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2015 Archive

Bad Physics

BAD PHYSICS: Five Common Misconceptions in the Most Basic Science, Jan 13

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 Bad Physics

From Aristotle to Einstein, great minds have failed to grasp basic ideas in physics. Aristotle thought that all objects naturally prefer to be at rest; Einstein believed that, “God does not play dice.” Both these geniuses were mistaken, and, today, plenty of everyday geniuses continue to misunderstand key ideas in the most basic of the sciences.
 
Please join celebrated* physics teacher Tucker Hiatt in exploring five of the juiciest misconceptions that plague our “common-sense” understanding of the way the universe works:
• The Earth moves through space.
• Nature loves all energies equally.
• Radiation is dangerous.
• Mass can be converted into energy according to E=mc^2.
• God does not play dice.
  • WHAT:  Secrets of the Sleeping Brain
  • WHO: Tucker Hiatt, Wonderfest Executive Director & former Stanford Visiting Scholar
  • WHEN: 7:00 PM, Tuesday, January 13, 2015
  • WHERE:  StrEat Food Park, 428 – 11th Street, San Francisco 94103 <http://goo.gl/maps/u6fVu>
  • HOW:   FREE admission, but please register with Eventbrite. Co-produced with Ask a Scientist (http://www.askascientistsf.com).
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures.

Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.

If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!  http://amazon.wonderfest.org.

Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org

Join us on:
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Love Among the Neurons

LOVE AMONG THE NEURONS: A Neuroscience Guide to Valentine’s Day – Feb 13

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Love Among the NeuronsMathematician Blaise Pascal famously wrote, “The heart has reasons that reason cannot comprehend.” Perhaps. But, on Valentine’s Day Eve, and with the expert help of UCSF’s Thomas Lewis, Wonderfest and Ask a Scientist will give comprehension a try.

How did the human race evolve from solitary predators into the intensely social creatures that we are now? Where in the brain can we find the roots of our multiple connections to each other, and how do those connections reverberate within and between us? Join Dr. Thomas Lewis, assistant clinical professor at UCSF and professor at USF’s Fromm Institute, and coauthor of A General Theory of Love, as we explore the nature of togetherness and the multifaceted bonds that connect us.

  • WHAT:  Love Among the Neurons: A Neuroscience Guide to Valentine’s Day
  • WHO: Thomas Lewis, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF
  • WHEN: 7:00 PM, Friday, Feb 13, 2015
  • WHERE:  StrEat Food Park, 428 – 11th Street, San Francisco 94103 <http://goo.gl/maps/u6fVu>
  • HOW:   FREE admission, but please register with Eventbrite. Co-produced with Ask a Scientist.
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures.

Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.

If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!  http://amazon.wonderfest.org.

Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org

Join us on:
http://facebook.com/wonderfest
http://twitter.com/wonderfest

Particle Fever

Particle Fever: Film Screening with Special Commentary, Feb 10

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Particle Fever

“Mind blowing.” – New York Times          “It plays out with all the suspense of a thriller.” – Washington Post

Imagine being able to watch as Edison turned on his first light bulb, or as Franklin received his first jolt of electricity. Particle Fever follows six brilliant scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, marking the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet, pushing the edge of human innovation.

As they seek to unravel the mysteries of the universe, 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries joined forces in pursuit of a single goal: to recreate conditions that existed just moments after the Big Bang and find the Higgs boson, potentially completing our understanding of ordinary matter. After the film, join producer/physicst/co-star David Kaplan for a discussion of this far-reaching work.
 
  • WHAT: Particle Fever: Film Screening with Special Commentary
  • WHO: David Kaplan, Producer, Physicist, Co-Star
  • WHEN: 6:30 PM, Tuesday, February 10, 2015
  • WHERE: Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto <http://tinyurl.com/kqp8lfj>
  • HOW: Co-produced with Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley. For full “Member” ticket discount, please follow these instructions:
    1. Visit <http://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2015-02-10/particle-fever-special-film-screening>.
    2. Add General Admission Member tickets into basket.
    3. Proceed to Check Out page, and enter ticket & credit card info.
    4. For the Member ID, enter wonderfest.
 

Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.

If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science! http://amazon.wonderfest.org.

Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org

Join us on:
http://facebook.com/wonderfest
http://twitter.com/wonderfest

Photo: One of the LHC’s first lead-ion collisions, as recorded by the ALICE detector’s Inner Tracking System.
http://ow.ly/He9II

Mysteries of Sleep

The Mysteries of Sleep

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We spend one third of our lives asleep, yet doctors and scientists still have no complete understanding as to why. It is one of the great scientific mysteries. This talk will describe new discoveries suggesting that sleep is a highly active process, essential for improving brain functions including (1) learning, (2) memory, (3) creativity and (4) emotional regulation.

  • TITLE: The Mysteries of Sleep
  • SPEAKERS: Matthew P. Walker, Associate Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley
  • WHEN:  Wednesday, May 7, 2014; 7:00pm
  • WHERE:   SoMa StrEat Food Park, 428 – 11th Street, San Francisco
  • HOW:  Produced in collaboration with Ask a Scientist.
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures
  • ADMISSION:  FREE!  Register here.  (But Wonderfest needs your support to continue producing these events. Please consider even a small contribution. All donations are put to excellent use and are fully tax-deductible.)