Hello again science fans! Kumusta muli mga tagahanga ng agham! [Three out of every 100 people in the Bay Area speak Tagalog/Filipino at home.]
BIOLOGY / ETHOLOGY
In 1967, Roger Payne and Scott McVay discovered that sounds made by male humpback whales were complex arrangements that lasted as long as 30 minutes before being repeated. Multiple males even sang in unison. From year to year some ‘phrases’ were replaced by new ones. ¿Language? More recently we’ve learned that brain anatomy suggests whales could be capable of language. Also, today’s whales have an unbroken oceanic existence dating tens of millions of years before our lineage diverged from that of chimpanzees. This 22 minute video presents the challenges and methods involved in ‘learning’ how to understand the language of whales. ¿And what would we say to them? Should we tell them the current locations of whaling ships from Japan, Iceland, and Norway? I just returned from cruising the waters around Japan for 13 days and saw not a single whale, dolphin, seal, or sea lion. (The Japanese sea lion went extinct in the 70’s.) Perhaps most marine mammals have learned to avoid those waters, but about 20,000 dolphins and pilot whales are still killed annually in Japanese waters and Japanese whaling ships hunt in the southern oceans.
“The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness” signed by 39 prominent scientists was made public on April 19. As of this writing, more than 180 additional scientists have added their signatures. In part, the declaration states: “[T]he empirical evidence indicates at least a realistic possibility of conscious experience in all vertebrates (including reptiles, amphibians, and fishes) and many invertebrates…” The importance of this declaration is made clear in its final sentence: “We should consider welfare risks and use the evidence to inform our responses to these risks.”
RAFFLE
We are offering a coffee mug impersonating a 450ml laboratory beaker. Just send an email before noon Friday to david.almandsmith [at] gmail.com with your guess of an integer between 0 and 1,000. Last time, Louisa was the winner of a Mars Ingenuity Helicopter model with her guess of 274.
CLIMATE
NPR’s Weekend Edition on May 28th discussed the potential benefits and harms of geo-engineering to control Earth’s temperature. Startups are already using “Stratospheric Aerosol Injection” to put sulphur dioxide high in the atmosphere to reflect sunlight. There are no regulations to prevent geoengineering by people/corporations regardless of the risks. ¿What risks? It is entirely possible that Stratospheric Aerosol Injection could disrupt monsoons, leading to famines affecting billions. More research is essential before embarking on geoengineering.
While we are usually concerned with climate change causing the occasional catastrophe and the worry of the potential adverse ramifications of future climate change, there are indications that serious yet subtle negative effects are already upon us. The slightly elevated temperatures seen in much of the world are already leading to excess deaths, impaired cognitive performance, increased workplace injuries, and more local crime.
¿Joey poop? Researchers discovered that adding baby kangaroo feces to cattle feed reduces the amount of methane that cows burp up. Likewise with a variety of seaweed and a commercial product called Bovaer. You probably know why this is important: methane from cow burps significantly affects global warming.
China is expanding its solar and wind electrical generation with a project in the Kubuqi Desert. When completed, it will cover nearly 70 square kilometers and provide over 4 GW (gigawatts) of electricity. Because the solar panels provide shade and some dew runoff, erstwhile barren desert sand is supporting greenery.
Mukesh Abani and Gautam Adani are India’s richest men with a combined personal worth of $200 billion dollars. They run coal and oil conglomerates. They are also responsible for a stupendous growth of renewable energy in India. The Adani family’s Khavda Renewable Energy Park covers 500 square kilometers of ‘wasteland’ and when finished will provide 500 GW; enough electricity for 16 million homes. Similarly, the Abani conglomerate is investing heavily in renewable energy. For the present, however, both are damaging the environment with their coal mines, oil wells, and greenhouse gasses.
The Gallup Poll people asked Americans 18 and older about electric vehicles. Of the respondents, 4% currently own one; 12% are seriously considering purchasing one; 43% might consider one in the future; and 41% would not buy one. The largest determinant was party affiliation: 71% of Republicans would not buy one, where only 17% of Democrats would not buy one. This difference is also apparent in opinions of electric vehicles and climate change: 55% of Republicans think that the use of electric vehicles would not help address climate change while only 4% of Democrats see no benefit. This is yet another indication that information source preferences are largely determined by political party affiliation.
MY PICKS of the WEEK (Hint: save dates & times to your mobile phone)
The Realities of Climate & Energy 3:30pm Monday, Menlo Park
Creepy or Captivating: A Spider Scientist’s Perspective Livestream 5pm Tuesday
KQED Deep Look Film Night 6pm Wednesday, Estuary & Ocean Science Ctr, Tiburon
From Creationism to QAnon Livestream 7pm Thursday
Greenland’s Ice Sheet Dynamics Noon Friday, UC Santa Cruz
Family Nature Adventure 11am Saturday, Chabot Space & Science Ctr, Oakland, $
Solar Observing 2pm Sunday, Hauge Park, San José
COVID
¿Can you hold your breath for 10 seconds while walking? A Japanese study shows that approaching and passing a person infected with COVID presents a risk of you contracting the disease, but only for the first 10 seconds.
