2019 Archive

Humans love certainty, intuitive explanations, and discovering patterns. Yet our world is complicated and filled with randomness. Statistical thinking provides us with practical tools for making sense of an uncertain world. It can lead us to make surprising conclusions from the data of everyday life. And it also teaches us humility in the face of uncertainty.

Our speaker, Dr. Jacob Bien, is Associate Professor of Statistics at the University of Southern California. He is also a founding member of Wonderfest's Board of Directors.

First Man is 2018's Oscar-winning dramatization of events — and emotions — leading up to the Apollo 11 Moon mission in 1969. Following a special Science on Screen showing of First Man at St. Helena's Cameo Cinema, Wonderfest presents expert analysis of those events and emotions by NASA Mission Control insider Jay Trimble, and by The Apollo Chronicles author Brandon Brown.

Jay P. Trimble is Founder and Lead at Open Mission Control Technologies, NASA Ames Research Center. Brandon R. Brown, PhD, is Professor of Physics & Astronomy, University of San Francisco.

We humans often do battle with creepy invaders of our living spaces. Entomologist Vernard Lewis will present the latest research on the biology, detection, and control of villainous house guests: insects that occupy the nooks and crannies of our homes — particularly ants, bedbugs, and termites. He will also display some of the creepy-crawlers, both dead and alive. (Do NOT take these home!)

Dr. Vernard Lewis is emeritus Cooperative Extension Specialist in urban entomology at UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management. He chaired the United Nations' termite dream team: the Global Termite Expert Group.

David Sloan Wilson is one of Earth's foremost evolutionary biologists. His new book, This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution, "moves us in the direction of sustainable living at all scales ... with the compass of evolutionary theory." Professor Wilson will be in conversation with another of the planet's research luminaries, neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky.

David Sloan Wilson is Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at Binghamton University; he is also co-founder of the Evolution Institute. Robert Sapolsky is Professor of Biology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University; he received Wonderfest's 2008 Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization.

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 computational cognitive scientist Rachel Jansen on What Is Math?  How is it that math summons feelings of anxiety—and even fear—for some, while others hold it in the highest esteem?
• Stanford computer scientist Andrey Kurenkov on What Are Present-Day AI Researchers Actually Doing?  How can recent, cutting-edge achievements give us the right (or wrong!) idea about what constitutes artificial intelligence?

NASA's recent Kepler Mission discovered that most stars in our Milky Way Galaxy host planets. Among those planets, Earth-size worlds are remarkably common. But the conditions for planets around their host stars vary with both distance from the star and mass of the star. Astronomer Gibor Basri will explore the issues surrounding habitability — the ability to support life — for planets and space around ALL types of stars.

Dr. Gibor Basri is Professor of Astronomy at UC Berkeley. In 2016, he received Wonderfest's Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. 

NASA's recent Kepler Mission gave us good reason to believe that the Milky Way Galaxy is home to billions of habitable worlds. Of course, "habitable" does not mean inhabited, far less intelligent. In this Wonderfest presentation, science writer Michael Wall will discuss the big questions that permeate humankind's search for extraterrestrial intelligence: What are we looking for? How are we looking? How would the world respond to confirmed contact? Dr. Wall will also discuss the long view of human space travel — our effort to get out there, in the flesh.

Michael Wall, PhD, is Senior Writer for Space.com. His recent book is "Out There: A Scientific Guide to Alien Life, Antimatter, and Human Space Travel (for the Cosmically Curious)."

Despite its universal scope (every little thing) and precision (better than 10 parts per billion), quantum physics retains profound mysteries. What is really going on down there in the heart of matter?! Atom interferometers are instruments that rely on the quantum "wave nature" of matter for measurements of fundamental constants AND for use as super-sensitive detectors of acceleration, rotation, and gravity. This talk will explore the importance of atom interferometers in probing the quantum realm.

Our speaker, Eric Copenhaver, is a physicist at both UC Berkeley and Stanford. He is also a Wonderfest "Science Envoy," trained in — and reveling in — crystal-clear science communication.

Archaeology, the study of human history & prehistory through analysis of physical remains, is embracing modern technology. Advances in digital imaging and mobile capabilities are transforming the ways archaeology is practiced, experienced, and understood. This talk will explore remarkable breakthroughs in archaeology by visiting exemplar field projects from around the world, and discuss modern efforts for both sharing and saving our collective past.

Our speaker, Dr. Michael Ashley, has worked to modernize dozens of archaeological projects worldwide. He is Founder & President of Codifi, Inc., and he helps to lead the nonprofit Center for Digital Archaeology.

After Michael Crichton, but before Andy Weir, there was — and is — sci-tech thriller writer James Rollins. This New York Times #1 bestselling author has been featuring cutting-edge science and technology in his novels for 20 years. In his latest work, Crucible, Rollins explores how groundbreaking research in artificial intelligence may shine light onto the Spanish Inquisition and medieval witchcraft. Wonderfest joins BookShop West Portal in presenting James Rollins on A.I. in Crucible.