2018 Archive

Some of Earth's most marvelous — and most alien — lifeforms reside in the ocean, where overfishing and climate change pose huge challenges. Marine scientist Dr. Stephen Palumbi will share deep insights and unforgettable stories about fragile aquatic ecosystems — from the icy arctic to boiling hydrothermal vents and on to the deepest undersea trenches.

Our speaker, Steve Palumbi, is one of the planet's leading marine scientists. He is Director of the Hopkins Marine Station and Professor of Marine Science at Stanford University. He'll be joined by his son, author Anthony Palumbi.

Dr. Stephen R. Palumbi

Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with special communication skills and aspirations. Following short talks on provocative modern science topics, these two Science Envoys will answer questions with insight and enthusiasm:

• UC Berkeley astronomer Deepthi Gorthi on "The Cold Boiling Universe" — How, when, and why was the entire cosmos "boiling" not too long ago?
• UC Berkeley physicist Robert McGehee on "Illuminating Dark Matter" — What is the invisible stuff that constitutes over 80%(!) of the material universe?

Bacteria are under constant attack from viruses. In order to defend themselves, these microbes have evolved a unique and creative immune system that scientists have called “CRISPR.” As researchers work to unravel and understand this intricate immune system, they have realized that CRISPR proteins might not only improve the health of bacteria, but also the health — and nature(!) — of human beings.

Researchers have shown that an assortment of CRISPR proteins can be programmed to cut any sequence of DNA. The ability to precisely edit the genome of nearly any organism has revolutionized biology, medicine, and agriculture. From curing deadly genetic disorders to engineering drought-resistant plants, CRISPR genome editing technology will reshape modern medicine and equip us with tools to cope with a changing planet. UC Berkeley biophysicist Kevin Doxzen will unravel this groundbreaking technology and outline pressing questions that now confront society.

Dr. Kevin Doxzen

Human beings tend to prefer cross-species measurements that put us at the top of the scale. Intelligence is one such measure. Are humans really the most intelligent creatures on the planet? Should this be obvious given our problem-solving ability and big brains? This presentation will look at some examples of animal intelligence, explore language studies in animals, and attempt to place human intelligence within our own environmental context.

Our speaker, Julie Hui, is a PhD candidate studying the evolution of cooperation in the Anthropology Department at UC Berkeley. Julie has honed her science communication skills as a Wonderfest "Science Envoy."

Julie Hui

The so-called “fine-structure constant” is a deeply important number in physics. It describes the strength of the electromagnetic force between fundamental particles. This means, among countless other things, that it gauges the interaction between all the atoms and molecules in our bodies. Of the fine-structure constant, physicist Max Born said, “The explanation of this number must be the central problem of natural philosophy.”

Modern measurements of the fine-structure constant reach a precision of 0.2 parts per billion. This allows us to test the celebrated Standard Model of Particle Physics at unprecedented levels. It also allows us to look for new particles and forces arising from the “dark sector,” the enormous world of undiscovered particles that make up dark matter and dark energy.

Our speaker is Dr. Holger Müller, Associate Professor of Physics, UC Berkeley.
Dr. Holger Müller

From the iconic mission control center in Houston that guided astronauts to the Moon, to the control centers for robotic explorers that extend our senses to the solar system and beyond, mission control serves as the nerve center for decisions, planning, science, command, and control for our journeys into space.

Centers of technical excellence, and also symbols of our explorations, mission control has evolved with time, technology, and new missions. Of course, cathode ray tubes have given way to flat screens and touch screens. But has mission operations fundamentally changed from the glory days of Apollo? The closed world of mission control is starting to open, with open data and open-source software projects that allow anyone — citizen scientists and engineers — to participate.

Our speaker, Jay Trimble, is a computer scientist in NASA's Intelligent Systems Division at Ames Research Center. He has also served as Lead Operations Director for Space Radar Lab at the Jet Propulsion Lab, and Shuttle Mission Controller at NASA Johnson Space Center.
Jay P. Trimble

In October 2017, Earthlings detected gravitational waves, or ripples in the fabric of spacetime, from the violent merger of two ultra-dense neutron stars. This triggered nearly every big telescope to point in the direction of the source, which was subsequently seen in colors across the electromagnetic spectrum. This was the first detection of both gravitational waves and light — the “thunder" and the “lightning" — from the same event. In addition to providing a powerful test of our best theory of gravity, the signals showed that debris spit out in the stellar collision assembled into heavy elements, such as gold and platinum, providing an explanation for the cosmic origin of these special materials.

Our speaker, Dr. Dan Kasen, is Associate Professor of Physics and of Astronomy at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Daniel Kasen

Many systems — ant colonies, brains, and some data networks — operate without central control. Local interactions, collectively, regulate the behavior of the system. There are more than 14,000 species of ants, in every conceivable habitat. Their diverse behavior helps us understand how collective behavior evolves to deal with different environmental conditions. This talk will contrast the ways that harvester ants in the desert, arboreal ants in the tropical forest canopy, and the invasive Argentine ants in your kitchen, regulate colonies using simple chemical contacts among ants.

Our speaker, Deborah M. Gordon, is Professor of Biology at Stanford University. She is also a member of Stanford's Neurosciences Institute and Woods Institute for the Environment.

