Hello again Science Fans!
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the trial of John T. Scopes, a science teacher. Scopes was accused of breaking a new Tennessee law that effectively banned the teaching of human evolution. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, although that verdict was later overturned on a technicality. But the trial and widespread publicity surrounding it highlighted the differences between fundamental religious beliefs and modernists, science, and education. Reprecusions are still being felt today. Dr. Heather Cox Richardson provides some historical context that proves interesting given the anti-science mood in our current Federal government.
On Friday, I returned to the US from a month in Germany where I was visiting my Ukrainian refugee friend and her daughter. Prior to my trip, when I mentioned to various people that I was going to Europe, invariably they asked if I felt safe doing so, and wondered what the vibe would be there with respect to Americans. I can report that this was a non-event. At most, I was looked at with a sympathetic eye. There is concern among Europeans about the wisdom of coming to the US to visit, but I was welcomed everywhere and I had a very enjoyable time.
Back in March, a study was published looking at the insertion of the Human “Language Gene” into mice. The result showed different vocalizations between the modified mice and regular mice and also shows how having this gene may have given an evolutionary advantage for Homo sapiens versus Neanderthals and Denisovans who did not have it.
Gene editing was also in the news for humans. K. J. Muldoon, a 9 1/2-month old baby boy became to the first human to be healed with personalized gene editing. He was born with a rare genetic condition, CPS1 deficiency, that causes ammonia to accumulate in his blood. There are two points to this story. The first is that this was groudbreaking research and development, successfully done in record time. The second is that the technology used was developed with Federal funding, the same type of funding now being cut by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and his counterparts in other agencies.
Kennedy is also making false statements regarding the chickenpox vaccine, drawing correlations between the vaccine and shingles that don’t exist, as well as claiming that Europe doesn’t use the vaccine. It does.
This is hardly the only example of Federally- funded research developing life-saving or -enhancing technology. Here are nine examples of technology that affects all of us, developed with Federal money. We can’t imagine life without some of these developments today.
The Trump administration has told scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York to vacate their building at Columbia University by the end of the month, with no other place to go. This center is almost as old as NASA, and the work done there is critical to environmental record keeping, among other things.
Living as we do in the seismicaly active west coast, it is concerning to note that the people who monitor the geology of the Pacific Northwest, the US Geological Survey, are being cut off from funding. At risk are earthquake monitoring and early warning systems, as well as tsunami warnings, volcanic monitoring, and solar storm forecasting. A major quake could result in many more deaths without the work being done on our behalf by these scientists.
Meanwhile, “Mommy”, a Galápagos tortise estimated to be around 100 years old, became a first-time mother when four of her eggs hatched at the Philadelphia Zoo.
In West Orange, New Jersey (my hometown growing up), a hawk has figured out how to use traffic signals to ambush its prey. Very clever!
Waaay out in space, NASA engineers have managed to revive Voyager 1’s backup thrusters, which had not been used in 21 years. Voyager 1 has been in operation for nearly 50 years having been launched in 1977.
Dr. Alex Filippenko has provided some information about three upcoming celestial events that you might find interesting:
(1) May 28: The waxing crescent Moon will be close to Jupiter in the
early evening sky. Look to the west-northwest about 20-30 minutes
after sunset. The Moon will be about 8 degrees above Jupiter, which
will appear like a bright star. You'll need a low, clear horizon (no
trees, buildings, hills, or clouds). 8 degrees is roughly half the
angular distance between the tips of your thumb and little finger,
when looking at your outstretched hand with fingers fully separated.
"Earthshine" (sunlight reflected from Earth to the Moon, and back
to Earth again) will illuminate the dark part of the Moon.
(2) June 26: The young Moon (just 1.5 days after new moon and only 4%
illuminated) will be visible very shortly after sunset, close to the
planet Mercury (which is generally hard to find). Look to the
west-northwest about 20-30 minutes after sunset. If skies are clear
and you have no obstructions on the horizon, you'll see the very
thin Moon slightly above the horizon. Faint Mercury will be about
4.5 degrees to its upper left. The two will fit in the same field of
view of 10 x 50 binoculars, providing a more detailed view.
