Exoplanets & Alien Life – Jan 29
Humanity has looked up at the stars for millennia and wondered whether we’re alone in the Universe. Yet only in the past few decades have we begun to discover planets outside our Solar System: to date, we’ve found over 4,000 such “exoplanets.” Further, we have statistical reasons to believe that roughly one billion exoplanets — in our Galaxy alone — are promising abodes for life. Come learn about exoplanets and the exciting search for Earth-like and potentially habitable worlds.
Our speaker, Andy Mayo, is a PhD student and researcher in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. He is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy.
Andrew Mayo
What value will these insights have for you? Via the Eventbrite portal below, please consider a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest in accord with this value.
N~1: Alone in the Milky Way – Oct 24
The Drake Equation famously “quantifies our ignorance" regarding the number, N, of technological civilizations in our galaxy. Even though planets are plentiful, and even though life may be a natural — even common — product of cosmic chemistry, we may truly be the only galactic civilization capable of interstellar communication. I.e., perhaps N~1.
Our speaker, Pascal Lee, is a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute, and co-founder of the Mars Institute. During the video premiere of "N~1: Alone in the Milky Way," Dr. Lee will answer questions in the YouTube "chat" bar. Live Q&A will continue, immediately afterward, via Google "Meet."
Dr. Pascal Lee
This event is co-produced by Wonderfest and the Mount Tamalpais Astronomy Program. Visit the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel ("WHERE" link, above) to set a reminder for the YouTube Premiere on Saturday, October 24th. One week thereafter, the video can be viewed at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wonderfestscience.
BTW, if you benefit from science events like this, please donate accordingly — via the inaptly-named "Tickets" box below — to help nonprofit Wonderfest share the scientific outlook.
Share the Night Sky – Oct 22
Join San Francisco's "Urban Astronomer" Paul Salazar and KPOO's DJ Marilynn for a VIRTUAL guided tour of the glorious night sky.
Just find a dark, unobstructed view of the sky, and tune into KPOO-FM (89.5 MHz) or visit <https://kpoo.com/stream> with a smart phone. Then, look upward and let SF's Urban Astronomer guide you toward the setting Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn in the west, and then toward Mars, the Pleiades star cluster, and the Andromeda Galaxy in the east. (Folks stuck indoors or under clouds can participate "virtually" via a free astronomy app such as SkyView Lite.) Stargazing households congregating in backyards and socially-distanced strangers on sidewalks will feel united by the grandeur — and the wonder — of the night sky.
SF Urban Astronomer Paul Salazar w/ DJ Marilynn
Night Sky Network, administered by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific [https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov]
Mt Tam Astronomy Program [http://www.mttamastronomy.org]
San Francisco Amateur Astronomers [https://www.sfaa-astronomy.org]
From a dark location with a clear view of the sky, use a radio or Internet-ready phone to tune into the KPOO-FM broadcast (89.5 MHz) or live-stream (https://kpoo.com/stream).
This event is part of the Bay Area Science Festival. Big thanks to Andy Fraknoi, former Chair of the Foothill College Astronomy Department (and 1st recipient of Wonderfest's Sagan Prize!), for inspiration.
Seeking Alien Civilizations – Oct 17
A search is underway to find intelligent life in the universe. Can SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) researchers detect radio, infrared, or optical signals from other civilizations? Current and future SETI projects, including the new $100-million Breakthrough Prize Foundation "Listen" project, may provide an answer.
UC Berkeley astronomer Dan Werthimer, Chief Scientist at Berkeley SETI Research Center, will describe the rationale for past and future searches, and will show how new technologies are revolutionizing SETI. Dan is the 2019 recipient of Wonderfest's Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization.
Dan Werthimer
This Zoom online gathering will begin with collective viewing of the new Wonderfest video entitled "Are We Alone? — Seeking Alien Civilizations" by Dan Werthimer. Then, Dan will answer juicy extraterrestrial questions posed by the Zoom audience.
This online event is produced in collaboration with the Alameda Free Library, Castro Valley Educational Foundation, and Castro Valley Science. Please consider contributing to Wonderfest's science outreach efforts via the inaptly named "Tickets" box, below.
Critical Thinking – Sep 29
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure, and the intelligent are full of doubt." So said philosopher, mathematician, and Nobel laureate (in literature!) Bertrand Russell. Indeed, overconfidence leads us to delude ourselves with wishful thinking, take too many risks, and waste time on doomed ventures. Under-confidence dissuades us from taking risks and pursuing ventures that can enrich life in so many ways. Psychological evidence and insight help us to thread the needle between foolhardy overconfidence and stultifying under-confidence.
