fire

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 evironmental scientist Rebecca Miller on "Prescribed Burns in California" — Over the past several years, California has experienced record-breaking wildfire seasons. Recent wildfires have prompted important policy conversations about prescribed burns, fires that are purposefully set to remove ground vegetation and reduce fire risks. What are the challenges that have prevented us from using prescribed burns in California, and how might we wisely expand the use of this valuable fuel treatment?
• UC Berkeley astrophysicist Kishore Patra on "Exploding Stars" — The atoms in everything around us — the oxygen in the air, the carbon in our bodies, the gold in our jewelry — were forged in stellar furnaces. We owe our very existence to stars that died in cataclysmic explosions known as supernovae. What is the cosmic story of our elemental origins? What do we know about supernovae, and how do astronomers study them?