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LovingChocolate

Loving Chocolate – Dec 17

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"It comes from cocoa, a leafy-green plant; ... chocolate is salad!" Why do so many of us love chocolate despite its non-saladesque qualities? Wonderfest joins St. Helena's Cameo Cinema for the Science On Screen® presentation of Wonka, portraying the wondrous backstory of Earth's greatest magician, inventor, and chocolate-maker. Q&A with UC Berkeley happiness expert Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas will follow the special screening. Ticket purchase includes a small-size popcorn and chocolate treats from the Master Chocolatier at Yountville's Kollar Chocolates.

Our interviewee, Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, is Science Director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. She is a leading researcher on the neuroscience and psychology of prosocial skills that bolster human happiness. Disclaimer: Dr. Simon-Thomas may not suggest that eating chocolate is a prosocial skill, or that chocolate is salad, but she does attribute her life-long love of chocolate to Willy Wonka (and, perhaps, to a biological affinity for theobromine).


Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas

WHAT: WONKA & Loving Chocolate
WHO: Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Science Director, Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley [https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/profile/emiliana_simon_thomas]
WHERE: Cameo Cinema, 1340 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 [https://www.cameocinema.com/movie/wonka-science-on-screen]
WHEN: 2023-12-17 — 1:00 pm, Sunday, Dec 17 (2.5 hr)
HOW:

Doors open at noon for the 1:00pm showtime; early arrival and ticket purchase ($25, via the link below) are advised.


TICKETS:
https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/4150?siteToken=ngdcybs2pe7aqsn3zewdgzctjm
Srirangarajan+Carroll

Neural Engagement; Algorithmic Manipulation – May 17

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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 neuroeconomist Tara Srirangarajan on Neural Engagement With Nature Imagery — The power of Internet media to capture attention, inspire emotions, and motivate behavior pervades much of modern life. Nature imagery — from pets to wildlife to landscapes — engages the public toward a variety of ends. Understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie the effect of such imagery can drive prosocial action on climate change and other environmental issues. 

• UC Berkeley computer scientist Micah Carroll on Manipulation via Social Media Algorithms — A new class of AI algorithm is working to maximize user engagement across social media — actually trying to change the user in order to make more money for parent Internet companies. When we browse online social content, e.g. on Instagram or TikTok, exactly how will AI play with our minds?

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Neural Engagement & Algorithmic Manipulation
WHO: Tara Srirangarajan (Stanford) & Micah Carroll (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: ONLINE, via Zoom [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82186320431]
WHEN: 2022-05-17 — 8pm, Tuesday, May 17th (1 hour)
HOW:

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.


Miller+Vasylyev

Memory; Supernovae – May 9

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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 neuroscientist Douglas Steven Miller on Why Can't I Remember? — Memory is a fundamental component of life. However, memory within and across individuals can vary. By studying attention, we can illuminate key components of these differences and perhaps strengthen our memory.

• UC Berkeley astrophysicist Sergiy Vasylyev on Cosmic Fireworks — Some stars go out with a bang: a cataclysmic explosion known as a supernova. Supernovae allow us to study the composition and dynamics of the Universe. Astronomers are able to use certain properties of light and atoms to peer inside the extreme environments of these cosmic fireworks from the safety of planet Earth.

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Memory & Supernovae
WHO: Douglas S. Miller (Stanford) & Sergiy Vasylyev (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: ONLINE, via Zoom [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86950546941]
WHEN: 2022-05-09 — 8pm, Monday, May 9th (1 hour)
HOW:

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.


Langenhoff+Bump

Uniqueness; Metamorphosis – Mar 17

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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 psychologist Antonia Langenhoff on What Childhood Teaches Us About Human Uniqueness — Why are humans the only species that flies into space and invents vaccines? Social cooperation is the key. Insights from Developmental Science show us how humanity’s unique cooperative skills emerge, surprisingly, in very young children. 

• Stanford marine biologist Paul Bump on Underwater Metamorphosis, a Larva's Tale — Creatures from across the animal kingdom, from butterflies to frogs to worms, undergo metamorphosis. A humble marine worm is challenging our understanding of metamorphosis, and of how all adult animals develop.

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Human Uniqueness & Underwater Metamorphosis
WHO: Antonia Langenhoff (UC Berkeley); Paul Bump (Stanford)
WHERE: ONLINE, via Zoom [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84973852419]
WHEN: 2022-03-17 — 8pm, Thu, March 17th (1 hour)
HOW:

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.


AaSE - Corona+Bates

Awe; Big Data – Apr 22

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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 psychologist Rebecca Corona on The Many Faces of Awe — Awe is unlike any other emotion. It possesses the power to grab us, shake us, and change the way we see the universe. Psychological research in national forests and during the COVID-19 pandemic helps us to plumb the depths — and the many aspects — of awe. 

