Sharks exhibit an incredible sensitivity to their watery environment, including an extra sensory advantage: the ability to detect tiny electric signals. This sixth sense can help them locate meals, identify mates, and even, we believe, navigate the oceans. Hundreds of "electrosensors" sit embedded within a shark's head; in concert, they can discern changes as small as a billionth of a single volt. This talk will bring together physics, chemistry, and biology to reveal how a creature can "see" the world electrically.
Our speaker, Dr. Brandon Brown, is professor and chair in the Physics Department at the University of San Francisco.
Dr. Brandon Brown
WHAT: A Sixth Sense: Sharks and Electricity
WHO: Dr. Brandon Brown, Professor & Chair, Physics Department, USF
WHEN: 2019-12-09 — 6pm, Monday, December 9 (1.5 hr)
HOW:
What value does this FREE event have for you? Accordingly, please use the inappropriately-named "Tickets" box, below, to contribute to nonprofit Wonderfest.
Human minds love to discover patterns, to find intuitive explanations, and, most of all, to be certain. 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 useful 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.
Dr. Jacob Bien
WHAT: How To Be More Uncertain
WHO: Dr. Jacob Bien, Assoc. Professor of Statistics, USC
Genetic engineering and editing allow us to modify plants in various ways. Questions have been raised about the environmental and human-health effects of these technologies to modify the genetic information in crops and foods. What is the history of genetic modification of plants, and what impact might these technologies have on the future of foods?
Our speaker, Dr. Peggy Lemaux, is Cooperative Extension Specialist at UC Berkeley. She, also, was the chair of UC's Agricultural and Natural Resources Biotechnology Workgroup.
Dr. Peggy Lemaux
WHAT: Engineering and Editing of Crops and Foods
WHO: Dr. Peggy Lemaux, Chair, UC Agricultural Biotechnology Workgroup
Our understanding of stem cells has exploded in recent years, promising transformative therapies — and even cures — for a myriad of diseases. Come learn about the many types of stem cells in the human body, and how they are being used to develop treatments for diseases including immune deficiencies, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, diabetes, kidney disease, osteoarthritis, and eye diseases. See how these groundbreaking therapies have changed the course of so many lives.
Both of our speakers hail from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Dr. Lisa Kadyk is CIRM's Associate Director of Therapeutics, and Yimy Villa is CIRM's Marketing Communications Manager.
WHAT: Regenerative Medicine: From Stem Cell Science to Revolutionary Therapies
WHO: Dr. Lisa Kadyk & Yimy Villa, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine
WHERE: Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda, CA 94501
WHEN: 2019-11-17 — 2pm, Sun, November 17 (1.5 hrs)
HOW:
What value will this FREE event have for you? Please consider a corresponding donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the inaptly-titled "Tickets" box, below.
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 student in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. She is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy.
Deepthi Gorthi
WHAT: The Very First Stars
WHO: Deepthi Gorthi, UC Berkeley Astronomy Department
WHERE: Osher Marin JCC, 200 North San Pedro Rd., San Rafael, CA 94930
In 1931, Winston Churchill declared: "We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under suitable medium." What suitable medium is that?! Beyond chicken, can the tissues of cow, pig, and fish really be grown in the laboratory? These are questions being tackled by scientists at companies in the US and abroad. Further: How do these cultured meats taste, and how much do they cost? Alongside the enormous animal welfare issue, does in vitro meat have health implications for humans AND for the planet at large?
Our speaker, Dr. Nicholas Legendre, is Director of Biological Research at New Age Meats in San Francisco.
Dr. Nicholas Legendre
WHAT: Cultured Meat
WHO: Dr. Nicholas Legendre, Director of Biological Research, New Age Meats
WHERE: SF Public Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Room, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
WHEN: 2019-10-27 — 2pm, Sunday, October 27 (1.5 hrs)
HOW:
This FREE event is co-presented by Wonderfest, the SF Public Library, and the Bay Area Science Festival. Please support Wonderfest, the Bay Area Beacon of Science, with a donation — via the improperly-named "Tickets" box below.
The "teenage" brain tests reality, seeks novelty, and is notoriously impulsive. In their new book, (not childhood but) Wildhood, Harvard biologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and science writer Kathryn Bowers explore telling similarities in teenage brains and behaviors across species. Of Wildhood, Frans de Waal says, "The wild adventure of adolescence has never been analyzed in such depth." And Temple Grandin writes, "It blew my mind to discover that teenage animals and teenage humans are so similar."