Cognitive impairment, a.k.a. brain fog, is a common symptom of people suffering from long COVID. Research now shows that these people may have a compromised blood brain barrier. This finding creates a strong incentive to find therapies to reverse that damage.
SPACE
Boeing has been in the news recently with passenger jet incidents: a plug door blowing out; a cracked cockpit window; an engine failure in flight; a nose wheel falling off while taxiing; a wheel falling off in flight damaging a parked car; a computer glitch causing a sharp drop injuring 50 people; an inflight fuel leak; an exterior panel falling off mid flight; an inflatable slide falling out shortly after takeoff. All of this has happened in this calendar year. On Monday, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will ride in a Boeing spacecraft to the International Space Station. We wish them a safe journey. On Thursday at 9:30pm, look for the ISS arising from SSW with its crew: Sunita, Butch, Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin.
FUN NERDY VIDEOS
Hubble View of a Desktop - xkcd What If? - Randall Monroe - 3 mins
Evidence- vs. Eminence- based Medicine - The Right Chemistry - Joe Schwarcz - 4 mins
Emperor Penguin Chicks Jump off 50 Foot Cliff - National Geographic - 5 mins
World’s Easiest DIY Electric ‘Train’ - Physics Girl - Dianna Cowern - 7 mins
The Fastest Growing Black Hole - Dr. Becky - Becky Smethurst - 11 mins
Black Holes - PBS Crash Course Astronomy - Phil Plait - 12 mins
Flame Travels an ‘Excitable Medium’ - Steve Mould - 13 mins
Gravity is not a force - Sabine Hossenfelder - 14 mins
Rushing Back to the Moon - PBS Space Time - Matt O’Dowd - 15 mins
If you missed celebrating el Cinco de Mayo, worry not because Thursday is Lost Sock Memorial Day.
Dave Almandsmith, Bay Area Skeptics
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) Indian lawyer and political ethicist
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 05/06/2024
SynBioBeta 2024: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference - Pre-Conference - 05/06/2024 07:00 PM
San Jose McEnery Convention Center San Jose
Join us for an unparalleled four-day summit delving into synthetic biology. Explore why the costs of reading, writing, and editing DNA plummet while speed and accessibility soar. Gain insights into cutting-edge medical advancements such as cell therapies, vaccines, and living medicines. Discover how companies harness biology to produce bio-based jet fuel, textiles, concrete, and other chemicals and materials. Engage with trailblazing entrepreneurs crafting innovative foods, crops, and fragrances. Join us to see the potential applications of these technologies in shaping sustainable manufacturing ecosystems. Register at weblink.
For speaker list and agendas, see weblink
Live From the Field: Speakers from Field Stations Worldwide - Livestream - 05/06/2024 12:00 PM
Sonoma State University - Biology Colloquium Rohnert Park
Dr. Lorraine Ling will present her research on coral bleaching
From Sample Collection to Public Protection: Investigation and Remediation at Vapor Intrusion Sites - 05/06/2024 12:30 PM
Shriram Center Stanford
There are over a thousand sites with known environmental contamination in the San Francisco Bay Area, many with vapor-forming chemicals, such as solvents. These volatile chemicals often migrate from the subsurface into nearby buildings, where they can pose risks to occupants. In this talk, I will present an overview of the vapor intrusion pathway, how sites are investigated, and how risks are addressed. Drawing on local sites as examples, I will discuss conceptual site model development, remedies, and the tensions that often develop when making decisions with incomplete information.
Speaker: Karina Navarro, California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Liberating Abortion - Claiming our Hostiry, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future we Deserve - Livestream - 05/06/2024 01:00 PM
Stanford University
A vital and galvanizing history of abortion and how its stigma is intrinsically connected to racism and systemic oppression, told from the viewpoint of people of color, focusing on their experiences with the American health care system and the injustices they have suffered. For far too long, the narrative around reproductive rights has excluded the experiences of people of color - the majority of abortion patients. Instead, language has been weaponized to terrify and manipulate rather than support. Many people of color who have had or considered an abortion have lacked two essential resources: back-to-basics sex education and knowledge of other Black women’s personal experiences managing their reproductive rights. Many of us weren’t taught the birds and the bees in medically accurate, sex-positive ways. Liberating Abortion reveals how lawmakers have used restrictions on abortion to bar people of color from wielding their power and controlling their bodies and lives - relegating them to poverty and perpetuating racist and xenophobic stereotypes. To envision a new, more encompassing future centered in reproductive justice, award-winning reproductive rights activist Renee Bracey Sherman and journalist Regina Mahone talk in-depth with a variety of Black women about building a world where women can choose to have safe and healthy pregnancies on our own terms, as well as pleasurable sex that affirms our bodies and beings. As two Black women who have had abortions and have experienced the anti-Blackness of the so-called “pro-life” movement, they have crafted a book that truly reflects their decision-making, and that of other people of color who have abortions, offering an entirely different viewpoint that invites those who are most often silenced to speak. Offering support and affirmation to women who’ve had abortions but have been too afraid or ashamed to speak openly, the authors remind us that the stigma we feel, often perpetuated by the media, is by design. This is a book for young people of color who will have abortions and believe they’re alone - as we once did. This is the book we wish we’d had. And this is a book for all who wonder where to stand in the ongoing debate around reproductive freedom.