Dr. Deborah Gordon

In recent decades, developmental psychologists' discoveries about the powerful cognitive mechanisms that underlie children's early learning have led them to dub children "little scientists." Appreciating the surprising potential in children’s natural abilities to solve problems, reason, and experiment can help us make better decisions for our families and communities. In addition, the lessons we can learn from young children’s cognitive flexibility — including their abilities to seek evidence and change their beliefs — are a model for 21st-century cognitive citizenship.

Speaker Mariel Goddu is a cognitive psychologist and advanced PhD candidate at UC Berkeley. She is also a Wonderfest "Science Envoy," a thoughtful and compelling science communicator.

Mariel Goddu

Are we alone? Humans have been asking this question throughout history. Accordingly, we want also to know where we came from, how we fit into the cosmos, and where we are going. We want to know whether there is life beyond the Earth and whether any of it is intelligent. As we look up and look out, legendary SETI pioneer Jill Tarter says: "We are forced to see ourselves from a cosmic perspective; a perspective that shows us as all the same, all Earthlings. This perspective is fundamental to finding a way to sustain life on Earth for the long future."

Dr. Jill Tarter is Chair Emeritus for SETI Research at the SETI Institute in Mountain View. Dr. Tarter was the inspiration for Jody Foster's character in Carl Sagan's novel and movie, "Contact."

Dr. Jill Tarter

Taking Heat is a global warming surfin’ safari: the endless summer meets The Endless Summer. It's the first in-person production about climate change that is written and performed by an actual scientist. Taking Heat follows comedian Tim Lee’s expedition around the world looking for the perfect wave. Far from what he envisioned, this idyllic excursion is frequently interrupted by sobering encounters with climate change.

Tim Lee, PhD, received his doctorate in Ecology and Evolution from UC Davis (and is also an avid surfer). His comedy videos have become a hit on YouTube with several million views. However, Tim felt compelled to write a show about climate change after hearing so much misinformation on the topic. “We’ve been studying this topic for forty years. Still very few seem to understand it. I wanted to create a show that’s fun, but the audience learns something anyway."

Tim X Lee, PhD

Our story begins in the remarkably simple early universe, devoid of the complexity around us today. UC Berkeley astrophysicist Eliot Quataert shows how the universe has evolved to its current state from simple beginnings: how gravity reigns supreme and builds up the planets, stars, and galaxies required for biological evolution to proceed.

Dr. Eliot Quataert is Professor of Astronomy & Physics at UC Berkeley. He is also Director of Berkeley's Theoretical Astrophysics Center.

Eliot Quataert

Programmer Andy Weir was unexpectedly thrust into science fiction stardom when his debut novel, The Martian, became a best-selling book turned Oscar-nominated blockbuster movie. With that success, Weir has been living out his dream of writing full time. Now, his second novel envisions the escapades of a smuggler living in Artemis, the first and only city on the Moon.

In this collaboration between Wonderfest and the Commonwealth Club, Weir discusses how he combines his lifelong love of space, science, and humor—along with a healthy dose of research—to create compelling stories for both science and science fiction fans.

Andy Weir

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surpassed humans at Jeopardy and Go, and driverless cars are widely believed to be around the corner. News articles claim we’re on the brink of a "Singularity" where robots will steal 50% of our jobs. Are AI and Robots an existential threat to humans as Elon Musk warns? Or is Mark Zuckerberg right in stating that humans have many good years ahead?

Drawing on his experience as a robotics and AI research expert, UC Berkeley's Ken Goldberg will explore the AI/Robotics issues in three parts: 1) What Isn’t New, 2) What Is New, and 3) How We Can Prepare. Ultimately, Goldberg will argue that new innovations tend to empower humans, not replace them, revealing the potential for new trends such as "Cloud Robotics" and "Multiplicity."

Dr. Ken Goldberg

Five recent graduates of Wonderfest's Science Envoy Program — PhD students from UC Berkeley and Stanford — will each describe her/his science:

• Carina Cheng, astronomy
• Eric Copenhaver, physics
• Dylan Hadfield-Menell, computer science
• Julie Hui, anthropology
• Anna Khazenzon, neuroscience

We will learn about these young researchers' work and about what inspired their passion for the "verifiable knowledge" that science provides. Wonderfest joins the Computer History Museum in presenting this Science Slam examination of what makes reality tick.

With the recent discovery of habitable environments beyond Earth — including the subsurface oceans of icy moons in the outer Solar System — the existence of extraterrestrial life appears now both possible and realistic. Planetary scientist Alphonso Davila will describe NASA's search for evidence of a second, Earth-independent origin of life: a genuine "second genesis."

Dr. Alphonso Davila is a research scientist at the SETI Institute and in the Exobiology Branch at NASA Ames Research Center.

Dr. Alphonso Davila

Following a special "Science on Screen" presentation of 2012's Robot and Frank (87% "Fresh" at RottenTomatoes.com), UC Berkeley computer scientist Michael Laskey will discuss the movie's fantasy/reality balance. He will also answer audience questions about recent advances in the general fields of robotics and artificial intelligence.

Michael Laskey is primed to receive his PhD in Artificial Intelligence / Robotics at UC Berkeley. He has worked at Intel, and currently conducts research at Berkeley's Automation Lab.

Michael Laskey