• UC Berkeley statistician Stephen Bates on Being Honest with Big Data — Huge datasets now touch every part of our lives, and this explosion of information allows scientists to ask (and answer!) more questions than ever. But the more questions we ask, the more easily we fall prey to the "cherry-picking" fallacy. New ideas from statistics allow scientists to make honest assessments of the evidence in big data.

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Awe & Big Data
WHO: Rebecca Corona (UC Berkeley) & Stephen Bates (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: ONLINE via Zoom, with this link: [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82986643230]
WHEN: 2021-04-22 — 8pm PDT, Thu, Apr 22 (1 hour)
HOW:

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.


CulturalIntelligence1

Cultural Intelligence? – Dec 3

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How can we explain humanity's extraordinary evolutionary success? In this talk, psychologist Jan Engelmann will explain and explore a series of experimental studies comparing humans to one of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees. He will argue and present evidence that — maybe surprisingly — humans are not individually but are collectively smarter than other animals. Counterintuitively, our cooperative nature also gives rise to novel and powerful forms of competition among individuals and whole groups. 

Jan Engelmann is Assistant Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley. Dr. Engelmann earned his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and has received numerous awards and grants for his research.


Dr. Jan Engelmann

WHAT: The Cultural Intelligence Hypothesis
WHO: Dr. Jan Engelmann, Assistant Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley [https://socialorigins.berkeley.edu]
WHERE: Online via Zoom [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83014652740]
WHEN: 2020-12-03 — 8:00pm PST, Thu, Dec 3 (1 hour)
HOW:

Please take part in this admission-free event via the Zoom link ("WHERE") above. And please consider contributing to Wonderfest, below, in accord with the value this experience has for you.


secret-of-our-success-wonderfest

The Secret of Our Success: How Culture is Driving Human Evolution, Feb 2

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Humans are a puzzling species. On the one hand, we struggle to survive on our own in the wild. On the other hand, humans have produced innovative technologies, sophisticated languages, and complex institutions. Joseph Heinrich — co-director of Harvard’s Human Evolution, Cognition, and Culture Center — explores how our cultural and social development produce a collective intelligence that explains both our uniqueness and our success.

Joseph Henrich

WHAT: The Secret of Our Success: How Culture is Driving Human Evolution
WHO: Joseph Henrich, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
WHERE: Schultz Cultural Hall, Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto
Map: [https://goo.gl/maps/Xmfhfi52pvx]
WHEN: 2016-02-02 — 6:30pm check-in, 7:00 program, 8:00 book signing
HOW:
Collaborators:
Co-presented with The Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley
TICKETS:
http://bit.ly/1JhBG6T

Love Among the Neurons

The Neuroscience of Love, Aug 4

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Love Among the Neurons

This is a ticketed event.  Please purchase tickets here: http://bit.ly/1OqWGFX

Love is defined as a feeling of deep affection for someone or something, but why can it mean so much more to us? Why does who we are, and who we become, often depend on whom we love? Dr. Thomas Lewis, co-author of A General Theory of Love, will answer this and many other questions as he explores our human development, the nature of togetherness, and the multifaceted bonds that connect us. Join us as we learn how the human race evolved from solitary predators into the intensely social creatures we are today.

This is a ticketed event.  Please purchase tickets here: http://bit.ly/1OqWGFX

——————————–

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.

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

Physiology of Awe

The Physiology of Awe, July 28

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Physiology of Awe

In the past five years, science has made great strides in better understanding the emotion of awe. UC Berkeley psychologist Craig L. Anderson will help us understand state-of-the-art findings about how awe promotes curiosity and pro-sociality, including the physiological processes that support these behaviors. We will explore important implications that awe research has for well-being interventions, the health of military veterans, and making outdoors programs more accessible.

  • WHAT:  The Physiology of Awe
  • WHO:  Craig L. Anderson, Psychology Department, UC Berkeley
  • WHEN:  7:00 PM, Tuesday, July 28, 2015
  • WHERE:  Innovation Hangar, Palace of Fine Arts Exhibition Hall, 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco. Enter iHangar through the big green door opposite the huge Palace of Fine Arts dome.
  • HOW:  Please register below. Food and drink will be available at Daredevil Cafe within iHangar.
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures.

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.

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

Love in the Time of Facebook, March 18

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Dear Wonderfest friend,

Aieee! I’m going to shorten these newsletters. I’ll announce upcoming events earlier in each message, and I’ll keep extraneous comments to a minimum. If you miss the extra tidings, drop me a line at tucker@wonderfest.org, and I’ll wax a bit more poetic just for you. 🙂
 
On Wednesday, March 18, Wonderfest presents Love in the Time of Facebook with data scientist Carlos Diuk, smiling face pictured below. Dr. Diuk and his colleagues have studied the Facebook timeline posts of people who change their relationship status from “Single” to “In a relationship.” This anonymized and analyzed information tells us much about the start of love, its stages, and its occasional demise.
 
