The Room, the Elephant, and the SciSchmooze
The Room, the Elephant, and the SciSchmooze
June 26, 2022
Hello again fans of Science and Reason.
Particularly if the later is part of your DNA, then your head is probably spinning this week following two decisions by the US Supreme Court, one on guns, the other on abortion. We can’t ignore the elephant and blithly go on talking about events in the science community this week without addressing these but we’ll add some science to the debates.
For a historical perspective on the Court’s decision to remove a constitutional right from the American people (the first time that has happened, and one considered a fundamental right by most liberal democracies in the world) I’ll provide a link to historian and professor Heather Cox Richardson’s column from Friday. Her perspective is, as always, measured and researched.
This decision leaves the right to abortion up to the individual states. You can live on the border between two states and, depending on which side you reside, you may or may not have this right, something that until two days ago was a constitutional right for every woman in the US. Now each state gets to determine, not just the black and white decision of permitting abortions, but the details of the restrictions. And those details are often based on faulty or at least questionable science. While the old joke says you can’t be somewhat pregnant, this still isn’t a binary issue, as this article articulates. So now politicians, most of whom have no background in reproduction, other than being reproduced themselves, get to determine what’s allowed, and what’s not, all dictated by artificial geographic boundaries.
The constitution does not mention abortion, true. A strict originalist interpretation therefore says the Federal government can’t regulate it. But health is specifically called out in the founding documents, and the medical community considers abortion access to be health care. And the constitution and the law have to be living documents, for there are tons of things the government can and should regulate that weren’t specifically spelled out in the constitution. The internet, automobiles, medical advances, none were envisioned by the founding fathers. This originalist bent puts us back in the dark ages!
There is also a disturbing amount of misinformation about abortion being spread on the internet. Women will now be going to the search engines to find out where they can go for abortions, for make no mistake, this ruling won’t end them, it will just drive them underground in many states, or will force women to travel to obtain them. The results of searches contain many bad references. This NY Times audio visual story details what happened when several women searched for information about abortion clinics near them, only to be sent to anti-abortion centers which consciously created misleading search keywords to direct search engines to their sites and phones. I don’t know about you, but I would say any organization or company that has to create misleading ads to get you to their door is guilty of fraud.
As for the gun decision, it ignored scientific evidence by dismissing the “any means-end test” lower courts have relied on for at least 14 years.
At the same time, Congress passed, and the President signed, the first gun regulation bill in decades.
For a humorous but fact-based look at both these subjects, I’ll direct you to John Oliver’s segments from Last Week Tonight, one on the leaked abortion draft ruling from May 8, and the other on the gun and safety issue following the Uvalde, TX school shootings.
Then there is Florida, and Governor Ron DeSantis. He is anti-abortion, claiming he champions a right to life. This same governor will not authorize state programs to administer COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5, causing health officials to throw away doses delivered just this week. The logic here escapes me.
I have hardly given a full analysis of both sides of either of these issues. You can do that for yourself. But I will quote President Biden from his comments on the Supreme Court decision: “This fall Roe is on the ballot. Personal freedoms are on the ballot. The right to privacy, liberty, equality, they're all on the ballot.” Justice Clarance Thomas stated in his opinion that he feels additional decisions dealing with the right to contraceptives and LGBTQ rights should be overturned too. Please remember that come November.
As John Oliver would say, “moving on.”
Sticking with COVID-19 for a moment, there are several different vaccines being administered around the world to combat this virus. Here in the US, only three are authorized. China and Russia came up with their own, and both have sold their versions to other countries. Well, it should come as no surprise that Russia appears to have faked their test results.
On the positive side of the health ledger, the first CRISPR trial involving humans has been in process for three years now, and shows a nearly 100% effectiveness rate in treating two blood diseases, beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
Here in California, the reintroduction of the Condor to the wild has been a long but successful story. In 1982, there were only 22 California Condors left. As of the end of 2021, their number has grown to 537. Here’s the tale of how that all came to be.