(3) June 26: Starting about 45 minutes after sunset (but not later
than about 2 hours after sunset), look to the west at the waxing
crescent Moon and you'll see reddish Mars directly above it, separated
by about one Moon diameter (the exact amount will depend on where
you're located and the time at which you look). The view will be
especially nice through binoculars.
I leave you with a prescient quote from Carl Sagan, proving again his briliance. Have a great week in Science!
Bob Siederer
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Tuesday, 05/27/2025
A Power Supply to Remove Machine Learning Transients from the Grid - Livestream - 05/27/2025 10:30 AM
Stanford University
The rapid growth of AI is straining the existing power grid. In response to the challenges presented by AI, the Bits & Watts Initiative is launching a new flagship program on Sustainably Powering AI and recently selected six research projects to support with seed grants. In this webinar, Prof. Philip Levis will introduce his seed grant project.
Electricity used for today’s machine learning training workloads can peak at 10 megawatts or even multiples of that. Then, when the computers stop processing to communicate their results, their power demand drops to about a fifth of their peak load in microseconds. These huge, synchronized load swings introduce enormous problems to the electric grid. This project seeks to research and build a power supply mechanism that ensures a computing rack’s load does not change quickly due to its energy storage. Data center operators have told the researchers that such a power supply would be much better than their current strategies to deal with the problem.
Speaker: Philip Levis is Professor of Computer Science and of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Optimizing Sleep for Peak Athletic Performance - Livestream - 05/27/2025 12:00 PM
Stanford University
Speaker: Peijun Wen, South China University of Technology
The origin of animals from a unicellular perspective - 05/27/2025 12:00 PM
Braun (Geology) Corner (Bldg 320), Rm 220 Stanford
Metazoans appear to have evolved and diversified during an ~200 million year window (around 800 - 600 mya) during the Neoproterozoic Era. At this time, much of the Earth system was in flux - it included 70 million years of the global Snowball Earth glaciations, a massive influx of sediment and nutrients, and the rise of atmospheric oxygen. All of these have been proposed to be the cause of animal multicellularity but we do not know which, if any, of these earth system changes were important for the origin multicellularity. A unicellular prospect may help identify what was important for the origins of animals. The ecological changes that come with multicellularity involve changes in the dominant physics that the organisms experience. Here I explore what ecologically important shifts in physics occur due to the environmental changes occurring in the Neoproterozoic. Using the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta, I quantify how motility, feeding rates, and temperature-metabolic scaling, change as a function of temperature and viscosity and how their observed biology compares with a general mechanistic theory that shows how multicellularity can generate ecological advantages in high seawater viscosity. This work provides some clues and testable hypotheses for how animal evolution could have proceeded during the time after their origin but prior to their fossil record.
Speaker: Carl Simpson, Stanford University
Attend in person or online (see weblinkj)
Laser Spectroscopy of a Nucleus - 05/27/2025 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
In 1976 Kroger and Reich established the existence of a low-lying nuclear excited state in 229Th through the spectroscopy of ? rays emitted following the ? decay of 233U. The prospects of a laser-accessible nuclear transition touched off a flurry of proposals to utilize this apparently unique nuclear transition as a sensitive probe of both nuclear structure and chemical environment, to constrain physics beyond the Standard Model, and to construct a clock with unprecedented performance. Unfortunately, Kroger and Reich could only tell us that the transition energy was less than about 100 eV and therefore scientists have spent the intervening 48 years searching for the thorium nuclear transition.
Eric will present his efforts over the last 16 years to construct the first thorium-doped crystals and their use to perform nuclear laser spectroscopy, resulting in a measurement of the nuclear transition energy as 8.355733(2)stat(10)sys eV in 229Th:LiSrAlF6. This talk will also discuss recent work observing the nuclear transition in thin films of 229ThF4; ongoing work to understand and harness the effect of the crystalline host on the isomeric transition; and the next steps for using this transition to probe new physics and build better clocks. This work was funded by the NSF and ARO.
