Greetings Fans of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,
Are you feeling like some of your most trusted guideposts are under attack? It does seem like what we are fans of here is under a real threat these days. How do you decide what to believe, is going on in the world makes sense or is in all of our best interest? What is this thing we call "fact checking"? It certainly seems important to me. We seem to have arrived at one of those times in history when looking from the inside out, it's hard to imagine that there are two pretty distinct routes, and a lot of nuance, to the future. It's becoming harder for me to read one article or watch one program without wondering how it looks from another angle, or the other side of history. How can there be such an incredible disagreement about how the universe works at our local and personal levels? How can there be such disagreement and lack of respect? How can there be such a lack of perspective?
First, in case you missed it, Al Gore at San Francisco Climate Week is, I think, worth your time. (Note that I jumped to his speech and skipped the pleasantries!-) Here is a list of some others that I think merit attention...
Unprecedented budget cuts to US science
NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones
Scientists working on disrupted national climate and nature assessments aren’t giving up.
What are the long-term impacts for the United States and the world?
There are things to be done. Have you considered any of these?
As always, the SF Bay Area has an amazing range of opportunities to learn and get involved. This time of the year it's hard to choose. Here are a few of many that I think are worth your consideration...
The 3M Model of False Belief - Livestream - 05/15/2025 4:00 PM
CuriOdyssey Weekend Workshop: Marine Marvels - 05/17/2025 01:00 PM
A special announcement!!! Skeptics in the Pub is returning this coming Tue evening. This is a casual night of socializing and feasting with fellow Bay Area folk in an Irish Pub on the Peninsula. It’s a place where you can meet interesting people and discuss Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking over a finely crafted Guinness and some excellent food in Millbrae.
Here are two interesting takes on one item... We seem to be having a difficult time with what look like conflicting interpretations of something that seems pretty similar... Consider these A first-of-its-kind survey reveals just how glued kids are to their phones and Study: Kids With Smartphones Are Less Depressed, Anxious, Bullied Than Peers Without Them. Normally I would ramble on more but there are many sources out there writing about some of what seem to be big challenges these days. So I offer up what I think are some items I hope you may find interesting. Maybe they will spark some conversations. Hopefully some disagreement too!
But wait... There's more...!
A Philosophy of Planetary Computation: From Antikythera to Synthetic Intelligence
The Ocean Spectacle that Has Entranced Sailors for Centuries
The janitor who changed the world of science
Fitness Doesn’t Have to Be about Denial and Shame
The Origins of some Travel Superstitions
Forests taking longer to recover from severe ‘megafires’ since 2010
Whale Songs Obey Basic Rules of Human Languages
Whales could one day be heard in court—and in their own words
What rhymes with “critically endangered”?
Ultimate Battle! Moray Eel vs. Pufferfish
A Series of Fortunate Events' with Biologist Sean B. Carroll
Rutger Bregman - “Moral Ambition”
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 05/12/2025
Neuroforecasting reveals how individual choice can generalize to aggregate choice - 05/12/2025 12:30 PM
Stanford Symbolic Systems Forum Stanford
Progress in neuroimaging research has allowed researchers not only to predict diverse individual choices, but also to forecast some of those choices out-of-sample at the aggregate scale (e.g., on the internet). Surprisingly, sampled brain activity sometimes supports better forecasts than sampled behavior. For instance, neuroforecasting research on crowdfunding and video viewing suggests that sampled Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) responses, but not sampled behavior, forecasts the popularity of choice options on the internet.
Speaker: Brian Knutson, Stanford University
See weblink for instructions for entering the building.
GEOS: A Multi-Physics Simulation Framework for Subsurface Applications - 05/12/2025 12:30 PM
Green Earth Sciences Building Stanford
Since 2011, GEOS has evolved into a collaborative effort involving Total Energies and Stanford University (joined in 2018), Chevron (joined in 2023), and contributors from numerous academic institutions and national laboratories.