This past week several small wildfires broke out around the San Francisco Bay area, a sign that we’re in the summer fire season. The drought we’re experiencing is in its third year, and the main cause is La Nina. The Pacific Ocean current is at near record intensity for this time of year with far reaching effects.
I’ve often written about the shortfalls of scientific communication. I came across this opinion piece by theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder that I wanted to share with you about her issues with the quality of the articles she comes across.
Turning to space, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is finally ready to stop getting set up and actually start working. The first non-test images will be released on July 12 and they are expected to be spectacular. One of the JWST’s 18 mirrored sections was hit by a micrometeoroid in late May, but damage is minimal.
It has been two years since the Mars 2020 mission first launched, placing the Perseverance robot and Ingenuity helicopter on Mars. Perseverance has returned more than 282,000 images and recorded the first audio of wind on another space object. Here’s what has been accomplished so far and what we’ve learned.
In late 2020, Hayabusa2 returned to Earth from the asteroid Ryugo, having collected a sample of dirt from the ancient asteroid. Now, scientists have announced the first findings from analysis of that dirt.
Looking for something for your budding astronomer offspring to do this summer? How about helping search for storms in images returned from Jupiter by the Juno spacecraft? (Why does that image make me think of King Crimson’s first album cover?)
Lastly, Valery Ryumin, a Soviet cosmonaut, spent 362 days in space over three missions and returned to space in 1998, 18 years after his last “official” flight, as part of the space shuttle Discovery’s STS-91 mission. Valery died earlier this month at the age of 82.
Have a great week in Science!
Bob
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 06/27/2022
Climate Change, Our Youths, and Mental Health - Livestream - 06/27/2022 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club - Online Event
Join us for an in-depth discussion focused on the latest Youth Climate Survey by Blue Shield on how climate change is affecting the mental health of our youth community.
We'll be talking with David W. Bond, who is the director of behavioral health at Blue Shield of California - Promise Health Plan, where he leads initiatives to restore, sustain and enhance the behavioral health and well being of the state's Medi-Cal and Medicare beneficiaries; Joel Castro, a recent San Diego high school graduate and activist; Kat Lee, a youth environmental activist and youth organizer for APEN (Asian Pacific Environmental Network); and Maya Gomez, a Whitney High School incoming junior and a student representative for the Mind Out Loud program.
Register at weblink to attend.
Edge AI Based Flare Monitoring to Reduce Global Warming - Livestream - 06/27/2022 07:00 PM
SF Bay Association of Computing Machinery
This video-based flare monitoring system is developed for real-time measurement of the flare gas flow rate at the edge. Depending on the desired trade-off between speed and accuracy, either an object detection (EfficientDet Dx) or instance segmentation (Mask R-CNN) model is used for real-time detection of flare and smoke instances in the input video stream. Organic and synthetic data is used to achieve high precision and recall (greater than 0.98) for both flare and smoke. The detected rectangular bounding boxes or polygon masks are used to estimate the flame size, and predict the flare gas exit velocity or equivalently flow rate. The estimated flow rate is within +/- 10% of a reference flow meter. The Deep Learning models are "edgified" in order to shrink the size and improve the inference speed by ~3X on small footprint edge devices. For three stacks in the camera's field of view, the error increases to about +/- 25% of full scale due to the decreased resolution or increased scaling factor (~2.5X). The system components (camera and computing device) can be configured to obtain the desired tradeoff between cost, accuracy and measurement speed. This software product "Flare Advanced" has been deployed. The prior product "Flare Basic" has been deployed multiple times. You can not manage what you do not measure, this product helps to measure global warming emissions in real-time, sending alerts via email or SMS.
