Explore the wonders of science with free events for all ages at UC Berkeley and throughout the region during the Bay Area Science Festival!
Be sure to check out the full calendar of events on the new festival website at bayareasciencefestival.org
All festival events presented by Science at Cal are open to the public. Other festival or partner events may have an attendance fee or require registration. Please check the festival calendar for details. Events and activities are subject to change without notice.Talks
Celebrating the Nature of California
Friday, October 25 — 5:00 am – 8:30 pm
Valley Life Sciences Building
University of California, Berkeley
Join us for a Gala evening of hands-on activities, talks, and tours of UC Berkeley Natural History museums.
Event Details and schedule here:
Ask a Berkeley Scientist
Saturday, October 26 — 5:30 am – 7:00 pm
100 Genetics and Plant Biology Building
University of California, Berkeley
If the earth didn’t have an atmosphere, would we see the stars all day long? What is the difference between a CT scan and an MRI? If you could ask a scientist a question, what would it be…? Here’s your chance! Send your questions to Science at Cal at our website or bring them with you to this fun event, where UC Berkeley scientists from the fields of Physics, Biology, Chemistry and more will help find the answers!
Tours
Tour the UC Berkeley Natural History Museums
Friday, October 25 — 5:30-6:30 pm
Valley Life Sciences Building Atrium University of California, BerkeleyWhy do we need natural history museum collections? The millions of specimens contained in the six natural history museums at UC Berkeley have provided the building blocks of data from which scores of researchers have described new species, unraveled complicated kinships among organisms, and discovered how organisms evolve and adapt to their environments. Go behind the scenes in the Essig Entomology Museum, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and the Jepson and University Herbaria to discover amazing treasures of biodiversity.
Registration for tours will begin at 5:00pm during the Nature of California event.
Tour the electron microscopy lab
Tuesday, October 29, 4:30 – 6pm
21 Barker Hall, Hearst Avenue University of California, BerkeleyCome and explore the inner workings of a cell! See how electron microscopes are used to peer deep into the world around us and even our very own cells. We’ll take a hands-on look at how samples are prepared for imaging with electrons. Then, we’ll explore the rugged terrain of a plant leaf under the scanning electron microscope. Finally, we’ll explore the beautiful bands of muscle in a zebrafish with a transmission electron microscope.
RSVP for free at www.bayareasciencefestival.org Tour registration opens October 15
Tour STROBE imaging labs
Tuesday, October 29 — 5:30-7:30 pm
Meet in front of the Hearst Mining Building University of California, BerkeleyThe Science and Technology Center on Real-Time Functional Imaging, STROBE, is addressing imaging science challenges through the integration of several areas of imaging science and technology. Researchers at UC Berkeley focus on electron microscopy, X-Ray imaging, advanced optical imaging, and data algorithms of imaging science. Which types are best for viewing cells and microscopic organisms? Which are best for viewing the individual atoms of a molecule? Learn about different types of imaging research being done at Berkeley on this tour.
RSVP for free at www.bayareasciencefestival.org Tour registration opens October 15
Credit: Florian Brown-Altvater
Tour a UC Berkeley cell biology lab
Friday, November 1 — 2:30 – 4:00 pm
Life Sciences Addition University of California, BerkeleyIn embryonic development, a single cell goes through a series of repeated divisions and these cells read the program encoded in their DNA in order to become familiar cell types such as those found in muscle, liver or our brains. The goal of the Professor Hernan Garcia’s lab is to uncover the rules behind these decisions in order to predict and manipulate developmental programs from just looking at DNA sequences. Find out how the lab combines physics, synthetic biology and new technologies to investigate developmental decisions in real time at the single cell level in the fruit fly embryo.
RSVP for free at www.bayareasciencefestival.org Tour registration opens October 15
Tour the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Friday, October 25 — 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Friday, November 1 — 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 1 Cyclotron RoadHave you ever wondered what happens at a government research facility? Are you interested in high energy physics, harnessing light, or nanoparticles? Join us for a tour at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and learn about the Lab’s long history of bringing science solutions to the world. Spend the afternoon getting up close and personal with our Advanced Light Source, talk with scientists and engineers about sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere, and dive into discussions about innovations in nanotechnology.
