COVID Perspectives – Dec 9
We are confronting a challenging Pandemic paradox. Just as vaccines have begun to show promise and new coordinated policies provide a sense of optimism, the virus onslaught rages uncontained producing a wave of death and disease exceeding anything we have seen. Stanford virus expert Dr. Bob Siegel will discuss humanity’s year-long struggle with COVID-19: where we are now, how we got here, and where we might be heading. He will discuss the unusual biology of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, and he will identify some key unanswered questions. Dr. Siegel will also respond to audience queries pertaining to all things viral.
Robert Siegel, MD/PhD, is Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at Stanford University. Bob has won more than a dozen awards for his teaching at Stanford, and he has served as Wonderfest Advisor for nearly twenty years.
Dr. Robert Siegel
Before joining with the Zoom link above, please make a Wonderfest contribution — via the Eventbrite portal below — commensurate with the value this event has for you.
Cultural Intelligence? – Dec 3
How can we explain humanity's extraordinary evolutionary success? In this talk, psychologist Jan Engelmann will explain and explore a series of experimental studies comparing humans to one of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. He will argue and present evidence that — maybe surprisingly — humans are not individually but are collectively smarter than other animals. Counterintuitively, our cooperative nature also gives rise to novel and powerful forms of competition among individuals and whole groups.
Jan Engelmann is Assistant Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley. Dr. Engelmann earned his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and has received numerous awards and grants for his research.
Dr. Jan Engelmann
Please take part in this admission-free event via the Zoom link ("WHERE") above. And please consider contributing to Wonderfest, below, in accord with the value this experience has for you.
N~1: Alone in the Milky Way – Oct 24
The Drake Equation famously “quantifies our ignorance" regarding the number, N, of technological civilizations in our galaxy. Even though planets are plentiful, and even though life may be a natural — even common — product of cosmic chemistry, we may truly be the only galactic civilization capable of interstellar communication. I.e., perhaps N~1.
Our speaker, Pascal Lee, is a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and co-founder of the Mars Institute. During the video premiere of "N~1: Alone in the Milky Way," Dr. Lee will answer questions in the YouTube "chat" bar. Live Q&A will continue, immediately afterward, via Google "Meet."
Dr. Pascal Lee
This event is co-produced by Wonderfest and the Mount Tamalpais Astronomy Program. Visit the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel ("WHERE" link, above) to set a reminder for the YouTube Premiere on Saturday, October 24th. One week thereafter, the video can be viewed at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wonderfestscience.
BTW, if you benefit from science events like this, please donate accordingly — via the inaptly-named "Tickets" box below — to help nonprofit Wonderfest share the scientific outlook.
Share the Night Sky – Oct 22
Join San Francisco's "Urban Astronomer" Paul Salazar and KPOO's DJ Marilynn for a VIRTUAL guided tour of the glorious night sky.
Just find a dark, unobstructed view of the sky, and tune into KPOO-FM (89.5 MHz) or visit <https://kpoo.com/stream> with a smart phone. Then, look upward and let SF's Urban Astronomer guide you toward the setting Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn in the west, and then toward Mars, the Pleiades star cluster, and the Andromeda Galaxy in the east. (Folks stuck indoors or under clouds can participate "virtually" via a free astronomy app such as SkyView Lite.) Stargazing households congregating in backyards and socially-distanced strangers on sidewalks will feel united by the grandeur — and the wonder — of the night sky.
SF Urban Astronomer Paul Salazar w/ DJ Marilynn
Night Sky Network, administered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific [https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov]
Mt Tam Astronomy Program [http://www.mttamastronomy.org]
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers [https://www.sfaa-astronomy.org]
From a dark location with a clear view of the sky, use a radio or Internet-ready phone to tune into the KPOO-FM broadcast (89.5 MHz) or live-stream (https://kpoo.com/stream).
This event is part of the Bay Area Science Festival. Big thanks to Andy Fraknoi, former Chair of the Foothill College Astronomy Department (and 1st recipient of Wonderfest's Sagan Prize!), for inspiration.
Seeking Alien Civilizations – Oct 17
A search is underway to find intelligent life in the universe. Can SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) researchers detect radio, infrared, or optical signals from other civilizations? Current and future SETI projects, including the new $100-million Breakthrough Prize Foundation "Listen" project, may provide an answer.
UC Berkeley astronomer Dan Werthimer, Chief Scientist at Berkeley SETI Research Center, will describe the rationale for past and future searches, and will show how new technologies are revolutionizing SETI. Dan is the 2019 recipient of Wonderfest's Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization.
Dan Werthimer
This Zoom online gathering will begin with collective viewing of the new Wonderfest video entitled "Are We Alone? — Seeking Alien Civilizations" by Dan Werthimer. Then, Dan will answer juicy extraterrestrial questions posed by the Zoom audience.
