Bay Area Science Festival 2012

Celebrate science with Cal scientists!

Explore the wonders of science with FREE events for all ages, at UC Berkeley and throughout the East Bay, during the second annual Bay Area Science Festival!

Many more festival events are listed on the Bay Area Science Festival website.

All Science@Cal festival events are free, except where noted (*). Festival events and activities are subject to change without notice.

Events for kids, teens & all ages…

• Explore What You Eat: Hands-On Science at Local Farmers' Markets   Ever wonder how plants live? Or how worms produce compost? Curious about solar beads and solar cookers? Get hands-on with science to find out! Join Cal scientists for cool, food-related investigations at East Bay farmers' markets. Read more.
• Community Star Party for Bay Area High School Students  Join Cal astronomers for a night with the stars at this free community star party. Read more.
• Hiking the Hayward Fault: A seismological tour of the Berkeley campus  Take a special campus tour to find out how the fault has shaped the local landscape. Read more.
• The Amazing Things Plants Can Do*  Plants that move when touched; eat animals; hold their breath during the day; feel their way around other objects; drink a hundred gallons of water in a single rainstorm. Read more.
• Mixin' It Up with Food & Drink*  Who doesn't love brunch? Especially when a super chef and a master mixologist get cookin' with UC Berkeley Chemistry Professor Matt Francis. Read more.
• Art in Science Gallery Gala: The intersection of image and research  When the realms of art and science intersect, what emerges? View original, stunning and astonishing images of scientific investigation and meet the scientists and artists who created them. Read more.
• Bay Area Science Festival Finale: Discovery Day at AT&T Park   Look for Science@Cal at the festival's FREE grand finale at AT&T Park in San Francisco. More than 150 science exhibits, all meant to inspire and entertain. Details here.

Event Details

Explore What You Eat: Hands-On Science at Local Farmers' Markets

Ever wonder how plants live? Or how worms produce compost? Curious about solar beads and solar cookers? Get hands-on with science to find out! Join Cal scientists for cool, food-related investigations at these East Bay farmers' markets:

• Saturday 10/27 — Phatbeets Produce — 942 Stanford St. @ Lowell, Oakland
• Saturday 10/27 — Downtown Berkeley Market — Center St. & MLK, Berkeley
• Sunday 10/28 — Temescal Market — Claremont DMV Parking Lot, Oakland
• Tuesday 10/30 — Lorin (South Berkeley) Market — 63rd & Adeline, Berkeley (NEW location!)
• Tuesday, 10/30 — Spiral Gardens — Sacramento Ave. & Oregon St., Berkeley
• Wednesday 10/31 — Albany Market — Solano & San Pablo Ave., Albany
• Thursday 11/1 — North Berkeley Market — Shattuck Ave. & Rose St., Berkeley

This program is jointly supported by Science@Cal, Community Resources for Science, UC Botanical Garden, and Space Sciences Laboratory.

Community Star Party for Bay Area High School Students

Teens only! Join Cal astronomers for a night with the stars at this free community star party. The star party lineup includes…

• Telescope viewing with UC Berkeley Astronomy Grad Students
• Talks, informal discussions, and other fun activities with UC Berkeley scientists around the latest cutting-edge astronomy research
• Astronomy-themed art activities and computer games
• Snacks and beverages

NOTE: All participants must have a valid high school ID to enter the YMCA–PG&E Teen Center. 

Friday, October 26 • 7:00–10:00pm
YMCA-PG&E Teen Center • 2111 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley (corner of MLK Jr. Way & Center St., 2 blocks from the Downtown Berkeley BART Station. Click here for a location map. 

Program jointly sponsored by the YMCA of the Central Bay Area, Bay Area Teen Science (B.A.T.S.), and UC Berkeley's Astronomy Department and Space Sciences Laboratory.

Hiking the Hayward Fault: A seismological tour of the UC Berkeley campus

Take a tour of the Hayward Fault through the UC Berkeley campus to find out how the fault has shaped the local landscape. Learn how our understanding of earthquakes has changed since the campus' founding in 1868 and how different buildings were constructed and retrofitted. Presented by the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, a member of the Science@Cal network.