Wonderfest joins the Commonwealth Club in presenting UC Berkeley's Donald Moore, Mitchell Chair in Leadership at the Haas School of Business, in conversation with Patrick O'Reilly, Chair of the Commonwealth Club's Psychology Forum. Dr. Moore's latest book is Perfectly Confident: How to Calibrate Your Decisions Wisely.
Dr. Donald Moore
Register for this FREE online event via the Commonwealth Club weblink, above. Registration ends one hour before event begins.
Please consider supporting Wonderfest's science outreach work via the inaptly name "Tickets" box, below.
Galactic Weather – Aug 22
Just as Earth has an atmosphere, and stars (like the Sun) have coronas, galaxies are embedded in invisible halos of atomic gases. As galaxies evolve, these gaseous halos exhibit many interesting phenomena similar to rains and droughts on Earth. What do these enormous galactic climate systems look like, how are they studied, and how do they behave?
Our speaker, Dr. Yong Zheng, earned her astronomy PhD at Columbia University, and is now a Miller posdoctoral scholar in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. During the video Premiere of "Galactic Weather," Dr. Zheng will answer questions in the YouTube "chat" bar. Live Q&A will continue, immediately afterward, via Google "Meet."
Dr. Yong Zheng
This event is co-produced by Wonderfest and the Mount Tamalpais Astronomy Program. In mid-August, when the "Galactic Weather" video is formally posted, visit the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel ("WHERE" link, above) to set a reminder for the actual Premiere on Saturday, August 22nd. Thereafter, the video can be viewed at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: <https://www.youtube.com/wonderfestscience>.
BTW, if you benefit from science events like this, please donate accordingly — via the inaptly-named "Tickets" box below — to help nonprofit Wonderfest share the scientific outlook.
The Very First Stars – July 25
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 researcher in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. She is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy. During the video Premiere of "The Very First Stars," Deepthi will answer questions in the YouTube "chat" bar. Live Q&A will continue, immediately afterward, via Google "Meet."
Deepthi Gorthi
This event is co-produced by Wonderfest and the Mount Tamalpais Astronomy Program. In mid-July, when the "First Stars" video Premiere event is formally posted, visit the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel ("WHERE" link, above) to set a reminder for the actual Premiere on Saturday, July 25th. Thereafter, the video can be viewed at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccr2q6IgFSOglvh66VFSLw>.
BTW, what value will this admission-free event have FOR YOU? Please donate accordingly — via the inaptly-named "Tickets" box below — to help nonprofit Wonderfest share the scientific outlook.
The Official Houdini Séance – Halloween!
- WHAT: The Official Houdini Séance, part of the Bay Area Science Festival
- WHO: Skeptic Michael Shermer, Magician Jamy Ian Swiss, UCSF Neuroscientist Melina Uncapher, ?The Ghost of Harry Houdini?, et al
- WHEN: 8:00 PM, Saturday, October 31 (HALLOWEEN!), 2015
- WHERE: Brava Theater, 2781 – 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
- HOW: Produced by Wonderfest, Robert Strong, and the Bay Area Skeptics.
- TICKETS: Only via the Brava Theater box office
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
BIG THANKS to these generous donors for supporting Wonderfest through the Official Houdini Séance Kickstarter campaign:
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Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.
Become a Wonderfest Patron: http://www.patreon.com/wonderfest
Make a one time donation: http://wonderfest.org/donate
If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!
http://amazon.wonderfest.org.
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Skepticism and the Supernatural, a Halloween dialogue – Oct 31
Halloween is the perfect day for a deep and magical dialogue on the supernatural! Michael Shermer is the founder of The Skeptics Society, and monthly contributor to Scientific American magazine. He has written over a dozen books, including The Moral Arc and Why People Believe Weird Things, and he has appeared on The Colbert Report, Dateline, and Charlie Rose. Jamy Ian Swiss is a world-renowned magician and skeptic. He has been featured in print in The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, and on television on 48 Hours, PBS’s NOVA, The Today Show, AND he was a comedy writer and chief magic consultant for Penn & Teller. Please join Shermer and Swiss as they discuss the supernatural — on Halloween — with science and skepticism in mind.- WHAT: Skepticism and the Supernatural, a Halloween dialogue
- WHO: Michael Shermer and Jamy Ian Swiss
- WHEN: 5:00 PM, Saturday, October 31, 2015
- WHERE: Brava Theater, 2781 – 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
- HOW: Produced by Wonderfest and the Bay Area Skeptics as part of the Bay Area Science Festival.