Speakers: Renee Bracey Sherman, We Testify; Regnia Mahone, The Nation
Register at weblink to attend
The Realities of Climate and Energy - 05/06/2024 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
Wise policies will balance the certainties and uncertainties of a changing climate against the world’s growing demand for reliable and affordable energy. I will describe the scientific, technological, and societal realities that should be informing those policies.
Speaker: Steven Koonin, New York University
Archaic variation in human populations - 05/06/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Speaker: Emilia Huerta-Sanchez, Brown University
Room: Auditorium
Reducing GHG for Buildings and Industry Essential to Meeting 2030 and 2050 Targets - 05/06/2024 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
From the homes we live in to the very food that sustains us, America’s buildings and industrial sectors are the foundation of our modern world. People spend 90% of their time in buildings and manufacturing generates more than 11 million jobs and makes up 11% of U.S. GDP. But today’s buildings and industrial sectors come at a high price. Together, these industries are responsible for more than 60% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. Addressing emissions from buildings and industry will be vital to achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s economy-wide goal of reducing such emissions 50 - 52% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to accelerating the innovation needed to fully transform these sectors to net-zero. Deputy Assistance Secretary for Buildings and Industry Dr. Carolyn Snyder will join us on May 6, 2024, to present DOE’s all-hands-on-deck strategy, investments, and technical assistance programs that will move decarbonization technologies out of the lab and on to our nation’s factory floors.
Speaker: Carolyn Snyder, US Department of Energy
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Tuesday, 05/07/2024
SynBioBeta 2024: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference - Day 1 - 05/07/2024 07:00 PM
San Jose McEnery Convention Center San Jose
Join us for an unparalleled four-day summit delving into synthetic biology. Explore why the costs of reading, writing, and editing DNA plummet while speed and accessibility soar. Gain insights into cutting-edge medical advancements such as cell therapies, vaccines, and living medicines. Discover how companies harness biology to produce bio-based jet fuel, textiles, concrete, and other chemicals and materials. Engage with trailblazing entrepreneurs crafting innovative foods, crops, and fragrances. Join us to see the potential applications of these technologies in shaping sustainable manufacturing ecosystems. Register at weblink.
For speaker list and agendas, see weblink
Wildfire Risk and Mitigation Across Western Utilities - Livestream - 05/07/2024 12:00 PM
Stanford University
Following a series of catastrophic wildfires ignited by electric utility infrastructure, California utilities have taken significant steps - at a significant cost to ratepayers - to lower their wildfire risk. But recent wildfires across the Western United States, from Oregon to Hawaii, Colorado, and Texas, have made it clear that California is far from the only region to face the growing threat of catastrophic utility-ignited fires exacerbated by climate change. The question of how to mitigate this danger while continuing to provide reliable and affordable energy is crucial for the future of the nation’s electric system. To help inform policy conversations on this subject, the Stanford Climate and Energy Policy Program (CEPP) is building a framework for comparative assessment of electrical utilities’ wildfire risk mitigation efforts. In this webinar, speakers with experience in the field will discuss the history of utility-ignited wildfires and new opportunities and challenges for utility wildfire mitigation.
Speakers:
Caroline Thomas Jacobs, Director, California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety
Katherine Blunt, Reporter, Wall Street Journal
Bill Messner, Director of Wildfire Mitigation & Resiliency, Portland General Electric
Eric Borden, Principal Associate, Synapse Energy Economics
Eric Macomber, CEPP Wildfire Legal Fellow
Mike Mastrandrea, CEPP Research Director
Michael Wara, CEPP Director
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Scientific Machine vs. Power Politics: Conflict Anticipation and the Black Box of AI - 05/07/2024 01:00 PM
Encina Hall Stanford
How does artificial intelligence shift power in international security? A burgeoning literature in international politics and security studies has documented its effects on the balance of power, strategic stability, and the future of warfare. In this work, power is largely material, if not kinetic, and the specifics of technologies are treated mostly as peripheral. By recovering classical International Relations theory in the form of Hans Morgenthau’s work on the role of scientific rationalism in guiding political decision-making and combining it with insights from Science and Technologies Studies, this paper investigates the role of so-called intelligent technologies, in particular machine learning, in the knowledge production for conflict prevention. Such technologies are met with enthusiasm in the policy sphere, prompting a wide range of actors in the field of conflict prevention to integrate them into their analyses. Leveraging original elite interviews with conflict modelers, practitioners, and policymakers, this paper tentatively argues the rush towards integrating AI and ML is not primarily about improving predictive analytics in terms of scale, speed, and cost, but about creating options and justifications for (in)action. Due to the internal opacity (‘black-boxing’) of machine learning, policymakers can delegate the responsibility of the analysis from the human to the machine, thus transforming problems of politics and power into problems of process and technology. This research has implications for appreciating the internal mechanisms and characteristics of emerging technologies, as well as their underlying rationalities, to understand how they shape actors’ options for decision-making.
