Menu

technology

Abrams+Johnson

Black Holes & Kelp Forests – Feb 25

/ , , , / , , , , , , , , , , /

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 astrophysicist Natasha Abrams on Black Holes: Discovering the Invisible — Black holes are among the most extreme objects in the universe. They push the boundaries of our knowledge, holding many unsolved mysteries. This talk will explore black holes from “small” to enormous, including how to detect these invisible marvels. In the process, we will probe the very frontiers of astrophysics.

• Stanford marine biologist Will Johnson on The Structure of Kelp Forests — Kelp forests constitute one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, and they’re hidden right beneath the waves of our coastline. To research how these ecosystems function, we need to study what lives there. Come learn how scientific diving and modern genetics are helping us unravel the complex structure of kelp forests.

This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.

 

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Black Holes & Kelp Forests
WHO: Natasha Abrams (UC Berkeley) & Will Johnson (Stanford), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb 25, 2025 — 7pm (1.5 hr)
HOW: What value does this free science experience have for you and, indirectly, for society? Accordingly, please donate to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite box, below.
Collaborators:
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]

DeepRising

DEEP RISING – May 19

/ , , / , , , , , , , /

The ocean floor of our “water planet” is vast — rich in biodiversity and dense in mineral wealth. A single organization, the International Seabed Authority, governs roughly half of this undersea territory, and that governance is scientifically and economically challenging, to say the least. Wonderfest joins Cameo Cinema for a special Science on Screen presentation of the documentary Deep Rising (71% FRESH at Rotten Tomatoes), narrated and co-produced by Jason Momoa. Post-screening Q&A with Stanford marine scientist Dr. Steve Palumbi will highlight the vital need for wise use — and protection — of the seabed as the common heritage of humankind.

Dr. Stephen Palumbi is Professor of Marine Sciences at Stanford University. Steve is also a Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Woods Institute for the Environment.


Dr. Steve Palumbi

WHAT: DEEP RISING + Steve Palumbi
WHO: Dr. Steve Palumbi, Professor of Marine Science, Stanford University [https://palumbilab.stanford.edu/people/stephen-palumbi]
WHERE: Cameo Cinema, 1340 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 [https://www.cameocinema.com/movie/deep-rising---science-on-screen]
WHEN: 2024-05-19 — 1pm, Sunday, May 19th (2 hours)
HOW:

For advance ticket purchase, please click the TICKETS link, below.


TICKETS:
https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/4523?siteToken=ngdcybs2pe7aqsn3zewdgzctjm
Teddi&Matt

Verifying AI; Ultracold Atoms – Apr 16

/ , , / , , , , , , , , /

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 computer scientist Teddi Worledge on Verifying AI with Attributed Sources — So-called large language models (LLMs) provide information and make judgments nearly everywhere — from online search engines to classrooms and medical clinics. But LLMs do make errors. Language model systems that attribute their sources can address this accuracy problem, as long as the attributions theselves are reliable!

• UC Berkeley physicist Matt Tao on What Ultracold Atoms Reveal — Atoms cooled to billionths of a degree can teach us much about the world. The wave nature of ultracold atoms allows interference experiments (interferometry) with astounding precision. Such tabletop interferometers even allow the study of gravity, nature’s weakest — but most pervasive — force, at minute scales. 

This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.

 

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Verifying AI; Ultracold Atoms
WHO: Teddi Worledge (Stanford) & Matt Tao (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato, CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: 2024-04-16 — 7pm, Tuesday, April 16 (1 hour)
HOW:

What value does this free science experience have for you and, indirectly, for society? Accordingly, please consider making a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite box, below.


Collaborators:
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]

Mila&Ari

Biorhythms; Decarbonization – Apr 2

/ , , / , , , , , , , , , , /

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 biologist Mila Pamplona-Barbosa on Biological Rhythms: From Ants to You — How can ants possibly organize their behavior? An ant colony can have hundreds to millions of individuals and, even with all that complexity, the colony still manages to get work done. How does this time-dependent self-organization happen? And what does this have to do with the internal timings of the human body?

• UC Berkeley climate policy scientist Ari Ball-Burack on Complexity in Controlling Greenhouse Gases — Social, technological, and economic systems are complex: they exhibit both balancing and reinforcing feedbacks, and they strongly interact. Wise policy can use this very complexity to advance the “decarbonization” of the atmosphere. Complexity-aware decarbonization policy addresses climate change at local, national, and global scales.

