physics

The Official Houdini Séance – Halloween!

Eric / 2015 Archive, Archives, Event, Video / astrophysics, chemistry, cosmology, cosmos, physics, star formation, tree knowledge /

October 31, 2015

Can the greatest escape artist even escape death? In the spirit of scientific skepticism, TWO on-stage séances will summon the ghost of Harry Houdini — on Halloween, the anniversary of his death. The first séance will be earnest, conducted by a professional “psychic medium.” The second will be full of illusion and special effects, conducted by master magician Paul Draper. Other magicians will perform: Brian Brushwood, Robert Strong, & Justin Willman. Skeptics and scientists will speak: Michael Shermer, Jamy Ian Swiss, and Dr. Melina Uncapher (UCSF neuroscientist). Even if/when we don’t make contact with the great Houdini, this spectacular event will be a memorable evening of science, skepticism, and wonderful magic.

Buy tickets — and support the cause of scientific skepticism — at the Brava Theater box office.

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:

Alicia Dattner

Joshua Finnell

Perkeo Flarg

Maribel H. Fraser

Eric Gamonal

Yvonne Lin

Brendan Simon

Joseph Zompetti

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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

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Skepticism and the Supernatural, a Halloween dialogue – Oct 31

Eric / 2015 Archive, Archives, Event / astrophysics, chemistry, cosmology, cosmos, physics, star formation, tree knowledge /

October 31, 2015

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’s “Cosmic NightLife” at the California Academy of Sciences, Oct 22

Eric / 2015 Archive, Archives, Event / astrophysics, cosmology, cosmos, extra terrestrial, physics, star formation /

October 22, 2015

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:

7:00pm – Chris McKay (Planetary Scientist, NASA-Ames) on “Challenges and Mysteries of Planetary Exploration” — As we explore the many worlds in our Solar System, we are continually surprised. Challenges and mysteries remain: the most interesting of which is the question of life.

7:45pm – Dan Werthimer (SETI@home Chief Scientist, UC Berkeley) on “If We’re Not Alone, When Will Earthlings Find ET?” — The Fermi Paradox asks, “If extraterrestrial intelligence is common in the cosmos, then where is everybody?” Current and future SETI projects, including the new $100-million Breakthrough Foundation Listen project, may finally provide an answer.

8:30pm – Alex Filippenko (Professor of Astronomy, UC Berkeley) on “A Universe of Universes? Reflection on Life and the Cosmos” — The Laws of physics, as well as cosmic statistics, may imply the existence of multiple universes, only a small minority of which could be suitable for the development of complexity and life as we know it. Come hear arguments favoring the existence of a “multiverse,” of which our universe is one special member.

TICKETS: Purchase tickets at this Cal Academy site http://www.calacademy.org/nightlife/cosmic-nightlife-0

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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How the First Things in the Universe Came About and How They Ended Up Within Us, Oct 5

Eric / 2015 Archive, Archives, Event / astrophysics, chemistry, cosmology, cosmos, physics, star formation, tree knowledge /

September 20, 2015

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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Particle Fever: Film Screening with Special Commentary, Feb 10

Eric / 2015 Archive, Archives / LHC, particle physics, physics /

January 13, 2015

“Mind blowing.” – New York Times “It plays out with all the suspense of a thriller.” – Washington Post

Imagine being able to watch as Edison turned on his first light bulb, or as Franklin received his first jolt of electricity. Particle Fever follows six brilliant scientists during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider, marking the start-up of the biggest and most expensive experiment in the history of the planet, pushing the edge of human innovation.

As they seek to unravel the mysteries of the universe, 10,000 scientists from over 100 countries joined forces in pursuit of a single goal: to recreate conditions that existed just moments after the Big Bang and find the Higgs boson, potentially completing our understanding of ordinary matter. After the film, join producer/physicst/co-star David Kaplan for a discussion of this far-reaching work.

WHAT: Particle Fever: Film Screening with Special Commentary
WHO: David Kaplan, Producer, Physicist, Co-Star
WHEN: 6:30 PM, Tuesday, February 10, 2015
WHERE: Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto <http://tinyurl.com/kqp8lfj>
HOW: Co-produced with Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley. For full “Member” ticket discount, please follow these instructions:
1. Visit <http://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2015-02-10/particle-fever-special-film-screening>.
2. Add General Admission Member tickets into basket.
3. Proceed to Check Out page, and enter ticket & credit card info.
4. For the Member ID, enter wonderfest.

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Photo: One of the LHC’s first lead-ion collisions, as recorded by the ALICE detector’s Inner Tracking System.
http://ow.ly/He9II

Watch: COSMOS Reconsidered with Alex Filippenko

Eric / 2012 Archive, Archives, Event / astronomy, cosmology, dark energy, dark matter, feinman, galileo, kepler, neil degrasse tyson, physics, stephen hawking, voyager /

July 4, 2012

Renowned researcher-teacher (and co-discoverer of dark energy) Alex Filippenko will present key video excerpts from Carl Sagan’s legendary COSMOS television series, offer up-to-date commentary, and invite audience questions.

Do you remember when Carl Sagan urged us to explore beyond the “shores of the cosmic ocean” and to search for other planetary voices in the “cosmic fugue” of life? How about when Sagan helped us to imagine the fourth dimension by using cute little cut-outs scurrying around Flatland? Or when he gently debunked alien-abduction claims while explaining and encouraging the SETI efforts of real scientists?

Since the COSMOS television series aired in 1980, it has become the most watched science documentary of all time — seen by more than half a billion people! Ann Druyan (Sagan’s widow) and Neil deGrasse Tyson will release a remake of COSMOS in 2014. Until then, we in the Bay Area are lucky to have astronomy legend Alex Filippenko shining his insight and enthusiasm onto our favorite COSMOS episodes.

Please join Wonderfest and Ask a Scientist for “COSMOS Reconsidered, with Alex Filippenko.” Get your questions answered about the profound revelations of that landmark PBS series.

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WHO: Dr. Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy, UC Berkeley
WHEN: 7:00-9:00 PM, Tuesday, July 31, 2012
WHERE: Namaste Hall, California Institute of Integral Studies, 1453 Mission Street, San Francisco

The Milky Way as a Dark Matter Laboratory

Eric / 2012 Archive, Archives / astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, dark energy, dark matter, gravity, physics, planets, universe /

March 5, 2012

Co-Sponsored with the Mt. Tam Astronomy Program

8:30 PM, Saturday, June 23

Mountain Theater, Marin

Michael Kuhlen, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Theoretical Astrophysics Center, UC Berkeley

More than 80% of the material universe consists of stuff we don’t understand. This “dark matter” gravitates, but it does very little else; in particular, it doesn’t emit, reflect, or even absorb light. Over the next decade, a combination of astronomical observations and particle physics experiments hold great promise to finally shed light on the nature of dark matter.

This lecture will be followed by a guided tour of the night sky provided by Paul Salazar, the Urban Astronomer. Then, true space cadets are invited to walk to the nearby Rock Spring parking lot to peer through telescopes of the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers.

RSVP