Bay Area Science Festival

The Bay Area Science Festival is a week-long celebration of science that kicks off later this week. UC Berkeley and Science@Cal are involved in a number of exciting events, beginning with not one, but two star parties on Friday (one at the Lawrence Hall of Science for everyone, and a second teen-exclusive event at the YMCA Teen Center in downtown Berkeley).

You can also hike the Hayward Fault with UC Berkeley seismologists, explore what you eat at local farmers' markets, learn about the amazing things plants can do, enjoy the chemistry of brunch, investigate the intersection of art and science at a two-night exclusive gallery gala in downtown Berkeley, and join 25,000 others for the big finale at AT&T Park on November 3rd.

Many of these events are free. For a few of them, a small fee applies and / or registration is required.
Details of Science@Cal's participation in these events can be found on their website here.

The main festival webpage, featuring other events taking place across the Bay Area, is at Bay Area Science.

Also, save the date for the next Science@Cal lecture, November 17th, featuring Prof. Rosemary Gillespie, Director of the Essig Museum of Entomology, talking about evolution on remote islands.

Lick Observatory Event

On Saturday, September 15, at Lick Observatory--located at Mt. Hamilton, about an hour drive from San Jose--there will be a "BBQ with the Stars." In addition to the barbeque dinner, there will be live music, entertaining and informative astronomy lectures, and viewing through the observatory's large historic telescopes. Professor Alex Filippenko will be one of the main speakers, along with Sandra Faber (Interim Director, University of California Observatories), Professor Geoff Marcy (the world's leading hunter for planets orbiting other stars, and Timothy Ferris (one of the world's best science writers).

Dinner catered by Bruno's Barbeque (with vegetarian options) will be served from 5 to 7 p.m., followed by astronomy talks and viewing through the large telescopes from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The talks will be at a level suitable for the lay public, including kids. There will be plenty of time to ask questions of the astronomers, too. Musical entertainment will be provided by Silicon Valley's Dr. West playing live 1970s music, and classical guitar duo Equilibrium.

Tickets to this very special event are limited and must be purchased in advance by calling the UC Santa Cruz Ticket Office at (831) 459-2159 or online at www.SantaCruzTickets.com . Admission is only $60 per person (plus a small ticket service fee), and proceeds benefit Lick Observatory's extensive public programs. Hope to see you there!