Speakers: Greg Makowski and Himanshu Goyal
Wonderfest: The Trouble with Quantum Physics, and Why It Matters - 06/27/2022 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Quantum physics is arguably the most successful scientific theory ever devised. (And recall: "In science, theory is as good as it gets!") Yet, there is a problem: What does this immensely fruitful theory say about deep reality? Why does "measurement" play a special role in the theory? Can we say anything about atoms and subatomic particles when we're not actually measuring them? For years, the standard answer to questions like this was to "shut up and calculate" ' to ignore these issues, and simply use quantum physics to predict the outcomes of experiments. But our curiosity persists. What are the puzzles at the heart of quantum physics, and why do they matter?
Speaker: Dr. Adam Becker, author and astrophysicist
Tuesday, 06/28/2022
Out in Science 2022 - Livestream - 06/28/2022 01:00 PM
Gladstone Institutes
We've come a long way in ensuring rights for the queer community, but so much can still be done to build a better future for LGBTQ+ professionals in the fields of science, math, engineering, and medicine (STEM). How can we empower individuals and organizations to reach beyond what has been accomplished and seek true equity for queer and trans people in the sciences?
Join this webinar to hear from LGBTQ+ STEM professionals as they discuss issues affecting the queer community in the sciences, ways we can transform how science is practiced, and their hopes for the future.
Devin L. Horton, PhD, Graduate Diversity Officer for STEM Disciplines, UC DavisElle Lett, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's HospitalSam Long, High School Science Teacher, Denver South High School (Colorado)Gabriela M. Zabala Alemán, Science Educator Moderated by Stephanie Miller, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Gladstone Institutes
The event includes a panel discussion followed by a question-and-answer period.
Register at weblink
June Butterfly Walk - First Session - FULL - 06/28/2022 01:30 PM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
June Butterfly Walk - Second Session - FULL - 06/28/2022 03:00 PM
UC Botanical Garden Berkeley
Welcome back, Leatherbacks! - Livestream - 06/28/2022 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
The ACS San Francisco Bay Chapter is delighted to host Scott Benson, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, for a fascinating presentation about leatherback turtles. After six months away, traveling the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) will begin to arrive in the coastal waters of central California next month to gorge on abundant sea nettles. Uniquely adapted for life at sea, this ancient mariner is the most widely distributed sea turtle, spanning tropical and subarctic waters worldwide. This presentation will discuss the biology and ecology of leatherback turtles including information specific to the endangered western Pacific population that utilizes US west coast waters as a foraging region. The presentation will also include the current status of the population, challenges to recovery, and actions that citizens might take to enhance recovery prospects.
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Wednesday, 06/29/2022
Ask Us Anything: A Special Q&A SETI Talk - Livestream - 06/29/2022 12:00 PM
SETI Institute How might we find life beneath the surface of Mars?Is there life in Europa's ocean?Which exoplanet is the most habitable?How do we search for technosignatures with the Allen Telescope Array?Will we find life in our solar system or our galaxy?What is the daily routine of a SETI Institute researcher?
These are questions that you might want to ask our scientists but never had the chance. Until now. On June 29 at noon PT, we have gathered a special panel of SETI Institute scientists to answer all your questions: Paul Dalba, Lori Fenton, Agata Zupanska, and Chenoa Tremblay.
We'll provide several ways to ask questions, but if you want to know the answers, you'll have to come to this month's SETI Talks!
Several days before the live event, we'll post a place on social media where you can ask questions in advanceWhen you register, we'll give you an email where you can send questions in advanceWe'll take questions during the live event
This talk will be moderated by SETI Intitute planetary astronomer, Franck Marchis.
Register at weblink to receive connection information and to submit questions.
AI Sustainability: Using Free Satellite Data for Good - Livestream - 06/29/2022 06:00 PM
UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley Professional Ed.
Engineers, biologists, researchers, oceanographers - anyone with some knowledge of Python programming - can pose a climate change question, access free satellite imagery, and learn how to analyze data that can help change the world. Join Dr. Shalini Ananda, a machine learning specialist, entrepreneur, and product developer, in a 30-minute introduction to using satellite data for good. Please bring questions and learn how you can gather and analyze data and use it to increase understanding more about the physical changes on the planet. This is a quick overview of a new course she's teaching at UCSC Silicon Valley Extension - AI for Sustainability - Using Satellite Data.