Speaker: Nicola Castelletto, Lawrence Livermore National Labs
AI (R)evolutions in Observational Astronomy - 05/12/2025 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
AI and machine learning have found applications in many fields, and astronomy is no exception. But while some see AI as an overhyped toy and others as an existential threat, astronomers have been using it for a while, out of necessity. With an overwhelming influx of data, these tools provide essential automation to facilitate discovery in observational astronomy.
Speaker: Dovi Pozananski, Tel Aviv University
Attend in person or watch online (See weblink)
Chromatin-Mediated Regulation of Metabolic and Genomic Stability - 05/12/2025 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Ashby Morrison, Stanford University
Clark Auditorium
Measuring the most important figure of merit in a lithium metal battery - 05/12/2025 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
Work on solid electrolytes for rechargeable lithium-based batteries is motivated by the potential benefits of lithium-metal anodes for a variety of applications, including electric vehicles. Dendrite formation has been the key challenge preventing commercialization of rechargeable lithium-metal batteries, so establishing, validating, and improving the dendrite resistance of electrolytes is a key enabler of progress in the field.
Speaker: Tim Holne, QuantumScape
Tuesday, 05/13/2025
Do microbes care about landslides? Using geomorphic models to inform stocks and cycling of soil organic carbon - 05/13/2025 12:00 PM
Braun (Geology) Corner (Bldg 320), Rm 220 Stanford
Soils play a central role in the global carbon cycle and constitute a key component of natural climate solutions that require quantitative predictions of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at local to regional scales. In hilly and mountainous settings, variations in uplift and stream incision generate gradients in erosion and hillslope morphology that control soil properties and sediment transport processes that impact the abundance and persistence of SOC. We use topography, geomorphic mapping, theoretical models, and soil biogeochemical analyses to inform our understanding of SOC stocks and cycling.
Speaker: Josh Roering, University of Oregon
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Artificial Humanities: Centering Fiction - 05/13/2025 12:30 PM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
Artificial humanities is an interdisciplinary research framework for understanding the cultural, philosophical, and ethical dimensions of AI. This approach explores how the humanities - literature, history, and art - can deepen our understanding of artificial intelligence and its development. The talk will consider the role of fictional narratives in technology.
Speaker: Nina Beguš, UC Berkeley
Register at weblink to either attend in person or receive a Zoom link
Exploring the Nature of Habitable Sub-Neptunes: From Lab to Theory - 05/13/2025 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Sub-Neptunes, planets ranging in size between Earth and Neptune, are the most abundant type of exoplanets discovered to date. However, their nature remains enigmatic, as no such planets exist in our Solar System. Sub-Neptunes are hypothesized to be either bloated terrestrial planets (“super-Earths”), miniature giant planets (“mini-Neptunes”), or perhaps something in between, such as “water worlds.”
Speaker: Xinting Yu, University of Texas San Antonio
From Photons to Ions: The Electric Heart of the Artemis Lunar Space Station - 05/13/2025 06:00 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
Presented by Jordan Gormaly and Ian Johnson, Maxar Space Systems
Whether you’re a space enthusiast, student, or aerospace professional, this talk offers a unique opportunity to hear firsthand how industry is contributing to the next era of human space exploration. Maxar Space Systems engineers Jordan Gormaly and Ian Johnson, will give an inside look at the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) spacecraft - the first vital component of NASA’s Lunar Gateway, a key part of the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon.
Register at weblink to attend.
Character Building - Bridging Code and Culture through Unicode - 05/13/2025 07:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
While many of us can seamlessly text and type in our native language, millions around the world lack that ability. Most living languages are not fully supported on digital platforms, raising a critical question: How can we ensure that every language - and the communities that speak them - can fully participate in the digital world?
Attend in person or online. Tickets at weblink
Skeptics in the Pub - 05/13/2025 07:00 PM
Fiddler's Green Millbrae
This is a casual night of socializing and feasting with fellow Bay Area folk in an Irish Pub on the Peninsula.