This online event is produced in collaboration with the Alameda Free Library, Castro Valley Educational Foundation, and Castro Valley Science. Please consider contributing to Wonderfest's science outreach efforts via the inaptly named "Tickets" box, below.
Critical Thinking – Sep 29
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure, and the intelligent are full of doubt." So said philosopher, mathematician, and Nobel laureate (in literature!) Bertrand Russell. Indeed, overconfidence leads us to delude ourselves with wishful thinking, take too many risks, and waste time on doomed ventures. Under-confidence dissuades us from taking risks and pursuing ventures that can enrich life in so many ways. Psychological evidence and insight help us to thread the needle between foolhardy overconfidence and stultifying under-confidence.
Wonderfest joins the Commonwealth Club in presenting UC Berkeley's Donald Moore, Mitchell Chair in Leadership at the Haas School of Business, in conversation with Patrick O'Reilly, Chair of the Commonwealth Club's Psychology Forum. Dr. Moore's latest book is Perfectly Confident: How to Calibrate Your Decisions Wisely.
Dr. Donald Moore
Register for this FREE online event via the Commonwealth Club weblink, above. Registration ends one hour before event begins.
Please consider supporting Wonderfest's science outreach work via the inaptly name "Tickets" box, below.
What is AI? – Sep 3
The artificial intelligence (AI) that we've seen in fiction bears little resemblance to the AI we have in the real world. Stanford PhD researcher Andrey Kurenkov will analyze the real-world meaning of AI, describe what researchers in AI actually do, and explore how impressive — or not — recent AI achievements really are.
Andrey Kurenkov does research at Stanford's Vision and Learning Lab. He produces the weekly Skynet Today newsletter ("Putting AI News in Perspective"), and he is a Wonderfest Science Envoy. Andrey will answer questions during the video premiere via the YouTube "chat" bar, and afterward, via live Zoom session.
Andrey Kurenkov
Map: [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89677333093]
First, at 8:00pm, watch the YouTube video Premiere of "What is AI?" as Andrey Kurenkov answers questions via the YouTube chat bar: https://youtu.be/h5vpSfB5l3o
Then, immediately after the video, log in to a LIVE Zoom Q&A session with Andrey: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89677333093
Please consider helping Wonderfest to produce events like this — sharing the clear-eyed optimism of science with the Bay Area ... and the world — via the inaptly named "Tickets" block, below.
Galactic Weather – Aug 22
Just as Earth has an atmosphere, and stars (like the Sun) have coronas, galaxies are embedded in invisible halos of atomic gases. As galaxies evolve, these gaseous halos exhibit many interesting phenomena similar to rains and droughts on Earth. What do these enormous galactic climate systems look like, how are they studied, and how do they behave?
Our speaker, Dr. Yong Zheng, earned her astronomy PhD at Columbia University, and is now a Miller posdoctoral scholar in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. During the video Premiere of "Galactic Weather," Dr. Zheng will answer questions in the YouTube "chat" bar. Live Q&A will continue, immediately afterward, via Google "Meet."
Dr. Yong Zheng
This event is co-produced by Wonderfest and the Mount Tamalpais Astronomy Program. In mid-August, when the "Galactic Weather" video is formally posted, visit the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel ("WHERE" link, above) to set a reminder for the actual Premiere on Saturday, August 22nd. Thereafter, the video can be viewed at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: <https://www.youtube.com/wonderfestscience>.
BTW, if you benefit from science events like this, please donate accordingly — via the inaptly-named "Tickets" box below — to help nonprofit Wonderfest share the scientific outlook.
The Very First Stars – July 25
The Big Bang Theory, describing the origin of our universe, is very well established today. We have ample evidence that the universe originated from a hot "singularity," then expanded and cooled over time. Nevertheless, there is still a missing piece of the cosmic puzzle: How did the first stars form?! This presentation will explore the observational challenges we face in answering such a fundamental question.
Our speaker, Deepthi Gorthi, is a 5th-year doctoral researcher in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. She is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy. During the video Premiere of "The Very First Stars," Deepthi will answer questions in the YouTube "chat" bar. Live Q&A will continue, immediately afterward, via Google "Meet."
Deepthi Gorthi
This event is co-produced by Wonderfest and the Mount Tamalpais Astronomy Program. In mid-July, when the "First Stars" video Premiere event is formally posted, visit the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel ("WHERE" link, above) to set a reminder for the actual Premiere on Saturday, July 25th. Thereafter, the video can be viewed at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccr2q6IgFSOglvh66VFSLw>.
BTW, what value will this admission-free event have FOR YOU? Please donate accordingly — via the inaptly-named "Tickets" box below — to help nonprofit Wonderfest share the scientific outlook.