Sunday, October 28 • 9:00am–12:00pm

Maximum capacity: 40

Tour begins at the rock garden in front of McCone Hall on the northside of the UC Berkeley campus, and ends at the corner of Dwight Way and Fernwald Rd., just south of campus. We will be walking about 1.5 miles and traversing a dry streambed, so wear sturdy shoes. Ages 8+. No dogs, please. 

Registration required. Please register at EventBrite Registration 

Click here to see a UC Berkeley campus map.

The Amazing Things Plants Can Do*

Plants that move when touched; eat animals; hold their breath during the day; feel their way around other objects; drink a hundred gallons of water in a single rainstorm. Come see plants from around the world and learn some of their amazing adaptations that help them survive their extreme environments.

Sunday, October 28 • 11:00am–12:00pm

Maximum capacity: 15

Registration required by calling 510-643-2755 or online.

*Cost: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $6.50 children

Additional Information: Indoor and outdoor tour, rain or shine! Check-in at the Garden entrance kiosk. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. The UC Botanical Garden is located on Centennial Drive between the UC Berkeley football stadium and the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Mixin' It Up with Food & Drink*

Who doesn't love brunch? Especially when a super chef and a master mixologist get cookin' with UC Berkeley Chemistry Professor, Matt Francis. Head over to Berkeley's hip and vibrant Westside Cafe for brunch with a twist (of scientific inquiry). Find out why you might prefer things shaken, not stirred!

Sunday, October 28 • 1:00–2:00pm

Westside Cafe • 2570 Ninth St., Berkeley

Brunch is served from 8am to 2pm; the science presentation will begin at 1pm.

*Food service charges apply.

Art in Science Gallery Gala: The Intersection of Image and Research

Thursday, November 1 and Friday, November 2 • 5:30–9:00p

When the realms of art and science intersect, what emerges? View original, stunning and astonishing images of scientific investigation and meet the scientists and artists who created them. Spanning two spacious gallery rooms, images and interpretations of research and discovery will be presented through photography, video, painting, sculpture, virtual reality systems, conversation and demonstrations. Doors open at 5:30pm. Browse the exhibits, chat with Cal scientists and special guests, enjoy live music (5:30–6:45pm) and refreshments!

Scheduled Presentations:

THURSDAY, NOV 1

7:00 Art, Science and the Imagination  Scientists from diverse fields of research share insights and perspectives in a lively, interactive discussion, with audience Q&A. (ends at 8:00pm)

8:15 Extraordinary Journeys in the Natural World, featuring the stunning work and inspiring adventures of photographer Anand Varma (ends at 8:30pm)

FRIDAY, NOV 2

6:30 Exoplanet Exploration and the Essential Role of Artists  Presented by Lauren Weiss, a member of Geoff Marcy's research team, and introducing students on an artistic scientific quest through the ASPIRE program. (ends at 7pm)

7:15 Wildlife Conservation and the Art of Paper Folding  The natural world and fragile paper come together in Bernie Peyton's origami, to tell little stories about why we need to preserve our planet. Join the renowned origami master for an illuminating presentation of his work in wildlife conservation and eco-origami — followed by a paper folding session for all! (ends at 8pm)

8:15 Virtual Museum of the Western Han Dynasty  Learn how scientists have applied advanced technologies, such as laser scanning, virtual reality, remote sensing and 3D modeling, to create an open digital lab in which we get to be avatars of the past.

Thursday, November 1 and Friday, November 2 • 5:30–9:00p

Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery • 2133 University Avenue (next door to Ace Hardware), Berkeley

Click here for a location map.

About the exhibits and presenters

Science@Cal informs and engages the public about the diversity and depth of science research at UC Berkeley. Science@Cal is supported by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Office of Public Affairs. 

The 2012 Bay Area Science Festival is a weeklong Bay-Area-wide celebration of the unique science and technology of the region. Scientists from local universities, companies, and museums shared their science in venues throughout the Bay Area. The Bay Area Science Festival is supported in part by the National Science Foundation.