Please join us! This is a free event brought to you by Bay Area Skeptics. All are welcome.
Wonderfest: Ask a Science Envoy: AI Memorization; Frog Secrets - 05/13/2025 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:
Stanford computer scientist Nicole Meister on Has ChatGPT Memorized the Internet? - Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, have recently gained widespread popularity.
Stanford biologist Jenni Serrano Rojas on Unraveling Frogs’ Secrets for Conservation - Biotelemetry tools are revolutionizing our study of animals, from the largest to the tiniest species.
Birding New Zealand - 05/13/2025 07:30 PM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Pacific Grove
New Zealand is home to a unique and fascinating avifauna, with many species found nowhere else on Earth. Its isolation has led to the evolution of an extraordinary array of endemic birds, from the iconic Kiwi to the rare Kakapo. John will share highlights from his birding journey through New Zealand’s diverse landscapes.
Speaker: John Tsortosis an avid birder and amazing photographer.
This event was originally listed for May 10, 2025
Wednesday, 05/14/2025
The Fundamental Physics of the Onset of Frictional Motion: How does friction (or an Earthquake) start? - 05/14/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Jay Fineberg, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
What Ecology can teach you about keeping a moral compass - CANCELED - 05/14/2025 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Speaker: Heidi Weiskeo, International Union for Conservation of Nature
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Energy and Resources Group Colloquium - 05/14/2025 04:00 PM
Giannini Hall Berkeley
Speaker: Cris Crespo & Jess Kersey
Thursday, 05/15/2025
Lunch Break Science - Livestream - 05/15/2025 11:00 AM
The Leakey Foundation
Lunch Break Science is a dynamic live web series featuring fascinating short talks, engaging interviews, and lively Q&A with Leakey Foundation scientists. Each episode digs deeper into the latest human origins discoveries, with topics like Neanderthals, chimpanzee behavior, and more!
See weblink to join
What if the origin of life isn’t a one-in-a-billion cosmic fluke, but something that happens whenever the conditions are just right? Scientists have identified over 270 self-replicating chemical reactions that may have sparked life, not just on Earth, but potentially anywhere in the universe.
WATCH ON FACEBOOK! WATCH ON YOUTUBE!
Passport to Kingdom Fungi (+ Morels on the Mind) - 05/15/2025 06:00 PM
Sebastopol Grange Sebastopol
Come join us for our last general meeting of the season as we get ready to go morel hunting! We’ll also be celebrating Dr. Gordon Walker’s new book: Passport to Kingdom Fungi! Gordon is one of SOMA’s board members and our Scholarship Committee Chair, and he will present a fun and broad overview of the fungal kingdom, covering the incredible variety of forms, lifestyles and ecological niches they inhabit worldwide.
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
After Dark: Ride On - 05/15/2025 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Get ready for a wheely fun time! Celebrate Bike to Wherever Day by riding over to the Exploratorium and learning about the science of bikes, fascinating historical bicycles, ways to get involved with your local bicycle groups, and more.
Ages 18+
NightLife: Jewish American Heritage Celebration - 05/15/2025 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
For Jewish American Heritage Month, we invite you to share in the richness and diversity of Jewish culture, art, and stories in this celebration curated by Value Culture. Take in genre-crossing live performances showcasing the Jewish diaspora, ranging from a viral rap sensation to Yiddish music that pays homage to a time gone by.
Placing Worlds and Suns in Context - Livestream - 05/15/2025 06:00 PM
Night Sky Network
Speaker: Eric E. Mamajek, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
See weblink for connection information
Nest Building: Creating Lasting (Birding) Community - Livestream - 05/15/2025 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Bird Alliance
Chelsea Connor will be sharing her thoughts and perspectives on “Nest Building”. No, not bird nests per say, but rather the spaces we build to create a lasting community with our fellow birders.
