Hello Fans of Science and Reason,
I do have to admit that it is easy to accept claims when the evidence is plentiful yet still anecdotal and usually has no evidence to support it. I suggest that this may not be the best way to collect data and arrive at conclusions though. This is how many “misperceptions” gain traction and become, shall we say “uncommon unknowledge”. Here are a few links to peruse to see some examples...
Common Misconceptions About the Human Body
Five Misperceptions Surrounding the Environmental Impacts of Single-Use Plastic and then read the comments. (Note: there is a paywall. This gives you a bit of insight in to how information can be misunderstood!) Comment on “Five Misperceptions Surrounding the Environmental Impacts of Single-Use Plastic” (note: this is a critique of the industry supported report that isn't available to non-subscribers!)
Misperceptions can threaten scientific advancement
8 Myths About Public Understanding of Science
Over the past decades there have been various public interpretations of what the future of our climate will look like. At one point it was global freezing, then it was global warming, then back again to freezing. How Do We Predict Future Climate? Here’s a nice collection of articles… Climate + Science
Here are a few articles to cast some heat on the subject as well… What El Niño means for the world’s perilous climate tipping points and 10 Common Myths And Misconceptions About The Science Of Weather, take a look at 'The Parrot and the Igloo' traces the history of climate denialism
What does seem to be clear is that there will be big swings/changes in climate over much or all of the planet for the foreseeable future!
I hope that it is as good as the pre-release marketing is. Of course like so many other things in life we will only know after it happens. I hope that we aren't let down by “Oppenheimer” which is set to release on 7.21. I have written before about the unsung and uncredited people/heroes, notably women, who actually make many of the biggest contributions to how we understand this amazing universe we call home. Well... Female physicists aren’t... “While the Manhattan Project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of many accomplished female scientists, the only women seen in the movie’s trailer are either hanging laundry, crying or cheering the men on. Let's hope that the film does better than the marketers.” Here’s another example of how the portrayal starts one way and doesn’t go where you might hope… The Women of Los Alamos Here’s something to help put the record straight… Pioneering Women in Los Alamos and The Women Who Built the Bomb
Lost Women of Science tells the remarkable stories of groundbreaking women who never got the full recognition they deserved – and still do.
So what is coming to the SF Bay Area this week? Well, here’s a few suggestions…
How the James Webb Space Telescope is Transforming Astronomy Mon @ 6:00 SF
Nerd Nite SF #134: Sharks, DNA, & Tarot! Wed @ 8:00 SF Livestream
Weird Earth: Strange Ideas about Our Planet Thu @ 4:00 Livestream
Observing Animals and Nature Sat 11-4 SF
Summer Science Fundays - Chemistry Funday Sat 11-2 Berkeley
Young paddle boarders have captured a rare video of the world’s smallest and weirdest whale.
Beware of AI scam calls and what might be called "cheap fake"
The Biggest Lies They Ever Taught You In Science Class, maybe!
I am a bit of an optics fan and find lens and mirror design interesting, especially in telescopes and cameras (recently a bit more in eye glasses as well!) I’m hoping that one of you readers who know a lot more can help me understand this one… thin-lensed telescope design could far surpass James Webb – goodbye mirrors, hello diffractive lenses.
Last week there was a problem with the streaming of the Bernie Krause and David Harrington talk. I was lucky to be there. In case you missed it or want to review it this should get to to Tuning into the Biophony with Bernie Krause and David Harrington.
Have an amazing week learning more about science and how the universe works and keep the doubt!
herb masters
"The danger to society is not merely that it should believe wrong things, though that is great enough; but that it should become credulous, and lose the habit of testing things and inquiring into them; for then it must sink back into savagery." -- William Kingdon Clifford
“Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It’s posing questions and coming up with a method. It’s delving in.” Sally Ride
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.
