australia’s leading investigators into claims of the paranormal. As a bonus, Richard, expert in the ancient art of origami, will be teaching you how to make some classic paper models.
Speaker: Richard Saunders, podcaster, TV host
Held in Community Room
Lick Observatory Music of the Spheres - 08/12/2023 08:00 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Each year Lick Observatory brings world-renown musicians and astronomers to the summit of Mount Hamilton for a musical night to remember.
The event activities include:
ConcertAstronomy talk by world-renowned scientistsViewing through the historic 36-inch Great Lick Refractor telescopeViewing through the 40-inch Nickel Reflector telescopeAstronomy discussions with amateur astronomers and viewing through small telescopesPerformer: The Quitters
Speaker: Anna Nierenberg, UC Merced. Dr. Nierenberg’s primary areas of research are determining the nature of dark matter with strong gravitational lensing and star formation in the smallest galaxies.
Tickets go on sale at noon, May 8, 2023. Limit 4 per customer.
Perseids Meteor Shower in North Coyote Valley - 08/12/2023 08:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
It’s that time of year again... The Perseids Meteor Shower is headed our way!
Reserve your parking spot to join us for a family-friendly meteor shower viewing event at the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area! The Perseids Meteor Shower is one of the best meteor showers that can be seen from the Santa Clara Valley, with the potential to see up to 90 meteors an hour with 10-15 large and dramatic ones. These meteors emerge from the constellation Perseus and streak across the sky in stunning displays.
Tickets are for your parking space. You may bring as many people as you can safely fit within your vehicle (Please - NO buses or RVs). Bring water to drink, snacks, a blanket, beach or camp chairs to sit in, a flashlight, and warm clothing for the late hours of the evening. There will be porta potties available, but no water refill stations or other amenities.
Registration is required. See weblink for additional details.
Location will be provided after registration.
Perseid Meteor Shower - 08/12/2023 11:45 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Join Chabot astronomers for a watch party of one of most abundant meteor showers of the year, the Perseids. Every August, the Earth passes through the debris of the giant comet Swift-Tuttle, the origin of this famed shower. Named for the region of the sky where the shower appears to originate, the constellation Perseus, these meteors can be seen flashing across any part of the sky.
Join East Bay Astronomical Society Member Gerald McKeegan at midnight for a talk about the science behind the shower. Then head out to the Observation Deck for a night spotting meteor!
Advance purchase required. Bring warm clothing or optional blankets, chairs or sleeping bags. Poor weather plan: In the event of rain or complete cloud cover the event will be canceled and customers will receive refunds.
Sunday, 08/13/2023
Bair Island Walking Tour - 08/13/2023 10:00 AM
Bair Island Trail Parking Lot Redwood City
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a walking tour at Bair Island! You’ll be guided by POST ambassadors who will share the history of this beautiful protected space, information about the species that live there, and what you can do to contribute.
This easy 1 mile walk with little to no elevation gain will highlight the wetlands and the marine life that live within, such as: Endangered Ridgeway's rails and salt marsh harvest mice. Also cottontail rabbits, peregrine falcons, pelicans, egrets, terns, and stilts. We recommend bringing binoculars to catch sight of some of the beautiful birds at Bair Island.
Register at weblink.
Monday, 08/14/2023
2023 Drake Awards - 08/14/2023 06:30 PM
SETI Institute: SETI Talks Mountain View
The Drake Awards is the SETI Institute's annual celebration of SETI science and the field's pioneers. Join us in person in Menlo Park, CA, or virtually to honor this year's recipient Dr. John Rummel, together with a celebration of undergraduate recipients of the SETI Forward Award and the Carl Sagan Center Director's Award.
Dr. Moiya McTier, Author and Astrophysicist, will host this year's Drake Awards.
Prior to his recent focus on business with Friday Harbor Partners, John Rummel was a visiting scholar at McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law (Montréal) and a Senior Scientist with the SETI Institute. Earlier, he was the founding Director of the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy and retired as Professor of Biology at East Carolina University (Greenville, NC). This year he stepped down as the representative of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) to the International Science Council’s Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) where he was also the former (and founding) Chair of COSPAR’s Panel on Planetary Protection, and led the development of COSPAR’s unified policy and its current approach to addressing planetary protection concerns. More recently, Rummel represented COSPAR on The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group, which developed approaches to establishing a legal regime that would promote the orderly and productive use of in-space resources.
Attend in person or online. Register at weblink
SCVAS Learn: Shorebirds 2023 - Livestream - 08/14/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
Each summer, millions of Arctic breeding Shorebirds leave their northern nesting grounds and make their way toward southern wintering grounds. In Santa Clara County, we have many locations where dense clouds of these magnificent birds can be seen and admired as they arrive for the season. Others simply pass through on their way further south. Each species is truly unique yet identifying them can often be a challenge especially when they shed their colorful breeding plumage. Join SCVAS Executive Director, Matthew Dodder for an online class focusing on Santa Clara County’s diverse Shorebirds. Learn how to differentiate between the confusing “Peeps” and how to spot juvenile birds within the crowded flocks. We will dive first into the common species found here, and them move on to the rarer visitors and the challenges they present to birders. This class was first offered in 2021 and has been updated.
This is a three session class. See weblink
Space Weather and Human Exploration - 08/14/2023 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Join Leila Mays, deputy director, and Elon Olsson, software lead, from the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, to explore the science of space weather. Tracking eruptions and radiation from the Sun to storms rippling throughout the Solar System, they will combine beautiful visualizations of computer simulations with cutting-edge observations to reveal the latest in space weather research - including how they forecast its effect on human space exploration.
Elon Olsson will be the program’s interactive “pilot,” immersing attendees in powerful solar storms in the OpenSpace visualization platform on the Morrison Planetarium dome.
Tuesday, 08/15/2023
Popping the Science Bubble: Two talks - 08/15/2023 05:30 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Slowly changing dimensions and fast changing facts - the story of the traditional data warehouse - Livestream - 08/15/2023 06:00 PM
IEEE Computer Society of Silicon Valley
OSIRIS-REx is coming home - Livestream - 08/15/2023 07:30 PM
San Jose Astronomical Society
Wednesday, 08/16/2023
How copepods cope and sea stars survive: Understanding reslilence and vulnerability of marine animals in a changing climate - 08/16/2023 04:00 PM
UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Bodega Bay
Pirates, Baby Animals, & Living on All Algae Diet - 08/16/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Thursday, 08/17/2023
NightLife - 08/17/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: Sea Life - 08/17/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Building a Bird Friendly City - 08/17/2023 07:00 PM
David Brower Center Berkeley
Friday, 08/18/2023
Exploring the Art, Culture, and Science of Solar Eclipses - Livestream - 08/18/2023 07:00 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Sunday, 08/20/2023
Presidio: Changes Through Time - 08/20/2023 11:00 AM
The Presidio San Francisco
Monday, 08/21/2023
SCVAS Learn: Shorebirds 2023 - Livestream - 08/21/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society