Marine ecosystems are changing due to climate-driven deoxygenation, yet community responses to these shifts remain poorly resolved. Next-generation DNA sequencing allows us to explore metazoan ecosystem composition from water column samples. Using environmental DNA (eDNA), I analyzed metazoan communities above, within and below the anoxic zones in the Eastern Tropical ...
Generative AI has the potential to improve financial decision-making, but the research suggests that its impact is likely to vary across individuals. Consequently, while current general-purpose LLMs often provide advice that aligns with standard financial guidance, this advice is sensitive to demand and, therefore, differs systematically across users.Speaker: Tim de ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Modeling Tumor ImmunosurveillanceWhile cancer immunotherapy has provided unprecedented clinical outcomes in certain settings, only a subset of patients benefit. We are exploring the hypothesis that changes in physical properties, in particular viscoelasticity, of solid tumors alters immune cell phenotype and function. Using biomaterials that allow independent control over key variables, we find ...
UC Berkeley Cell and Molecular Biology Lecture - CANCELEDRoger Y. Stanier Memorial LectureSpeaker: Ned (Edward) Ruby, California Institute of TechnologyThis seminar is no longer listed on UC Berkeley's calendar. We assume it has been canceled.
More than 50 years after the Clean Air Act, Americans breathe far cleaner air, yet people of color and overburdened communities still breathe more pollution than everyone else. Why does unequal air persist while overall air quality improves? Drawing on recent results from hyperlocal field measurements and model simulations, I ...
AI alignment rests on a simple model of human decision-making: people are noisily rational agents maximizing fixed rewards that exist in the environment. This talk examines that model from both sides: minds and machines. In humans, choices follow resource-rational heuristics rather than optimal policies, and pursuing even an arbitrarily assigned ...
Speakers: Sara Port and Danielle Bovie, University of Texas, San Antonio
Where: Cost: Free
Food Sense: What to Eat and WhyWhat should we eat - and why is the answer still so complicated?Join us for a compelling conversation at the intersection of science, food and health as we explore the evolving landscape of nutrition through the lens of Dr. Christopher Gardner’s forthcoming book, Food Sense: What to Eat and Why. ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22 General, discount for Members
For thousands of years, we’ve wondered if the Earth is unique, or if there are other Earths out there to find. In just the last 30 years, we’ve progressed from merely wondering if planets exist around other stars to knowing that almost every star we see has planets. Ambitious planet ...
The answer does not begin with the mouth, or even the brain, but with a seemingly unrelated change in how our ancestors walked through the world. This talk traces the evolutionary journey that restructured the human respiratory system to make speech possible in the first place.Dr. Nkemdi Agwaramgbo, an internal ...
Scientific advances in volcano seismology are difficult to translate into actual volcano observatory practice. Scientific conclusions drawn from large seismic deployments or numerical modelling are not usually adopted for monitoring due to limited computational resources, scientific expertise, and, more importantly, time. My (short) career has focused on this problem, adapting ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Cycads, Wild Black Peppers, and Amazonian roots: the role of plant specialized chemistry at three different scalesSpecialized metabolites play critical roles in plant evolution and ecology, yet most of what we know about this rich and diverse organic arsenal comes from foliar tissues and local scales. As chemical ecology is being transformed by higher-resolution instrumentation and novel machine-learning approaches for data processing and analysis, scientists have ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
SETI Live: A New Crater on the MoonA new crater on the Moon is helping scientists understand what happens when an object strikes the lunar surface - and how far the impact's effects can reach.The Moon's surface is covered in regolith, a layer of loose rock, dust, and debris shaped by billions of years of impacts. By ...
Curiosity-driven, fundamental research fuels breakthrough technologies and lifesaving therapeutics - with chemistry at the center of it all. Yet, as scientists, we face a critical challenge: public trust in science is at a historic low, and the policy decisions shaping research funding and implementation are evolving rapidly. How do we ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
The High-Redshift Frontier of Galaxy Formation TheoryJWST observations have revealed many surprises at early cosmic times. The unexpectedly high abundance of bright galaxies, massive black holes, and dense star clusters, along with the existence of enigmatic Little Red Dots and detection of heavy elements in the most distant systems observed to date, has pushed astrophysicists to ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Weird New MexicoThere’s no getting around it: New Mexico is weird. Roswell gets all the attention, but there are far stranger things lurking around its mesas and remote deserts. No one knows this better than SI Research Fellow and Skeptical Inquirer Deputy Editor Benjamin Radford, whose books Mysterious New Mexico and the ...