Monday, 07/17/2023
Tesla, Redwood Materials and Building a Better Battery Supply Chain - 07/17/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Demand for lithium ion batteries is expected to grow 500 percent by 2030, and the race for raw materials is on. Lithium mines around the world are opening or expanding, while children as young as six in the Congo carry sacks of cobalt-laced rocks on their backs for less than $2 a day. Recycling presents promising opportunities, yet before millions of batteries can be recycled, they have to be made in the first place. At the same time, advances in battery chemistry continue to be made, and it’s not hard to imagine a near future when batteries don’t require lithium or cobalt at all. What’s the state of battery technology? And with demand seemingly ceaselessly increasing, how can we ever get to a truly sustainable supply chain?
JB Straubel co-founded Tesla Motors and spent 15 years as its chief technology officer. Now he heads Redwood Materials, a company dedicated to creating a circular battery supply chain in the United States.
Join Climate One Host Greg Dalton in person with JB Straubel as we explore what it will take to build a better battery supply chain and electrify the world.
How the James Webb Space Telescope is Transforming Astronomy - 07/17/2023 07:30 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
Since the first public release of images obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope in July 2022, this observatory has been pushing the current state of knowledge from the farthest reaches of the Universe to some of the closest objects we can observe in the Solar System. The detection of the first galaxies after the Big Bang was the driver for the massive space telescope - and although that goal remains the quest of many astronomers, JWST has also contributed to new understandings about extrasolar planets, star formation and evolution, and phenomena much closer to home.
We are now seeing the Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Solar System in a whole new light! This presentation will highlight some of the spectacular discoveries already being made with JWST in its first year of science.
Speaker: Stefanie Milam, JWST Deputy Project Scientist for Planetary Science
Tuesday, 07/18/2023
Popping the Science Bubble: Two talks - 07/18/2023 05:30 PM
Berkeley Public Library Berkeley
Variety is the spice of life: how diverse host populations mitigate disease
Speaker: Signe White, UC Berkeley
Opening windows into bacteria with cryo-electron tomography
Speaker: Kanika Khanna, UC Berkeley
Attend in person or via Zoom. See weblink
Message to an Ocean World: The Europa Clipper Mission - Livestream - 07/18/2023 06:00 PM
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Join the NASA Night Sky Network on Tuesday, July 18 at 6:00pm Pacific Time (9:00pm Eastern) when Dr. Cynthia Phillips from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory brings us up to date on the Europa Clipper mission, schedules for launch in October 2024.
Europa Clipper is a NASA mission that will launch in October 2024 to visit Jupiter’s ocean moon Europa. Learn all about Europa and the Europa Clipper mission, as well as how to observe Europa in the night sky and how to sign on to our “Message in a Bottle” to join the mission!
Speaker: Cynthia Phillips, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Dark Matter Searches with Astrophysical Objects - 07/18/2023 07:00 PM
Hewlett Teaching Center Stanford
While multiple lines of evidence suggest the existence of dark matter in the Universe, the theory describing it remains completely unknown and requires new search ideas to resolve its identity. It turns out that stars and planets can be ideal playgrounds to discover dark matter. In this lecture, Dr. Rebecca Leane will review a range of dark matter searches using celestial objects, including exoplanets, solar-system planets, the Sun, and the Earth. She will discuss different search strategies, their opportunities and limitations, and the interplay of regimes where different celestial objects are optimal dark matter detectors.
Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Leane, KIPAC/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Attend in person or online. Register at weblink
California Nature Trivia with California Academy of Science and Deep Look - 07/18/2023 07:00 PM
KQED Headquarters San Francisco
KQED and the California Academy of Sciences challenge you to a night of nature trivia! Join KQED Science Reporter Laura Klivans and Academy scientists and curators for questions about local flora and fauna. The event features short videos by Deep Look, a PBS/KQED series that zooms in close to show you what you can't see with the naked eye.
