UC Berkeley Cal Day Open House 04.18.09

by Eric on April 17, 2009

It’s time for the UC Berkeley annual “Cal Day” open house!

It’s a day like no other. Spend it in Cal’s classrooms and labs, museums and performance halls, libraries and arenas. Take in all that Berkeley has to offer.

For a searchable schedule and tips on where to park, eat, or get around the campus visit the Cal Day site.

Here is a selection of some of the various science department offerings:

Open Houses

Astronomy
11 am–3 pm | 705 Campbell Hall
Astronomy Laboratory Open House
Tour the lab where astronomy students spend their time. Take the elevator to the 6th floor, turn left, and walk upstairs. Professor Geoffrey Bower and students

11 am–5 pm | Space Sciences Laboratory (take Hill Shuttle from Evans Hall east entrance)
Space Sciences Laboratory Open House and Tours
It’s the International Year of Astronomy! See Berkeley’s own home of cutting-edge space-science research. Tour our mission operations center, the 36-foot satellite dish, and learn about the Stardust mission and the SETI project. Hands-on activities for all ages!

Earth Science
9 am–4 pm | 141 McCone Hall
McCone Hall Rocks!
Wander our halls and explore rock and mineral displays (1st and 3rd floors), faculty profile posters, and photos from space. The Berkeley Seismology Lab is on the 2nd floor, and activities with professors and students are scheduled all day.

10 am–3 pm | 335 McCone Hall
Open House: Earth and Planetary Science Student Center
At the Ramsden Study Center undergraduates answer questions about student life and the six EPS majors: atmospheric science, environmental earth science, geology, geophysics, marine science, and planetary science.

Displays and Demonstrations

Astronomy
10 am–3 pm | 501 Campbell Hall
Live Feed From Hat Creek Radio Observatory
Visit the Radio Astronomy Lab to see video from the Allen telescope array and astronomy demonstrations. Learn what radio astronomers do, how a radio telescope works, and about exploding stars and giant black holes.
Associate Specialist Steve Croft

10 am–4 pm | 544 Campbell Hall
Ask an Astronomer and Mini Astronomy Lectures
Hear a series of mini lectures on astronomy. Ask questions and try to stump an astronomer!

10 am–4 pm | Campbell Hall, north entrance
Solar Viewing
Safely observe the sun through a telescope! See sunspots, solar flares, and other activity (weather permitting).

11 am–5 pm | Space Sciences Laboratory (take Hill Shuttle from Evans Hall east entrance)
NASA’s “From Earth to the Universe” Photo Exhibit
Stunning astronomical images from Hubble and other satellites — soon to be shown at the California Academy of Sciences — are now on campus at the Hearst Mining Circle and the Space Sciences Lab.

Earth Science
10 am–3 pm | 220 McCone Hall
Earthquake!
Learn through hands-on activities and displays about seismic hazards, earthquake monitoring, and past quakes, including the 2004 Sumatra quake and tsunamis.

11 am–2 pm | McCone Hall, entrance & lobby
Marine Science Demonstrations
See live marine animals, and watch students demonstrate beach-bucket science and other projects. (Visit the Lawrence Hall of Science to learn more about marine science!)
Professor Lynn Ingram

11 am–3 pm | McCone Hall, lower lobby
Earth and Planetary Science Student Poster and Project Display
See undergraduate student research on the campus’s Strawberry Creek, including topics on water quality, vegetation, and stream-flow.

Noon–2 pm | Observatory Hill, west of McCone Hall
Carbon Credits for Your Lawn?
If your lawn is green, does it mean it’s soaking up carbon dioxide? Use a gas-analyzer system to measure photosynthesis and respiration on a grassy lawn.
Professor Robert Rhew

Physics
10 am–3 pm | 235, 245 & 248 LeConte Hall
Hands-on Physics
Physics is phun! Don’t miss interactive exhibits and demonstrations for all ages. Physics graduate and undergraduate students

10 am–3 pm | 251 LeConte Hall
Physics Poster Session
See the hard work and research being done by physics graduate students.

11 am–2 pm | 83 LeConte Hall
Dark Matter Search: Open Laboratory
Explore the mysteries of dark matter. What are physicists learning about WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles), the universe, and the Big Bang?

11 am–2 pm | 115 & 119 LeConte Hall
Really Cold Physics: Open Laboratory
Learn how to make stuff cold — really, really cold. Find out about experiments carried out at below -459 degrees F!