For every human being on the planet, there are roughly 1.4 billion individual insects. But aside from the odd pesky mosquito or charming bumble bee, how often do we humans really consider them? According to entomologist Barrett Klein, it ought to be more often! Throughout history, insects have markedly shaped ...
Where: Cost: Free
After Dark: Unplug and PlayYour monthly invitation to hang out and try something new - play science trivia, find your community, and connect deeply.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22.95 General, Free for members
NightLife: Buggin' OutSmall but mighty. Take a closer look at how insects help keep our world buzzing, blooming, and thriving.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $26 General
Blazing the path to a fusion future The demonstration of energy gain by nuclear fusion in the laboratory and its industrial utilization as an unlimited energy source has been a grand challenge for physicists and engineers for 70 years. This vision has shifted closer to reality after the successful demonstration of multi-megajoule energy yield from deuterium-tritium plasmas ...
Where: Menlo ParkCost: Free
Skeptics in a Real Pub - RESCHEDULEDEnjoy 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.Editor's Note: This meeting has been rescheduled for October 13, ...
Where: MillbraeCost: Free
The San Francisco Bay State of the Birds - LivestreamLearn how the SF Bay State of the Birds (www.sfbaystateofthebirds.org) tracks bird trends as a sign of habitat health. Because birds tend to be sensitive to habitat changes and respond quickly, they are great indicators of overall habitat health. The SF Bay State of the Birds website reveals timely insights ...
Where: Cost: Free
Hammer Presents National Geographic Live: CHASING MONARCHSFifty years after the startling discovery that monarch butterflies spend winters in the forests of Mexico, photographer and National Geographic Explorer Jaime Rojo reveals this winged wonder of the insect world in new ways with never-before-seen visuals. Tag along with conservationists and citizen scientists who are helping this species avoid ...
It’s hard to open a social media site these days without hearing about “peptides.” Although many known drugs are peptides (like insulin or thyroid), this term typically refers to a set of experimental compounds purporting to do everything from healing injuries to increasing longevity. Recent actions by the FDA’s Pharmacy ...
Where: Cost: Free
Friday, 10/09/26
Morning Hike at Bear Creek RedwoodsJoin us for this beautiful hike! A POST volunteer will share a few words about POST’s decades of conservation success before the hiking group explores a strenuous but mostly shaded 5.4 mile hike with ~900 feet of elevation gain.In one of the county’s best preserved, second-growth coastal redwood forests, we’ll ...
Inspired by the blueprint of photosynthesis, creating synthetic systems for the direct conversion of sunlight into sustainable fuels has long been a defining ambition of chemistry. While decades of research have been spent on developing solar water splitting catalysts to produce green hydrogen, recently a new generation of photosynthesis-inspired architectures ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Saturday, 10/10/26
Birding at Cypress Grove PreserveCypress Grove Preserve encompasses approximately 100 acres and serves as a center for scientific research, long-term ecological monitoring, education, and stewardship. Surrounded by towering Monterey cypress trees and wind-swept hedges, the preserve is situated on the eastern shore of Tomales Bay with eelgrass beds, native grasslands, and coastal marshes that ...
Where: MarshallCost: Free
Benefits of Birding WalkOctober 10th, Urban Wildlife Conservation Day, is the kickoff to National Wildlife Refuge Week! Come explore the Refuge on an introductory birdwatching walk across multiple wetland habitats at the Environmental Education Center in Alviso. We'll discuss the various benefits of birding for individuals, our communities, and wildlife while observing year-round ...
Where: AlvisoCost: Free
Groovy Tie-Dye: Veggie Tie-DyeJoin us at Emma Prusch for a groovy and natural alternative to traditional tie-dye! This program is designed for 7 to 10 year olds to learn about different vegetables that we grow at Emma Prusch and about different ways to utilize vegetables. During the first session, participants will learn how ...
Where: San JoseCost: $38 SJ residents, $42 non-residents
Techfest: Cars - Computers on Wheelsexperience how computing has transformed the automobile - from early onboard electronics to today’s connected, electric, and increasingly autonomous vehicles. See how technologies such as hands-free driving, AI-powered assistants, sensors, software, and advanced displays are changing what cars can do and how we experience the road.Cars - Computers on Wheels ...
