Kilonova Metals; Cat Ecology – Apr 29
Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with enhanced 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 astrophysicist Daniel Brethauer on Astronomically Rocking Out to Heavy Metals — The gold in jewelry, the uranium in a nuclear power plant, the caesium in atomic clocks: what do these all have in common? It turns out they were likely forged in the fires of a cosmic explosion known as a kilonova. These extremely energetic events reveal the origins of the periodic table’s heaviest elements.
• UC Berkeley ecologist Tyus Williams on Unraveling the Ecology of Domestic Cats — What if one of our greatest companions is potentially one of our greatest threats? When free to roam, domestic cats can severely disrupt wildlife communities. However, understanding cats’ behavior and how they’re influenced by their surroundings can allow us to develop better conservation strategies.
This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
Eye Movements; Tiny Galaxies – Apr 15
Wonderfest Science Envoys are early-career researchers with enhanced 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 neuroscientist Stephanie Reeves on The Horizontal Saccade Bias — Humans make eye movements to explore the visual environment. One type of involuntary eye movement, termed a saccade, occurs 2-3 times per second and is one of the fastest movements that the human body can make. New research challenges previous assumptions about how and why saccades arise.
• Stanford astrophysicist Viraj Manwadkar on Tiny Galaxies and Big Cosmic Mysteries — The very smallest galaxies shed light on fundamental questions in physics and astronomy: They play an intriguing role in the formation of cosmic ecosystems, and they even inform our attempt to understand dark matter, the utterly mysterious stuff that constitutes 80% of the material universe.
This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]
Curved Spaces – Oct 25
The geometry of the ancient Greeks took place on an ideal, infinite, flat plane. In the millenia since then, mathematicians have opened our minds to the more general and flexible geometries of curved spaces — from the fabric that makes up our clothing, to the spacetime around a black hole. Now, we can develop an ‘insider’s view’ of such geometries. This newfound intuition has intriguing applications, including to recent images from the James Webb Space Telescope! Such understanding allows us to better appreciate Einstein’s greatest insight: that gravity is not a force, but rather a consequence of living in a curvy world.
Our speaker, Dr. Steve Trettel, is Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of San Francisco. He is a geometric topologist who loves computer graphics and a good bike ride.
PLEASE REGISTER BELOW
Dr. Steve Trettel
Castro Valley Education Foundation [https://www.cvef.org]
Castro Valley Science [https://cvscience.us]
Search for ET – Oct 15
Humans have sought “signs from above” for millennia. The scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) began circa 1960, and, today, grows ever deeper and more technologically diverse. The scope of modern research is breathtaking. Methods include targeted searches for electromagnetic (EM) signals near known Earth-like exoplanets, continuous EM scans over the entire sky (e.g., PANOSETI at the Bay Area’s Lick Observatory, pictured), the hunt for exotic forms of communication, and the careful search for ET artifacts on/near Earth.
Our speaker, Dan Werthimer, is Chief Scientist at the Berkeley SETI Research Center. He is also co-founder of SETI@Home, and principal investigator of CASPER, the Center for Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research. Since 1979, Dan has helped to design and build numerous sensitive tools for the detection of ET. In 2019, Dan earned Wonderfest’s Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. And, in 2021, he received the prestigious Frank Drake Award of the SETI Institute.
Dan Werthimer
This free event is produced by Wonderfest and by the Alameda Free Library. In the Eventbrite space below, please consider a donation to help nonprofit Wonderfest in its mission of science outreach.
Poincaré Beauty – Sep 24
At the turn of the new millennium, a renowned mathematics institute pledged $7 million for the solution of seven special math problems, $1 million each. Only one of these seven Millennium Prize Problems has been solved. That problem, originally posed over a century ago by Henri Poincaré, asked a deep question about the nature of 3-dimensional space. Its resolution opened our (mathematical) eyes to the beauty of 3-dimensional universes — filled with curved geometries, wormholes, and a whole lot of pretty math. This presentation, assuming only a high school math background, will explore the beauty of these spacey ideas in mathematical topology.
Our speaker, Dr. Steve Trettel, is Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of San Francisco. He is a geometric topologist who loves computer graphics and a good bike ride.
Dr. Steve Trettel
San Francisco Public Library
This free event is produced by Wonderfest and by the SF Public Library. In the Eventbrite space below, please consider a donation to help nonprofit Wonderfest in its mission of science outreach.
Extraterrestrial Life – Sep 5
An August-24th New York Times article about audacious astronomer Avi Loeb concludes with this: “Now, that being said, if [Dr. Loeb] finds something, it’s life-changing … It will change everything.” What was “being said” referred to professional academic complaints about Dr. Loeb’s alleged “transgressions against scientific norms and protocols.” However, no one disputes the excitement of Prof. Loeb’s investigations. Wonderfest joins the Commonwealth Club to present controversial Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb in conversation about ideas in his latest book, Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars. That conversation will explore some vital — if highly speculative — long-term questions: How do we prepare for first contact with ET? And how can our species itself become interstellar?
Dr. Avi Loeb is Professor of Science and former chair of the Astronomy Department at Harvard University. During this online event, he will be in conversation with the Commonwealth Club’s George Hammond.
Dr. Avi Loeb
The Commonwealth Club
Please pre-register with the Commonwealth Club (via the URL below) to receive a link — via email — to this live-stream event. Use discount code WonderfestPromo for $10 off the ticket price, rendering that ticket completely FREE.
Astrobiology, online – June 27
Image by Jenny Mottar
The age of astrobiology has begun. We have a whole solar system — and a galaxy of star-warmed worlds beyond — to explore for life. How do we look for life here and way out there? How will we know it when we find it? Our exploration begins at Earth. We must apply what we are learning about our own amazing home planet to our search for life beyond.
Our Speaker, Dr. Penny Boston, was Director of NASA's Astrobiology Institute at Ames Research Center. Access her presentation at the Mt Tam Astronomy YouTube channel, linked below. Dr. Boston will answer questions during the video premiere AND, afterward, via Google "Meet."
Dr. Penelope Boston
This Wonderfest + Mt Tam Astronomy presentation will take place ONLINE as a YouTube video "Premiere" with LIVE Q&A.
Public health protection has moved this presentation from its originally-planned Mount Tamalpais venue to the Mt.Tam Astronomy YouTube channel. Please "tune in" at the originally-planned event start-time (7:30pm, Saturday, June 27) at the following website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCccr2q6IgFSOglvh66VFSLw Thereafter, the video will also be available at the Wonderfest Science YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-755eqlqZRcflOQTL-jOZg
This online event is jointly presented by the Friends of Mt. Tam, the San Francisco Amateur Astronomers, and Wonderfest.