Robot Learning; Toad Navigation – Apr 27
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 computer scientist Dr. Ellen Novoseller on Machine Learning in Robots — How do robots use machine learning algorithms to behave properly in uncertain surroundings? Two examples highlight the issue: a household robot that learns to manipulate everyday objects, and a personalized robotic exoskeleton that helps mobility-impaired people to walk.
• Stanford organismal biologist Daniel Shaykevich on Toads in Space: Studying Navigation in Amphibians — While we know quite a bit about how mammals use their brains to understand their spatial surroundings, we know much less about how frogs and salamanders do it. What is going on inside the amphibian brain during navigation? And why would this be interesting to humans?
Bay Area Science Festival [https://www.bayareasciencefestival.org]
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.
What is AI? – Sep 3
The artificial intelligence (AI) that we've seen in fiction bears little resemblance to the AI we have in the real world. Stanford PhD researcher Andrey Kurenkov will analyze the real-world meaning of AI, describe what researchers in AI actually do, and explore how impressive — or not — recent AI achievements really are.
Andrey Kurenkov does research at Stanford's Vision and Learning Lab. He produces the weekly Skynet Today newsletter ("Putting AI News in Perspective"), and he is a Wonderfest Science Envoy. Andrey will answer questions during the video premiere via the YouTube "chat" bar, and afterward, via live Zoom session.
Andrey Kurenkov
Map: [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89677333093]
First, at 8:00pm, watch the YouTube video Premiere of "What is AI?" as Andrey Kurenkov answers questions via the YouTube chat bar: https://youtu.be/h5vpSfB5l3o
Then, immediately after the video, log in to a LIVE Zoom Q&A session with Andrey: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89677333093
Please consider helping Wonderfest to produce events like this — sharing the clear-eyed optimism of science with the Bay Area ... and the world — via the inaptly named "Tickets" block, below.