This week the amazing Dan Friedman (remember the lecture on collective decision making in ants?) is back to talk to us about art and biology:

Visual representation is an important means of communicating scientific research, as well as a powerful technology for performing scientific research. This symbiotic relationship between art and science has been reaffirmed by thinkers in all disciplines. Over the last few thousand years, the intimate relationship between Art and Biology has been especially fruitful for both partners. In this talk I will explore the intersection of Art and Biology from historical, scientific, and philosophical perspectives. Several illuminating ...

Let’s talk about “the talk”: Why is it so hard to talk about what we desire, and what we want (and don’t)? Does talking really take away the mystery? How do others do it and make it out alive? Why does it seems like the word “consent” become a buzzword overnight (and what does it even mean??)? What does it mean to really say yes, and to gracefully say no? How do we cope with rejection? What is the difference between an expectation and an entitlement? And, the million dollar question that we’ll answer tonight: how can communication result in ...

Be ready for an awesome lecture at the Red Vic!

What things are possible in our universe? Can we say some problems are solvable, while others are forever hopeless? Can we ever be sure of such cosmic conclusions?

The existence of quantum computation forces a humbling shift in our understanding of these questions. With the discovery of quantum mechanics, we noticed that we had massively underestimated the inherent complexity of physical systems. Quantum computers leverage this complexity to solve problems that were previously considered hopeless. This forces us to conclude that Nature can hide secrets beyond the span of human ...

We will explore the wonders of plasma physics through a little overview of two really fun use cases: nuclear fusion and space propulsion. Plasmas are all around us and may be the most abundant form of ordinary matter in the universe. It’s about time we get to know each other a little bit more (also they are absolutely gorgeous).

Join us for an evening of learning followed by a lively discussion! Doors at 8pm, talk begins at 8.30pm on the dot. Suggested donation is $5.

A little about our speaker:
Johan has been a Mad Scientist for a little while ...

Nobody puts Baby in a corner, but we will project her onto the wall of the Great Hall!

Over the last 6 years, part of my work has been an attempt to find a new pathway through the brain, that coordinates some of humans’s most unique behavior. Join me this evening, as I try and share the journey.

Systematic attempts to reproduce findings in psychology, cancer research, and economics have shown that many reported results cannot be replicated. Some people talk about a reproducibility crisis. In this Red Vic Lecture, I will review current evidence about reproducibility in research on humans, and discuss reasons for the current state of affairs as well as possible developments that will help us do better science.

“Waterworld: The Hunt for What Lies Beneath” by Adam Tank

Many pipes delivering drinking water were installed a century ago. They are now well beyond their remaining useful life and many are cracking, breaking, and leaking trillions of gallons of water underground. In fact, 30% of all clean water is lost in distribution before it reaches our homes. Fortunately, historical pipeline data coupled with advanced acoustic, satellite, and robotic technology is emerging that enables us to find & fix these problem pipes without digging up streets.

Adam is the founder of a Bay Area startup building submersible robots for the ...

Quick chat about mindful eating followed by a shared meal as an opportunity to practice mindful eating.

Do seismologists predict earthquakes? In fact, predicting the strength of shaking in future earthquakes is more important than predicting exactly when and where they will occur. That is because if we know how strong the ground will shake, buildings can be designed to withstand that shaking.

Predicting the strength of shaking is however challenging for seismologists because large earthquakes are rare (fortunately), and because we have only few on-scale recordings of strong ground shaking. For that reason, computer simulations are increasingly used to fill the data gap but many assumptions go into these simulations, and it’s important to test their ...