Speaker: Eric Hudson, UC Los Angeles
Gray Whale Tales: Insights Into a Recent Unusual Mortality Event - Livestream - 05/27/2025 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
With numerous gray whale strandings in the news in recent weeks, it’s a good time to put them in the spotlight. Marine biologist Barbie Halaska will lead us on a celebration of their incredible natural history. She will draw from her deep experience in performing necropsies and share how they help scientists learn more about the species and offer insights into the recent Unusual Mortality Event (2018 - 2023).
Speaker: Barbie Halaska, Marine Mammal Center
Register at weblink
Wonderfest Ask a Science Envoy: Smartphone Seismology & Histamine Neurology - 05/27/2025 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with enhanced communication skills and aspirations. Following short talks on provocative modern science topics, these two Science Envoys will answer questions with insight and enthusiasm:
UC Berkeley seismologist Savvas Marcou on Smartphones Map Ground Shaking in Our Neighborhoods - California is earthquake country. Everyone would love to know how much shaking the next temblor will deliver to their neighborhood. Fortunately, the humble smartphone, available in everyone’s pockets, can record and map ground shaking patterns in unprecedented resolution, and may transform how we think about the next big earthquake.
Stanford neuroscientist Ashley Moses on Rethinking Histamine: From Molecule to Motivation - Though primarily known for its role in allergies, histamine influences cognition, mood, and sleep, as well. In fact, this understudied molecule is indispensable for brain health. By studying histamine’s role in motivated behaviors, we can uncover groundbreaking insights into neurological problems like depression, Parkinson’s Disease, and stress disorders.
Wednesday, 05/28/2025
Role of atmosphere-ocean-ice interactions in a changing climate - 05/28/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Lily Hahn, UC San Diego
Advancing Realistic Chemical Risk Assessment: Evaluating Relevant Mixtures and Soil Test Species for Environmental Protection - Livestream - 05/28/2025 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Join us for the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory Seminar Series, featuring speakers from within the marine sciences community and beyond.
Speaker: Kayode Jegede, UC Davis
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Astronomy on Tap, Baton Rouge - Black Holes - Livestream - 05/28/2025 05:00 PM
Astronomy on Tap
Scientists are making “black holes” in the lab!
Speaker: Paula Calizaya Cabrera
Fantastic black holes and how to find them
Speaker: Eric Borowski
The Dreams and Nightmares of OpenAI - 05/28/2025 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Trailblazing AI journalist Karen Hao comes all the way from Hong Kong to San Francisco to discuss the issues raised in her new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI. Hao tackles the hard-hitting questions many people are afraid to face about the disruptive power of artificial intelligence and the forces driving its rapid ascent.
A longtime AI insider with unparalleled access to OpenAI and its key players, Hao has spent years investigating the industry’s hidden costs - human, environmental, and geopolitical. As a journalist whose award-winning work has been cited by Congress and featured in leading publications such as The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and MIT Technology Review, she has become one of the most authoritative voices on AI today.
Now Hao pulls back the curtain on the tech arms race reshaping our world in real time. From the breakneck rise of OpenAI and its Faustian bargain with Microsoft to the global supply chains powering AI’s insatiable appetite for data, energy and human labor, she reveals the staggering scale of the industry’s ambitions - and its consequences. With exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, including the dramatic firing and reinstatement of Sam Altman (a highly public corporate drama that began just days after Altman talked AI ethics on the Commonwealth Club stage), Hao will discuss not just a corporate saga but a crucial examination of the future of power, technology and society itself.
Join us for this urgent and thought-provoking conversation about the past, present, and future of AI - what’s at stake, who stands to gain, and who is being left behind.
Speaker: Karen Hao, Author; Nitasha Tiku, The Washington Post
Attend in person or online
Alicia John-Baptiste - SF's Chief of Infrastructure, Climate, and Mobility - 05/28/2025 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
Join Alicia John-Baptiste, San Francisco’s first Chief of Infrastructure, Climate, and Mobility, as she covers a range of topics from her strategic vision for SF's infrastructure to innovations in mobility and transportation to how she plans to tackle the city's ambitious climate goals and more. John-Baptiste is committed to shaping bold, transformative policies alongside her vision for a sustainable, equitable, and future-ready San Francisco. John-Baptiste has an extensive background in urban policy and public service, most recently serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR),
Choosing the Best Telescope: Panel of SFAA observers help navigate the myriad of options - 05/28/2025 07:00 PM
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers San Francisco
There are many reasons to buy a telescope. Perhaps you want to get your kids interested in science. Or you may want to dabble in astrophotography. Or maybe you want to have a telescope placed prominently on your deck, so your guests will be impressed with your technical prowess.