Noon–12:45 pm | 1 LeConte Hall
1–1:45 pm | 1 LeConte Hall
Fun With Physics: Why Should Students Have All the Fun?
Sparks and explosions! These jaw-dropping lab demonstrations — from merely amazing to simply spectacular — are favorites in Berkeley physics classes. Professors Howard Shugart (noon) and Bob Jacobsen (1 pm)

Lectures

Astronomy
Noon–1 pm | 100 Genetics & Plant Biology Building
The Dark Side of the Universe
The universe is mostly made up of “dark matter” — what evidence do we have that it exists? Hear how we’re searching for this mysterious component of the universe.
Professor Chung-Pei Ma

1–2 pm | 3 LeConte Hall
Is Anybody Out There?
Hear about Berkeley’s SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program at the world’s largest telescope, the Allen array. Volunteers have a small but captivating chance that their computer will detect the first signal from a civilization beyond Earth. SETI Director Dan Werthimer

2–3 pm | 3 LeConte Hall
Why Are There Stars? New Answers to an Old Question
There are a hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone. How are they born? Hear our current understanding of this basic and beautiful process of nature.
Associate Research Astronomer Steven Stahler

Earth Science
9–10 am | 141 McCone Hall
Probing Ocean Geochemistry in Remote and Stormy Seas
Hear an oceanographer describe his experiences at sea with robotic exploration of the ocean-atmospheric carbon cycle.
Professor Jim Bishop

10–11 am | 141 McCone Hall
Crossroads of Earth Resources and Society: Can U.S. Culture Live Within Its Means?
Cultural and economic attitudes can be modified, transforming the American Dream from materialism to sustainability.
Professor George Brimhall

11 am–noon | 141 McCone Hall
Environmental Earth Science Student Projects
Hear about student research on energy from the ocean.
Professor Bill Berry

Noon–1 pm | 141 McCone Hall
How Global Climate Change Will Affect the Oceans
Warmer surface waters, rising sea levels, more storms, and increased carbon dioxide — all will have an impact on marine ecosystems, coasts, islands, estuaries, and wetlands.
Professor Lynn Ingram

1–2 pm | 141 McCone Hall
A Tectonic Time-Bomb in Our Backyard: Earthquake Potential of the Hayward Fault
Tick, tick, tick. Recent research has found that major quakes on the Hayward Fault occur every 140 years. The last was on Oct. 21, 1868. (You do the math!) Find out what the future may hold.
Research Geophysicist Kevin Mayeda

2–3 pm | 141 McCone Hall
Is the Earth Warming?
Hear why scientists think Earth has warmed, why human activity is responsible, and why they think warming will continue.
Graduate Student Alexander Stine

Physics
10–11 am | 4 LeConte Hall
What Amazing Things We’ve Learned This Year in Physics!
Every year, Berkeley scientists add more to what we know about the universe and how it works. Hear about the past year’s exciting breakthroughs, and ask questions about scientific discovery at Cal.
Professor Bob Jacobsen

11 am–noon | 4 LeConte Hall
What Is the Large Hadron Collider?
It’s the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. Hear how it works and discover the exciting things it might reveal about our amazing universe.
Professor Marjorie Shapiro

Noon–1 pm | 4 LeConte Hall
Physics Undergraduate Program: A Panel Discussion
Faculty advisers, staff, and current students present an overview of the educational and research opportunities for physics students.
Chair Frances Hellman

2–3 pm | 4 LeConte Hall
Seeing the Baby Universe With the Planck Satellite
Fascinated by rockets, stars, and the Big Bang? See footage of the April launch of this satellite and hear how it could soon give us a wealth of information about the evolution and future of the universe.
Postdoctoral Fellow Anze Slosar, Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics

Museums

Berkeley Natural History Museums

9 am–noon | 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building
1–4 pm | 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building
Fossils Roadshow
Found a fossil that needs identifying? This is your lucky day! Show it to experts from the Museum of Paleontology, Essig Museum of Entomology, and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, courtyard
A Walk Through Time: Evolutionary Research at Cal
Wander through a timeline of Earth’s history, featuring research on the evolution of life, and chat with the scientists behind the studies.

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, south entrance
Children’s Animal Soiree
At the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, see live animals, puppet shows, bio-blitz events for kids, and more. Pick up your Passport to Science@Cal, and visit science events all across campus!

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building
Darwin and Evolutionary Biology at Berkeley
Berkeley commemorates Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of The Origin of Species. Join us to celebrate evolutionary research at Cal!