This interactive science presentation, free and unticketed, is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with Marin Science Seminar.

 

WHAT: Ask a Science Envoy: Biorhythms; Decarbonization
WHO: Mila Pamplona-Barbosa (Stanford) & Ari Ball-Burack (UC Berkeley), Wonderfest Science Envoys
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: 2024-04-02 — 7pm, Tuesday, April 2 (1 hour)
HOW:

What value does this free science experience have for you and, indirectly, for society? Accordingly, please consider making a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite box, below.


Collaborators:
Marin Science Seminar [https://marinscienceseminar.com]

BlackBerry

BlackBerry Psych – Mar 26

/ , , / , , , , , , , /

How and why do corporations decline? BlackBerry (98% FRESH at Rotten Tomatoes) offers a tragicomic portrait of decline in Earth’s foremost business smartphone maker, 1999-2016. Following this special Science on Screen presentation of BlackBerry, UC Berkeley researcher Dr. Don Moore will illuminate the psychological challenges that face all businesses and, in fact, virtually all human relations.

Psychologist Dr. Donald A. Moore is Professor and Chair in Leadership & Communication at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. His most recent book is Perfectly Confident: How to Calibrate Your Decisions Wisely.

 


Dr. Don A. Moore, UC Berkeley

WHAT: BLACKBERRY and Corporate Psychology
WHO: Dr. Don A. Moore, UC Berkeley, Chair in Leadership & Communication, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley [https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/don-moore]
WHERE: Cameo Cinema, 1340 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 [https://www.cameocinema.com/]
WHEN: 2024-03-26 — 5pm, Tuesday, March 26 (2.5 hrs)
HOW:

Please pre-purchase tickets for this Science on Screen event via the "TICKETS" link below.


TICKETS:
https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/4374?siteToken=ngdcybs2pe7aqsn3zewdgzctjm
FutureNuclearPower

Future Nuclear Power – Feb 13

/ , , / , , , , , , , , /

Currently, nuclear power provides ten percent of world electricity generation. As physicists and engineers strive to make new reactors that are small, clean, and safe, what does the future hold for nuclear power in a warming world? Join this discussion of the current status and future directions for nuclear energy.


Dr. Per Peterson

WHAT: Future Directions for Nuclear Power
WHO: Dr. Per Peterson, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, UC Berkeley [https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/per-peterson]
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: 2024-02-13 — 7pm, Tuesday, Feb 13 (1.5 hr)
HOW:

This science event is free and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have for YOU? Accordingly, please consider a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite window, below.


ForensicScience

Forensic Science – Dec 19

/ , , / , , , , , , , /

In some ways, forensic science (also known as criminalistics) has changed little since the 1880s when fictional detective Sherlock Holmes first solved a crime with a thumbprint. While modern forensic scientists continue to embrace the tried-and-true methods of the past, modern innovations in ciminalistics have enabled technogical advances that are anything but “Elementary!”

Our speaker, Hillary Daluz, is a fingerprint examiner for the US Army, and a director of the International Association for Identification. She is the author of five books including Fundamentals of Fingerprint Analysis and Courtroom Testimony for Fingerprint Examiners.

 


Hillary Daluz

WHAT: Innovations in Forensic Science: A Brief History
WHO: Hillary Daluz, Fingerprint Examiner, U.S. Army
WHERE: HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato CA 94945 [https://www.hopmonk.com/novato]
WHEN: 2023-12-19 — 7pm, Tuesday, Dec 19 (1.5 hr)
HOW:

This event is FREE and unticketed ... and valuable. But what value does it have for YOU? Accordingly, please consider a donation to nonprofit Wonderfest via the Eventbrite window, below.


NextScientist-1

Next Scientist #1 – Nov 2

/ , , / , , , , , , , , /

Next Scientist is a new Wonderfest series of online presentations. Every Next Scientist Zoom consists of two 30-minute presentations (including 10 minutes of Q&A), each featuring a young researcher describing next-level science:

UC Berkeley seismologist Sarina Patel on Earthquake Science Using Crowdsourced Data from Smartphones — MyShake is a free citizen-science smartphone app that delivers earthquake early warnings(!) to users in California, Oregon, and Washington. It also uses a phone’s vibration sensor to record earthquake motion for scientific analysis. How can the gadget in your pocket contribute to earthquake early warning, shake-hazard mapping, and structural-health monitoring?