Astrobiology, online – June 27
Image by Jenny Mottar
The age of astrobiology has begun. We have a whole solar system — and a galaxy of star-warmed worlds beyond — to explore for life. How do we look for life here and way out there? How will we know it when we find it? Our exploration begins at Earth. We must apply what we are learning about our own amazing home planet to our search for life beyond.
Our Speaker, Dr. Penny Boston, was Director of NASA's Astrobiology Institute at Ames Research Center. Access her presentation at the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel, linked below. Dr. Boston will answer questions during the video premiere AND, afterward, via Google "Meet."
Dr. Penelope Boston
This Wonderfest + Mt Tam Astronomy presentation will take place ONLINE as a YouTube video "Premiere" with LIVE Q&A.
Public health protection has moved this presentation from its originally-planned Mount Tamalpais venue to the Mt.Tam Astronomy YouTube channel. Please "tune in" at the originally-planned event start-time (7:30pm, Saturday, June 27) at the following website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccr2q6IgFSOglvh66VFSLw Thereafter, the video will also be available at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-755eqlqZRcflOQTL-jOZg
This online event is jointly presented by the Friends of Mt. Tam, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Wonderfest.
CRISPR Crops – June 22
Gene editing is revolutionizing agriculture by changing how we design, produce, and consume food. But how is this technology being used, and what does this mean for farmers, consumers, and society at large? We'll take a holistic journey through the history of plant breeding to understand how this cutting-edge technology — and CRISPR gene editing, in particular — is being used to meet the needs of a growing human population and a warming world.
Our speaker, Evan Groover, is a PhD candidate and researcher in UC Berkeley's Department of Plant & Microbial Biology. He is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy. Evan will answer qustions during the video premiere via the YouTube "chat" bar AND, afterward, via live Zoom seminar.
Evan Groover
8:00pm — Click this YouTube video "Premiere" link: <https://youtu.be/KKFoHXedP4g>.
8:45pm — Click this Zoom meeting link: <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84112518506>.
Near-Earth Asteroids, online – May16
Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are small solar system bodies in orbits that come near — or cross — the orbit of Earth. This illustrated online presentation will explore NEAs as unique physical worlds, as impact hazards to Earth, and as accessible destinations for spacecraft. Access the presentation at the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel, linked below.
Our speaker, Dr. Michael Busch, is Research Scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View. He will answer questions during the video premiere via the YouTube "chat" bar.
Dr. Michael Busch
This Wonderfest + Mt Tam Astronomy presentation will take place ONLINE as a YouTube video "Premiere" with LIVE chat Q&A.
Public health protection has moved this presentation from its originally-planned Mount Tamalpais venue to the Mt.Tam Astronomy YouTube channel. Please "tune in" at the originally-planned event start-time (7:30pm, Saturday, May 16) at the following website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccr2q6IgFSOglvh66VFSLw Thereafter, the video will also be available at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-755eqlqZRcflOQTL-jOZg
This online event is jointly presented by the Friends of Mt. Tam, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Wonderfest.
Illuminating Dark Matter, online – Apr18
Dark matter is the cosmic parent of all vast structures in the night sky, including our own Milky Way galaxy. Yet we know so very little about this mysterious stuff that constitutes 85%(!) of the material universe. This online presentation will illuminate our universe’s elusive dark matter, highlighting the ingenious methods that scientists are using to find out what dark matter really is.
Our speaker, physicist Robert McGehee, is a doctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy. Robert will answer questions during the video premiere via the YouTube "chat" bar.
Robert McGehee
This Wonderfest + Mount Tam Astronomy presentation will take place ONLINE as a YouTube video "Premiere" with LIVE chat Q&A.
Public health protection has moved this presentation from its originally-planned Mount Tamalpais venue to the Mt.Tam Astronomy YouTube channel. Please "tune in" at the originally-planned event start-time (7:30pm, Saturday, April 18) at the following website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccr2q6IgFSOglvh66VFSLw Thereafter, the video will also be available at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-755eqlqZRcflOQTL-jOZg
This online event is jointly presented by the Friends of Mt. Tam, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Wonderfest.
Data Science – Mar 8
We are truly in the era of Big Data. Over the last decade, the field of Data Science has become indispensable for any organization that wants to discover the patterns, trends, and associations within the quantitative information it gathers. Jeffrey Silverman, data scientist and astrophysicist(!), will discuss how one new data analysis company uses Big TV Data, Data Science, and external datasets (such as the US Census) to measure viewership numbers and the effectiveness of advertising.
Dr. Jeffrey Silverman is Director of Data Science & Analytics at Samba TV. Also, as a former research astrophysicist, Jeff has given many public presentations on astronomy.
Dr. Jeffrey Silverman
What value does this admission-free event hold for you? Accordingly, please consider contributing to Wonderfest's science outreach efforts via the inaptly named "Tickets" link, below.