Speaker: Johanna Rodehau-Noack, Stanford University
Attend in person or online (see weblink)
Perry Conference Room
Production and Characterization of Carbonaceous Laboratory Analogs of Planetary Atmospheric Aerosols, Surface Materials, and Cosmic Grains - 05/07/2024 03:30 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Ella M. Sciamma-O'Brien, UC Santa Cruz
Creepy or Captivating: A Spider Scientist's Perspective - Livestream - 05/07/2024 05:00 PM
San Francisco Public Library
Do spiders deserve much better press? Modern media tend to portray spiders as eight-legged, multi-eyed terrors. With deeper exposure, and open minds, can we come to see the beauty and benefits of our arachnid aquaintances? UC Berkeley scientist Trinity Walls thinks so. Her life-long journey - from curious child to rigorous researcher - reveals spider science to be an avenue of creative self-expression that offers rich insights into nature and society.
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Wednesday, 05/08/2024
SynBioBeta 2024: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference - Day 2 - 05/08/2024 07:00 PM
San Jose McEnery Convention Center San Jose
Join us for an unparalleled four-day summit delving into synthetic biology. Explore why the costs of reading, writing, and editing DNA plummet while speed and accessibility soar. Gain insights into cutting-edge medical advancements such as cell therapies, vaccines, and living medicines. Discover how companies harness biology to produce bio-based jet fuel, textiles, concrete, and other chemicals and materials. Engage with trailblazing entrepreneurs crafting innovative foods, crops, and fragrances. Join us to see the potential applications of these technologies in shaping sustainable manufacturing ecosystems. Register at weblink.
For speaker list and agendas, see weblink
Fireside conversation with Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Biden - Livestream - 05/08/2024 11:00 AM
Stanford Energy
The California Policy Collective invites you to join us for a forum with Tom Perez, current senior advisor to President Biden and the former United States secretary of labor under President Obama. This will be a free-flowing conversation, but topics will likely include the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure & Jobs Act, the President's immigration agenda, and Secretary Perez's current portfolio in the administration. There will also be significant time dedicated to audience Q&A.
Register at weblink
Making Climate Tech Work: Policies that Drive Innovation - A Conversation with Author Alon Tal - 05/08/2024 11:30 AM
Mitchell Earth Sciences Building (04-560) Stanford
Climate tech is critical for averting planetary chaos. Half the greenhouse gas reductions required to reach “net-zero” climate targets in 2050 will need to come from technologies that have not yet been invented. Without effective government interventions, market incentives alone will not produce a rapid transition to a low-carbon economy. The commercial value of innovative climate technology, especially in its early phases, remains underpriced - far below its social value. The good news is that smart policies can change these dynamics and catalyze the necessary creativity and investment in clean technology, and its deployment. The key question is: which mitigation policy approaches can also lead us to future carbon neutrality? Combining the latest evaluation data with anecdotes based on dozens of interviews, the talk assesses which strategies around the world have effectively reduced emissions while accelerating climate tech development and adoption. The presentation will serve as a launch for visiting professor Alon Tal’s latest book Making Climate Tech Work, Policies that Drive Innovation which is being published by Island Press this month.
Speaker: Alon Tal, Tel Aviv University
Room 350
KQED Deep Look Film Night at the Estuary & Ocean Science Center - 05/08/2024 06:00 PM
Estuary & Ocean Science Center Tiburon
Join KQED’s Deep Look wildlife series for a special screening event exploring nature’s tiny wonders at San Francisco State University’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center
You’ll watch short films produced in collaboration with the EOS Center about plankton, mussels and sea slugs. Josh Cassidy, KQED’s Deep Look award-winning producer and cinematographer will be on hand along with EOS Center scientists to talk more about the production of and science behind the films.
From Drifter to Dynamo: The Story of PlanktonMost plankton are tiny drifters, wandering in a vast ocean. But where wind and currents converge they become part of a grander story… an explosion of vitality that affects all life on Earth, including our own.
How Does the Mussel Grow its BeardMussels create byssal threads, known as the mussel's "beard," to attach themselves both to rocks and to each other. They use their sensitive foot to mold the threads from scratch and apply a waterproof adhesive that makes superglue jealous.
Sea Slugs Scour Seagrass by the SeashoreThese sea slugs may look like lazy, zebra-striped spoonfuls of jello, but eelgrass sea hares are actually environmental heroes. Their voracious appetite for algae helps keep underwater meadow ecosystems in balance" which is great news for sea otters.