9 am–4 pm | At all participating events
Passport to Science@Cal
Pick up a passport and start your Science@Cal journey (ages 6 to 12)! Explore the mysteries of dark matter, extract DNA from your cheek cells, experience lizard noosing, and more. Stamp your passport at many participating departments, labs, and museums!

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, courtyard
Travels With Charles: Exploring Darwin’s Beagle Voyage
Embark on Darwin’s paleontological, biological, and cultural adventures. Investigate specimens from the Berkeley Natural History Museums that relate to his journey.

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, 3rd floor
Young Explorer Science Corner
Thrill aspiring young scientists (ages 6-12) with interactive mini-labs taught by researchers.

Essig Museum of Entomology

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, 3rd floor
Got Bugs? We Do!
Amazing insects and arachnids are in the Essig Museum’s research collection — also see the live arthropods!

Lawrence Hall of Science

9 am–5 pm | Lawrence Hall of Science (take Hill Shuttle from Evans Hall east entrance)
Lawrence Hall of Science
Free hands-on science all day! Catch the WaterWorks show, get behind the slime in Animal Grossology, and enjoy our outdoor science park, Forces That Shape the Bay. A 20-minute planetarium show runs every half hour from 10:30 am to 4 pm, and Science on a Sphere demos run from 11 am to 3 pm. Check the schedule upon arrival for exact times.

Museum of Paleontology

9–10 am | 2040 Valley Life Sciences Building
Sex and the Single Dinosaur: What Bone Tissues Tell Us
Fossil bone tissues help us see how dinosaurs grew and reproduced. Hear how this information explains why the living dinosaurs (birds) grow differently from other animals.
Graduate Student Sarah Werning

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, courtyard
Human Evolution and Everyday Life
Evolutionary history affects our day-to-day lives — learn how with scientists from the Human Evolution Research Center. See this exhibit and hear about field work in Ethiopia.

9 am–4 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, 1st floor, Wallace Atrium
Meet T. rex
Visit T. rex and Pteranodon, buy a museum t-shirt, and get free tickets for tours of the Museum of Paleontology.

10–11:30 am | Valley Life Sciences Building, 1st floor, Wallace Atrium
1:30–3:30 pm | Valley Life Sciences Building, 1st floor, Wallace Atrium
Tour the Museum of Paleontology Collections
This is your chance to see the museum’s extensive collections, normally closed to the public. Tours leave on the half hour. Pick up free tickets at the museum’s t-shirt table.

11 am–noon | 2040 Valley Life Sciences Building
Darwin’s Voyage Around the World: What Would He Think Now?
Follow Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle and find out what’s become of the places that helped him develop his theory of evolution.
Professor Jere Lipps

Noon–1 pm | 2060 Valley Life Sciences Building
Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming
Hear how global warming is pushing nature itself toward extinction, and how you can help save it.
Professor Tony Barnosky

1–2 pm | 2040 Valley Life Sciences Building
The Evolution of Dinosaur Horns, Spikes, and Domes
How did Triceratops grow horns? What was the bony dome on a pachycephalosaur’s skull used for? Discover more about these dinosaurs, their bizarre skulls, and new dinosaur fossils.
Assistant Director Mark Goodwin

Museum of Vertebrate Zoology

9 am–4 pm | 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building
Who Wants to Be a Zoologist?
Glimpse the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on the only day it’s open to the public. Meet students, researchers, and curators.


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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

JSilverman April 20, 2009 at 10:56 am

Hello all,
My name is Jeffrey Silverman and I’m a graduate student in the Astronomy Department at UC Berkeley. As you can see above, our department had a number of events and lectures for Cal Day.
This was mostly due to the fact that the United Nations has designated 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy because this year we commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies, and Kepler’s publication of Astronomia Nova. 2009 is also the anniversary of many other historic events in science, including Huygen’s 1659 publication of Systema Saturnium. This will be modern astronomy’s quadricentennial, and the 2009 Year of Astronomy will be an international celebration of numerous astronomical and scientific milestones.
For the rest of the year we have a monthly public lecture series with talks taking place on the third Saturday of each month. Admission is free.
To sign up for our email list and receive notification about future talks, and other news from the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department, please visit our mailing list page (https://calmail.berkeley.edu/manage/list/listinfo/astro_public@lists.berkeley.edu) and enter your email details. We won’t sell or give away your email and we won’t send you lots of messages.
To find out more about our IYA celebrations, visit our website: http://astro.berkeley.edu/iya/

Eric April 27, 2009 at 6:54 pm

I’ve signed up to your mailing list.
Thanks for the tip Jeffrey!

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