The dual quests - to understand intelligence as it arises in biology and to build it in machines of our own making - have been with us for nearly a century. While neuroscience and psychology seek to characterize intelligence in terms of underlying neural mechanisms and emergent behavior, we still ...
This seminar pairs a case study of AI diffusion with an organizational approach to technological changes in the workplace. Alexandr Lenk (Instacart Economics) will share findings on how AI adoption diffuses through peer networks inside firms and drives real productivity gains with evidence from a major e-commerce company's engineering and ...
Environmental mosaics can generate strong divergent selection on plant traits even in the face of cross- habitat gene flow, leading to microgeographic local adaptation and (perhaps) incipient speciation. Here, we use yellow monkeyflower adaptation to the fine-scaled yet physically-extreme mosaic of soil conditions in the geyser basins of Yellowstone National ...
Titan’s dense atmosphere conceals a remarkably Earth-like landscape shaped by dunes, rivers, lakes, seas, and possible remnants of past hydrologic environments. The Cassini RADAR investigation provided our first detailed view of this surface and enabled measurements extending well beyond imaging. In this talk, I will review how radar sounding was ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
Marsh Hike at Coyote PointStep into the baylands and explore the vibrant marsh ecosystem right outside our doors. Join CuriOdyssey educators for a guided hike through Coyote Point’s wetlands, where we’ll look for native plants, local wildlife, and signs of seasonal change.We will gather at CuriOdyssey before heading out to the marsh together. Participants ...
In Conversation with Boris Cherny, Creator of Claude CodeWhat does it take to help shape one of the most consequential revolutions in tech history? Join Boris Cherny, creator and head of Claude Code at Anthropic, for a wide-ranging conversation about the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence. From the challenges of building models like Claude to the ...
The cool autumn air draws near and the leaves begin to change - alas, summer is winding down. But as the Spooky Season draws near, we’ve got one last blast of hot summer content for you: sweet sizzling nerdery! Three bold speakers will share stories about strange animal sex strategies, how ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15.28 Advance
Virtual Skeptics on the PubThis is a casual night of socializing with fellow science-forward skeptics and with others inhabiting our oblate spheroidal planet.Please join us! This is a free event brought to you by Bay Area Skeptics. All are welcome.Click here to join.
Life ascending: mechanisms of environmental adaptation in extreme high-elevation Andean miceA fundamental goal in evolutionary biology is to understand how the realized niche of a given species has been shaped by local adaptation to extreme environmental conditions, such as those that prevail at range margins. Investigation of local adaptation of montane species at their upper elevational range limits may be ...
Where: BerkeleyCost:
Globular Clusters: Astronomical Factories of Gravitational-Wave and Electromagnetic TransientsGlobular clusters host robust populations of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes, creating unique environments where dynamical interactions drive the formation of a wide range of astrophysical sources. In recent years, these systems have emerged as key sites for the assembly of merging black hole binaries, connecting directly to ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Skepticism as a Way of Life - LivestreamWhen people talk about “scientific skepticism,” certain names almost inevitably arise: David Hume, Carl Sagan, and (of course) CSI. But its lineage dates back to 44 BCE, when the first systematic attempt to separate genuine inquiry from nonsense - and to give ordinary people the tools for doing it themselves ...
Where: Cost: Free
A Safer Future Is Still Possible: Technology, Risk, and Global CooperationHow close are we to global disaster?The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ 2026 Doomsday Clock - currently at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest ever - serves as a metaphor for thinking about today’s biggest dangers and what we can do about them. The clock represents not a literal prediction, but ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $15 General, $10 for two, $9 online
After Dark: If You Build It . . . How does human ingenuity shape change? Explore how engineering can lead to surprising solutions to sticky problems.Ages 18+
Where: San FranciscoCost: $22.95
NightLife: K-PopEvery fandom has a home at NightLife. Dance your heart out, get creative, and celebrate the music you love.
Where: San FranciscoCost: $26
Sustainable Home Workshop - LivestreamTransform your Bay Area home! Learn about native gardens, rainwater catchment & home electrification + rebates at our workshop.Join us for an engaging Sustainable Homes Workshop where you’ll discover how Bay Area residents are creating eco-friendly homes from the inside out. Learn how neighboring homeowners are pairing full-home electrification - ...