Silicon Valley Dejargonizers, a toastmasters club meeting - Livestream - 05/08/2024 06:00 PM
Silicon Valley Dejargonizers
How would you explain wifi to kids? How would you explain a large language model to a non-technical person?How would you explain the journey of an online payment?Would you like to get the skills to explain such complex topics in simple terms?At Silicon Valley Dejargonizers, a toastmasters club at District 101, we practice the skills to simplify complexity, one word at a time, through stories, analogies and examples.Join us at our regular online meeting on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 , 6:00PM-7:00PM PDT.We have a demo speech that exemplifies the purpose.Contact form: https://tinyurl.com/svdtm-contactmeetup: https://www.meetup.com/svdtm-meetup/google-calendar: https://tinyurl.com/svdtm-gc-may8
Illuminating Fungi - the Science of Fungal Bioluminescence - 05/08/2024 07:30 PM
Bay Area Mycological Society Berkeley
Fungal bioluminescence was first described by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.), and continues to fascinate and puzzle scientists today. While over 100 species of fungi are known to produce luminescent mushrooms or mycelium, the chemical and genetic basis of the light-producing reaction was only recently discovered, and the reason these fungi glow remains somewhat of a mystery. Come learn about our current understanding of the evolution, ecology and biochemistry of this phenomenon. And yes, there will be lots of pictures of glowing mushrooms!
Speaker: Brian Perry, California State University East Bay
From Sacramento to Silicon Valley: California takes on AI - 05/08/2024 07:30 PM
Manny's San Francisco
California is aiming to set the standard for reining in the swiftly growing AI industry that has largely developed within the state’s own borders. Dozens of bills are currently working their way through the state legislature to set rules for everything from deepfakes, to preserving jobs for workers, to the very definition of artificial intelligence.
Against this backdrop, and the RSA cyber conference in San Francisco, POLITICO’s Jeremy White will sit with State Senator Scott Wiener, one of the key lawmakers behind California’s AI bills, to discuss the state’s role in regulation - and how it could set the tone for policies nationwide.
Thursday, 05/09/2024
SynBioBeta 2024: The Global Synthetic Biology Conference - Innovation Discovery - 05/09/2024 07:00 PM
San Jose McEnery Convention Center San Jose
Join us for an unparalleled four-day summit delving into synthetic biology. Explore why the costs of reading, writing, and editing DNA plummet while speed and accessibility soar. Gain insights into cutting-edge medical advancements such as cell therapies, vaccines, and living medicines. Discover how companies harness biology to produce bio-based jet fuel, textiles, concrete, and other chemicals and materials. Engage with trailblazing entrepreneurs crafting innovative foods, crops, and fragrances. Join us to see the potential applications of these technologies in shaping sustainable manufacturing ecosystems. Register at weblink.
For speaker list and agendas, see weblink
Code Red for Humanity: Clean Air, Healthy Bay Area - Livestream - 05/09/2024 10:00 AM
Acterra
It’s a critical time for implementing climate and air quality solutions. With the passage of the BAAQMD clean air rules for water and space heating, cities and counties are preparing for green, efficient, electric appliances to go mainstream. Come hear the innovative solutions happening around the Bay. This event is intended for elected officials, city and county staff, and policy thinkers, and is open to the public. Speakers will share a host of ideas on how to facilitate the public awareness, electrification ordinances, workforce development, and permit streamlining - key strategies that are smoothing the transition to zero emission appliances that reduce pollution and save lives. Gain insights and ideas for viable and equitable next steps in your own jurisdictions.
Speakers include Davina Hurt, Chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District; clean energy expert Dr. Mark Jacobson, Stanford University; and more.
Register at weblink to receive connection information
Understanding the XZ Security Breach and Open Source Security - 05/09/2024 04:00 PM
Sutardja Dai Hall Berkeley
A group of experts, each with a unique perspective, will gather to discuss the recent XZ security breach followed by a light reception. This open source security discussion is co-sponsored by the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) and the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science, and the Public. We hope you will be able to join this important discussion either in person or virtually!
Featuring:
Panelist: K. Jarrod Millman, Senior Open Source Scientific Python Developer, Berkeley Institute for Data SciencePanelist: Nick Merrill, Director, Daylight Lab, UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term CybersecurityPanelist: Juanita Gomez, Computer Science PhD student, Community leader for the Scientific Python project, University of California, Santa CruzModerator: Fernando Pérez, BIDS Faculty Director, Berkeley Institute for Data Science
Register to attend in person, or attend online here.
SLAC on Tap: Shocking to the Core: Adventures in Earth Science - 05/09/2024 05:00 PM
The Dutch Goose Menlo Park
Double your pressure, double your fun! Join us at the Dutch Goose for SLAC on Tap on May 9, when SLAC scientist and rock star Arianna Gleason will share the amazing secrets scientists are trying to squeeze from the depths of Earth and other celestial bodies, from the origin of life to the future of clean energy. Feel the heat and let yourself be impacted by the mysteries of our home planet! It’ll rock your world. Have a drink, learn about planetary science and stick around after the talk for some trivia, giveaways and the chance to make silly putty.
Register at weblink to attend
Speaker: Arianna Gleason, SLAC
NightLife - 05/09/2024 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 60,000 live animals (including familiar faces like Claude, our alligator with albinism), the night is sure to be wild.
Step inside our four-story Osher Rainforest, where you can explore the Amazon’s treetops surrounded by free-flying birds and butterflies. 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.