Nerd Nite SF #126: Hey Girl! Bingo + DNA Sequencing + Nuclear Energy - 06/29/2022 07:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Join us for Nerd Nite SF, the Pride month party edition!
We're very excited to announce that we'll be partnering with the bearded bingo babe herself, Shelix, for Hey Girl! Bingo before the talks begin. Come early to kick off the evening with a drink and a bingo card! Nerdy prizes and drink tickets are up for grabs!
The evening will continue with another kind of helix, the DNA kind! Other talk topics TBA, but word on the street is that they pertain to private investigation and San Francisco drag history. Stay tuned, but in the meantime, the early nerd gets the worm! Or, the free bingo square.
How to Sequence a Genome with Jess McLaughlin
Ever wonder exactly how you get DNA from, say, a fruit fly, a lizard, your dog, or even yourself, and actually turn it into something we can read? Would you have guessed it includes weird chemistry, magnets, fluorescent colors, and some very fancy dish soap? Jess McLaughlin, an evolutionary biologist, will explain how DNA sequencing is basically tech-wizardry, turning molecules in your cells into light and then into computer bytes.
Jess is a postdoc at UC Berkeley, where they study the evolution of anole lizards in the Caribbean. They also research how new species of birds develop, and they have a passion for telling folks about just how weird biology can be.
Powering the Nerdtropolis: Why we need to save Diablo Canyon, our last nuclear power plant with Guido D. Nunez-Mujica
California is facing not a only a climate crisis, but an energy crisis. Despite all our talk about renewables, we continue building natural gas plants and asking for emission limits to be increased. Even worse, we plan to close our largest zero emissions power plant in 2 years. In this talk, Guido will tell us what we can do about it and why it needs to stay open.
Guido is data scientist working in environmental issues, with a background in computational biology. He's a TED Fellow, a Cornell Alliance for Science Fellow and does volunteer work about immigration and human rights.
This event was orignially scheduled for June 15th.
Science on Tap - Brain Farming - Decoding How Our Brains Develop - 06/29/2022 08:00 PM
Museum of Art and History Santa Cruz
The human body is made up of a community of close to 40 trillion cells. From a single zygote, over 200 diverse cell types are derived, each enacting a unique molecular program to spawn their specific function in your body. But how do these cells know which complicated series of genetic programs to enact, where, and when to enact them? My research is focused on how the human brain develops - specifically, how the most recently evolved region of the brain - the cerebral cortex - progresses through embryonic development and organizes. What is orchestrating neural stem cell differentiation, organization, and enacting their maturation programs to generate the fully functional, diverse landscape of the human cerebral cortex? I hypothesize that the innate interaction between the developing cerebral cortex and secreted signaling molecules in the underlying cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a crucial role in the patterning and maturation of cerebral cell types.
Using stem cell derived brain organoids, I generate and model the early developmental progression of the human cerebral cortex, as well as a lesser-known brain structure - the choroid plexus - which is responsible for the production and secretion of cerebrospinal fluid throughout life. I have established a protocol for the generation of human forebrain choroid plexus organoids (ChPOs), which will be used to construct a transcriptomic and secretion profile for the development of the choroid plexus and composition of embryonic CSF. The molecular patterning program implicated from the ChPO will be examined for its patterning potential on the cerebral cortex by exposing factors identified in the CSF to cerebral organoids from within an interior ventricular-like cavity. This will be done by using an aggregation technique that utilizes hydrogels and a biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microsphere to engineer an interior cavity within a cerebral organoid, enabling the sustained release of various patterning factors to its interior. By directly evaluating the secreted factor program of ChPOs for inducing patterning effects on cerebral organoids, new insight on the complex molecular programs that gives rise to the human cerebral cortex and how those programs are being orchestrated may be revealed.