We are holding a special event just for you! Join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers as a panel of telescope experts present the various options, in a way that you can understand. We will also have plenty of time for Q&A, and live demonstrations. If that isn't enticing enough, also note that this event is free, and snacks will be provided. This is too good to pass up!
Science at the Edge of the Solar System: Uncovering the Secrets of the Pluto System and Arrokoth - 05/28/2025 07:00 PM
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series Los Altos Hills
Ten years ago the New Horizons spacecraft flew by the Pluto system and revealed an unexpectedly diverse range of landscapes on the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon, implying complex geological histories for these distant worlds. Dr. White will lead a tour of their often bizarre terrains, some of which are still evolving, and will explain what processes scientists think molded them into their present appearances. After a brief stop at Pluto's four small moons, Dr. White will then extend the tour 2 billion km farther out into space to cover Arrokoth, the tiny planetesimal that New Horizons flew past three and a half years after visiting Pluto. It is the most primitive object in the Solar System yet visited by a spacecraft.
Dr. Oliver White is a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute. His research focuses on unraveling the geological histories of the planets and moons in our Solar System and learning how their surfaces have evolved. A member of the New Horizons mission team, he is particularly interested in the icy outer Solar System worlds, and has produced a geological map of Pluto to be published by the US Geological Survey. He is currently creating a similar map of Saturn's moon Tethys.
Science on Tap: Humanity’s best chemist: studying how Nature makes molecules - 05/28/2025 07:30 PM
Museum of Art and History Santa Cruz
How can we synthesize complex molecules more efficiently? Biosynthesis is the study of how microbes and organisms make molecules, which can inspire new methods to access therapeutic compounds. In this seminar, we will discuss some of the strategies used to find the enzymatic machinery that perform interesting chemical transformations in the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds. Additionally, we will discuss how these reactions can be harnessed as biocatalysts to complement current synthetic organic chemistry settings for greener chemistry. Join us as we dive to the microbial scale to study how Nature does chemistry!
Speaker: Jennifer Cordoza, UC Santa Cruz
Thursday, 05/29/2025
Space in the Bay Area: Research, Technology and the Commercialization of Space - 05/29/2025 09:15 AM
The Historical Klamath San Francisco
The Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium (BASIC) and the Bay Area Council Economic Institute invite you to the release of their new report Space in the Bay Area: Research, Technology, and the Commercialization of Space. Globally recognized as a leader in technology and innovation, the region is less well known as a national and global center for space activity. It is home, however, to world-leading research and production activity that continues to make its mark on astronomy, deep space exploration, and the development of the commercial space industry. Across this spectrum universities, federal laboratories, venture investors, and large and small private companies are applying the scientific, innovation and entrepreneurial skills for which the Bay Area is known to answer fundamental questions about the universe, carry humans into space, and increase our knowledge of Earth through a fast-growing commercial satellite industry.
Join us for a discussion of the report’s findings and the future of space exploration by Bay Area research and industry leaders including:
Eugene Tu (Director, NASA Ames Research Center)
Bill Diamond (President & CEO, SETI Institute)
Kim Budil (Director, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
Carol Burns (Deputy Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
Kathy Yelick (Vice Chancellor for Research, UC Berkeley)
Darek DeFreece (Executive Director, Berkeley Space Center)
Stephen Robinson (Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UC Davis)
Alison Nordt (Director, Space Science and Instrumentation, Lockheed Martin)
Christian Keil (Vice President, Astranis Space Technologies)
Stefan Feistanauer (Ventures Senior Associate, Plug and Play)
Ric Mommer (Space Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit).
Registration is required.
Integrated Energy Systems for Underserved Communities - 05/29/2025 01:30 PM
Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2) Stanford
June Lukuyu is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington affiliated with the UW Clean Energy Institute, a co-investigator with the eGUIDE initiative and a fellow with the Energy for Growth Hub and Kigali Collaborative Research Center. Her work centers on developing practical solutions for creating sustainable, inclusive, and integrated energy solutions for underserved communities using transdisciplinary approaches. Her expertise supports policymakers seeking equitable, community-focused energy transitions that combine technical and socio-economic perspectives.
