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SyntheticAstrobiology

Synthetic Astrobiology – Jun 9

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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!
TeamScienceQuiz

Team Science Quiz – TBD

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Just for fun (and for bragging rights), how many science facts lie within your grasp, and within the grasp of a few friends? That beautiful word science originates from the Latin word scientia, meaning “knowledge,” so it covers a lot of ground! This particular bit of information — involving the etymology of “science” — might be precisely what your team needs to claim victory in Wonderfest’s Team Science Quiz: a fun contest with questions, music, and visuals from all fields of science. Play solo or join up to three fellow Wondernauts to form a quiz quartet … and earn Wonderfest bragging rights for years to come.
 
Our science quiz host is Howard Rachelson, Marin’s Master of Trivia and author of the weekly Trivia Cafe column in the Pacific Sun newspaper.

Howard Rachelson

WHAT: Team Science Quiz
WHO: Howard Rachelson, Quiz Master [https://pacificsun.com/mining-minutiae-marins-trivia-master-celebrates-40-years/]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: To Be Determined — 7pm (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!
SharkThink

How a Shark Thinks – May 12

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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!
Hoppers-wide

Animal Behavior – Apr 26

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What if we could communicate — clearly and deeply — with animals? In Disney and Pixar’s new feature film HOPPERS, scientists have discovered how to “hop” human consciousness into lifelike robotic animals, allowing us to communicate with denizens of the animal world as animals. Wonderfest comes to the Napa Valley to help present this special Science In Cinema event. Immediately following the screening of HOPPERS, UC Berkeley biologist Dr. Eileen Lacey answers our questions about animal behavior in HOPPERS and in the real world.
 
Dr. Eileen A. Lacey is Professor and Chair in Biological Sciences at UC Berkeley’s Department of Integrative Biology. At Cal’s Lacey Lab, her research focuses principally on vertebrate social behavior. Dr. Lacey also works with Cal’s Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.

Dr. Eileen Lacey

WHAT: HOPPERS: Animal Behavior
WHO: Dr. Eileen Lacey, Professor of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley [https://laceylab.weebly.com]
WHERE: Cameo Cinema, 1340 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 [https://www.cameocinema.com]
WHEN: Sunday, April 26th — 1pm
COLLABORATORS:
Cameo Cinema [https://www.cameocinema.com/movie/hoppers-science-in-cinema-event]
HOW: For advance ticket purchase, scroll down at the COLLABORATORS link (directly above), and click the "1:00 PM" box under "Times & Tickets."
EdgeOfSpaceTime

The Edge of Space-Time – Apr 21

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Wonderfest comes to San Francisco’s BookShop West Portal for a special author event featuring cosmologist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein. In her latest book, The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie, Dr. Prescod-Weinstein “embraces cosmic wonder and takes us on a mind-altering journey to the boundaries of the universe, inviting us to spend time at the edge of what we know about space-time and about ourselves.”
 
Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is Associate Professor of Physics and Core Faculty Member in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of New Hampshire. She is the author of The Disordered Cosmos, and columnist for New Scientist and Physics World magazines.

Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

WHAT: The Edge of Space-Time
WHO: Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Assoc. Professor of Physics, University of New Hampshire [https://chanda.science]
WHERE: BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal Avenue, San Francisco CA 94127
WHEN: Tuesday, April 21st — 7pm (1.5 hour)
COLLABORATORS:
BookShop West Portal [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-edge-of-space-time-particles-poetry-the-cosmic-dream-boogie-tickets-1975628419786]
HOW: Please "Reserve a spot" for this free event via the Eventbrite link, above.
Help share the scientific outlook - donate!
Screenshot

Cosmology & Evolution – Apr 14

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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 physicist Mahlet Shiferaw on Learning Cosmology from Galaxies — The Universe is shaped by an invisible “cosmic web” of dark matter that guides where galaxies form. By comparing observations of galaxies to predictions from models, we can probe the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Cosmologists are now developing new modeling and inference techniques to unlock even more information from upcoming galaxy surveys.

• Stanford biologist Sebastian Somolinos  on Give Evolution a Chance — When was the last time you watched evolution happen? Evolution is nature’s most powerful problem solver, yet creatures like horseshoe crabs remind us that it can also be slow and stubbornly conservative. To unlock evolution’s full creative potential, and to appreciate evolution more fully, we must learn how to accelerate it. We need to give evolution a chance.

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

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Cosmology & Evolution
WHO: Mahlet Shiferaw (Stanford) & Sebastian Somolinos (Stanford), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, April 14, 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!

