Bay Area Science Festival 2016
10 DAYS. FIFTY EVENTS. UNLEASH YOUR INNER SCIENTIST.
Science at Cal is proud to be a festival partner for the 2016 Bay Area Science Festival! Be sure to check out the full schedule for a complete listing of events throughout the Bay area. All UC Berkeley events are free and open to the public. Some events may require an RSVP, so be sure to check to the official festival site for more information.
www.bayareascience.org
Vision+Light: Extending the Senses
Energy Bioscience Building
October 27+28 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Experience the boundaries of the natural world, from the infinitesimal to the cosmic scale. During two evening events, explore exhibits of microscopy, multimedia artwork, digital sound and sculpture, created by artists and scientists probing our world for deeper understanding. Examine the minute universe with cutting-edge microscopes, play with robots, fold paper with an origami master, and join in fascinating conversations on science, image and creativity.
Vision+Light: Extending the Senses
SETI Science Cafe – Is there anybody out there?
Berkeley public Library
October 29 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Dan Werthimer, Chief Scientist, SETI, UC Berkeley Astronomy Department, brings us the latest on what’s happening with the on-going scientific search for other intelligent life in the universe. These are exciting times and Dan will present with visuals the science and current happenings in a Science Café setting created in the Berkeley Public Library. Rachel Winheld, Director of UC’s Science@Cal, will introduce our program. We’ll start at 1:30 pm with complimentary Café fare (of course!). Dan’s presentation follows from 2:00 to 2:45. Audience Q&A and discussion will flow from 2:45 until 3:30.
Explore What You Eat: Hands-on science at the farmers’ market
Sat 10/29 * 10am-3pm * Downtown Berkeley Market * Center St @ MLK, Berkeley
Tue 11/1 * 2pm-6:30pm * Lorin (South Berkeley) Market * Adeline & 63 St * Berkeley
Explore what you eat: do you know about the biology, chemistry, physics and even math of your food? Get hands-on with science to find out! Join Cal scientists for some fun, food-related investigations at East Bay farmers’ markets during the Bay Area Science Festival
Dates are subject to reduced hours or cancellation in the event of inclement weather.
Explorer Days – Plant Biology Lab Tour
Koshland Hall
October 30 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Explore the inner workings of the Zambryski plant microbiology lab at UC Berkeley. Professor Zambryski and her colleagues study how bacteria transfer DNA to plant cells, which is a useful tool for studying genetics of plants. Meet microbes and plants, and investigate the novel techniques being used to understand their inner workings, including electrophoresis and visualization by fluorescence.
Meet outside the south entrance to Koshland Hall.
Attendance for this tour will be First Come, First Served. Limited to 15 participants.
Searching for Dark Matter at Berkeley Lab Tour
LeConte Hall
October 30 | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
What is dark matter? For decades, firm astronomical evidence from observations of stars and galaxies has indicated that most of the matter in the universe cannot be seen directly in telescopes. Instead, this matter must be observed indirectly through its gravitational pull on the objects that we can see. This is how the term “dark matter” was coined…But How do we search for something we can’t see? Explore these questions on a lab tour inside the UC Berkeley Physics department with astrophysicist Matt Pyle and members of his research group.
RSVP for Dark Matter Lab Tour
East Bay Science Cafe: Collection
Restaurant Valparaiso
November 2 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Natural History Museums are more than just skeletons of dinosaurs and drawers full of insects and birds; they are valuable libraries of information that can tell us about the past, present and future of the world around us. Together, the six natural history museum collections at UC Berkeley represent over 12 million voucher specimens in anthropology, botany, entomology, herpetology, mammalogy, ornithology, and paleontology. Join us for a special East Bay Science Cafe for stories and conversation from people who care for the treasures of the past and work to bring our collections into the future.
Astronomy Night! 
6:30pm-7:30pm: Public talk (120 Latimer): “The Glorious All-American Total Solar Eclipse of August 2017!” with Alex Filippenko
7:30pm-9:00pm: Stargazing on the roof of Campbell Hall (weather dependent)
Come learn about the exciting total solar eclipse that will be viewable from North American in August 2017. This talk will be given by nationally recognized astrophysicist, award winning teacher, and solar eclipse fanatic Alex Filippenko. After, join us for a star party on the roof of the building – We’ll have the 17-inch rooftop observatory open so you’ll be able to enjoy a great view of the Universe along with the Bay!
If you plan on attending the talk, we strongly encourage arriving early, as we expect high attendance. Otherwise, feel free to come and go during the stargazing portion of the night!
Explorer Days – Atom Interferometry Lab at UC Berkeley
Meet at Sather Tower
November 3 | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Müller Lab uses methods from atomic, molecular, and optical physics to build fantastically sensitive instruments to study the fundamental nature of the universe. It is possible to search for new physics in outstandingly precise experiments – such as candidates for dark matter and dark energy, or minuscule deviations from the Standard Model.
Ages: 13 & up. Meet at Sather Tower (aka the Campanille, Carrillon Rd.) UC Berkeley
Discovery Day
AT&T Park, San Francisco
November 5 | 10:00 pm – 4:00 pm
20 UC Berkeley STEM organizations join with hundreds of other hands-on activities, opportunities to meet local scientists and engineers, and plenty of fun and educational entertainment. The entire ballpark is packed to the rafters with science content: on the field, at every entry/exit, and every level of the ballpark. Get ready to unleash your inner scientist.
Experience over 150 hands-on exhibits and activities from leading science and technology organizations from across the Bay Area. Universities, science museums, research labs, after school organizations, and local companies join forces for an unprecedented opportunity to meet scientists and engineers. Topics include health & medicine, engineering, technology, biotechnology, climate science, and so much more. This year, every exhibit will be framed as investigative questions to encourage explorations and curiosity that we hope will continue throughout the school year.