The 3M Model of False Belief - Livestream - 05/15/2025 4:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
False beliefs are rampant throughout our culture - and imminently consequential, influencing election outcomes and being used to justify any number of policy decisions. So why do so many people cling to such consequential beliefs, even when they’re demonstrably untrue? While many have cited everything from anti-intellectualism to mass delusion to explain this phenomenon, Joe Pierre points to the “3M Model” to understand.
Join us for a Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream with Joe Pierre, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and author of FALSE: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things That Aren’t True.
Register at weblink.
Friday, 05/16/2025
Sleep in the wild: cyberinfrastructure, visualization, and biosensors to assess physiology and behavior - 05/16/2025 12:00 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, James Lin and Nisa Leung Seminar Room (E153) Stanford
Speaker: Jessica Kendall-Bar, UC San Diego
Attend in person or click here for Zoom
Geophysical and Planetary Physics Lecture - 05/16/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Eric Beauce, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
Sequence to Solutions: Creating a Healthier World - 05/16/2025 02:00 PM
Seymour Marine Discovery Center Santa Cruz
Twenty-five years ago, the Human Genome Project released the first draft of the human genome sequence, a moonshot accomplishment that UC Santa Cruz played a heroic role in getting over the finish line. It is also the anniversary of the UC Santa Cruz Genome Browser, one of the most widely used resources for genomics worldwide.
RSVP at weblink
Saturday, 05/17/2025
Stanford Health Matters - 05/17/2025 09:00 AM
Stanford School of Medicine Campus Stanford
We look forward to welcoming you to Health Matters - the free annual community health event hosted by Stanford Medicine - where you can learn about the latest advances in medicine, health, and wellness. Join us on the medical school campus on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Can’t join us in person? Our Health Talks will be livestreamed.
Tinkerfest - 05/17/2025 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Celebrate the curious, creative and inventive spirit in all of us!
Tinkerfest brings together makers, artists, and tinkerers to showcase their work while inviting attendees of all ages to join in DIY fun. During this two-day event, the entire Center will be filled with activities that highlight creativity and curiosity.
Super Scaly Critters - 05/17/2025 11:00 AM
Youth Science Institute Los Gatos
Reptiles are some of the most unique animals in the world! Come learn about them and meet live animals that represent this scaly group. Meet local and exotic species that you will even get a chance to pet!
A registered adult must accompany their child(ren) for this event.
Register at weblink
Ages 4 - 12
CuriOdyssey Weekend Workshop: Marine Marvels - 05/17/2025 01:00 PM
CuriOdyssey San Mateo
Dive into the fascinating world of marine animals and discover the amazing creatures that inhabit our oceans, from playful dolphins to mysterious deep-sea dwellers. Through fun activities and interactive lessons, you’ll learn about their habitats, behaviors, and the important roles they play in our ecosystem.
Ages 5 to 10 years old
Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2025 - Livestream - 05/17/2025 07:00 PM
Peninsula Open Space Trust
Join POST for an unforgettable evening at the 2025 Wild & Scenic Film Festival. This free event celebrates community, nature, and action! Enjoy a rare chance to get up close with birds of prey thanks to our special guests - falconers showcasing magnificent raptors! The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is the largest film festival of its kind, showcasing the best and brightest in environmental and adventure films.
The in-person portion of this event is sold out, but you may still watch the films online by registering at the weblink.
Starry Nights Star Party - 05/17/2025 09:15 PM
Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve Morgan hill
Join the San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) and Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA) for an unforgettable night of exploring the night sky. Our knowledgeable docents, members of SJAA, will be your guides to providing valuable insights into the wonders of our universe.
Registration required (at weblink). See weblink for additional information.
Sunday, 05/18/2025
Tinkerfest - 05/18/2025 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Celebrate the curious, creative and inventive spirit in all of us!
Tinkerfest brings together makers, artists, and tinkerers to showcase their work while inviting attendees of all ages to join in DIY fun. During this two-day event, the entire Center will be filled with activities that highlight creativity and curiosity.