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 outdoor bar to drink and dine under the stars.
After Dark: Intelligence Design - 05/09/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Play with AI the Exploratorium way! Join Osher Fellow and creator of Microsoft’s Cozy AI Kitchen series John Maeda to learn about how design thinking intersects with artificial intelligence. Test out exhibit prototypes on machine learning, and chat with our exhibit developers about what they’re working on.
A Resilient Planet Needs Fungi NOW! - 05/09/2024 06:30 PM
Sebastopol Grange Sebastopol
Fungi are weird, fungi are cool, and fungi are beautiful. But how much do we really know about them? For starters, they do much more than just rot things. They control pretty much all life on our planet and are everywhere.
Britt Bunyard’s lecture will present fascinating stories and beautiful photos of amazing fungi featured in his new book, The Lives of Fungi, A Natural History of Our Planet's Decomposers published by Princeton University Press. Discover the crazy, wonderful life that goes on all around us, mostly hidden in plain sight. For general audiences, no knowledge of mycology required.
Speaker: Britt Bunyard, editor, Fungi
Attend in person or online. See weblink.
From Creationism to QAnon: Answers in Genesis and the Culture War - Livestream - 05/09/2024 07:00 PM
Bay Area Skeptics
Our book, Righting America at the Creation Museum, came out in 2016. In the intervening years, the creationist organization Answers in Genesis has opened Ark Encounter, remodeled the Creation Museum (in some places as a response to our book), opened a K-12 school, and dramatically expanded its online presence. At the same time, AiG has doubled down on the culture war rhetoric, dismissing climate change (or, as AiG CEO Ken Ham refers to it, “the climate cult”) as a hoax, rejecting the reality of a COVID-19 pandemic (in the process attacking vaccination mandates as oppressive), and working hard to appeal to QAnon devotees (to the point of opening the Ark to the filming of a QAnon video).
To expand on what we said in the “Introduction” to our book, all of us have a stake in understanding what is happening in the world of AiG - including the museum and the Ark - and its role in preparing and arming crusaders for the ongoing culture war that polarizes and poisons U.S. religion and politics. As bizarre as the world of AiG may seem to many Americans, what happens there matters to all of us.
Speakers: Susan and William Trollinger, University of Dayton
See weblink for connection information
Friday, 05/10/2024
Characterizing the seasonal evolution of the Greenland hydrologic system and its relationship to ice sheet dynamics - 05/10/2024 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Speaker: Mark Behn, UC Santa Cruz
Saturday, 05/11/2024
Family Nature Adventures: Special Mother’s Day Edition - 05/11/2024 11:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Join us for a delightful Mother’s Day celebration that combines creativity, nature, and family fun! Our workshop offers a unique opportunity for families with children ages 3-8 to create beautiful mosaic flower pots while enjoying a seed bar filled with an array of seeds to plant and nurture.
Mosaic Tile Flower Pot and Nature Walk - In this hands-on workshop, participants will be guided through the process of crafting their own mosaic flower pots using vibrant tiles, and decorative elements. Whether it’s a gift for mom or a special keepsake for the family garden, each mosaic creation will be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece filled with love and creativity.
After completing your mosaic flower pot, lace up your hiking shoes and embark on a guided 30-minute nature walk through the majestic redwood forest. This leisurely stroll offers families the opportunity to connect with nature, observe local wildlife, and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors together.
Price includes general admission
Intended for families with children ages 3 - 8
Mt. Tam Star Party - 05/11/2024 07:30 PM
Rock Spring Trailhead Mill Valley
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers will give us a tour of the springtime constellations and offer telescope viewing.
We will observe the crescent Moon, the Beehive and Coma star clusters, double stars like Castor and Algieba, and distant galaxies in Virgo, Leo, and Ursa Major.
Please dress warmly and bring binoculars and a dim red flashlight if you have one. We will keep the observing area as dark as possible so we can see the stars, and faint galaxies through the telescopes.
Parents please ensure children are supervised around delicate optical equipment. See the weblink for more information from the Friends of Mount Tam and to register. Capacity is limited.
Location: Rock Spring Trailhead Parking Area at Mount Tamalpais
Jazz Under the Stars - 05/11/2024 08:30 PM
College of San Mateo Bldg 36 San Mateo
Jazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Occurring on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us in building 36 on the 4th floor observatory for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own KCSM 91.1. Founded in 1964, KCSM has grown to become one of the top 35 most listened to non-commercial stations in the US. With their help, the Astronomy department at CSM opens its observatory doors and balcony, for a night of science and fun! We operate for public viewing 8” dobsonian telescopes, prefect for viewing the planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. We also have a 140mm refractor, with which we view the craters on the moon. Finally, our 11’ schmidt-cassegrain is for our deep sky needs. It can peer deep into globular clusters, and nebulae. Occasionally we even have the chance to image galaxies on our 20" telescope. Our astronomers will also be available for questions and conversation, which you wouldn’t get anywhere else! Feel free to ask us your questions about the cosmos. Don't miss out, join us at our next Jazz Under the Stars!!
