Bay Area Science Festival 2011
Unleash your inner scientist at the Bay Area Science Festival
The first annual Bay Area Science Festival ( October 29-November 6, 2011) ‑ brings together an unprecedented brain trust of the region’s scientific and educational partners to produce one of the largest science-based events ever held in the United States.
Featuring more than 100 fun mostly free, interactive science and technology events at local venues from Oakland to Orinda, Santa Rosa to San Mateo, San Francisco to San Jose, the Bay Area Science Festival includes provocative lectures, hands-on activities, exhibitions, tours of cutting-edge facilities, guided hikes and neighborhood stargazing.
Events, dates and times are subject to change. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.bayareascience.org
WHAT: Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe
WHEN: Wednesday, October 26, 6:15 pm–7:30 pm
WHERE: Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin St, San Francisco, 94102
COST: FREE
Alex Filippenko, UC Berkeley Professor of Astronomy, tells how observations of supernovae—distant exploding stars—show that the expansion of the universe is speeding up, rather than slowing down as expected. The universe seems to be dominated by a repulsive “dark energy” that stretches the very fabric of space faster and faster with time. Presented in association with the San Francisco Public Library’s One City One Book Program.
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WHAT: Explore What You Eat: Hands-on Science at East Bay Farmers’ Markets
WHEN/WHERE:
Wed 10/26, 3-7pm, Albany Market, Solano & San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
Sat 10/29, 10am-2pm, Phatbeets Produce, 57th & Market, Oakland
Sat 10/29, 10am-3pm, Downtown Berkeley Market, Center @ MLK, Berkeley
Sun 10/30, 9am-1pm, Temescal Market, Claremont DMV, Oakland
Tue 11/1, 2pm-7pm, South Berkeley Market, Derby St @ MLK, Berkeley
Thu 11/3, 3pm-7pm, North Berkeley Market, Shattuck Ave @ Rose, Berkeley
Sat 11/5, 10am-5pm, Spiral Gardens, Sacramento @ Oregon St, Berkeley
COST: Free
Ever wonder how plants live? Or how worms produce compost? Join Cal scientists for cool food-related investigations at East Bay farmers’ markets during the Bay Area Science Festival.
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WHAT: Discovery Days at Cal State East Bay
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, 11:00 am–4:00 pm
WHERE: Cal State East Bay Hayward, Science Buildings, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd, Hayward, CA 94542. Parking in lots D, E, F, & G, closest to the North & South Science Buildings.
COST: FREE
The Bay Area Science Festival gets underway with this celebration of science, technology, engineering and math, with experiments, hands-on activities, games, exhibits, lectures, and more. Highlights include: Chemistry Magic Show; Robots in Action; Geophysical Exploration; Fossil Casting; Mathematical Puzzles; Statistics Fun House; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Fun with Science Program, and more! Dr. David Dearborn, scientist at Lawrence Livermore Lab, talks on “Avoiding Armageddon: Diverting Asteroids with Nuclear Explosives,” taking a look at the asteroid impact threat to earth and the development of the ability to divert such objects through nuclear explosives.
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WHAT: Hawk Talk & Banding Demonstration
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, and Sunday, October 30, 12:00 noon–2:00 pm. No registration necessary, meet on top of Hawk Hill at noon.
WHERE: Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands. For more information, visit www.parksconservancy.org/ggro or call (415) 331-0730.
COST: FREE.
An up-close view of the fall raptor migration with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO), a cooperative program of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and National Park Service. A GGRO docent gives an hour-long talk about hawk monitoring and identification using photos and other props. At 1 pm, a newly banded wild hawk is shown; after a volunteer discusses GGRO’s banding program, the hawk is released. Heavy fog or rain cancels.
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WHAT: Public Astronomy at the Robert Ferguson Observatory
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, Solar Viewing and PlanetWalk 12:00 noon–4:00 pm;
Night Observing: 7:00 pm–10:00 pm
WHERE: The Robert Ferguson Observatory, 2605 Adobe Canyon Road, Kenwood, CA 95452-9065
COST: Daytime Solar Viewing and PlanetWalk FREE. Night viewing $3.00 adult (18 and older), under 18 FREE. Note: Visitors must pay $8.00 admission toSugarloaf Ridge State Park.