Presented by KQED Live
Astronomy on Tap Tucson #89: Mass Effect + Star Stories - Livestream - 07/18/2023 07:30 PM
Astronomy on Tap
It’s Mass Effect, Not Weight Effect: Astronomy and Physics in the Mass Effect Universe
Speaker: Jasmin Washington
Once Upon a Time, There Was a Massive Star
Speaker: Jeniveve Pearson
On tap this month, we have Steward Observatory graduate students Jeniveve Pearson and Jasmin Washington! Jeniveve will be telling us the life story of a massive star, and Jasmin will teach us all about how physics works in the Mass Effect video game series! We’ll also be hearing all about the latest Astronomy in the News from Dr. Danny Krolikowski, so please join us to learn about the latest and greatest in the astronomical world.
Wednesday, 07/19/2023
A Sign in Space - WRETI: Writing in Response to ETI - Livestream - 07/19/2023 09:00 AM
SETI Institute
A Sign in Space is a multidisciplinary art project conceived by artist Daniela De Paulis. De Paulis is leading a global team to send an encoded message from the European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) back to Earth, simulating a signal an advanced extraterrestrial civilization could eventually send to Earth. The message will be “detected” by four radio astronomy observatories on Earth: the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array (ATA), The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station observatory managed by INAF (the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics). De Paulis and her team developed the encoded message, but its contents remain unknown, even to most of the collaborating partners.
The message will be transmitted from the TGO on May 24 at 19:16 UTC/12:15 pm PDT. Following the transmission, the A Sign in Space team will host a series of Zoom-based discussions open to the public around topics that consider the societal implications of detecting a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization. The discussions will take place over 6-8 weeks after the transmission.
The implications of A Sign in Space by Daniela de Paulis, using a wealth of literary experience to engage with the cultural resonances of this artwork. The four established writers on the panel (including Tracie Morris, Jaap Blonk, Christian Bök, and Luigi Serafini) all plan to offer their productive impressions of this project. How might we write about aliens? How to respond to alien writing? What are the limits of our language in the face of radical Otherness?
Co-Hosts: Daniela de Paulis, Gregory Betts Panelists: Tracie Morris, Jaap Blonk, Christian Bök, and Luigi SerafiniREGISTER
Nerd Nite SF #134: Sharks, DNA, & Tarot! - 07/19/2023 08:00 PM
Rickshaw Stop San Francisco
Sharks Aren’t Infesting San Francisco Bay, But They Do Live Here!
Sharks don’t infest the waters they are in, they just live there! San Francisco Bay, CA is no exception. In fact, one of the highest-ranking apex predators, the broadnose sevengill shark, uses this bay as a place to pup their young. Sevengill sharks are found worldwide but the population along our coastline is the only population where we can consistently find juvenile sevengills in a pupping and nursery ground year-round! That opens a very unique opportunity to study these sharks at the beginning of their lives. So, why is a pupping and nursery ground important, and what are the conservation needs around this unique shark? Join us to find out!
Speaker: Meghan Holst, UC Davis
Super Slime Me or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Live on Algae
Algae enthusiasts and plankton party animals, welcome to the wacky world of green gastronomy! Over the past few weeks, our speaker has been on a wild, strange and sometimes hilarious adventure through the uncharted territory of munching on nothing but algae. He’s been surviving on some slime sublime as a means of investigating the potential of our tiny green friends to meet the challenges of everything from the impending climate catastrophe to life in space. Get ready to dive into weird self-experimentation, the carbon impact of food, and how you too might one day be eating algae on a daily basis.
Speaker: Elliot Roth is the founder of Spira, a company that uses genetically engineered algae grown by a global network of farming partners to make designer materials, starting with natural colors.
DNA Data Storage: Using three billion year-old technology to solve a modern dilemma
The generation of digital information has outpaced the growth of storage capacity from early on, and the gap continues to grow exponentially. Meanwhile, no modern technology can store and retrieve data on timescales of more than a couple decades. Nature has evolved its own data storage medium - DNA - could that be the solution? Let’s talk about it!
Editor's Note: This DNA talk has been rescheduled for August 16.