RSVP for free at www.bayareasciencefestival.org October 25 November 1 Shuttle service will take attendees from downtown Berkeley to LBNL.Hands-on Science
Dia de la Ciencia / Day of Science
Saturday, October 26 — 8:00 – 3:00 pm
SF Consulate General of Mexico 532 Folsom St.,San Francisco Por primera vez, el Consulado General de México en San Francisco organizará el Día de la Ciencia, dirigido a niños y jóvenes de origen mexicano, con la finalidad de tener una experiencia cercana con actividades científicas y conocer el trabajo de científicos de diferentes ramas. For the first time, the Consulate General of Mexico in San Francisco will host a Day of Science so Mexican children and youth have an opportunity to have a closer experience with hands-on scientific activities and interact with scientists from different fields.
Be a Scientist – Explore DNA & CRISPR!
Sunday, October 27 — 11:00 – 2:00 pm
Innovative Genomics Institute 2151 Berkeley Way Come meet scientists at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), a leading DNA editing research center! This all-ages, outdoor event offers a variety of hands-on activities, including building DNA models, virtual reality, lab coat dress-up, games, temporary tattoos, and more. Lab tours (for visitors 9 years and older) run every 20 minutes but have limited capacity and require in-person sign-up, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. IGI researchers will show you what it’s like to be a scientist and how CRISPR will change the world! Register Here Note: Eventbrite registration does NOT guarantee entry to tours. Tours will begin at 11:20 am and happen every 20 minutes. Space is limited, so arrive early to reserve your spot. Only visitors aged 9 and older are allowed to participate. Close-toed shoes and long pants are required.
Explore what you eat! Science at local farmers’ markets
Tuesday, October 29 — 2:00 – 5:30 pm
South Berkeley Market Adeline St. at 63rd. Berkeley Ever wonder how plants live? Or what DNA really looks like? Get hands-on with (maybe even spooky!) science to find out! Join Cal Scientists for some cool, food-related investigations at East Bay farmers’ markets during the Bay Area Science Festival. Subject to reduced hours or cancellation in event of inclement weather.
5 Tables of Science in Art
Wednesday, October 30 — 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) Art Study Center 2155 Center St Natural wonders, natural disasters, technological leaps, and environmental portents. The BAMPFA art study centers present a special Five Tables viewing of art with a scientific bent. Works on view include: a barnacle-encrusted tea bowl from a 500-year-old Vietnamese shipwreck; the unique refractive “fingerprint” of a camera lens placed on a scanner in Sheila Pinkel’s LS9; and more!
Searching for ghost towns
Wednesday, October 30, 5:30 – 7pm
UC Berkeley Earth Sciences & Map Library 50 McCone Hall 120 Haviland Path From abandoned mining towns to towns long underwater, come learn about maps and the ghost towns they depict at the Earth Sciences & Map Library. Explore featured maps and other documents of ghost towns and other abandoned places. Librarians and other speakers will be on hand to discuss the stories about different reasons people might abandon places to let them become “ghosts.” Visitors will be able to handle maps, and discuss them with curators.
Discovery Days
East Bay Discovery Day
Saturday October 26th — 10 am – 2 pm
California State University East Bay Hayward Campus 25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard Hayward Science festivals are not new to Cal State East Bay, as they are a biennial tradition dating back to 1974. College of Science faculty, staff and students are excited to be participating in one of three Discovery Days of the Bay Area Science Festival. Approximately 50 activities are scheduled, with demonstrations, experiments, handson-activities, exhibits, lectures and much much more. Participation by everyone is encouraged, especially by school-age children. Everyone – young and old – can experience the wonders of science.North Bay Discovery Day
Saturday October 26th — 10am – 4pm
Sonoma County Fairgrounds 1350 Bennet Valley Rd Santa Rosa, CAThis celebration will be the high point of the Bay Area Science Festival in the North Bay. Families are encouraged to attend this fun interactive event – it’s all designed to get kids excited about STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Examine formula racer engineering and race your own gravity powered model! Discover what it’s like to be a heart surgeon using the newest life saving technologies! *** Event is held Rain or Shine!AT&T Park
Saturday, November 2 — 11:00am – 4:30 pm
San Francisco Numerous UC Berkeley students and staff will participate in the Closing event Discovery Days at AT&T Park in San Francisco, with various STEM departments and organizations taking part. Look for the Science at Cal signs and come meet our scientists!- Society of Physics Students
- Cognitive Science Student Association
- Lawrence Hall of Science
- UC Berkeley Astronomy Department
- BEAM (Berkeley Engineers and Mentors)
- Pilipino Association of Scientists, Architects, and Engineers (PASAE)
- UC Berkeley CLEAR
- Mathematics Undergraduate Student Association
- Human Powered Vehicle Team
- Berkeley Science Review
- and more!