The Robert Ferguson Observatory (RFO) is open to the public for solar and star viewing and a planetary walk event! Solar telescopes are set up during the day so you can safely look at and listen to the Sun. Visitors can walk along the PlanetWalk, a scale model of the solar system designed to fit within the boundaries of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Though most people know that the planets orbit the sun it is difficult to visualize just how small the planets are, compared to the immensity of the sun, and it is equally difficult to imagine the vast empty spaces between the planets. PlanetWalk is designed to give a firsthand experience of these spatial relationships. Starting at dusk, the observatory’s three main telescopes are open for your viewing. Docents set up additional telescopes in front of the building, while presentations on astronomical topics are given in the classroom throughout the course of the evening. Friendly and knowledgeable docents are available to answer your questions.
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WHAT: Life and Death on Alcatraz Island: The Secret Life of Nesting Birds on The Rock
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, 1:30 pm–3:00 pm
WHERE: Fort Mason, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Headquarters, 201 Fort Mason, San Francisco
COST: FREE; Please RSVP to: Ben Young Landis, Outreach Coordinator, USGS Western Ecological Research Center, blandis@usgs.gov
Alcatraz is a protected, prime nesting ground for many bird species—especially black-crowned night-herons, gulls and ravens who must coexist during breeding season—with herons and gulls seeking prime nesting real estate, protecting their eggs and chicks against the hungry, voracious appetites of the ravens. How will this struggle unfold? Bird experts from the U.S. Geological Survey share their knowledge, including rarely seen video footage of nesting night-herons and raven attacks. Followed by an “Ask a Biologist” Q&A session. Suggested for Grades 3 and up.
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WHAT: Climate Change…Fact or Fiction?
WHEN: Saturday, October 29, 1:30 pm–2:30 pm
WHERE: Bay Model Visitor Center, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965
COST: FREE
Is there really such thing as climate change? Is it politically motivated? What’s all the hype about? Find out what’s going on with the Earth’s thermostat. Meet Ranger Linda at the reception desk.
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WHAT: Got Bots?
WHEN/WHERE:
Tuesday, November 1, 3–5 pm, San Jose Public Libraries – branches TBA
Wednesday, November 2, 3–5 pm, San Jose Public Libraries – branches TBA
Thursday, November 3, 3–5 pm, San Jose Public Libraries – branches TBA
Friday, November 4, 3–5 pm, San Jose Public Libraries – branches TBA
COST: FREE
San Jose Public Libraries roll out the robot red carpet. Program a human “robot” to complete a book-related task, and then design and build your own robot out of Robotix parts.
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WHAT: Mima la scienza!
WHEN: Monday, October 31, 10:30 am–12 noon
WHERE: The Tech Museum, 201 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113
COST: FREE with admission
School groups will be joining us for an international science pantomime, with a live-link to the Genoa Science Festival in Italy. The students in Italy will pantomime science concepts through live-link technology to our students, and then our students will guess the concepts – and vice versa – as they connect across the world through technology and overcome the language barrier with the universal language of science. Host: Dr. Indre Viskontas.
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WHAT: Stressed Out? Why to Slow Down and How
WHEN: Monday, October 31, 12 noon–1:00 pm
WHERE: UCSF School of Nursing, Room N 225, Parnassus campus
COST: FREE
Hear experts describe how stress changes your body, even at the cellular level, and impacts everything from aging to your risk of disease. Learn about innovative research on stress and the effects stress may have on your health in the future, as well as proven ways to reduce stress in your life today. Featuring Margaret A. Chesney, PhD, director of the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine; and Elissa S. Epel, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF.
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WHAT: What Physicists Do: Dimensional Analysis
WHEN: Monday, October 31, 4:00 pm–5:00 pm. Coffee at 3:30 pm.
WHERE: Sonoma State University, Darwin Hall, Room 103
COST: FREE
The Sonoma State University department of physics and astronomy presents a series of lectures, demonstrations, and films on “WHAT PHYSICISTS DO”. Come hear Dr. Joe Tenn from Sonoma State University speak about “Dimensional Analysis.”
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WHAT: Think Art – Act Science
WHEN: Tuesday, November 1 through Sunday, November 6, 11:00 am–6:00 pm
WHERE: San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut St, San Francisco, CA 94133
COST: FREE
Find out what happens when artists spend nine months in a science lab. Swiss artists-in-labs places artists in research institutes and university science departments. This exhibition presents eight works that address three main themes: Ecology and Environment, Spatial Awareness and Emotions, and Exploration of New Technologies. In conjunction with the exhibition, Swissnex San Francisco and the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) host a series of lectures, conferences, and workshops to discuss and deepen the partnership between science and the arts. Think Art – Act Science is an initiative of the Institute for Cultural Studies in the Arts at the Zurich University of the Arts. The San Francisco exhibition is made possible by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, and is a project of the U.S.-wide program ThinkSwiss-Brainstorm the Future.
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WHAT: Diabetes: The State of the Epidemic
WHEN: Tuesday, November 1, 12:30 pm–1:30 pm
WHERE: UCSF School of Nursing, Room N 225, Parnassus campus, San Francisco
COST: FREE
Nearly a century has passed since the discovery of injectable insulin in the 1920s turned the tide on diabetes, helping to save countless lives. Today, even as research into the disease proceeds apace, the diabetes epidemic continues to grow. In California alone, an estimated 4 million people (one out of every seven adults) have diabetes, and the disease costs the U.S. health care system more than $200 billion annually. What solutions can modern laboratory and clinical research provide? How close are we to finding new ways to prevent, treat, better manage, or even cure the disease? How can public health approaches address the epidemic?
Speakers include Matthias Hebrok, PhD (moderator), Hurlbut-Johnson Endowed Chair in Diabetes Research, professor and director at UCSF Diabetes Center; Jeffrey A. Bluestone, PhD, UCSF Professor of Metabolism and Endocrinology, current director of the Hormone Research Institute, and UCSF Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost; Stephen E. Gitelman, MD, professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the UCSF School of Medicine and director of the Pediatric Diabetes Program; and Dean Schillinger, MD, professor of Medicine in Residence at UCSF, and chief of the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) and Trauma Center.
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WHAT: Coastal Marine Ecotoxicology: Assessing Contaminant Effects from the Cell to the Organism
WHEN: Tuesday, November 1, 12:00 noon–1:00 pm
WHERE: Sonoma State University, Darwin Hall, Room 103
COST: FREE
Dr. Brian Cole of Stanford University and U.C. Bodega Marine Lab presents this talk as part of the Sonoma State University Biology Colloquium.
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WHAT: The Art of Robots
WHEN: Tuesday, November 1, 6:30 pm–10:00 pm
WHERE: swissnex San Francisco, 730 Montgomery Street, San Francisco
COST: FREE
Born in the imagination of science fiction novelists, robots are now the focus of scientists and artists alike. swissnex San Francisco brings together all three disciplines toexamine robotics from each perspective—and to admire the sweet spot where robotics research and robotic art coincide. Featuring Marc Atallah, Director of the Maison d’Ailleurs, the Museum of Science Fiction Utopia and Extraordinary Journeys in Yverdon, Switzerland; artist Ken Goldberg, Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkley and Co-Founder of the Berkeley Center for New Media; Raffaello d’Andrea, Professor of Dynamic Systems and Control at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), who shows off the Blind Juggler, a robot that keeps multiple balls bouncing without any sensory input, and also discusses his Flying Machine Arena, Distributed Flight Array, and Robotic Chair; and Bay Area artist Alan Rath, who brings his latest kinetic sculpture for audiences to enjoy. In Rath’s hands, electrical wires become nervous systems and machines sprout feathers and come alive.
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WHAT: How Did the Universe Begin — and Does It Matter?
WHEN: Tuesday, November 1, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
WHERE: UC Berkeley, Sutardja Dai Hall, Berkeley, CA 94709
COST: FREE
Modern science offers a startling and highly detailed account of Cosmology—the origin of everything. This same issue—and its significance—have occupied religious thinkers for thousands of years. Their insights are very different from those of science, but can also be beautifully complementary. In this evening’s unique Wonder Dialogue, an astrophysicist, a Jewish scholar, and a Buddhist monk bring their own perspectives to these vast, yet highly personal questions. Speakers: Dr. Steven Stahler, Research Astronomer, UC Berkeley; Dr. Daniel Matt, former Professor of Jewish Spirituality, Graduate Theological Union; Rev. Heng Sure, PhD, Director, Berkeley Buddhist Monastery.
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WHAT: Retraining the Brain
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 12 noon–1:00 pm
WHERE: Health Sciences West, Room 303, UCSF Parnassus Campus, San Francisco
COST: FREE
Join David Ewing Duncan, director of the Center of Life Science Policy at UC Berkeley, bestselling author and chief correspondent of public radio’s Biotech Nation in conversation with leading UCSF researchers as they discuss the prospects for retraining the brain to perform better. Their explorations range from investigations of how the brain works, to the development of practical remedies for maladies driven by impaired brain function. Speakers include Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, founding director of the UCSF Neuroscience Imaging Center; Sri Nagarajan, PhD, professor with the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences; and Philip Sabes, PhD, associate professor of physiology at UCSF.
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WHAT: Developing the Scientists of Tomorrow
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
WHERE: SRI, 333 Ravenswood Ave, Menlo Park, CA 94025
COST: FREE
A critical look at current educational policies and practices, and the extent to which they are creating the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, and technology innovators. Join Dr. Bruce Alberts, editor of Science and former president of the National Academy of Sciences, in dialogue with Dr. Barbara Means, Director of SRI International’s Center for Technology in Learning. Moderated by Dr. Moira Gunn, host of Tech Nation and BioTech Nation.
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WHAT: Educator Open House at Chabot Space & Science Center
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 4:00 pm–7:00 pm
WHERE: Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. Oakland, CA 94619
COST: FREE but RSVP is required! RSVP to http://www.chabotspace.org/educators-open-house.htm
An Evening of Educational Inspiration—Learn about our various 90-minute K-12 science classes in astronomy, earth, life and physical sciences:
* New Programs, including ”Tap the Wind,” where Students Design Wind Turbine Blades for Maximum Efficiency
* Visit the Challenger Learning Center® to Learn About Our Simulated Space Missions for Students Grades 4–8
* Hands-On Exhibits, Including the Interactive Bill Nye’s Climate Lab
* Hands-On Demos with Chabot’s Dynamic Education Staff
* Raffle for a Free Trip
* Telescope Viewing Through Our Historic Telescopes (weather permitting)
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WHAT: Aging Research and Care in the Era of Personalized Genetics and Genomics
WHEN: Thursday, November 3. Reception 4:00–4:30 pm, Lecture and Q&A: 4:30–5:30 pm
WHERE: Sonoma State University, Dept. of Engineering Science, 1801 East Cotati Ave., Cerent Engineering Science Complex, Salazar Hall Room #2009A, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
For more information contact: engineering@sonoma.edu; Phone: (707) 664-2030
COST: FREE
A talk by Dr. Mooney of the Buck Institute, presented as part of Sonoma State University’s Engineering Science Lecture Series.
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WHAT: Swiss artists-in-labs Exhibition: Remaking the Universe
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
WHERE: San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut St, San Francisco, California 94133
COST: FREE
While physicists attempt to understand the universe in their own way, Christian Gonzenbach draws on his experience as an artist-in-residence in the lab of Martin Pohl at the University of Geneva and at CERN with experiments and sculptures using objects from everyday life. Pohl and Gonzenbach will discuss.
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WHAT: Packing for Mars
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 6:00 pm–7:30 pm (Doors open at 5:45 pm; Seating is limited.)
WHERE: San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
COST: FREE
What happens when one of the funniest and smartest authors around gets interviewed by a MythBuster? Hear Mary Roach and Adam Savage chat it up about Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, San Francisco’s One City One Book selection for 2011. Before the conversation, see the premiere of Rockets of Yesterday, an eye-popping video tour of 1950s and ‘60s rocket dreams, curated by archivist and space enthusiast Megan Prelinger. Mary Roach is the author of the bestselling books Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. Adam Savage is an industrial design and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and co-host of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters.
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WHAT: Marin Math Circle
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 6:15 pm–8:15 pm
WHERE: Dominican University, 50 Acacia Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
COST: FREE
The Marin Math Circle is a weekly math meeting for students. Many students come each week and are presented with difficult, original and always fun mathematical puzzles. As part of the Bay Area Science Festival, the math circle will be open to new members this night only. Mathematical circles are weekly gatherings of students of high school age or younger working on problems involving complex and advanced topics, guided by mathematicians and educators. The motivation for this program is to increase the interest and enjoyment of mathematics among bay area students who learn to provide structured solutions to thought-provoking problems.