Speaker: Brian Bramlett, Technology Strategist
Tarot Me A Story
Tarot cards have commonly been depicted in popular culture as an occult tool for fortune telling. But what if you could harness them to gain deeper insight into your own mind rather than some theoretical future event? By examining the art of Tarot through a psychology lens, learn how the cards can help you tell your life story in new, bold, and exciting ways. From “The Hero’s Journey” to Jungian archetypes to Rorschach tests, let’s explore how tarot is a powerful way of discovering personal intuition and self-understanding.
Speaker: Ben Grandis is a Professional Life Coach & Tarot Reader who thrives on compassionate curiosity.
Thursday, 07/20/2023
Coastal Walk at Pillar Point Bluff - 07/20/2023 10:00 AM
Pillar Point Bluff Moss Beach
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful walk at Pillar Point Bluff just north of Half Moon Bay! You will be guided by POST ambassadors who will share details about the area’s interesting natural history, from the coastal scrub habitat to the Fitzgerald Marine Preserve which hosts tide pools and breeding grounds for harbor seals.
The walk is moderate at about 2.5 miles round trip with about 300 feet of gradual elevation gain. ***Due to a mudslide and trail closures, we will need to take a slightly steeper path for this hike. If you are worried about walking at a steeper incline, we recommend not attending this hike*
In 2004, POST stepped in to fund protection of the bluff, restore it to ecological health, and construct a 1.6-mile section of the California Coastal Trail that now runs across it. Today, all 161 acres of the bluff are fully protected in perpetuity - a process that took four transactions, 11 years of work, and an array of visionaries, landowners and donors, both public and private.
Please note that all minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entire duration of the hike. While dogs are allowed on this trail, we kindly ask that your pups stay home for this community hike.
Register at weblink
Lunch Break Science: Chimp behavior, borders, and empire - Livestream - 07/20/2023 11:00 AM
Leaky Foundation
Isabelle Clark explores chimpanzee territorial behavior and social development, providing exclusive insights into the captivating Ngogo chimpanzees featured in Netflix’s docuseries Chimp Empire.
Take a break from your day and feed your brain with The Leakey Foundation! Watch this episode live on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or at the weblink.
Weird Earth: Strange Ideas about Our Planet - Livestream - 07/20/2023 04:00 PM
Skeptical Inquirer
Many strange notions about Planet Earth are finding a foothold in the mainstream: Flat-earthers, geocentrists, hollow earth, expanding earth, dowsing, crystal healing, and so many more. Thanks to the internet, these nonsensical theories get much more publicity - and many more believers - than they did just a few years ago.
Join us on for our next Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream with Donald Prothero. What’s going on with the sudden popularity of long-debunked pseudoscientific ideas about our planet? More importantly, how do we know that these ideas are wrong? What is the evidence? Prothero will dive into the booming online culture of earth-based pseudoscience and draw on his extensive background in geology and paleontology to put the nonsense claims to rest.
Free registration is required to take part in this live Zoom event, so sign up right now at weblink.
NightLife - 07/20/2023 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 the iconic Shake House and our four-story Osher 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.
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. For adults 21+.
Navigating a Post-Pandemic World - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, UCSF's Dr. Monica Gandhi became one of the most prominent public health experts in the country. National and local political leaders, health professionals and media often turned to Dr. Gandhi for her thoughts and recommendations on how to handle the constantly shifting dynamics and demands of the pandemic.
Dr. Gandhi has now put her thoughts together into a new book, Endemic, which aims at reckoning with the country's present condition: comprehending and living with a new respiratory disease and how to face the coming variants and next pandemic with reason, science, understanding, courage and compassion. With her trademark straight talk and honesty, Dr. Gandhi discusses where we have been, where we find ourselves now, and how we ought to manage the virus in the coming years.
Dr. Gandhi's book couldn't be better timed, as the world must learn to live with a virus that has become “endemic." As Dr. Gandhi notes, our current moment requires a shift in both mindset and policy. She lays out a 10-point plan that she says will serve to best guide us today and into our future; she offers a guide for many still confused by inconsistent mandates and policies.