Screenshot

“Hail Mary” Science – Mar 26

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Most every page of Andy Weir’s latest sci-fi novel, Project Hail Mary, glows with the promise of science and technology. In Weir’s first novel, 2011’s The Martian, the protagonist endures interplanetary travel, and struggles to survive on a harsh new world. However, in Project Hail Mary, the hero faces a far greater challenge: interstellar travel to collaborate with an ET in hope of saving an imperiled planet Earth! Are the wonderful science and technology of Project Hail Mary realistic? We shall see!
 
Wonderfest and the SETI Institute join the Commonwealth Club World Affairs to present two wonderful space scientists in conversation about The Science of Project Hail Mary: astrobiologist Dr. Maggie Turnbull and planetary scientist Dr. Pascal Lee.
 
Two types of tickets are available: in-person and online-only. Pre-register with the Commonwealth Club / World Affairs via the “Tickets” link, below. Use promo code WONDERNAUTS for a $10 ticket discount (which renders the online ticket entirely FREE).
WHAT: The Science of Project Hail Mary
WHO: Dr. Maggie Turnbull & Dr. Pascal Lee, Research Scientists, SETI Institute [https://www.seti.org/scientists/?page=1]
WHERE: The Commonwealth Club, Taube Auditorium, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco CA 94105
WHEN: Thursday, March 26 — 6pm (1 hour)
COLLABORATORS:
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California and the SETI Institute
HOW: Get tickets by clicking the "Tickets" box, below. During purchase from the Commonwealth Club, use promo code WONDERNAUTS to secure a discount of $10 for either type of ticket, in-person or online.
Tickets
ZombieSeaUrgins

Sea Zombies – Feb 10

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Earth’s oceans are warming. Such large-scale aspects of climate change are disrupting important ecological balances, including the delicate service sea urchins perform in California’s kelp forest ecosystem. The implications are broad and alarming (and addressable): a warming planet may cause collapse in wild populations of vital marine life.
 
Our Wonderfest speaker is Dr. Daniel Okamoto, Assistant Professor of Integrative Biology, leader of the Okamoto Lab at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Daniel Okamoto

WHAT: Zombies of the Nearshore: Sea Urchins in a Changing Ocean
WHO: Dr. Daniel Okamoto, Asst. Professor of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley [https://dkokamoto.com]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, February 10 — 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!
EvolutionOfConsciousness

Evolution of Consciousness – Jan 13

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Philosophers, cognitive scientists, and animal welfare advocates tend to agree that consciousness evolved to support action. Yet, puzzlingly, most accounts take relatively passive sensory experiences and bodily sensations (e.g. pains, visual perceptions, and hunger pangs) to be the basic contents of subjective experience. What if consciousness were not a “point of view,” but rather a “point of do,” where the conscious subject is not an observer but a participant who interacts with an environment that pushes back? Thinking carefully about action experience might help us better understand the biological evolution of consciousness on Earth.
 
Our Wonderfest speaker is Dr. Mariel Goddu, PhD in developmental psychology (UC Berkeley) and PhD candidate in philosophy (Stanford). Mariel was — and remains — a wonderful Wonderfest Science Envoy.

Dr. Mariel Goddu

WHAT: Evolution of Consciousness: The Participatory Perspective
WHO: Dr. Mariel Goddu, PhD (Psychology) and PhD candidate (Philosophy) [https://philosophy.stanford.edu/people/mariel-goddu]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, January 13 — 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!
OriginOfLife

Origin of Life – Nov 18

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It’s an age-old question: How did life come about? Even the simplest creatures that exhibit the two hallmarks of life, namely metabolism and replication, are astoundingly complex. While the search for life’s origin has fascinated humans for centuries, recent breakthroughs point us in a more conclusive direction, and have remarkable implications. Among important side insights are the unexpected similarities between prebiotic and human innovation, and the central role that energy and information have played in transforming the planet over the last 4 billion years, leading right up to the present climate crisis.

Our Wonderfest speaker, Dr. Charles Marshall, is Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. He is also Director of the University of California Museum of Paleontology.


Dr. Charles Marshall

WHAT: On the Origin of Life
WHO: Dr. Charles Marshall, Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley [https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/people/charles-marshall/]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18 — 7pm (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!
InsectPillow-crop

Insect Encounters – Aug 26

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Dr. Vernard Lewis first encountered insects as a child, capturing grasshoppers and ants in California’s central valley. Since then, he has traveled to fifty countries to discuss many creepy-crawlies, sometimes as a member of the United Nations Global Termite Expert Group. This Wonderfest event offers a rather personal account of a bug-rich life, including oakworm adventures on Mt. Tamalpais, and (tiny) pest removal at San Quentin Prison. Dr. Lewis will share “field experiences” with termites, with bedbugs, with cockroaches, and with courtrooms (as an expert witness). He will also display real insects — both dead and alive — and the damage they can do.