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD, is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. Kathryn Bowers, has taught at UCLA and is a Future Tense Fellow at New America. The full title of their new book is "Wildhood: The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals."
Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz & Kathryn Bowers
WHAT: Adolescence to Adulthood
WHO: Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz & Kathryn Bowers, "Wildhood" co-authors
This event has no admission charge. But please consider purchasing a copy of Wildhood at BookShop West Portal, AND help nonprofit Wonderfest to share the scientific outlook by donating via the "Tickets" box, below.
"Be objective," we are told. But that's a tall order for creatures steeped in subjective experience at every waking moment. How, when, and why do human minds fail to be objective, especially in regard to race? In her new book Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do, psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt describes her research into the failure of human objectivity, and she offers real-world solutions to overcome the stereotyping and bias that undermine social wellbeing.
Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt is Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and a recipient of the MacArthur "genius" grant.
Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt
WHAT: Understanding Bias
WHO: Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, Professor of Psychology, Stanford
WHEN: 2019-09-26 — 7pm, Thu, September 26 (1 hour)
HOW:
Produced in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley. Use promo code WONDERFEST for a significant ticket discount via the "Tickets" link, below.
The world we live in is wildly complex and open-ended. Despite the excitement surrounding AI, building an artificial intelligence that rivals or exceeds human levels in dealing with that world is far more difficult than we once believed. How can we create AI worthy of our trust when solving real-world problems — in our hospitals, on our roadways, and in our homes?
Speaker Gary Marcus is former Professor of Psychology at NYU and Founding CEO at Geometric Intelligence, Inc. His new book, cowritten with NYU computer scientist Ernest Davis, is "Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust."
Dr. Gary Marcus
WHAT: Building Trustworthy AI
WHO: Dr. Gary Marcus, psychologist, author, & entrepreneur
WHEN: 2019-09-25 — 7pm, Wed, September 25 (1.5 hrs)
HOW:
Consider purchasing Dr. Marcus's new book at BookShop West Portal. Also, even though this event is admission-free, please help Wonderfest to share the clear-eyed optimism of science by contributing via the "Tickets" box, below.
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 9th-grade 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
WHAT: The Most Famous Equation
WHO: Tucker Hiatt, Wonderfest Director
WHERE: Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda, CA 94501
WHEN: 2019-09-16 — 2pm, Monday, Sep 16 (1.5 hrs)
HOW:
This event is FREE. But please help nonprofit Wonderfest to spread the clear-eyed optimism of science by donating via the Eventbrite "Tickets" link, below.
Quantum mechanics, the physics of the very small, is the most accurate and far-reaching theory in science. (Bear in mind: theory is as good as it gets in science!) Still, physicists themselves admit that they don't fully understand the quantum world. Caltech physicist and New York Times best-selling author Sean Carroll suggests that we do have a very promising way to understand the mysteries of the quantum world ... of quantum worlds.
Sean M. Carroll is Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology. His most recent book is "Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime."
Dr. Sean Carroll
WHAT: Quantum Worlds II
WHO: Dr. Sean Carroll, Professor of Physics, Caltech
WHERE: Schultz Cultural Hall, Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303
WHEN: 2019-09-14 — 1:00pm, Sat, Sep 14 (1 hour)
HOW:
Produced in collaboration with the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley. Use promo code WONDERFEST for a significant ticket discount via the "Tickets" link, below.
Quantum mechanics, the physics of the very small, is the most accurate and far-reaching theory in science. (Bear in mind: theory is as good as it gets in science!) Still, physicists themselves admit that they don't fully understand the quantum world. Caltech physicist and New York Times best-selling author Sean Carroll suggests that we do have a very promising way to understand the mysteries of the quantum world ... of quantum worlds.
Sean M. Carroll is Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology. His most recent book is "Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime."
Dr. Sean Carroll
WHAT: Quantum Worlds I
WHO: Dr. Sean Carroll, Professor of Physics, Caltech
WHEN: 2019-09-13 — 7pm, Fri, September 13 (1.5 hrs)
HOW:
Consider purchasing Prof. Carroll's new book at BookShop West Portal. Also, even though this event is admission-free, please help Wonderfest to share the clear-eyed optimism of science by contributing via the "Tickets" box, below.