Exploring Venezuela: A Journey Through History, Politics, Culture, and Exodus - 05/18/2025 10:00 AM
College Nine, Lewis Multipurpose Room Santa Cruz
Join us for a talk about Venezuela - a country rich in history, natural resources, and cultural heritage.
Speaker: Douglas Garcia, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
EV Ride and Drive - 05/18/2025 11:00 AM
Baylands Park Sunnyvale
Charge up your weekend and experience electric vehicles (EVs). Take EVs for a spin at Baylands Park. Explore a lineup of various electric vehicles, learn from local EV owners and experts, and discover how to save on your next car purchase. Following your test drive, complete the post-survey and receive a food voucher for the on-site complimentary food truck.
Monday, 05/19/2025
Hope Versus Hype: Quantum, AI and the Path to Commercial Advantage - 05/19/2025 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
The promise of quantum is real, and we are beginning to see where this technology can have the greatest impact. Decades of quantum research and development point to one primary class of practical application for quantum computing next to cryptanalysis: the simulation of quantum systems, especially for chemistry and materials science.
Speaker: Dr. Matthias Troyer, Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President, Microsoft
Attend in person or click here to watch online.
Seeing in the cold: biology of the ground squirrel hibernation and its potential applications - 05/19/2025 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Wei Li, National Institutes of Health
Room: Auditorium
Low-conflict strategies for getting to gigawatt-scale renewable deployment - 05/19/2025 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
Achieving net zero emissions by midcentury in the US will require a daunting pace of clean and renewable energy deployment, accelerating to 6-8 times the current rate of project development and amounting to land area requirements equivalent to that of California for just onshore wind and solar development alone.
Speaker: Grace Wu, UC Santa Barbara
Fusion Energy: Why, How and When - 05/19/2025 07:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
In a remarkable public lecture in 1920, Arthur Eddington speculated that fusion might become the ultimate long-term energy source. More than a century later, the world is approaching a milestone: generating electricity from fusion for the first time.
Speaker: Steven Cowley, Princeton University
Tuesday, 05/20/2025
When do Plasmas Explode? - 05/20/2025 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Frank Drake Award Gala - 05/20/2025 05:30 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
Popping the Science Bubble: Two Talks - 05/20/2025 05:30 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
HIV Prevention Revolution - Hype or Hope? - 05/20/2025 06:00 PM
Manny's San Francisco
Female Mushroom Hunters of Zambia: Food, Medicine and Livelihoods - 05/20/2025 06:30 PM
Mycological Society of San Francisco San Francisco
Wednesday, 05/21/2025
Whole Earth Seminar - 05/21/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Sabotaging Gatekeeper Proteins: Revealing the Molecular Mechanisms of Seafood Contamination by Legacy Pollutants - Livestream - 05/21/2025 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Advanced Research on the Science You Learned in High School - Livestream - 05/21/2025 05:00 PM
UC Berkeley
California Dragonflies - Livestream - 05/21/2025 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance
Thursday, 05/22/2025
PARC Forum online: AI’s impact on communities worldwide - Livestream - 05/22/2025 11:30 AM
PARC Forum
Smart Grid Seminar - 05/22/2025 01:30 PM
Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2) Stanford
Birdy Hour: Mixed-Species Foraging Flocks and Functional Diversity in Costa Rica - Livestream - 05/22/2025 05:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
kNightLife: Renaissance Faire - 05/22/2025 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: Make, Test, Repeat - 05/22/2025 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Nerd Nite SF #151: Fad Diets, Jane Austen, and the Shell Space Band! - 05/22/2025 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Friday, 05/23/2025
Geophysical and Planetary Physics Lecture - 05/23/2025 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
In Town Star Party - 05/23/2025 09:15 PM
San Jose Astronomical Association San Jose
Saturday, 05/24/2025
Foothills Family Nature Walk - 05/24/2025 11:00 AM
Foothills Nature Preserve Los Altos
Sunday, 05/25/2025
Morning Hike at Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve - 05/25/2025 09:00 AM
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve Los Altos