Our Wonderfest speaker is Vernard Lewis, Cooperative Extension Specialist (emeritus) at UC Berkeley. Dr. Lewis has earned three degrees in entomology, and is a global authority on termites.


Dr. Vernard Lewis

WHAT: My Weird Encounters with Insects
WHO: Dr. Vernard Lewis, Cooperative Extension Specialist, Emeritus [https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/people/vernard-lewis]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 214 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 — 7pm (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!
EvolutionOnTrial

Evolution on Trial – July 8

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2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the “Trial of the Century”: Tennessee vs. John T. Scopes, the first major legal assault against the teaching of evolution in America. Mostly because of the fictional movie Inherit the Wind, the Scopes “monkey trial” is wrongly perceived as a victory for evolution over the forces of obscurantism. The full story is much more complex and interesting, involving science, religion, law, education, politics, celebrities, modern communications, and the politicization of science.

Our Wonderfest speaker is physical anthropologist Dr. Eugenie Scott, author of Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction, and former director of the National Center for Science Education. Genie is the recipient of numerous awards from both scientists and educators, including the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal.


Dr. Eugenie Scott

WHAT: The "Trial of the Century": Scopes at 100
WHO: Dr. Eugenie Scott, Former Director, National Center for Science Education [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenie_Scott]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, July 8, 2025 — 7pm (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!
ScienceOfLove

Science of Love – June 24

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Love may not “make the world go ’round,” but it surely makes the ride more joyous. The outward displays of love are familiar and simple: a reassuring touch, a passionate kiss, a bedtime story told to a drowsy child. But what is going on inside the brains of people in a loving relationship? Surprisingly, neuroscience can now inform us about the bonds of affection, and how, over each lifetime, love acts to sustain our body and even prolong our life.

Wonderfest’s speaker is psychologist Thomas B. Lewis, M.D., Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco and Asst. Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF. Dr. Lewis is co-author of A General Theory of Love.


Dr. Thomas B. Lewis

WHAT: Heartstrings and Brainwaves: Decoding the Science of Love
WHO: Dr. Thomas B. Lewis, Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco [https://thomaslewis.com]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 — 7pm (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!
FlamingoPhysics

Natural Physics – June 10

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Basic physics shapes the natural world. Through evolution, creatures have figured out how to use the laws of physics to make biology flourish. Flamingos generate water vortices to trap food. Various birds and fish use vortex shedding and fluid turbulence to control movement. For small animals, electrostatic forces and/or capillary forces can reign over gravity to affect the critters’ very survival. Nature is a beautiful dance of biology and physics.

Our speaker is biophysicist Victor M. Ortega Jiménez, Assistant Professor in the Integrative Biology Department at UC Berkeley. Dr. Ortega-Jiménez directs Cal’s Ornithopterus laboratory in organismal dynamics.


Dr. Victor M. Ortega Jiménez

WHAT: Flamingo Vortex Traps: How Physics Redefines Nature
WHO: Dr. Victor M. Ortega Jiménez, Assistant Professor, UC Berkeley [https://ornithopterus.com]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 — 7:00pm (1.5 hour)
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!
Meister+Rojas

AI Memorization; Frog Secrets – May 13

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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 computer scientist Nicole Meister on Has ChatGPT Memorized the Internet? — Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, have recently gained widespread popularity. Trained on vast amounts of internet data, these AI models raise important questions about the nature of their responses: are they truly synthesized or simply memorized? Researchers can statistically evaluate this claim to reveal test set contamination in LLMs.

• Stanford biologist Jenni Serrano Rojas on Unraveling Frogs’ Secrets for Conservation — Biotelemetry tools are revolutionizing our study of animals, from the largest to the tiniest species. They reveal hidden animal interactions, critical living spaces, and essential resources. In poison frogs, in particular, biotelemetry affords insights that inform conservation strategies and help the species to respond to global change.

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

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: AI Memorization; Frog Secrets
WHO: Nicole Meister (Stanford) & Jenni Serrano Rojas (Stanford), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 — 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!

Brethauer+Williams

Kilonova Metals & Cat Ecology – Apr 29

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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 astrophysicist Daniel Brethauer on Astronomically Rocking Out to Heavy Metals — The gold in jewelry, the uranium in a nuclear power plant, the caesium in atomic clocks: what do these all have in common? It turns out they were likely forged in the fires of a cosmic explosion known as a kilonova. These extremely energetic events reveal the origins of the periodic table’s heaviest elements.