Titan’s Missing Deltas? What Cassini Saw - and What It Didn’t - Livestream - 05/29/2025 02:30 PM
SETI Live
Why are Titan’s river deltas missing? Planetary scientist Beth Johnson chats with Brown University’s Sam Birch to explore a strange and unexpected mystery on Saturn’s largest moon. Using data from NASA’s Cassini mission and advanced computer modeling, Birch’s team reveals that Titan's shorelines defy Earth-like expectations. Despite Titan's known rivers and seas of liquid methane, the team found a surprising absence of deltas - landforms typically formed when rivers deposit sediment at their mouths. This finding challenges existing geological expectations, as deltas are common on Earth where rivers meet larger bodies of water, and suggests that Titan's geological and climatic processes differ significantly. This discovery opens new avenues for research into Titan's sediment transport mechanisms and its potential to preserve signs of past environmental conditions or even life.
From Conspiracy Theorist to Debunker - Livestream - 05/29/2025 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
Battling misinformation and pseudoscience in the modern information age is necessary (and sometimes thankless) work. The need for engaged, effective science communicators is greater than ever, especially in the online media spaces where conspiracy theories and pseudoscience thrive.
Join us for a Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream with Dan Wilson, the biologist and science communicator behind the Debunk the Funk with Dr. Wilson YouTube channel. Wilson will discuss his experiences debunking pseudoscience and misinformation online and what works - and doesn’t work - when talking to people who believe in or spread misinformation. He’ll also discuss how he got started and his thoughts on the future of science literacy.
Register at weblink to attend
Governing the Net Zero Transition - Planning, Markets, and Financial Governance in China and India - Livestream - 05/29/2025 04:30 PM
Stanford University
Successful transitions to net zero for China and India are critical if the world is to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement. Their starting points - including the structure of their economies and institutions - are very different. Consequently, their approach to the governance of the transition will have to diverge.
In this talk, based on ongoing research by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Chief Economist Erik Berglof will present the strategies and governance architecture adopted by the two countries - what they have set out to achieve and how they have approached the implementation so far. The objective is to showcase the spectrum of policies that are available to policymakers and identify lessons for the rest of the emerging and developing world.
Speaker: Erik Berglof, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
See weblink for connection information
NightLife - 05/29/2025 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
When the lights dim, the museum comes alive at NightLife. With live DJs, hand-crafted drinks, glowing lights, and 60,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.
Plus, you can:
Explore our two newest exhibits, Dino Days and Unseen Oceans: Roam among 13 life-size animatronic dinosaurs in our outdoor gardens then embark on a journey to the deep sea with interactive activations and glowing supersized models.
Step inside the iconic Shake House earthquake simulator and our four-story Osher Rainforest, where you can explore the Amazon’s treetops surrounded by free-flying birds and butterflies.
Venture into our aquarium exhibit Venom to encounter live venomous animals and learn the power of venom to both harm and heal.
Bask in the glow of one of the largest living indoor coral reef displays in the world: our 212,000-gallon Philippine Coral Reef habitat.
Take in the interstellar views from the Living Roof, then grab a bite from the Academy Café and head to the West Garden to drink and dine under the stars.
After Dark: Tapestry - 05/29/2025 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month and QTAPI (queer & trans Asian-Pacific Islanders) Week at After Dark! Dive into the rich history of fiber arts, and explore queer and trans AAPI perspectives both locally and globally. Enjoy a deluxe drag show featuring performers from the Bay Area’s most beloved API drag houses, immerse yourself in works from local artists, and more.
Climate action in San Francisco - Pollution, Policy, and People Power - 05/29/2025 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
Join the San Francisco Environment Department for a lively panel discussion on climate action in San Francisco and beyond. 2024 was the hottest year on record, and climate-changing emissions are rising. But San Francisco has a track record of leadership, having cut its emissions almost in half since 1990.