Where: Cost:
GLOBAL CHANGE AND EXTINCTION IN THE OCEAN: A Paleontological PerspectiveYou can’t understand where the ocean is going without understanding where it’s been.For more than half a billion years, the ocean - and the life within it - has changed together. Waters have warmed and cooled. Chemistry, climate, coastlines, and ecosystems have shifted, sometimes gradually and sometimes with startling speed.Some ...
Where: AlamedaCost: Free
September LASER Event at StanfordShared Strengths and Weaknesses of Real and Artificial Minds: Speaker: Jay McClelland, Stanford UniversityWhat will AI mean for artists?: Speaker: David Eagleman, Stanford UniversityArt Attacks: Critical Wit in Absurd Times: Speaker: Kathy Aoki, Santa Clara University
For years, hospitals across the United States have quietly used race-based adjustments in medical calculations, influencing everything from kidney transplant eligibility to lung function assessments and childbirth risk. These formulas were built on outdated assumptions about biological differences between races, yet they continue to shape who gets treated, believed, and ...
Where: OaklandCost: $27
Friday, 09/25/26
Sea Otter ViewingJoin us for Sea Otter Awareness Week! Our naturalists will have spotting scopes to look for otters, special marine specimens, and otter-related interactives.
Taming the Halogens using Metal-Organic FrameworksFluorinated molecules represent a double-edged sword: they are present in >30% of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, but are also persistent organic pollutants of growing concern due to their long environmental lifetimes and high global warming potentials. Herein, we will discuss how porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) present a unique ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
Lick Observatory After Hours - SOLD OUTTake a walk through the Eastside of the Lick Observatory, culminating in a visit to the iconic Shane Telescope. After a journey through time with a history lecture, we’ll transition to a night of star gazing. Experience the cosmos firsthand through our expert-led portable telescope stations.Our behind-the-scenes After Hours Tour ...
Where: Mt. HamiltonCost: $81.88
Saturday, 09/26/26
Corn and Bean Mosaic ArtJoin us at Emma Prusch and learn how to create colorful mosaics using colorful corn kernels and beans. Participants will learn about corn and beans, two of the Three Sisters crops, and its importance to indigenous peoples of North America and later American agriculture while creating a colorful corn and ...
Where: San JoseCost: $16 SJ Residents, $20 non-residents
Science Saturday: MicroworldJoin us for Science Saturday as we zoom into the world of microscopic plants, animals, and more! With crafts, games, special collections, community guests, and microscopes galore, this family-friendly event includes free admission to the Museum.
Where: Pacific GroveCost: Free
Engineering DayFrom storybook read-alouds to inspiring panels with STEM professionals, our annual Engineering Day is a chance for you to explore career paths in science, technology, engineering, and math. Connect with engineers, biologists, and educators through bilingual (Spanish/English) programs. Explore scientific phenomena with hundreds of interactive exhibits, and get hands on ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: Free with admission
Salt Marsh Walk for National Public Lands DayJoin us for a leisurely walk along the La Riviere Trail of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Fremont. You'll learn about the ways that salt marshes benefit wetland ecosystems and us!Meet at the Visitor Center. Bring warm layers, sun protection, sturdy walking shoes, and binoculars ...
Where: FremontCost: Free
Secrets of Alum Rock: A Geology & Nature HikeJoin YSI for a guided community hike through Alum Rock Park as we uncover the secrets hidden within its canyon! Along the way, we’ll explore rocks, Penitencia Creek, historic mineral springs, and other clues that reveal how water, erosion, geology, and time have shaped the landscape around us.Discover how the ...
Where: San JoseCost: Free
Lick Observatory After Hours - SOLD OUTTake a walk through the Eastside of the Lick Observatory, culminating in a visit to the iconic Shane Telescope. After a journey through time with a history lecture, we’ll transition to a night of star gazing. Experience the cosmos firsthand through our expert-led portable telescope stations.Our behind-the-scenes After Hours Tour ...
Where: Mt. HamiltonCost: $81.88
Jazz Under the StarsJazz Under the Stars is a FREE monthly public stargazing event! Usually occurring on the Saturday nearest the 1st quarter moon (check our Events Page), join us in for a night of smooth jazz, bright stars, and a lot of fun! We play our jazz from CSM's own KCSM 91.1. Founded ...
Where: San MateoCost: Free
Sunday, 09/27/26
Emma's Little FarmersEver wondered what it would be like to be a farmer at Emma Prusch? Join us for Emma's Little Farmers! Participants will experience the joys of rural life as they engage in hands-on activities and immersive experiences at Emma Farm Park. Kids will explore various aspects of farming, from planting ...