Family Nature Adventures: SpidersThis Months Theme: Spidey Spectacular - Adventures with Arachnids!Spin your way into the fascinating world of spiders and arachnids! This month’s adventure is packed with discovery and excitement:Interactive Workshop: Learn all about native spiders, their incredible adaptations, and even how they behave in space.Spider Safari: Grab a magnifying glass and ...
Where: OaklandCost: $25 Adult, $35 Age 3 - 8, Members $15 discount
Shared Sky Festival - Day 1Join us October 10th and 11th as artists fill the Center with photography, music, paintings, and cosmic creativity to celebrate the grand opening of the Shared Sky: Photos of the Universe exhibition and the 2026 Astrophotography Prize awardees! Get creative with hands-on activities for all ages and explore how space ...
Where: OaklandCost: $24 Adults, $19 Youth/Sr/Students, Free members
Images of star trails are an excellent entry to tons of great astronomical questions: Why do the trails arc around Polaris? Why are they different colors? Why can’t we see star color with our eyes? Can we tell time with the stars? With care, capturing star trails can also result ...
Where: OaklandCost: Free with admission
Hike at Calero County ParkJoin Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) at Calero County Park, one of the region’s most beautiful oak woodlands just south of San Jose on the westside of Santa Clara Valley. You will be led by POST ambassadors who will share about the natural history of the area and about POST’s ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Sunday, 10/11/26
Are You Climate Concerned and Looking for a Place to Land?Are You Climate Concerned and Looking for a Place to Land?If you’re carrying climate grief, uncertainty, or even an awareness of possible collapse, you don’t have to carry it alone. East Bay friends are warmly invited to join me for a guided exploration of Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson’s Climate Wayfinding: ...
Where: 2310 Telegraph Ave, Oakland,Cost: $20-$50 no one turned away due to lack of funds
Wax and Suds: Candle and Soap Making Class - Teen ClassJoin us at Emma Prusch for a fun and creative candle and soap making class! The class will begin with a 10-minute guided tour of our Native Plant Garden, where participants will learn about some of the aromatic native plants that they can add to their candle or soap. Then, ...
Where: San JoseCost: $38 SJ residents, $42 non-residents
Shared Sky Festival - Day 2Join us October 10th and 11th as artists fill the Center with photography, music, paintings, and cosmic creativity to celebrate the grand opening of the Shared Sky: Photos of the Universe exhibition and the 2026 Astrophotography Prize awardees! Get creative with hands-on activities for all ages and explore how space ...
Where: OaklandCost: $24 Adults, $19 Youth/Sr/Students, Free members
My research lab focuses on answering applied ecological questions that promote improved marine management and conservation by focusing on species and ecosystems confronting anthropogenic stressors such as urbanization, climate change, and fishing pressure. To address questions of applied ecology, I use and apply a wide variety of tools ranging from ...
AI is advancing rapidly at the cognitive tasks that make up knowledge work, raising fears among firms, policymakers, and, not least, workers of a “China shock” for white-collar jobs. Neil Thompson will present new research on whether those fears are warranted. The research asks which tasks AI will take over ...
The U.S. renewable energy industry is in the midst of a financial crisis. Over the past 18 months, more than 100 companies have filed for bankruptcy, even as solar accounted for roughly 80% of new U.S. electricity generation last year. In this seminar, Nick Franchot of GoodFinch will explain what ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Tuesday, 10/13/26
Global Skeptics in the PubInternational Zoom gathering to celebrate International Skeptics DaySee weblink for details
Low-valent reactive intermediates of carbon and nitrogen - namely, transition-metal complexes of carbenes and nitrenes - display diverse and powerful reactivity in the synthesis of complex organic molecules. Our group has focused on rhodium carbene complexes derived from substrates that lack electron-withdrawing groups. The diminished electrophilicity of these intermediates imparts ...
Chemical reaction dynamics in aqueous solution have traditionally been studied using optical methods such as absorption, emission, and scattering spectroscopy. In this talk, I will describe our efforts to follow chemical reactions in solution in real time by detecting photoelectrons emitted from the surface of an aqueous solution - that ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
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 >Also: This is International Skeptics Day! We will join others via the Zoom “Global Skeptics in the Pub” event.
Best-selling author Michael Pollan has spent decades exploring what it means to be human, from the politics of food to the science of psychedelics. In his most recent book, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness, he examines the mystery of consciousness through scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual, and psychedelic perspectives. ...