The first human mission to Mars will be our greatest adventure of the 21st-century. As with all expeditions, its success will depend on planning. The first steps are already under way: achieving longer spaceflight missions, planning for deep space journeys beyond the Moon, and exploring extreme terrestrial environments as Mars “analogs.” NASA'S Pascal Lee will discuss progress made around the world — from the Arctic to Antarctica, from basement labs to the International Space Station — to achieve the first human voyage to Mars. He will explore the what, why, how, when, and who of our first journey to the Red Planet.
Dr. Pascal Lee is a planetary scientist at the Mars Institute and at the SETI Institute. He also directs the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center.
Dr. Pascal Lee
WHAT: MISSION: MARS
WHO: Dr. Pascal Lee, Planetary Scientist, Mars & SETI Institutes
WHERE: Cushing "Mountain" Amphitheater, Pan Toll Road at Ridgecrest Blvd., Mt. Tamalpais State Park Map: [http://goo.gl/maps/iRRFR]
WHEN: 2019-09-07 — 7:30pm, Sat, Sep 7 (1 hr)
HOW:
Mt. Tamalpais State Park closes at sunset; on September 7th, that's ~ 7:30pm. Only vehicles with an Astronomy Program parking pass will be admitted thereafter:
After sunset, vehicles lacking a parking pass may be cited.
Vehicles can exit the Park until 10:30pm; after that, remaining vehicles may be cited.
This event is presented, admission-free, by Wonderfest, the Friends of Mount Tam, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Mt. Tamalpais State Park. Optional sky tour and telescope viewing will follow the lecture.
Bring a flashlight and — even though mountaintop weather (above the fog) can be warmer than down at sea level — wear warm clothes in layers. If rain or wildfire threatens, call 415-455-5370 after 3:30pm on event day to learn about event status.
The detection of gravitational waves from merging stellar-mass black holes has generated much excitement. We expect that similar events — but with black holes that are millions to billions of times heavier — can occasionally occur. Dr. Romani will describe observations of super-massive black hole "binaries." He will also discuss the search for such binaries that can eventually merge to produce the "loudest" signals in the universe — as the two super-massive black holes conclude their cosmic dance.
Our speaker, Roger Romani, is Professor of Physics at Stanford University.
Dr. Roger Romani
WHAT: Super-Massive Black Hole Pairs
WHO: Dr. Roger Romani, Professor of Physics, Stanford
WHERE: Blue River Technology, 605 W California Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086
WHEN: 2019-08-21 — 8:00pm, Wed, Aug 21 (1.5 hours)
HOW:
What is this admission-free experience worth to you? Accordingly, please use the Eventbrite "Tickets" box, below, to contribute to Wonderfest.
Humanity's quest to understand matter has led to society-shaping technological breakthroughs. For example, the solid-state transistor underlies virtually all of modern computation. In complex quantum systems, exotic properties emerge which do not simply follow from the physical laws governing individual particles. A classic example is the phenomenon of superconductivity, which took scientists nearly 50 years to explain. Beyond useful applications, the study of quantum mechanical properties of crystalline materials — i.e., “condensed matter physics" — is a rich playground for exploring nature's deepest laws.
Our speaker, Arielle Little, is a PhD candidate in the UC Berkeley Physics Department.
Arielle Little
WHAT: The Weird and Wonderful World of Quantum Materials
Planet Earth is regularly being struck by interplanetary debris: fine dust, rocks, boulders (big enough to outshine the Sun as they streak through the atmosphere), asteroids, comets, and even small stray planets. Some of these collision events offer glorious night-time views; others can cause planetary annihilation. Infall of secondary debris ("shrapnel" from the original impact) can raise atmospheric temperatures by hundreds of degrees, globally.
Our speaker, Dr. Kevin Zahnle, is Planetary Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center.
Illustration (above) by Mark Garlick, Science Photo Library/Alamy
Dr. Kevin Zahnle
WHAT: When Worlds Collide
WHO: Dr. Kevin Zahnle, NASA Ames Research Center
WHERE: Cushing "Mountain" Amphitheater, Pan Toll Road at Ridgecrest Blvd, Mt. Tamalpais State Park Map: [http://goo.gl/maps/iRRFR]
WHEN: 2019-08-10 — 8:00pm, Sat, August 10 (1 hour)
HOW:
Mt. Tamalpais State Park closes at sunset; on August 10th, that's ~ 8:10pm. Only vehicles with an Astronomy Program parking pass will be admitted thereafter:
After sunset, vehicles lacking a parking pass may be cited.