Where: San JoseCost: $49 San Jose Residents, $53 non-residents
Golden Gate Park Nature Festival Volunteers will participate in either a Bioblitz in Golden Gate Park or join a weeding project in the native wildflower meadow in preparation for re-planting. Golden Gate Park Nature Festival is a free public event celebrating California biodiversity and the state’s 30x30 movement to conserve 30% of California’s lands and ...
Otters are an amazing keystone species that help to keep our ocean healthy. Let's celebrate how far this marine mammal has come, from being hunted extensively for their luxurious fur, to the work The Marine Mammal Center does to bring sea otters back from the brink of extinction. Adorable otter content guaranteed.30 minute presentations at 10:30 ...
My research program applies established terrestrial approaches to marine conservation challenges, using an interdisciplinary approach to investigate and manipulate plant microbiomes for enhanced resilience against environmental stressors. Working primarily with Zostera marina (eelgrass) as a model, I extend these principles across seagrass meadows, mangroves, and saltwater marshes.Speaker: Gina Chaput, Sonoma ...
GRAIL - the Green Artificial Intelligence Learning network - is a global collaboration platform, founded by the Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation, built to close the gap between two communities that rarely work together: the people building frontier AI and the people running the climate systems that need to decarbonise. ...
Where: StanfordCost: Free
AI Transition Week: How has AI affected your life so far?Since AI debuted to the public in 2022, it has permeated many different parts of our lives, from plaguing social media to replacing entry level jobs.For some, it has become a research tool; for others, a nuisance in deep fakes and misinformation.For creatives, it may be freely stealing your years ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $10
Navigating AI, Climate and the Future of Democracy Political divisions feel deeper than ever. And yet, communities across the country are finding common ground around one issue: data centers. Neighbors from across the political spectrum are raising urgent questions about energy use, water consumption, emissions, and who bears the costs of this rapidly expanding technology. How do we ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $27.50 General, discount for members
This talk covers what it takes to move ML/AI systems from promising prototypes to production systems that are reliable, observable, scalable, and maintainable. I will discuss common architecture patterns, rollout strategies, evaluation and monitoring loops, operational failure modes, and engineering tradeoffs that show up at large scale. The talk is ...
Where: Mountain ViewCost: Free
Confronting AI: How Do Humans Stay Creative in the Age of AI?Join lifelong artist, filmmaker, dancer, and all-around creative Marco Palou in exploring this very question.In this age of AI, Marco Palou has been exploring how humans will retain the parts of themselves that are most innately and creatively human. He has created a manifesto, memoir, and guide for how humans ...
Axions are some of the best-motivated beyond the Standard Model particle candidates at present. These ultralight particles may account for the cosmological dark matter and explain other outstanding problems in nature, such as the strong-CP problem; they also are now known to emerge generically in string theory. Axions are expected ...
This presentation will have two parts on using single-molecule approaches to study foundamental catalytic processes. In part 1, I will describe our efforts in developing and applying single-molecule super-resolution imaging approaches to study catalysis on nano/micro-scale catalyst particles, focusing on our recent work of imaging nonfluorescent surface processes. In part ...
Where: BerkeleyCost: Free
AI Transition Week: AI in the Context of Technological RevolutionsWhat do the technological revolutions of the past teach us about this AI transition?What can we learn from the Industrial Revolution or the Digital Revolution?How do they help us predict the outcomes of the AI transition?And what questions remain unanswered?Two professors of history and experts in technological revolutions will set ...
Where: San FranciscoCost: $9
AI-Driven Discovery: Vowels and Diphthongs in Cetacean Communications - LivestreamPlease join us as we delve into cetacean communications and recent developments aided by AI. We are excited to be joined by Dr. Gaspar Begus to share his work using AI to help us uncover patterns previously unobserved by human researchers. He presents a case where AI facilitated the discovery ...
Where: Cost: Free
Elders of Time: Art & Science at the Nevada Bristlecone PreserveFor the first time in over a decade of research, Long Now Research Fellow Anne Heggli will present her synthesis of high-resolution climate data collected using paradigm-shifting long science principles at Long Now's Nevada Bristlecone Preserve in the Great Basin.The Preserve is located in the Snake Range, one of the ...
Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping who and how we love. AI companions, humanoid robots, and immersive sex tech are no longer science fiction premises, they are products people are using right now to seek connection, comfort, and desire.Kaamna Bhojwani, a certified sexologist and researcher whose work spans psychology, sexuality, technology, ...