Speaker: Ryan Hoffman, UC Santa Cruz
Thursday, 06/30/2022
Current Bird Banding Research at the Coyote Creek Field Station and Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve - Livestream - 06/30/2022 06:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Join us for a presentation on the current bird banding research projects at the Coyote Creek Field Station and Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. Bird banding is an incredible research tool for understanding the complexities of the avian life-cycle and how humans are modifying its key stages: migration, reproduction, and molt. Julian will briefly summarize the methods used at these field sites and then describe the results of our two most recent peer-reviewed publications: one on the methodological biases of using mist-nets and another on the molt patterns of California Towhees. Julian will also share some initial findings of our study investigating how climate change has altered the timing and location of molt.
Register at weblink to receive Zoom information
NightLife - 06/30/2022 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Calling all creatures of the night: explore the nocturnal side of the Academy at NightLife and see what's revealed. With live DJs, outdoor bars, ambiance lighting, and nearly 40,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude the albino alligator), the night is sure to be wild.
Step inside the iconic Shake House and our four-story Rainforest, where you can explore the Amazon's treetops surrounded by free-flying birds and butterflies. Reservations for these exhibits are no longer required. However, please note that the last entry into the rainforest is 7:30 pm - our animals need their sleep.
Venture into our latest aquarium exhibit Venom to encounter live venomous animals and learn the power of venom to both harm and heal.
Visit the BigPicture exhibit in the Piazza to marvel at the most recent winners of the BigPicture Natural Photography competition.
Bask in the glow of one of the largest living coral reef displays in the world: our 212,000-gallon Philippine Coral Reef tank.
Take in the interstellar views from the Living Roof, then grab a bite from the Academy Cafe and head to the West Garden outdoor bar to drink and dine under the stars. For adults 21+.
Hardcore Natural History - 06/30/2022 06:00 PM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is diving into 2022 with exciting updates to our Hardcore Natural History Lecture Series. The series is shifting from bi-monthly single speakers to quarterly panels with experts from a range of disciplines covering a wide array of fascinating topics. Events include a reception where guests will be able to talk with panelists over food and drinks following the discussion.
Register at weblink.
Keeping Tabs on the Volcanoes of the Last Frontier - Livestream - 06/30/2022 06:00 PM
US Geological Survey Public Lecture Series
An Update from the Alaska Volcano Observatory
By Michelle Coombs, USGS Research Geologist
Scientist-in-Charge, Alaska Volcano Observatory
Did you know Alaska is home to the most of the Nation's active and potentially active volcanoes, with three currently erupting?
Eruptions in Alaska range in style and size from small events at remote volcanoes to the largest of the 20th century -- the Katmai-Novarupta eruption of 1912.
Learn how the Alaska Volcano Observatory provides warnings of hazards from eruptions -- most notably volcanic ash, which poses hazards to Alaskan Communities and to aviation.
After Dark: Tinkerers' Ball - 06/30/2022 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Join us as we celebrate night one in a series of adults-only summer programming inspired by The Art of Tinkering exhibition. Accessorize inventively by creating beautiful headdresses and light-up cuffs and corsages. Play with food to create whimsical faces - plus admire work by the virtuoso who's mastered this uncommon art. Experience an extravaganza of unique, handmade musical instruments, and see what can happen when you embrace your inner tinkerer!
We invite you to dress the part! Tinker with your wardrobe and wear your inventions on your sleeve, so to speak.
Food Faces With Ferris Plock 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Crossroads
Go ahead, play with your food! Tonight, the Bay Area's finest food-face maker, Ferris Plock, will serve up a smorgasbord of silliness with his fantastic Food Faces. Once you're full of inspiration, cook up your own artful invention using a selection of stylish snacks. Will the face you create be scary, silly, or just plain scrumptious?
Ferris Plock is a San Francisco - based artist who brings a dedicated focus to his work that is paired with a wild sense of originality. Using a variety of mediums, he combines contemporary pop culture with the aesthetic of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblocks. He and his wife, Kelly Tunstall, are widely known for their artistic collaboration, KeFe.