Please join us for a conversation with one of the Bay Area's top public health leaders about a virus we will be dealing with the rest of our lives.
After Dark: World Wide Web. Of Life. - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
We’re all aware that our planet’s ecosystems are being impacted and often threatened or endangered by humans - but we’re also an integral part of those ecosystems. Tonight, we’ll try to get out of our human-centered mindset to observe the interdependence of all living things in an ecosystem and consider the many ways that humans can relate to other species. How is a healthy ecosystem maintained? How can humans rethink our impact on natural resources and take steps to rebalance these systems? We’ll hear from artists and scientists who work together to celebrate and honor the diverse, populous, and all-too-often overlooked and undervalued residents of the animal world, insects.
From Snow To Flow - When Snow Falls On A Mountain, Where Does It Go? - Livestream - 07/20/2023 06:00 PM
US Geological Survey Public Lecture Series
Learn about USGS science seeking to understand the effects of climate change and future of snowpack. Most of the water in the western U.S. comes from the snowpack of the high-elevation mountains. Changes in timing, magnitude, and duration of snowmelt may substantially alter downstream water availability.
Speaker: Andrea Creighton, USGS Hydrologist
Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: The Shadow the Scientist Initiative - 07/20/2023 06:30 PM
Humble Sea Brewing Co Santa Cruz
Have you ever wondered how scientists actually use the largest telescopes in the world? Since 2020, you can actually eavesdrop in real time and interact with scientists while they carry out these scientific observations, thanks to Shadow the Scientist (StS), a UCSC initiative to connect the public to our science!
If you want to learn about this project and maybe become one of the future amateur observers of these 100% authentic scientific research experiences, come to Astronomy on Tap! You will also learn how the StS team strives for open-ended research and teaches scientific methods and critical thinking.
Speaker: Raja Guhathakurta, UC Santa Cruz
Offshore Wind and Seabirds in California - Livestream - 07/20/2023 07:00 PM
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Offshore wind is an important part of the solution to meet California’s clean renewable energy goals, reduce our carbon pollution, and mitigate the worst outcomes of climate change. But offshore wind energy infrastructure may have negative impacts on the marine environment, including seabird collision. Seabirds already face many challenges and we have the opportunity to plan ahead for California’s first two offshore wind projects to prevent collisions and protect our incredible diversity of seabirds. We’ll look at which seabirds are most vulnerable to collisions, what the risk of collision is based on offshore wind farms around the world, and how we can prevent the worst impacts.
Speaker: Whitney Grover, Golden Gate Audubon Society
Click here to watch the lecture
Friday, 07/21/2023
Search for Life Beyond Earth - SOLD OUT - 07/21/2023 08:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Our Evenings with the Stars programs are held annually as part of our Summer Series. Each year we bring world-renowned astronomers to the summit of Mount Hamilton for a night with the “stars” you won’t forget!
The event activities include:
Astronomy talk by “star” scientists Viewing through the historic 36-inch Great Lick Refractor telescope Viewing through the 40-inch Nickel Reflector telescopeFascinating history talk about Lick Observatory After-hours gift shop access Astronomy discussions with amateur astronomers and viewing through small telescopes Speaker: Howard Isaacson, UC Berkeley. Howard Isaacson is a researcher in the Astronomy department at the University of California, Berkeley. His research is split between two research groups: The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence with Breakthrough Listen, and the California Planet Search. Tickets go on sale at noon, May 8, 2023. Limit 4 per customer.
Saturday, 07/22/2023
Bubblefest Weekend - 07/22/2023 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Learn all about the science behind bubbles and see how bubbles can change form as professional bubble artists expose the wonders of these remarkable spheres. Play with bubbles of all shapes and sizes, see dry ice bubble demonstrations and be inside a giant bubble! Learn about how bubbles can teach us about star formation and all its applications in space science. This fun, two-day festival is great for all ages!