Vehicles can exit the Park until 10:30pm; after that, remaining vehicles may be cited.
This event is presented, admission-free, by Wonderfest, the Friends of Mount Tam, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Mt. Tamalpais State Park. Optional sky tour and telescope viewing will follow the lecture.
Bring a flashlight and — even though mountaintop weather (above the fog) can be warmer than down at sea level — wear warm clothes in layers. If rain or wildfire threatens, call 415-455-5370 after 3:30pm on event day to learn about event status.
Could movement, not language, be the foundation of thought? Pictures (including mental movies) are remembered far better than words. Both recognition and recall — of faces, scenes, and events — are utterly wordless processes, and much of our most abstract thinking is done without words. In her new book, Mind in Motion, psychologist Barbara Tversky discusses the mental primacy of bodily action. MIT's Steven Pinker says that Mind in Motion is "an intriguing exploration of the spatial thinking that is embedded in our reasoning, our language, and our culture."
Our speaker, Dr. Barbara Tversky, is Professor of Psychology & Education at Columbia, Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stanford, AND a celebrated founding advisor at Wonderfest.
Dr. Barbara Tversky
WHAT: Mind in Motion
WHO: Dr. Barbara Tversky, Professor of Psychology & Education, Columbia University
From ancient conjurers to quick-handed con artists to Las Vegas illusionists, magicians throughout the ages have manipulated human attention and perception to dazzle and delight us. Both sensory and cognitive illusions are responsible for the “magic” of a magic trick. But how and why do these illusions work? Magician Robert Strong and neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley team up to demonstrate how magicians use our brains to accomplish the seemingly impossible. In the process, they explore what those magical methods and techniques can teach us about the brain.
Author and inventor Adam Gazzaley is Professor of Neurology at UC San Francisco. Comedy magician Robert Strong has been voted — three times — San Francisco's "Best Magician."
WHAT: The Neuroscience of Magic
WHO: Neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley & magician Robert Strong
WHEN: 2019-07-31 — 7:00pm, Wed, July 31 (1.5 hours)
HOW:
This event is co-produced with the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley. Use promo code WONDERFEST at the Commonwealth Club link, below, to purchase DISCOUNT tickets.
Bacteria are among the strangest and most diverse creatures on the planet. They exist everywhere — virtually defining Earth's biosphere — and they are enormously influential. If we humans learn to "communicate" properly with bacteria, we can move much of our industrial-era petroleum economy to biomass energy, even with carbon-negative results for the atmosphere.
Or speaker, Dr. Sarah Richardson, is co-founder of MicroByer, a Bay Area bioengineering firm. She earned her PhD in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Sarah Richardson
WHAT: How to Win Friends and Influence Bacteria: The Science of Biomanufacturing
WHO: Dr. Sarah Richardson, Co-founder, MicroByre
WHERE: SF Public Library, Latino/Hispanic Rooms A&B, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
WHEN: 2019-07-28 — 2:00pm, Sunday, July 28 (2 hr)
HOW:
This event is produced by the San Francisco Public Library.
Could movement, not language, be the foundation of thought? Pictures (including mental movies) are remembered far better than words. Both recognition and recall — of faces, scenes, and events — are utterly wordless processes, and much of our most abstract thinking is done without words. In her new book, Mind in Motion, psychologist Barbara Tversky discusses the mental primacy of bodily action. MIT's Steven Pinker says that Mind in Motion is "an intriguing exploration of the spatial thinking that is embedded in our reasoning, our language, and our culture."
Speaker Dr. Barbara Tversky is Professor of Psychology & Education at Columbia, Professor Emerita of Psychology at Stanford, AND a celebrated founding advisor at Wonderfest.
Dr. Barbara Tversky
WHO: Dr. Barbara Tversky, Professor of Psychology & Education, Columbia University
WHERE: Blue River Technology, 605 W California Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
WHEN: 2019-07-24 — 8pm, Wednesday, July 24 (1.5 hrs)
HOW:
This event has no admission charge. But please help Wonderfest to share the scientific outlook via the Eventbrite "Tickets" box, below.