In 2025, San Francisco is updating its climate action plan to lay out near-term actions to cut polluting emissions. Panelists will discuss the vital roles of policy and public engagement, particularly around the city’s two largest sources of emissions - transportation and buildings - and how government at all levels can work with community members to keep climate action moving.
Audience questions are welcome, and you will have the opportunity to weigh in on how you would like to see San Francisco lead.
State Senator Scott Wiener (invited)
San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar (invited)
Dr. Philip Fine, Executive Officer, Bay Area Air District
Tyrone Jue, Director, San Francisco Environment Department
Space is limited! Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot.
Friday, 05/30/2025
Morning Hike at Bear Creek Redwoods - 05/30/2025 09:00 AM
Bear Creek Redwoods Los Gatos
A POST volunteer will share a few words about POST’s decades of conservation success before the hiking group explores a strenuous but mostly shaded 5.4 mile hike with ~900 feet of elevation gain.
In one of the county’s best preserved, second-growth coastal redwood forests, we’ll also pass extensive areas of Douglas fir and oak woodland, as well as a few remaining old-growth redwoods. The proximity to the San Andreas fault results in a unique geology and landscape, while there are many remnants of a rich cultural history of the region. The park is also home to a wide variety of mammals, birds and reptiles, some of which might be spotted along the trails.
RSVP at weblink to attend
Geophysical and Planetary Physics Lecture - 05/30/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Darie Holdenreid-Chernoff, UC Berkeley
Saturday, 05/31/2025
Science Saturday: Native Plants - 05/31/2025 10:00 AM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
This event will delve into the rich diversity and significant ecological importance of California's native flora. Engage in a variety of activities, from games, talks, to scavenger hunts. You will discover how these remarkable plants support local wildlife, contribute to the overall health of ecosystems, and enhance the beauty of our natural landscapes.
Perfectly designed for individuals of all ages, this event offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of the vital and indispensable role that native plants play in our environment. Don’t miss this exciting chance to connect with nature and learn about the importance of preserving our rich natural heritage!
Grass Identification and Appreciation Walk - 05/31/2025 10:00 AM
Bouverie Preserve Glen Ellen
This hike will be led by Michelle Cooper, Modini preserve manager and resident biologist from our stewardship team. We will look at native and non-native species, discuss identifying characteristics and look for shifts in community richness and composition at various locations. This is a great opportunity to learn a little about the grasses we see around us at Bouverie Preserve.
Plant ID at Sanborn - 05/31/2025 10:30 AM
Sanborn Science and Nature Center Saratoga
Join YSI as we walk through the Sanborn trails, look for various plants, and learn how to identify them! Are they native? Medicinal? Edible? Poisonous? Join us to find out!
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register at weblink
Ages 7 - 12
Stewardship Saturday: Experiencing Fish Kitchen - 05/31/2025 11:30 AM
Marine Mammal Center Sausalito
This free program for high school students features rotating events along our 600-mile range exploring various realms of conservation.
Join us for an extra Stewardship Saturday in the month of May! During this exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunity you will have the chance to support our hard-working volunteer crews during our pup season. Our patients are consuming up to 1,000 pounds of fish per day during this time of the year - that’s a lot of mouths to feed and a lot of fishy dishes. We will be preparing food for these animals and upkeeping kitchen sanitization tasks, allowing you a glimpse into what it is like to be one of our committed animal care volunteers. Our hope is that you leave this event with an increased understanding of patient needs, and some goals for what you can do to support our ocean.
See weblink for additional information and to register
Sunday, 06/01/2025
InsectPalooza - The Art and Magical Science of Arthropods - 06/01/2025 12:00 PM
Minnesota Street Project San Francisco
Join us for this free family-friendly event to get up close and hands-on with live animals from SaveNature.Org’s Insect Discovery Lab!
You will be able to:
MEET INSECTS & ARTHROPODS
Meet a variety of arthropods from around the world, like the Australian Walking Stick, the Giant African Millipede, Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, and many more!
MAKE INSECT & NATURE-THEMED ART
Local guest artists will guide you in making insect-inspired art! Open to all ages with materials provided.
GO ON A CULINARY ADVENTURE with our special mealworm chocolate chip cookies!