- TICKETS: Below
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
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Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.
Become a Wonderfest Patron: http://www.patreon.com/wonderfest
Make a one time donation: http://wonderfest.org/donate
If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!
http://amazon.wonderfest.org.
Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org
Join us on:
http://facebook.com/wonderfest
http://twitter.com/wonderfest
Wonderfest’s “Cosmic NightLife” at the California Academy of Sciences, Oct 22
Whether you’re a NightLife regular or rookie, Wonderfest’s Cosmic NightLife is not to be missed. It features three of the most exciting and insightful space experts in the Bay Area — and perhaps on planet Earth. Here’s the schedule and line-up:- WHAT: Wonderfest’s “Cosmic NightLife” at the Cal Academy
- WHO: Alex Filippenko, UC Berkeley; Chris McKay, NASA-Ames; Dan Werthimer, UC Berkeley
- WHEN: 6:00 PM, Thursday, October 22
- WHERE: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
- TICKETS: Purchase tickets at this Cal Academy site
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
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Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.
Become a Wonderfest Patron: http://www.patreon.com/wonderfest
Make a one time donation: http://wonderfest.org/donate
If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!
http://amazon.wonderfest.org.
Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org
Join us on:
http://facebook.com/wonderfest
http://twitter.com/wonderfest
Breakthrough Listen: Grand New Search for ET, Oct 17
The Breakthrough Prize Foundation has committed $100 Million to UC Berkeley and other institutions for the most comprehensive Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) ever conducted. Chief Scientist of Berkeley SETI, Dan Werthimer, will describe the rationale for past and future searches, and will show how new technologies are revolutionizing SETI.
- WHAT: Breakthrough Listen: Grand New Search for ET
- WHO: Dan Werthimer, Chief Scientist, UC Berkeley SETI
- WHEN: 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 17, 2015
- WHERE: Cushing Memorial Amphitheater, Mount Tamalpais State Park <http://goo.gl/maps/iRRFR
> - HOW: Admission is FREE. Bring a flashlight, and, just in case, wear warm clothes in layers. If bad weather threatens, call 415-455-5370 after 4pm. This event is presented in collaboration with Mount Tamalpais State Park, Friends of Mt. Tam, San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and the Mt. Tam Astronomy Programs.
- Kindly consider supporting Wonderfest, below.
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
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Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.
Become a Wonderfest Patron: http://www.patreon.com/wonderfest
Make a one time donation: http://wonderfest.org/donate
If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!
http://amazon.wonderfest.org.
Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org
Join us on:
http://facebook.com/wonderfest
http://twitter.com/wonderfest
How the First Things in the Universe Came About and How They Ended Up Within Us, Oct 5
Join us for a fascinating journey through the early universe using the latest computer animations of early star formation, supernova explosions, and the build-up of the first galaxies. Dr. Abel’s work has shown that the first luminous objects in the universe were very massive stars shining one million times as brightly as our Sun. They died quickly and seeded the cosmos with the chemical elements necessary for life. One star at a time, galaxies started to assemble just one hundred million years after the Big Bang, and they are still growing now. Computer simulations of these events use the physics of dark matter, of ordinary atoms & molecules, and of expanding space to deliver remarkable insights into the early history of the cosmos.
- WHAT: How the First Things in the Universe Came About and How They Ended Up Within Us
- WHO: Tom Abel, Professor of Physics and Director of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology, Stanford
- WHEN: 7pm, Monday, October 5, 2015
- WHERE: PianoFight, 144 Taylor Street, San Francisco http://www.pianofight.com/
- HOW: Register below.
- WHY: Because we’re curious creatures.
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Wonderfest works every day to promote the scientific outlook. For as little as $1/month, why not become a Wonderfest Patron? As the Medici family were patrons of popular art in old Italy, you can become a patron of popular science and rationality in the modern Bay Area. (And you’ll get that tax-deduction that the Medici never did!) Please become a regular supporter of Wonderfest, and help enlarge the concept of scientific community.
Become a Wonderfest Patron: http://www.patreon.com/wonderfest
Make a one time donation: http://wonderfest.org/donate
If you shop at Amazon.com, why not shop at AmazonSmile? It doesn’t cost you a dime extra, selection and prices are the same, and a small percent supports Wonderfest and science!
http://amazon.wonderfest.org.
Watch more videos: http://videos.wonderfest.org
Join us on:
http://facebook.com/wonderfest
http://twitter.com/wonderfest