Amped-Up Accessories With Sahrye Cohen and Hal Rodriguez 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Osher Gallery 1
Amp up your outfit with illuminated accessory-making. Sahrye Cohen and Hal Rodriguez will guide you in making specialized cuffs and corsages to activate your attire. Bring a tinkerer's eye to familiar materials and affordable lights, and you'll leave glowing - literally.
Sahrye Cohen and Hal Rodriguez are the founders of Amped Atelier, a design studio specializing in tech couture - the melding of historical fashion and couture techniques with modern technology. They are coauthors of Make It, Wear It: Wearable Electronics for Makers, Crafters, and Cosplayers, which features easy-to-follow projects using readily sourced materials.
Photo Booth! With SnapFiesta 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Osher Gallery 1
Strike a pose and commemorate your night with a snapshot!
Handmade Headdresses With Judi Henderson-Townsend and Kyana Holzman 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Osher Gallery 1
Crown yourself ruler of the Tinkerers' Ball! Use zip ties, gems, tiny lights, and festive flowers to craft a showstopping headdress. Judi Henderson-Townsend and Kyana Holzman from Mannequin Madness will help you create your crown. For inspiration, check out their very own collection of regal headdresses on display.
Known as the mannequin queen, Judi Henderson-Townsend is the founder of Mannequin Madness, a mannequin distributor and the largest mannequin recycling company in the country. She leads workshops focused on creative reuse of mannequins and is the owner of the Headdress Workshop.
Draw with a Rover With Tinkering School 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Crossroads
Team members from the Tinkering School Mars Mission invite you to get creative with a prototype Mars rover. Select drawing materials and wheel types to attach to your rover, then see what doodles and designs develop in a large-scale collaborative illustration. From dots to dashes, flowers to spirals, will the outcome be what you expect?
Tinkering Schoolis a San Francisco - based educational program dedicated to youth-centered making and tinkering. As part of their Mars Mission, a team of young people ages 14 - 20 built an educational, hands-on experience operating prototype rovers in a simulated Martian lava tube.
Hand-Built Instrument Petting Zoo With Bryan Day, Bart Hopkin, and Sudhu Tewari 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., performance at 8:00 p.m. Osher Gallery 1, Kanbar Forum
Stroll through a showcase of unique, hand-built musical instruments from Bryan Day, Bart Hopkin, and Sudhu Tewari. Each artist takes a unique approach to their craft, constructing pieces that range from sculptural sound-makers to small-scale objects. They'll invite you to get hands-on with some of the pieces, experiment with how they work, and maybe even create your own composition.
At 8:00 p.m., gather to hear Day, Hopkin, and Tewari share solo and collaborative performances!
Bryan Day is a sonic adventurer, painter, and inventor of curious things. He reimagines scavenged, repurposed, and amplified materials into constructivist sound sculptures. He has performed, taught workshops, and built sound installations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Bart Hopkin is a builder of experimental musical instruments and writes on the subject. Over the years, he has been a performer, composer, educator, researcher, and more. He serves as the curator at the Window Gallery in San Francisco's Center for New Music.
Sudhu Tewari is an electro-acoustic composer, improviser, and tinkerer in sound, kinetic, and interactive art. He has performed improvised music in various configurations with the likes of Fred Frith, Cenk Ergun, Mark Bartscher, Tadashi Usami, Gunda Gottschalk, Eric Glick Rieman, and Shelley Burgon.
King Drums: Streetbeats With John F. King II 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Bechtel Gallery 3, Wattis Studio
When John F. King realized that his entire collection of percussion instruments had been stolen, he got creative. With a tinkering mindset and a tenacious spirit, the versatile musician took a look around his home and found everything he needed right there in his kitchen. Learn how he reconfigured his drum set using pots, pans, pressure cookers, and more. And of course, get ready to dance to a high-energy performance!