Summer Science Fundays - Chemistry Funday - 07/22/2023 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
As part of its season of summer programs and exhibits, The Lawrence Hall of Science will host ten Summer Science Fundays, each offering family-friendly shows, hands-on science activities, and more. Summer Science Fundays include events that will be familiar to Lawrence members and repeat visitors, and exciting new opportunities to explore science.
The Lawrence Hall of Science is UC Berkeley’s public science center, with a mission to inspire and engage through science discovery and learning in ways that advance equity and opportunity. In addition to exhibits and programs for kids and families, The Lawrence develops curricula and learning materials for educators and researches how kids learn science.
July 22 - Chemistry Funday: We will conduct two different tabletop activities that focus on using surprising properties of light to investigate the structure of matter/materials. Compared to microscopes, these techniques can tell us different things at even smaller scales. The first activity uses laser diffraction to study the structure of bird feathers. The second activity uses polarized light to study how materials respond to being put under stress.
Summer is a bustling time at The Lawrence Hall of Science because our most important visitors are out of school, yet still brimming with curiosity. Our Summer Science Fundays provide a gigaton of fun and educational activities for families. Summer Science Fundays showcase local community organizations, including Save Nature, Cal Taiko Band, Les Aerielles, and more, to bring a variety of unique experiences to our visitors.
Observing Animals and Nature - 07/22/2023 11:00 AM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
Humans are just one species in a vast, interconnected ecosystem. How are different species - plant, human, animal - existing in relation to each other? Today, convene with insects, flora, sea life, and more; reflect on your relationship with other species; and learn about the rich lives of other species. Get up close to butterflies to learn about their beautiful, complex forms and lives, experiment with botanical printmaking to see the elaborate detail of plant structures, and traverse a tactile experience that may help you empathize with insects.
Rediscovering the Distant Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope - 07/22/2023 08:30 PM
Lick Observatory Mt. Hamilton
Each year Lick Observatory brings world-renown musicians and astronomers to the summit of Mount Hamilton for a musical night to remember.
The event activities include:
ConcertAstronomy talk by world-renowned scientists Viewing through the historic 36-inch Great Lick Refractor telescope Viewing through the 40-inch Nickel Reflector telescope Astronomy discussions with amateur astronomers and viewing through small telescopes Performer: Highland Way
Speaker: Dr. Tucker Jones is an astronomer at the University of California at Davis. After earning his PhD in astrophysics at Caltech, he held fellowships at UC Santa Barbara and the University of Hawaii before joining the UC Davis faculty in 2016. He and his research group study how galaxies form and evolve throughout the history of the universe, from the most distant objects seen billions of years ago, to present-day systems such as our home galaxy the Milky Way. They make use of the most powerful telescopes both on Earth and in space including several current programs on the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Keck Observatory. A particular recent focus is the production of heavy elements by stars in the early stages of galaxy formation.
Tickets go on sale at noon, May 8, 2023. Limit 4 per customer.
City Public Star Party - 07/22/2023 08:30 PM
City Star Parties - Point Lobos San Francisco
Come join the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers for an evening of stargazing at Land’s End! We meet at the USS San Francisco Memorial at El Camino del Mar parking lot
Telescopes will be set up to show you the craters and mountains of the Moon, planets, bright and colorful double stars, and deep sky objects including star clusters and nebulas!
SFAA members with telescopes are encouraged to attend and share their views of the stars with the general public.
Dress warmly. Rain, heavy fog and overcast skies cancel. Check the SFAA website for a cancellation notice before leaving for the star party.
Sunday, 07/23/2023
Bubblefest Weekend - 07/23/2023 10:00 AM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Learn all about the science behind bubbles and see how bubbles can change form as professional bubble artists expose the wonders of these remarkable spheres. Play with bubbles of all shapes and sizes, see dry ice bubble demonstrations and be inside a giant bubble! Learn about how bubbles can teach us about star formation and all its applications in space science. This fun, two-day festival is great for all ages!