Solar Observing - 06/01/2025 02:00 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
It’s there for us year round, lighting our days and providing energy for our lives, so maybe it’s time to give it a closer look. Join SJAA for amazing and detailed views of the Sun, and be assured that we’ll be using special telescopes that will keep your eyeballs perfectly safe.
We’ll have white-light telescopes with dense solar filters that reveal sunspots. Further, we’ll show you hydrogen-alpha telescopes that isolate a very specific color of red that reveals prominences (often thought of as solar flares) and intricate texture within the Sun’s chromosphere (its atmosphere).
We can also share with you a little about how the Sun works and how complex magnetic fields drive the number of sunspots and prominences that we’ll see on a given day.
Around 2:15, we'll have a short, informal introductory talk, and at other times, you can enjoy the views and ask questions about the Sun, telescopes, or astronomy in general.
Monday, 06/02/2025
Quintupling global energy end-use efficiency by integrative design - 06/02/2025 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
Switching from fossil and nuclear power to cheaper solar and windpower can double or triple primary energy efficiency. Most analysts think another doubling is available in further conversion to delivered global energy services. But "integrative design" can raise that twofold to fivefold by optimizing buildings, vehicles, and factories as whole systems for multiple benefits, not as isolated parts for single benefits. Practical examples illustrate this proven, profitable, and powerful way to make the transition to clean energy severalfold quicker, cheaper, and easier.
Speaker: Amory Lovins, Stanford University, Rocky Mountian Institute
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Revealing Dark Matter with Strong Gravitational Lensing - 06/02/2025 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
The overwhelming majority of matter in our Universe is believed to be an unknown new ‘dark’ particle that exists outside the standard model of physics and does not interact with light. An important goal of modern physics is to understand what this particle is. Dr. Nierenberg will provide an overview of the observational evidence for the existence of dark matter, introduce strong gravitational lensing - where space-time is bent by massive objects - and conclude by explaining how we are using this phenomenon to gain new insights into the nature of dark matter with the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Keck Observatories.
Speaker: Anna Nierenberg, UC Merced
Tuesday, 06/03/2025
Triggering the Unknown: Model-Independent Discovery with Intelligent Detectors - 06/03/2025 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Energy Transition Leadership Seminar: Halliburton CEO, Jeff Miller - 06/03/2025 04:30 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, Gunn Rotunda (E241) Stanford
Muscle, The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters - 06/03/2025 05:30 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Wednesday, 06/04/2025
Whole Earth Seminar - 06/04/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Good Grief: The 10 Steps - Film Screening and Climate Anxiety Workshop - 06/04/2025 01:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Unraveling the Eelgrass Microbiome: From Controlled Lab Experiments to Field-Scale Patterns - Livestream - 06/04/2025 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
The State of…Sex - Conversations on Connection, Kink, and Healing - 06/04/2025 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
Thursday, 06/05/2025
Smart Grid Seminar - Rescheduled - 06/05/2025 01:30 PM
Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2) Stanford
How Rocks on Mars Tell the Story of a Vanishing Climate - Livestream - 06/05/2025 02:30 PM
SETI Live
After Dark: #FAIL - 06/05/2025 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
NightLife: Inked - 06/05/2025 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Friday, 06/06/2025
Hike at Calero County Park - 06/06/2025 09:30 AM
Calero County Park San Jose
Flashing Lights in Speeding Grains; Catch me if you can - 06/06/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
First Friday at Curiodyssey - 06/06/2025 05:00 PM
CuriOdyssey San Mateo
Sound Memories: A Global Dialogue on Preserving Memory Through Sound - 06/06/2025 05:45 PM
swissnex San Francisco San Francisco
First Friday: Pride - 06/06/2025 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Saturday, 06/07/2025
First Saturday: Free Tour of the Santa Cruz Arboretum - 06/07/2025 11:00 AM
Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden Santa Cruz
Deliciously Smart: Regenerative Eating with Delicious Future - 06/07/2025 03:00 PM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Twilight Tales at the Refuge - 06/07/2025 07:00 PM
Don Edwards Refuge Environmental Education Center Alviso
City Public Star Party - 06/07/2025 08:30 PM
City Star Parties - Tunnel Tops Park San Francisco