John F. King II started his professional career in Sacramento with the popular Northern California band The Sharks. His music crosses genres and has taken him around the world. He is known for his inventive Streetbeat performances.
Virtual Asteroid Day Celebration - Livestream - 06/30/2022 07:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center
Join us for a celebration all about asteroids. Learn about global efforts to highlight asteroid detection, cutting-edge asteroid research, as well as the current and future missions to explore them. Expert scientists will explore the latest asteroid science and answer your biggest questions and dig in and try asteroid experiments and become an asteroid detective.
This year we will focus on NASA's up and coming Psyche mission, scheduled to launch this summer. The Psyche mission is a journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. Find out what we can expect to learn about this unique asteroid.
Attend on Facebook or YouTube. See weblink for connections.
Friday, 07/01/2022
First Friday: It's Rocket Science - 07/01/2022 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
From fireworks to space exploration, rockets have propelled our imagination for centuries. We're reaching new heights with an evening of uplifting conversations and activities for all ages. Get ready for launch!
Saturday, 07/02/2022
Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation at Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge - 07/02/2022 11:00 AM
Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge Fremont
On June 30th, 1972, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge was officially established as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system and became America's first and largest urban national wildlife refuge ! As part of the celebration, we are throwing a birthday party! Our event Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation: Past, Present and Future aims to celebrate and honor the past, present, and future and inspire people to experience, connect with, and protect our cultural and natural resources. We hope you join us in helping with the celebration on July 2nd. The event will be an open house, with time to explore the Refuge, learn about the history of the Refuge, join a Nature Walk, food, music, and fun for all!
Hike and Sip - 07/02/2022 06:30 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
This event is for adults 21+. A perfect evening for a date night or fun with friends!
The journey begins at sunset from the Center into the beautiful surrounding redwood forest. We'll moderately hike 3-4.25 miles (90-120 minutes) along some of the most popular trails as you learn about the history of Oakland, local plants, and the majestic Redwood trees.
We'll stop to watch the first few planets and stars appear and constellation storytelling before heading back to Chabot.
Upon return, hikers will enjoy a charcuterie board and two complimentary glasses of wine, beer, or non-alcoholic beverages. The night will end with stargazing and telescope viewing (weather permitting). Advanced tickets required.
Tuesday, 07/05/2022
Simulating the Universe on a Supercomputer - Livestream - 07/05/2022 07:00 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Thursday, 07/07/2022
Walk on the Cowell-Purisima Trail - 07/07/2022 11:00 AM
Cowell Purisima Coastal Trailhead Half Moon Bay
Hardcore Natural History - Collection Curiosities - 07/07/2022 06:00 PM
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
NightLife: Islas - 07/07/2022 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: See for Yourself - 07/07/2022 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
NightSchool: Nature in Focus - Livestream - 07/07/2022 07:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences
Wonderfest: SETI Innovation - Livestream - 07/07/2022 08:00 PM
Wonderfest
Friday, 07/08/2022
Hike and Sip - 07/08/2022 06:30 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Evening with the Stars at Lick Observatory - Sold Out - 07/08/2022 07:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Saturday, 07/09/2022
STEM Saturday Summer Science Series - 07/09/2022 10:00 AM
NexGeneGirls San Francisco
Science at Cal - Uncovering the Past: Using Genetic Data to Understand Human History and Evolution - 07/09/2022 11:00 AM
Valley Life Sciences Building Berkeley
Hike and Sip - 07/09/2022 06:30 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Music of the Spheres at Lick Observatory - 07/09/2022 07:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Exploring Caves on the Moon - Livestream - 07/09/2022 07:30 PM
Mt. Tam Astronomy
Sunday, 07/10/2022
Morning Hike at La Honda Open Space Preserve - 07/10/2022 10:00 AM
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve La Honda
Monday, 07/11/2022
Science, Exploration and the Human Experience - 07/11/2022 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco