Foundation models, trained on vast and diverse data that capture broad aspects of the human experience, are at the heart of the ongoing AI revolution, transforming how we create, problem-solve, and work. These models - and the insights gained from developing them - are increasingly relevant to the advancement of ...
We are excited to hear from the Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Allison McGraw: “Everything is Bigger Than Texas: A Tour of the Solar System ” and Univerity of Texas San Antonio’s Austin Patridge ” Space Weathering on the Moon”.Click here to watch
Where: Cost: Free
Astronomy’s Newest Discovery Machine: The Vera Rubin Observatory - LivestreamJoin us as four Berkeley astronomers share how they are using the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile - which contains the largest camera ever built and will create an ultra-high-definition time lapse of our Universe - to bring cosmic mysteries to light.Register at: basicscience.berkeley.eduModerator: Steven Kahn, Dean, Division of Mathematical ...
Like birds, frogs are a commonly studied species that rely on acoustic communication for survival and fitness. During the frog breeding season, males gather together in big groups and advertise themselves to females. Often times, parameters of male advertisement calls may signal something about the male’s quality, such as genetic ...
Where: Cost: Free
Heat Pump Webinar: HVAC Systems and Water Heaters - LivestreamA free webinar on the benefits of Heat Pump systems! Learn about HVAC and HPWH basics, advice, and all the available incentives.Join us for an engaging Green@Home webinar where we’ll unpack heat pump technology, specifically with Heat Pump Water Heaters and HVAC Systems. Our home heat pump expert, Mike Salameh, ...
Nearly 30 years after the discovery of cosmic acceleration, its origin remains the source of open questions: is it caused by dark energy, a mysterious energy causing the Universe’s expansion to go faster and faster with time? Or was Einstein’s theory of gravity wrong? Cosmology is now at a turning ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Thursday, 05/07/26
Battery Energy Storage as a SystemWe will overview decision-making in battery energy storage systems (BESS) across innovation, investment, and deployment. In this work, we apply three analytical lenses to BESS technology: learning curves, deployment costs, and economic feasibility. (1) Technology roadmap modeling - illustrated through a 6,000-scenario evaluation of sodium-ion versus lithium-ion batteries - captures both ...
The availability of low-cost but intermittent renewable electricity (e.g., derived from solar and wind) underscores the grand challenge to store and dispatch energy so that it is available when and where it is needed. Redox-active materials promise the efficient transformation between electrical, chemical, and thermal energy, and are at the ...
What exactly are we talking to when we talk to language models such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini? Do these models have genuine minds with mental states? I will argue that the LLMs we interact with are at least quasi-agents with quasi-beliefs and quasi-desires, in a sense I will explain. ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
After Dark: Ride OnCelebrate Bike Month with the Exploratorium and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition! Hop on your two-wheeler, park it with our secure bike valet service from Bike East Bay, and head inside Pier 15 for the year’s most freewheeling party. Light up an LED tower with your pedaling prowess. Make sorbet ...
Matthew Citron will talk about “Searching for the dark side of our universe with particle accelerators”andTed Swift will speak about “Chasing shadows: measuring asteroids using stellar occultations”
Where: DavisCost: Free
NightLife Carnival SFCarnaval SF is back for year three at NightLife, now with a Fiesta y Fútbol twist! Join our colorful celebration of music, dance, and soccer pride from Latin American, Caribbean, and Afrodiasporic cultures. Experience the joy of Carnaval throughout the museum with hands-on activities, live performances, a pop-up mercado (marketplace), ...
In Town Star PartyCome join San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) for an evening of stargazing. Event details:Events are held at the parking lot of our headquarters, Houge Park, San Jose. The event duration is 2 hours. SJAA volunteers will share night sky views from their telescopes.Please refrain from bringing your own telescopes ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Saturday, 05/09/26
Hike at Windy HillJoin POST on a guided hike on one of the first open spaces we protected as an organization! A POST Representative will share a few words about POST’s decades of conservation success before hiking groups leave to explore a strenuous but rewarding 7 mile hike with 1,500 feet of elevation ...
Where: Portola ValleyCost: Free
Family Nature Adventures: Mother’s Day Tea Party & Flowers WorkshopThis Months Theme: Mother’s Day Tea Party & Flower WorkshopMake Mother’s Day unforgettable with a perfect mix of creativity, nature, and cherished family moments!Tea Party: Enjoy a charming tea party experience perfect for honoring the special moms and caregivers in your life.Flower Workshop: Dive into the beauty of local flowers ...
Where: OaklandCost: $25 Adults, $35 Youth 3 - 8, $15 off for members
Virology and immunology of emergent arboviruses: learning from the patients - LivestreamEmergent viruses are primarily zoonotic viruses, meaning that they infect both human and non-human animals. They can be transmitted predominantly by aerosols, direct contact or through vectors. This talk will focus on the latter group of emergent viruses, which are transmitted by arthropod vectors (arboviruses). The main arboviruses are transmitted ...
Where: Cost: Free
Electrify Your Life Fair: EV Ride and Drive ActivityLearn how to lower expenses and reduce pollution with electric homes and cars.The Electrify Your Life Fair is for anyone who wants to save money and cut down on pollution at home and in the community. Join to learn how to switch from gas cars and home appliances to clean, ...
Where: SunnyvaleCost: Free
Starry Nights Star PartyJoin the San Jose Astronomical Association (SJAA) and Santa Clara County Open Space Authority (OSA) for an unforgettable night of exploring the night sky. Our knowledgeable docents, members of SJAA, will be your guides to providing valuable insights into the wonders of our universe. The viewing site features darker skies ...
Where: Morgan HillCost: Free (registration required at weblink)
Sunday, 05/10/26
Marine Science Sundays: Saving SpeciesJoin us in celebrating Endangered Species Day this month by learning more about marine mammals that have returned from the brink of extinction. You'll hear about the endangered species we care for and more about the Center's efforts to keep the rarest seal in the United States, the Hawaiian monk ...
Where: SausalitoCost: Free with admission
Wonderfest: Ask a Science Envoy: DreamFish & WetlandsWonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with enhanced communication skills and aspirations. Following short talks on provocative modern science topics, these two Science Envoys will answer questions with insight and enthusiasm:Stanford biologist Marina Luccioni on Fish that Make Dreams - Hawaiian traditional knowledge from the 1400s references “nightmare fish.” Indeed, eating the ...
We examine the prevalence and productivity dynamics of artificial intelligence (AI) in American manufacturing. Working with the Census Bureau to collect detailed large-scale data for 2017 and 2021, we focus on AI-related technologies with industrial applications.We find causal evidence of J-curve-shaped returns, where short-term performance losses precede longer-term gains. Consistent ...
As the global demand for alternative energy intensifies, there is ongoing research and development aimed at enhancing energy storage systems. Lithium metal batteries represent a promising technology for next-generation energy storage solutions. However, stabilizing the lithium metal anode in these batteries remains a significant obstacle to their commercial viability. Given ...
Speaker: Marcus Feldman, Stanford UniversityRoom: Auditorium
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Microelectronics: When the Enabler Becomes the BottleneckMicroelectronics spans a broad stack from materials and devices to circuits, architectures, and integrated systems, all of which are essential to modern scientific instrumentation. Across fields such as photon science and high-energy physics, advances in microelectronics have enabled new experimental capabilities, from highly segmented detectors to ultrafast, low-noise readout systems. ...
Tribal Nations across California and the U.S. are increasingly asserting leadership in clean energy development-pursuing projects that advance energy resiliency, economic opportunity, and tribal sovereignty. Since many Tribes face unduly high energy costs, long outages and have long borne the brunt of fossil fuel extraction, such projects can have an ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital AgeScreens - all the time, everywhere, it seems. We sit at our desks facing screens, hold meetings over screens, answer email after email on them. You’ve heard about the mental health harms of screens, but what about the physical ones? Headaches, back pain, restless sleep, and rising rates of preventable ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $25 General in person, $10 online
Skeptics in a Real PubEnjoy an evening of socializing and feasting with fellow Bay Area science-forward folk in an Irish Pub on the Peninsula with great food. < Menu >Join us! This is a free event brought to you by Bay Area Skeptics. All are welcome.
For over a century, thinkers like Adam Smith and Karl Marx believed that as jobs became more specialized, workers would focus on fewer, simpler tasks. And for a time, that seemed true. But today, many specialized roles - from teachers to doctors to police officers - require people to juggle ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $27
Tuesday, 05/12/26
Black Spot, Black Death, Black Pearl: Tales of Bacterial PathogensMy lab is interested in elucidating the activity of virulence factors from pathogenic bacteria so that we can gain novel molecular insights into eukaryotic signaling systems. The marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the worldwide leading cause of seafood-borne acute gastroenteritis. We are working on the two V. parahaemolyticus type 3 ...
As adolescence becomes increasingly digital, public discourse tends to focus on screen time, platform design, and online harms. Yet alongside these concerns, a parallel transformation has unfolded: the steady erosion of physical spaces meant for teens. What happens to youth social life when the outside world contracts? This talk argues ...
I will discuss ideas in modern quantitative finance from the perspective of a theoretical physicist. Starting from the classic picture of price fluctuations as random walks, I will explain how practitioners identify collective modes, or “factors,” and use them to isolate residual predictability, or “alpha.” The problem of trading on ...
Monterey Audubon Society's BLOY project has officially hit 10 years of good, clean data after a few start-up years. Join Judi Romero as she gives an update on the project by sharing what the data is telling us, sharing some stories from the field, and probably some extra-cute photos of ...
A few shark species are, indeed, dangerous wildlife. However, the public portrayal of these animals as villains and killers is overblown. What is the real life of a large shark like? How do they eat? How long do they live, and where do they migrate? Knowing about sharks in this ...
Speakers: Tanya Luhrmann (Stanford Anthropology) on "Voices" Muhammad Khatib (Stanford) on "Fiber Bioelectronics for Precision Medicine" Kathy Aoki (Santa Clara University) on "" Nitya Thakkar (Stanford Medicine) on "AI for Precision Health"