Sunset Photography Hike at La Honda Creek - 07/23/2023 10:00 AM
La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve La Honda
Join Peninsula Open Space Trust for a beautiful hike at Lower La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve where you’ll experience the area’s sweeping views and gorgeous rolling grasslands! The preserve is over 6,100 acres, of which POST has contributed 5,200 acres. You will be guided by POST ambassadors on the meandering trails of Lower La Honda Creek, featuring a still-active cattle operation and views of the surrounding ridgelines!
The hike is moderate to strenuous at about 6 miles round trip with about 1100 feet of gradual elevation gain. There are some steep portions of this hike so hiking poles, closed-toed shoes with tread, and plenty of water/snacks for yourself are recommended.
Register at weblink
Monday, 07/24/2023
Life on Other Planets - Livestream - 07/24/2023 03:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
Is anybody else out there? As a child, Aomawa Shields was always looking at the sky and dreaming of becoming an astronaut. Now an astronomer and astrobiologist at the top of her field, Dr. Shields studies the universe outside our Solar System, researching and uncovering the planets circling distant stars with just the right conditions that could support life.
In order to ultimately achieve her life-long dream Dr. Shields had to overcome discouragement from others, self-doubt, and uncertainty that she belonged. Her complex journey included a period where she left the field and pursued acting professionally.
Hear more as Dr. Shields reflects on her life as an astronomer, classically trained actor, and Black woman in STEM. Additionally, she is the founder and director of Rising Stargirls, a program dedicated to encouraging girls of all colors and backgrounds to learn, explore, and discover the universe using theater, writing and visual art.
In conversation with Julia Flynn Siler, Author and Journalist
Tuesday, 07/25/2023
International Conference on Applied Data Science - Livestream - 07/25/2023 08:00 AM
IEEE Computer Society of Silicon Valley
The Age of Print and the Internet - 07/25/2023 06:00 PM
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
The Forgotten Whale of Gräsö - the discovery and confused nomenclatural history of the gray whale - Livestream - 07/25/2023 07:00 PM
American Cetacean Society
Going from the State of the Art (SOTA) to the Future of LLMs and Generative AI - 07/25/2023 07:00 PM
Hacker Dojo Mountain View
Wonderfest: Pandemic(s) Update - 07/25/2023 07:00 PM
Hopmonk Tavern Novato
Wednesday, 07/26/2023
Operationalizing eDNA for Routine Marine Biomonitoring - Livestream - 07/26/2023 11:00 AM
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Thursday, 07/27/2023
NightLife: Hella - 07/27/2023 06:00 PM
California Academy of Sciences San Francisco
After Dark: Listen - 07/27/2023 06:00 PM
ExplOratorium San Francisco
The Future of Science Storytelling with Data - 07/27/2023 06:00 PM
swissnex San Francisco San Francisco
Cosmic Shadow Theater: Casting Light on Galaxies - 07/27/2023 07:00 PM
Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) Public Lecture Series Menlo Park
Friday, 07/28/2023
Sunset Science: Starlight Astronomy - 07/28/2023 06:00 PM
Chabot Space and Science Center Oakland
Saturday, 07/29/2023
Stewardship Saturday: Exploring the Bay Shore with Cafe Ohlone - 07/29/2023 09:00 AM
Coyote Hills Parking Lot Fremont
Science Safari - Let's talk Herptiles! - 07/29/2023 10:30 AM
Youth Science Institute Los Gatos
Summer Science Fundays - Les Aerielles - 07/29/2023 11:00 AM
Lawrence Hall of Science Berkeley
Beyond the Curb: Berkeley Recycling Center Tour - FULL - 07/29/2023 11:00 AM
Berkeley Recycling Center Berkeley
Monday, 07/31/2023
SCVAS Learn: Terns - Livestream - 07/31/2023 07:00 PM
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society