Weather in the bay area is notoriously hard to predict, and often the sources we use don't get it correct. Before leaving you home, be sure to check this webpage. If we are to cancel it will be posted here at least a few hours before the start of the event.
Sunday, 05/12/2024
Family Nature Adventures: Special Mother’s Day Edition - 05/12/2024 11:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Join us for a delightful Mother’s Day celebration that combines creativity, nature, and family fun! Our workshop offers a unique opportunity for families with children ages 3-8 to create beautiful mosaic flower pots while enjoying a seed bar filled with an array of seeds to plant and nurture.
Mosaic Tile Flower Pot and Nature Walk - In this hands-on workshop, participants will be guided through the process of crafting their own mosaic flower pots using vibrant tiles, and decorative elements. Whether it’s a gift for mom or a special keepsake for the family garden, each mosaic creation will be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece filled with love and creativity.
After completing your mosaic flower pot, lace up your hiking shoes and embark on a guided 30-minute nature walk through the majestic redwood forest. This leisurely stroll offers families the opportunity to connect with nature, observe local wildlife, and appreciate the beauty of the outdoors together.
Price includes general admission
Intended for families with children ages 3 - 8
Solar Observing - 05/12/2024 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.
We're also planning station for your get a better feel for a huge scale of our solar system! And you'll get a solar system you can fold up and carry in your pocket.
Monday, 05/13/2024
From real-world events to linguistic descriptions: Lessons from “variable behavior verbs” - 05/13/2024 12:30 PM
Margaret Jacks Hall (Bldg 460) Stanford
How are events that occur in the real world represented in language? How do we go from the chaotic, disorderly, “kaleidoscopic flux of impressions” that we observe in the world to a discrete representation - " a particular verb, along with its arguments, arranged in an orderly syntactic structure? In this talk, I consider as a case study the linguistic puzzle of “variable behavior verbs” - a set of intransitive verbs that can appear in sentences with distinct syntactic structures, whose alternation between those structures depends on the meaning of their arguments and on the context in which they are used. Focusing on linguistic descriptions of weather events in English, like “it is raining”, and of existential events in Russian, like the equivalent of “there is a book on the table”, I account for variable behavior verbs by presenting a model of the relationship among happenings in the real world, verb meaning, and syntactic representation.
Speaker: Bonnie Krejci, Stanford University
See weblink for instructions to gain entry to the building.
Room 126
Low Tide Walk at Bair Island - 05/13/2024 01:00 PM
Bair Island Wildlife Refuge & Trail Redwood City
Gather your ducklings or fly solo with us on an easy 0.8 mile walk along the marsh at Bair Island! This event is FREE!
Come enjoy a low tide walking tour around the charming marshlands of Bair Island. The low tide exposes the mysterious world of mudflats, creating the perfect habitat for bird viewing. While strolling along the trail, we will be conversing about the local wildlife, history of the area, and what you can do to contribute to the health of this important ecosystem. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair of ours.
After the walk you will have the opportunity to create a card for the mother in your life.
Public restrooms and drinking fountains are available in the Bair Island parking lot. Parking is free.
This easy walk will be on a dirt path with no elevation gain. We will gather at the welcome table and walk to the observation deck, 0.4 miles away. The entrance to the trail and observation deck are accessible via ramps. Please bring a hat and reusable water bottle as there is no shade on Bair Island.
Please note that dogs are not allowed at Bair Island, and all minors must be accompanied by an adult for the entirety of the walk.
Register at weblink
Update on SLAC’s Science & Technology Strategy - 05/13/2024 03:30 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Colloquium Series Menlo Park
In this talk we will present an update on the Lab’s science and technology strategy, which has been under development for the past few months. This strategy was recently presented to SLAC’s Board of Oversight Science & Technology Committee and will form the basis for the upcoming Annual Lab Plan as well as the Lab Agenda. In addition to describing the strategic framework, the talk will include an initial perspective on next steps and implementation. The goal of the presentation is to initiate a broader discussion of the strategy and to seek staff engagement in next steps.
Speaker: John Sarrao, SLAC Director
Attend in person or online
Dynamics and Repeatability of Evolution in a Long-Term Experiment with Bacteria - 05/13/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Richard Lenski is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, where he studies the genetic and ecological basis of evolutionary change. In particular, Dr. Lenski performs experiments to analyze the process of evolution in action. In an experiment started in 1988, he and his team have maintained and studied 12 populations of E. coli for 75,000 generations to gain insights into the dynamics and repeatability of evolution. Samples are periodically stored in freezers and later revived, allowing cells from different generations to be directly compared - in essence, time travel. Dr. Lenski is a past President of the Society for the Study of Evolution, and he has had fellowships from the Guggenheim and MacArthur Foundations. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Dr. Lenski has mentored some 30 graduate students and postdocs who are now on the faculties of universities around the nation and world.