Exelixis medical chemist Trevor Chang on Advances in Cancer Treatment: Synthetic Lethality — Chemotherapy is a standard component of both the treatment and study of cancer. Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are toxic to cells, underscoring the continued focus on precision medicines. Research in synthetic lethality aims to develop medicines that target specific genetic mutations expressed only in cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.

 

WHAT: Next Scientist: Smartphone Seismology & Synthetic Lethality
WHO: Sarina Patel & Trevor Chang, Wonderfest Next Scientists
WHERE: ONLINE, via Zoom [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83316164405]
WHEN: 2023-11-02 — 7:30pm, Thursday, Nov 2 (1 hour)
HOW:

This free, online, science presentation is produced by Wonderfest in partnership with the Castro Valley Educational Foundation and Castro Valley Science.

What value does this experience — and these insights — have for YOU? Accordingly, please support nonprofit Wonderfest, the Bay Area Beacon of Science, by donating via the Eventbrite space, below.


WhatIsAI?-3

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

WHAT: What Is "Artificial Intelligence"?
WHO: Andrey Kurenkov, AI Researcher, Vision & Learning Lab, Stanford [https://www.andreykurenkov.com]
WHERE: YouTube Video Premiere, then, Live Zoom Q&A [https://youtu.be/h5vpSfB5l3o]
Map: [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89677333093]
WHEN: 2020-09-03 — 8pm, Thu, August 27 (1.5 hr)
HOW:

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.


Ear of rice which grew

CRISPR Crops – June 22

/ , / , , , , , , , , , , /

Gene editing is revolutionizing agriculture by changing how we design, produce, and consume food. But how is this technology being used, and what does this mean for farmers, consumers, and society at large? We'll take a holistic journey through the history of plant breeding to understand how this cutting-edge technology — and CRISPR gene editing, in particular — is being used to meet the needs of a growing human population and a warming world.

Our speaker, Evan Groover, is a PhD candidate and researcher in UC Berkeley's Department of Plant & Microbial Biology. He is also a Wonderfest Science Envoy. Evan will answer qustions during the video premiere via the YouTube "chat" bar AND, afterward, via live Zoom seminar.


Evan Groover

WHAT: CRISPR Crops: Food, Farms, and the Shape of Plants to Come
WHO: Evan Groover, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley
WHERE: Wonderfest Science YouTube Channel [http://youtube.com/wonderfestscience]
WHEN: 2020-06-22 — 8pm, Mon, June 22 (1 hour)
HOW:

8:00pm — Click this YouTube video "Premiere" link: <https://youtu.be/KKFoHXedP4g>.
8:45pm — Click this Zoom meeting link: <https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84112518506>.


Evolution of Science

The Evolution of Science – May 13

/ , , / , , , , /

Author and physicist Leonard Mlodinow (PhD, UC Berkeley) will explore how humans have won such a grand grasp of nature’s workings — and what deeper understandings may lie ahead. He is the author of five bestsellers including two co-written with Stephen Hawking: A Briefer History of Time and The Grand Design. Dr. Mlodinow’s The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives was an Editor’s Choice New York Times Bestseller and Notable Book of the Year, and was short-listed for the Royal Society Book award. He has taught at Caltech, has debated Deepak Chopra on ABC’s Nightline, and has written screenplays for MacGyver and Star Trek: the Next Generation. In 2013, Dr. Mlodinow received the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for literary science writing.

Get the WONDERFEST 40% ticket discount: http://bit.ly/science-evolution. (But DON’T click on “Apply.”)

  • WHAT:  The Evolution of Science
  • WHO:  Dr. Leonard Mlodinow
  • WHEN: 7pm (check-in at 6:30), Wednesday, May 13, 2015
  • WHERE:  Schultz Cultural Hall, Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto
  • HOW:  Get the WONDERFEST 40% ticket discount here: http://bit.ly/science-evolution; do NOT click “Apply.”
  • WHY:  Because we’re curious creatures. Big thanks to the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley.

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