Kids/AI, Parasites, Dark Matter – Mar 2
Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with special communication skills and aspirations. Following short talks on provocative modern science topics, these three Science Envoys will answer questions with insight and enthusiasm:
- UC Berkeley psychologist Eliza Kosoy on "How Children Are Smarter Than AI"
- Stanford microbiologist Alma Mendoza on "The Most Successful Parasite"
- Stanford astrophysicist Jed Thompson on "What We Know (and some of what we don't) About Dark Matter."
This event is FREE. Still, what value do these insights have FOR YOU? Please contribute to Wonderfest accordingly, and help to promote the scientific outlook broadly — as through this outstanding Science Envoy Program — via the "Tickets" box, below.
Mind, Matter, Meaning – Feb 26
"There is a beautiful continuity between the physical universe 'out there' and the subjective universe of common experience. Understanding that continuity and grasping how life and consciousness fit on the cosmic timeline gives us an uncanny perspective. It is a perspective that allows us to feel a deep unity with a much larger, much older, and much grander reality."
These words from physicist Brian Greene summarize a key point in his latest book, Until the End of Time. Dr. Greene will discuss his book and answer questions for one hour at this collaboration between Wonderfest and the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley.
Dr. Brian Greene is Professor of Physics and Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at Columbia University. He is also the authour of four popular books and co-founder of the World Science Festival.
Brian Greene
Use promo code WONDERFEST to purchase discount tickets at the Commonwealth Club website (blue link, below). Note that "check-in" begins at 6:15pm for the 7pm program. Book signing will follow at 8pm.
Black Hole Portrait – Feb 24
Black holes are among the most remarkable predictions of Einstein's theory of gravity. So much material is compressed into such a small volume that nothing, not even light, can escape. In Spring 2019, the multinational Event Horizon Telescope released the first real picture of gas around a massive black hole and the “shadow” cast as that gas swirls in. UC Berkeley astrophysicist Eliot Quataert will describes how this — and other — pioneering observations were made and what they have taught us about black holes.
Dr. Eliot Quataert is Professor and Chair of the Astronomy Department at UC Berkeley. He also directs Cal's Theoretical Astrophysics Center.
Dr. Eliot Quataert
What is this admission-free experience worth to you? Please donate to Wonderfest, accordingly, and help share the clear-eyed optimism of science with the Bay Area ... and beyond. The inaptly-named "Tickets" box, below, will make this easy.
Racing Extinction – Feb 4
Racing Extinction is a compelling documentary about the (pending) legacy of Earth's Anthropocene epoch: a species mass extinction caused, world-wide, by human activity. The Emmy-nominated film is 81% "Fresh" at Rotten Tomatoes, and it won the Cinema for Peace International Green Film Award. This special screening of Racing Extinction will be followed by expert commentary and Q&A with conservationist and tropical ecologist Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo.
Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo is Professor of Environmental Science at Stanford University. He is also Senior Fellow at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment.
Dr. Rodolfo Dirzo
Map: [https://goo.gl/maps/SKk7QYRTj5DfMEyQA]
This FREE presentation is co-produced by Wonderfest, the Castro Valley Education Foundation, and Castro Valley Science. All donations — via the inaptly named "Tickets" box, below — will be shared among these three inspiring (and inspired) organizations. THANK YOU for helping!
Optimization, Ramps, Supernovae – Feb 3
Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with special communication skills and aspirations. Following short talks on provocative modern science topics, these three Science Envoys will answer questions with insight and enthusiasm:
- UC Berkeley industrial engineer and operations researcher Caleb Bugg on "Engineering in an Apocalyptic World"
- Stanford Earth systems scientist Sami Li Chen on "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Give Me Some Ramps"
- UC Berkeley astrophysicist Abigail Polin on "Things that Go Boom in the Night: A Story of Type Ia Supernovae."
This event is FREE. Still, what value does this knowledge have FOR YOU? Please contribute to Wonderfest accordingly, and help to promote the scientific outlook broadly — as through this outstanding Science Envoy Program — via the "Tickets" box, below.
The Most Famous Equation – Jan 28
Around the world, people recognize that E=mc^2 oozes cosmic insight. But what does this "most famous equation" really say? What are energy and mass? And what makes the speed of light, c, so important? [Hint: mass, moving at speed c, doesn't turn into energy!] Using little more than common experience and middle-school math, Einstein's "special relativity" gem can come to life — with surprising insights into the nature of reality.
Speaker Tucker Hiatt, founding director of Wonderfest, has taught physics for a looong time. In 2006, he won the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence, and, from 2008 to 2014, he was a Visiting Scholar in the Stanford Chemistry Department.
Tucker Hiatt
This event is FREE. But please help nonprofit Wonderfest to share the clear-eyed optimism of science by donating via the Eventbrite "Tickets" link, below.