Anthropocene Alarm; Partisan Contagion – Mar 18
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 biologist Kristy Mualim on Genetic Biodiversity Loss in the Anthropocene — In the Anthropocene, the age of planet-wide human impact, activities like habitat destruction, pollution, and resource overuse cause rapid loss of genetic diversity. This loss makes it harder for plants and animals to adapt to changes in the environment, putting entire species at risk of extinction. Protecting genetic diversity is crucial for keeping ecosystems healthy, and for ensuring the survival of life on Earth.
• UC Berkeley demographer Chris Soria on Partisan Differences in the Spread of Disease — Political partisanship significantly influences how different groups respond to public health guidance, affecting their adherence to protective measures against infectious diseases. Understanding partisan-based disparities in acceptance of scientific evidence helps us to predict the population-wide spread of diseases, and to improve public health outcomes.
This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
Black Holes; Kelp Forests – Feb 24
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 astrophysicist Natasha Abrams on Black Holes: Discovering the Invisible — Black holes are among the most extreme objects in the universe. They push the boundaries of our knowledge, holding many unsolved mysteries. This talk will explore black holes from “small” to enormous, including how to detect these invisible marvels. In the process, we will probe the very frontiers of astrophysics.
• Stanford marine biologist Will Johnson on The Structure of Kelp Forests — Kelp forests constitute one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, and they’re hidden right beneath the waves of our coastline. To research how these ecosystems function, we need to study what lives there. Come learn how scientific diving and modern genetics are helping us unravel the complex structure of kelp forests.
This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
Biorhythms; Decarbonization – Apr 2
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:
• Stanford biologist Mila Pamplona-Barbosa on Biological Rhythms: From Ants to You — How can ants possibly organize their behavior? An ant colony can have hundreds to millions of individuals and, even with all that complexity, the colony still manages to get work done. How does this time-dependent self-organization happen? And what does this have to do with the internal timings of the human body?
• UC Berkeley climate policy scientist Ari Ball-Burack on Complexity in Controlling Greenhouse Gases — Social, technological, and economic systems are complex: they exhibit both balancing and reinforcing feedbacks, and they strongly interact. Wise policy can use this very complexity to advance the “decarbonization” of the atmosphere. Complexity-aware decarbonization policy addresses climate change at local, national, and global scales.
This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
What value does this free science experience have for you and, indirectly, for society? Accordingly, please consider making a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite box, below.
Rewilding; Mutualism – Apr 14
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:
• Stanford environmental scientist Luísa Genes on “Rewilding Tropical Forests” — Tropical forests are suffering from deforestation, hunting, and a series of other threats that lead to the vanishing of animal populations. To reverse these threats, not only must we conserve remaining protected areas, but also restore plants and animal communities in degraded forests. What is rewilding, and can it really restore tropical forests?
• UC Berkeley plant biologist Lorenzo Washington on “Barriers Between Friends” — Appreciating boundaries is an important part of all relationships. Understanding the mutually beneficial relationships at the boundaries between plants and microbes has increasing importance in agriculture. An investigation into the plant cell wall illuminates how plants make microbial friends — and may help fight famine.
This event is free. But what value do these science insights have FOR YOU? Accordingly, please use the space below to contribute to nonprofit Wonderfest, and help to promote the scientific outlook broadly — as through our outstanding Science Envoy Program.
Our Future with Bees
Bees are amazing critters. They build ideal hexagonal honeycombs; they communicate through dance; and they solve the “traveling salesman” math problem while pollinating $20 billion worth of US crops each year. The world’s bees can improve economic and ecological sustainability, too, if only we let them. We know the vital importance of bees, yet we also know that they are dying off. What does the future human condition look like in a world that incorporates bees into our architecture, healthcare, and everyday lives? Join Noah Wilson-Rich for a dynamic discussion about bees and how they fit into our future.
Noah Wilson-Rich, PhD, is a behavioral ecologist and beekeeper. He is the author of The Bee: A Natural History (Princeton University Press, 2014) and founder of The Best Bees Company.
- WHAT: Our Future with Bees
- WHO: Dr. Noah Wilson-Rich, behavioral ecologist, The Best Bees Company
- WHEN:7pm, Monday, April 6, 2015
- WHERE: PianoFight, 144 Taylor Street, San Francisco (close to BART Civic Center)<http://tinyurl.com/ol8qntj>
- ADMISSION: FREE admission. Please register, below.
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
Image Credit: inhibitat.com Snohetta Vulkan Beehive
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