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WHAT: LASER: Art/Science Night
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 6:00 pm–10:00 pm
WHERE: Swissnex San Francisco, 730 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
COST: FREE
Geometric patterns of logarithmic spirals. The art of recycling. No-camera photography. Visual art and physics teaming up to understand the universe. Don’t miss descriptions of these and other projects as well as the chance to share your own work at the interface of art and science at this Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER).
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WHAT: From the Death of the Dinosaurs to the Stardust in your Bones
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
WHERE: East Bay Science Café at Café Valparaiso, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
COST: FREE
Almost 14 billion years ago, the Big Bang created the seeds of our present-day Universe. Material from space has rained down upon our planet for billions of years. The history of life on Earth is unequivocally tied to the stars. Dr. Steve Croft, researcher in the Department of Astronomy at UC Berkeley, and Dr. David Lindberg, Professor of Integrative Biology at the UC Berkeley, discuss the interconnection between astronomy and evolution. The East Bay Science Café encourages public engagement with science by inviting members of the scientific community to present topics for a casual evening of conversation.
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WHAT: Ask a Scientist’s Science Trivia Night
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
WHERE: Atlas Café, 3049 20th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
COST: FREE
Ready to put your science smarts to the test? Ask a Scientist will be celebrating the Bay Area Science Festival with a boisterous science trivia contest hosted by Robin Marks of Discovery Street Tours. Even if you don’t know your cortex from a coprolite, come enjoy a night of fascinating science trivia and general revelry.
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WHAT: San Jose Math Circle
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
WHERE: MacQuarrie Hall, Room 302, San Jose State University, San Jose
COST: FREE
A weekly math meeting for middle school and high school students, who are presented with difficult, original and always fun mathematical puzzles. As part of the Bay Area Science Festival, the math circle will be open to new members this night only. Students in grades 7-12 are welcome.
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WHAT: Experiments in Space
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 11:30 am–1:00 pm
WHERE: Cole Hall Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, UCSF Parnassus Campus
COST: FREE
Biomedical research in space has yielded a wealth of insights into the effects of weightlessness on the human body and the effects of long space missions on the mind. As we mark the final U.S. space shuttle mission in July 2011, this panel reviews advances in space medicine over the last 60 years and reflects on what the future might hold. Speakers include Mary Roach, author of Stiff, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, and Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void; Nick Kanas, MD, professor of psychiatry at the SFVAMC, Principal Investigator of NASA-funded international studies involving effects of space travel, and co-author of Space Psychology and Psychiatry, which earned the 2004 International Academy of Astronautics Life Sciences Book Award; and Jeffrey A. Bluestone, PhD, A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professor in Metabolism and Endocrinology and current director of the Hormone Research Institute at UCSF, and UCSF Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.
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WHAT: Tornado Alley with Dr. Karen Kosiba
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm
WHERE: The Tech Museum, 201 S Market St, San Jose, CA 95113
COST: FREE
Dr. Karen Kosiba, atmospheric scientist from Storm Chasers and IMAX film Tornado Alley appears at The Tech Museum, along with the VORTEX2 Doppler On Wheels. Climb inside the DOW parked outside The Tech Museum. Learn from Dr. Kosiba how it operates in a storm and about the science and technology that go into tracking weather patterns that cause tornadoes.
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WHAT: Oakland/East Bay Math Circle
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 4:15 pm–5:30 pm
WHERE: Laney College Mathematics building, Oakland, in rooms A-266 and A-273 for students, A-239 for teachers
COST: FREE
The Oakland/East Bay Math Circle offers middle and high school students and teachers in the Oakland and East Bay area the opportunity to learn advanced mathematics in a free, after-school enrichment program. This is an extraordinary activity for students who enjoy mathematics and want to learn more. The atmosphere of a math circle is informal, intensive, and fun with students working together and individually.
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WHAT: Stanford Math Circle
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
WHERE: Stanford University Department of Mathematics, Building 380 (Sloan Hall), Room 380-C. (Building 380 is the Math Corner of the Main Quad, and Room 380-C is in the basement. Parking on the Oval is free after 4:00 pm.