Room: Auditorium
The Move To Zero - How To Get To True Carbon Neutrality - 05/13/2024 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford
Today, climate change is a well-known, and reasonably understood, problem with mitigation efforts and technologies (carbon sequestration, electric mobility, renewables, policy updates, and others) starting to gel together at a system level. However, at the end-use demand end, less progress has been made, and as wealth and populations rise, and health-socio-economic indicators improve, consumption, and end emissions per capita, are also increasing, somewhat or entirely negating the progress made on decarbonizing society. This is paradoxical, and at a higher-level of systems thinking, poses a strong threat. In this world-energy-outlook talk, we re-familiarize ourselves with the core problem, how we got here, what are current approaches to tackle our energy and climate crisis, and how all of us can play a central part in reducing (often) unnecessary consumption of goods and services. To truly achieve a declivity in carbon and green house gas concentrations in our atmosphere, we must address both ends of the equation - how energy’s produced and sourced (supply), and how and why is energy used (demand). The latter part, starts with you.
Speaker: Satyan Chandra, Tesla
This event was originally scheduled for April 22, 2024.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Black Holes and Neutron Stars - 05/13/2024 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
The most powerful cosmic engines in our universe are fueled by compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars. These cosmic engines consume large amounts of material and expel matter in the form of jets travelling at near the speed of light. Recent groundbreaking discoveries of gravitational waves from systems harboring compact objects and the direct imaging of the black hole shadows with the Event Horizon Telescope, represent major steps forward in our understanding of such systems. However, there exists a huge population of compact objects in our own galaxy which provides much more ideal laboratories, offering a real-time view of the behavior of these compact objects and their dynamic environments. In this talk, Dr. Tetarenko will discuss new experiments leveraging the capabilities of today's state-of-the-art telescopes to observe repetitive, (somewhat) predictable, energetic surges of radiation that allow us to track the path of material from inflow to outflow in these galactic systems.
Speaker: Alexandra Tetaranko, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, CA
Tuesday, 05/14/2024
Exploring Quanta and Fields - Livestream - 05/14/2024 03:00 PM
Commonwealth Club
Life and death by hydrothermal system: phosphate on ocean moons and ignimbrite remobilization at Mt. Pinatubo - 05/14/2024 03:30 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
Cosmology from the First Year DESI BAO Measurements - 05/14/2024 03:30 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Wednesday, 05/15/2024
Changing Coastlines: From Ecology to Physiology - Livestream - 05/15/2024 03:00 PM
Bodega Marine Laboratory
The restoration of California's imperiled vegetated marine ecosystems - Livestream - 05/15/2024 03:40 PM
Estuary and Ocean Science Center
Supermassive Black Holes: Monsters Lurking in the Hearts of Galaxies - 05/15/2024 07:00 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
Thursday, 05/16/2024
Coastal Walk at Cowell-Purisima Trail - 05/16/2024 10:00 AM
Cowell Purisima Coastal Trailhead Half Moon Bay
The Christian Nationalist Threat to American Democracy - Livestream - 05/16/2024 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
Birdy Hour: Ask the Ornithologist: An Interactive Q & A with a Bird Expert - Livestream - 05/16/2024 05:00 PM
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
Women Energy Associates: Climate Adocacy in Action - 05/16/2024 05:00 PM
National Resources Defense Council San Francisco San Francisco
NightLife x Carnaval SF - 05/16/2024 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: LASERs - 05/16/2024 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
2024 Drake Awards - 05/16/2024 06:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
NOVA Secrets in your Data - 05/16/2024 07:00 PM
Computer History Museum Mountain View
Healthy Air, Healthy Home - 05/16/2024 07:00 PM
Pedro Point Firehouse Pacifica
Friday, 05/17/2024
Morning Hike at Rancho Cañada del Oro - 05/17/2024 09:30 AM
Rancho Cañada Del Oro Open Space Preserve Morgan hill
Stanford Sleep and Circadian Sciences Seminar - 05/17/2024 12:00 PM
ChEM-H/Neuroscience Building, James Lin and Nisa Leung Seminar Room (E153) Stanford
Serpent Lights in the Night: Mars' Enigmatic Aurora - 05/17/2024 12:00 PM
Earth and Marine Sciences Building Santa Cruz
The PARC Forum IEEE Milestone Celebration - 05/17/2024 03:00 PM
SRI PARC Campus Palo Alto
Saturday, 05/18/2024
EV Ride and Drive - 05/18/2024 11:00 AM
Baylands Park Sunnyvale
City Public Star Party - 05/18/2024 08:00 PM
City Star Parties - Tunnel Tops Park San Francisco
Sunday, 05/19/2024
Hike at Windy Hill - 05/19/2024 09:00 AM
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve Portola Valley
InsectPalooza - 05/19/2024 12:00 PM
Minnesota Street Project San Francisco
Wonderfest: 'Deep Rising' - 05/19/2024 01:00 PM
Cameo Cinema St. Helena
Monday, 05/20/2024
Plant adventures in photosynthesis - 05/20/2024 04:00 PM
James H. Clark Center (Bldg 340) Stanford
Simulating Global Climate, Energy, and Land Futures - 05/20/2024 04:30 PM
Stanford University Energy Seminar Stanford