CarlosDiuk
 
Please note that Wonderfest—in collaboration with Ask a Scientist—will be invading a brand new venue for this special event: Patreon headquarters, 230 – 9th Street in San Francisco. Patreon is a young, high-minded company that facilitates recurrent crowd-funding (patronage) of society’s creative souls: musicians, writers, graphic artists, … even science popularizers!
 
It’s true. Thanks to Patreon, some 65 Wonderfest “patrons” are now making monthly tax-deductible donations that help keep the Bay Area Beacon of Science afloat. Would you like to take part in this enterprising form of Wonderfest “membership”? For as little as $1 per month, through Patreon, you can join us in promoting the scientific outlook.
 
patreonlogo
 
You can also support the cause by simply attending next week’s Love in the Time of Facebook; the admission charge of $5 goes entirely to Wonderfest. Since only 100 seats are available, prompt action is advised. Consider the benefits: you will learn what “big data” reveals about modern romance; you will enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks (courtesy of Patreon); and you will contribute to the brightness of Wonderfest, your favorite local beacon of science.
 
Wondrous regards,
 
Tucker Hiatt
Wonderfest Founding Director
Love in the Time of Facebook

Love in the Time of Facebook

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Facebook is a great way to share news, keep in touch with friends, and make fun of old photos. It’s also a gold mine of information about human relationships. Data scientists have studied the communications of people who change their Facebook relationship status from “Single” to “In a relationship.” We now know how their timeline posts change, and how their use of positive wording (“love,” “nice,” “happy,” etc.) evolve. Aggregate, anonymized Facebook data tells us a lot about the formation of love, its duration, its stages, and the role of other factors like religion and age. Join Facebook scientist Dr. Carlos Diuk as he mines the data to explore love and relationships in the modern era.

  • WHAT:  Love in the Time of Facebook
  • WHO: Dr. Carlos Diuk, Facebook Data Scientist
  • WHEN: 7pm, Wednesday, March 18, 2015
  • WHERE:  Patreon HQ, 230 – 9th Street, San Francisco (close to BART Civic Center) <http://tinyurl.com/lljx2da>
  • HOW:  Purchase $5 tickets via Eventbrite, below. Complimentary snacks & drinks provided by Patreon. Co-produced with Ask a Scientist.
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures.

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.

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

Love Among the Neurons

LOVE AMONG THE NEURONS: A Neuroscience Guide to Valentine’s Day – Feb 13

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Love Among the NeuronsMathematician Blaise Pascal famously wrote, “The heart has reasons that reason cannot comprehend.” Perhaps. But, on Valentine’s Day Eve, and with the expert help of UCSF’s Thomas Lewis, Wonderfest and Ask a Scientist will give comprehension a try.

How did the human race evolve from solitary predators into the intensely social creatures that we are now? Where in the brain can we find the roots of our multiple connections to each other, and how do those connections reverberate within and between us? Join Dr. Thomas Lewis, assistant clinical professor at UCSF and professor at USF’s Fromm Institute, and coauthor of A General Theory of Love, as we explore the nature of togetherness and the multifaceted bonds that connect us.

  • WHAT:  Love Among the Neurons: A Neuroscience Guide to Valentine’s Day
  • WHO: Thomas Lewis, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF
  • WHEN: 7:00 PM, Friday, Feb 13, 2015
  • WHERE:  StrEat Food Park, 428 – 11th Street, San Francisco 94103 <http://goo.gl/maps/u6fVu>
  • HOW:   FREE admission, but please register with Eventbrite. Co-produced with Ask a Scientist.
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures.

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.

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

Incomplete Nature Lecture with Terrence Deacon

Incomplete Nature: Consciousness, and Purpose?

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Prof. Deacon's presentation will focus on the central idea of his new book, "Incomplete Nature," namely that key elements of consciousness (values, feelings, meanings, etc.) emerge from specific CONSTRAINTS on the physical processes of a nervous system. "Incomplete Nature" is the inaugural selection of the brand new Wonderfest Book Club. As physicists work toward completing a theory of the universe and biologists unravel the molecular complexity of life, a glaring incompleteness in this scientific vision becomes apparent. The "Theory of Everything" that appears to be emerging includes everything but us: the feelings, meanings, consciousness, and purposes that make us (and many of our animal cousins) what we are. These most immediate and incontrovertible phenomena are left unexplained by the natural sciences because they lack the physical properties—such as mass, momentum, charge, and location—that are assumed to be necessary for something to have physical consequences in the world. This is an unacceptable omission. We need a "theory of everything" that does not leave it absurd that we exist.

WHAT: Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged From Matter
WHO: Terrence Deacon, Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley
WHEN: 2012-04-18