• UC Berkeley ecologist Tyus Williams on Unraveling the Ecology of Domestic Cats — What if one of our greatest companions is potentially one of our greatest threats? When free to roam, domestic cats can severely disrupt wildlife communities. However, understanding cats’ behavior and how they’re influenced by their surroundings can allow us to develop better conservation strategies.

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

 

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Kilonova Metals & Cat Ecology
WHO: Daniel Brethauer (UC Berkeley) & Tyus Williams (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29 — 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!

AnimalGenderDiversity

Animal Gender Diversity – Apr 17

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The words sex and gender challenge us, even scientifically. Sex commonly refers to a creature’s physical and biological characteristics. Gender refers to behavior and self-presentation within a social group. Since nature is replete with social groups, we can take rich delight in trying to understand gender diversity among animals. This is a key topic in the new book by Dr. Nathan Lents: The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships. Wonderfest joins the San Francisco Public Library to explore gender diversity in the animal kingdom.

Our speaker is Dr. Nathan Lents, Professor of Biology and Director of the Cell and Molecular Biology program at John Jay College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). This event is co-presented by Wonderfest and the San Francisco Public Library.


Dr. Nathan Lents

WHAT: Gender Diversity in the Animal Kingdom
WHO: Dr. Nathan Lents, Professor of Biology, John Jay College (CUNY)
WHERE: SF Public Library, Main Branch, Latino/Hispanic Rm, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco CA 94102 [https://sfpl.org]
WHEN: Thursday, April 17, 2025 — 6pm (1 hour)
COLLABORATORS:
San Francisco Public Library [https://sfpl.org/events/2025/04/17/presentation-exploring-gender-diversity-animal-kingdom]
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!
OtherHumans

Other Humans – Apr 1

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We are members of the genus Homo, distinguished from other primates as bipedal great apes. So far, we have found fossil evidence for several other members of our genus, i.e., several other humans. How does a fossil gain entry into this exclusive club? How many members are there? What do we currently know about these possible relatives — and why aren’t they alive, today, walking upright among us?

Our speaker is biological anthropologist Julie Hui, Adjunct Professor at the College of Marin. Julie was — and is — a Wonderfest Science Envoy who takes science outreach seriously.


Julie Hui

WHAT: Other Humans
WHO: Julie Hui, Professor at College of Marin and Wonderfest Science Envoy
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, April 1 — 7:00 PM (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!
WonderOfMushrooms

Wonder of Mushrooms – Mar 30

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Over 20,000(!) species of mushroom-forming fungi support the health and diversity of multiple ecosystems. Technically, what are mushrooms? How do they live, and what are some of the myriad ways they disperse, reproduce, and (even) communicate? Perhaps most important, how can we use mushrooms to help feed humanity and heal the biosphere?

Our speaker is Dr. Dennis Desjardin, Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University, and Director Emeritus of SFSU’s Thiers Herbarium. As the author of California Mushrooms and Chief Mycologist for Sempera Organics, Inc., Dr. Desjardin is known as the “Mushroom Guru of the West Coast.” This event is co-presented by Wonderfest and the San Francisco Public Library.


Dr. Dennis Desjardin

WHAT: The Wonder of Mushrooms
WHO: Dr. Dennis Desjardin, Professor Emeritus of Biology, San Francisco State University [https://faculty.sfsu.edu/~ded/]
WHERE: SF Public Library, Main branch, Latino/Hispanic Rm, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 [https://sfpl.org]
WHEN: — Sunday, March 30, 3pm (1.5 hr)
COLLABORATORS:
San Francisco Public Library [https://sfpl.org/events/2025/03/30/presentation-wonder-mushrooms]
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!
StandUpForScience

Stand Up for Science – Mar 7

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Science is for everyone, and benefits everyone. But American science is in deep trouble. In a podcast entitled Cuts to Science Funding and Why They Matter, physicist and author Sean Carroll thunders that recent presidential executive orders constitute “an absolutely devastating blow to the way science gets done in the United States.” On Friday afternoon, March 7th, Wonderfest joins thousands of the thoughtful to Stand Up for Science at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza. Please join us!

Stand Up for Science is a grassroots organization led by five early-career scientists — along with many volunteers (like us) — who work to protect the American science enterprise.

 


Stand Up for Science

WHAT: Stand Up for Science - 2025
WHO: Stand Up for Science [https://standupforscience2025.org/about/]
WHERE: Civic Center Plaza, 335 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Map: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/LzyxmyVHZXSe9Zem6]
WHEN: Friday, March 7th, 1:00 PM (2 hours)
COLLABORATORS:
Stand Up for Science [https://standupforscience2025.org]
HOW: Please register via the Eventbrite link, below. Then, to join your fellow Wondernauts on March 7th, look for a big hand-held sign bearing Wonderfest's blue-and-black eyeball logo.
Register

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