COST: FREE
A weekly math meeting for middle school and high school students. Over 30 students come each week and are presented with difficult, original and always fun mathematical puzzles. As part of the Bay Area Science Festival, the math circle will be open to new members this night only. Students in grades 7 through 12 are welcome. Their parents are also welcome, but must promise to not participate in the discussions or problem solving — the math circles are for the students. Mathematical circles are weekly gatherings of students of high school age or younger working on problems involving complex and advanced topics, guided by mathematicians and educators. The motivation for this program is to increase the interest and enjoyment of mathematics among bay area students who learn to provide structured solutions to thought-provoking problems.
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WHAT: Science for a Changing Bay Area
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 7:00 pm–8:30 pm
WHERE: USGS Menlo Park Science Center, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025
COST: FREE
Today’s dynamic and rapidly changing San Francisco Bay Area requires up-to-date information about Earth’s natural processes, how they influence regional issues, and their impact on decision-making throughout the Bay Area. USGS scientists are studying these processes to gain a better understanding of their potential effect on Bay Area climate and land-use change, ecosystems, environmental health, natural hazards, and water resources. Our scientists will explain in non-technical terms how they apply the latest technology and new scientific tools to study the Bay Area, making exciting discoveries as they explore our environment underwater, underground, and on the surface to further our knowledge of our local biology, geology, and water resources.
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WHAT: Gut Check: The Hidden World of Microbes
WHEN: Friday, November 4, 12:30 pm–1:30 pm
WHERE: Byers Auditorium, Genentech Hall, UCSF Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco
COST: FREE
Join acclaimed science writer Carl Zimmer in conversation with leading UCSF researchers as they explore how we have evolved to coexist with – and sometimes depend upon – the microbes that inhabit our world. The discussion will take us on a tour of human’s most minute friends and foes, from malaria to viruses and e. coli, shedding light on how they’ve evolved alongside us, new approaches to stop them, and the possibility of using the bacteria within our guts to create a new generation of antibiotics. Speakers: Joseph DeRisi, PhD, professor and Howard Hughes Medical Investigator at the UCSF Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics; Michael Fischbach, PhD, UCSF assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and a member of the California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences; and Carl Zimmer, author of ten books about science, including Soul Made Flesh, a history of neuroscience.
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WHAT: Hollywood Science
WHEN: Friday, November 4, 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
WHERE: Pier 39 Theater, Aquarium of the Bay, San Francisco
COST: FREE
Some of television’s most popular medical, crime, science and science fiction shows today ask scientists to lend a hand in helping TV accurately portray science. Producers, directors, and science advisors from Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, and a number of films will discuss whether science on the screen needs to be accurate. Speakers include: Jaime Paglia, co-creator and Executive Producer of the Syfy Channel series, Eureka; Seth Shostak, PhD in astronomy from Caltech, and science editor for “The Explorer; Tony DeRose, Senior Scientist and lead of the Research Group at Pixar Animation Studios; Kevin Grazier, Investigation Scientist and Science Planning Engineer for the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, and science advisor for the science fiction series Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, Virtuality, The Event, and the animated/educational series The Zula Patrol.
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WHAT: Art in Science: The Intersection of Image and Research
WHEN: Friday, November 4, 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
WHERE: First Love Gallery, 2440 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612-2405
COST: FREE
View awesome and intriguing images captured during the process of scientific research, at this unique event presented at First Love Gallery during Oakland’s First Friday Art Murmur on November 4. Hosted by gallery owner/artist/astronomer Nia Imara, PhD in astrophysics from UC Berkeley. Art in Science will feature a looped screening of these images, created using unusual techniques such as fluorescent imaging. UC Berkeley scientists will be on hand to explain their scientific significance—while your imagination can provide its own interpretation.
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WHAT: The Science & Technology of Painting
WHEN: Friday, November 4, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm. Space is limited; seating is first come, first served.
WHERE: Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Dr, Stanford, CA 94304
COST: FREE
Join Stanford faculty Curtis W. Frank and Michael F. Marmor, Professor of Ophthalmology, as they discuss how science and art intersect. Professor Frank will discuss the painting as a physical object in which the longevity of the pigments, binders, varnishes, and supports may be understood using principles of chemistry and materials science. Dr. Marmor will discuss the nature of vision and color perception relative to how artists work, and to artists with eye disease. Piero Scaruffi will moderate.
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