Menu

Upcoming Events

SyntheticAstrobiology

Synthetic Astrobiology – Jun 9

/ , , , / , , , , , , , , , /

Synthetic biology — creating new capabilities with life — promises to foster an innovative future for planet Earth in fields as diverse as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and nanotechnology. As humans move beyond Earth to long duration stays in the International Space Station, and then onward to the Moon and Mars, the challenges of supporting human life will need radical new solutions that synthetic biology can deliver. In turn, those new solutions will facilitate technical, industrial, and social improvements back here on our home planet.
 
Our Wonderfest speaker is Dr. Lynn Rothschild, Adjunct Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry at Brown University. Dr. Rothschild also teaches Astrobiology and Space Exploration at Stanford University.

Dr. Lynn Rothschild

WHAT: An Innovative Future for Planet Earth ... via Space
WHO: Dr. Lynn Rothschild, Astrobiologist & Synthetic Biologist [https://vivo.brown.edu/display/lr3]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, June 9 — 7:00pm (1.5 hr)
HOW: This event is free and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have FOR YOU (and, indirectly, for society)? Accordingly, please use the DONATE button (below) to support Wonderfest in its nonprofit mission to share the scientific outlook.
Help share the scientific outlook - donate!
Screenshot

RockClocks & Supernovae – May 27

/ , , , / , , , , , , , , /

Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with enhanced 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 geophysicist Caroline Hasler on Measuring Geologic Time with Rock Clocks — In microscopically small crystals within rocks, radioactive elements decay at predictable rates and function as tiny clocks. These “rock clocks” help us to figure out the timing of major events in Earth history — from the moment of Earth’s formation to the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs.

• UC Berkeley astronomer Eli Wiston  on Seeing Core-collapse Supernovae with Radio Telescopes — At the end of its life, a massive star will contract and explode in spectacular fashion, outshining the light of an entire galaxy. While most astronomers focus on the optical light given off by these stellar explosions, there is a wealth of new information to be gained by observing invisible wavelengths. With radio telescopes, we can study new aspects of supernovae: their stars’ activity in the years before death, their environments, and what they leave behind after the explosion fades.

This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: RockClocks & Supernovae
WHO: Caroline Hasler (UC Berkeley) & Eli Wiston (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 — 7pm (1.5 hr)
COLLABORATORS:
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
HOW: This event is free and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have FOR YOU (and, indirectly, for society)? Accordingly, please use the DONATE button (below) to support Wonderfest in its nonprofit mission to share the scientific outlook.
Help share the scientific outlook - donate!

SharkThink

How a Shark Thinks – May 12

/ , , , / , , , , , , , , , /

A few shark species are, indeed, dangerous wildlife. However, the public portrayal of these animals as villains and killers is overblown. What is the real life of a large shark like? How do they eat? How long do they live, and where do they migrate? Knowing about sharks in this way — especially how they think — helps us see them as part of our ocean world to be respected … and to be amazed by.
 
Our Wonderfest speaker is Dr. Stephen Palumbi, Professor of Marine Sciences at Stanford University. Steve is also Professor of Biology, Senior Fellow at Woods Institute for the Environment, and leader of The Palumbi Lab at Hopkins Marine Station, all at Stanford. This event is co-presented by Wonderfest and the San Francisco Public Library.

Dr. Stephen Palumbi

WHAT: How a Shark Thinks
WHO: Dr. Stephen Palumbi, Professor of Marine Sciences, Stanford [https://palumbilab.stanford.edu]
WHERE: SF Public Library, Steve Silver Music Center, 100 Larkin Street, 4th floor, San Francisco CA 94102 [https://sfpl.org]
WHEN: Tuesday evening, May 12, 6:00 PM (1.5 hr)
COLLABORATORS:
San Francisco Public Library [https://sfpl.org]
HOW: This event is free and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have FOR YOU (and, indirectly, for society)? Accordingly, please use the DONATE button (below) to support Wonderfest in its nonprofit mission to share the scientific outlook.
Help share the scientific outlook - donate!
Screenshot

DreamFish & Wetlands – May 10

/ , , , / , , , , , , , , /

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

• Stanford biologist Marina Luccioni on Fish that Make Dreams — Hawaiian traditional knowledge from the 1400s references “nightmare fish.” Indeed, eating the heads of certain fish species does induce dizziness, severe hallucinations, and nightmares. How do these fish come to contain and accumulate neurotoxins, and how do those molecules cause hallucinations? Of equal importance, how do we do such science that is respectful of indigenous knowledge and fair to local communities and ecosystems?

• Stanford ecologist Ryan Rogers on What’s Up with Wetlands? — Tidal wetlands are environments of constant change: tides rise and fall, salinity shifts, and waters stay perpetually in motion. In these challenging conditions, seagrasses flourish, creating underwater meadows that support rich and diverse communities. Studying these ecosystems reveals how biodiversity sustains them, and why protecting wetlands and estuaries is critical for resilient coastlines.

This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: DreamFish & Wetlands
WHO: Marina Luccioni (Stanford) & Ryan Rogers (Stanford), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Sunday, May 10, 2026 — 7pm (1.5 hr)
COLLABORATORS:
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
HOW: This event is free and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have FOR YOU (and, indirectly, for society)? Accordingly, please use the DONATE button (below) to support Wonderfest in its nonprofit mission to share the scientific outlook.
Help share the scientific outlook - donate!