Not content with books, we have science, we have magic…
Ask A Scientist! This month’s topic – The Moon
Tonight we’ll learn all about our trusty sidekick — the theories on its formation, predictions about its future, its internal structure, its geological past and present, and the many ways in which it affects the earth. We’ll also talk about one of the next missions NASA will be sending to the moon, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. LCROSS will launch next year and will impact the moon in search of water ice near its poles!
Speaker: Jennifer Heldman, Planetary Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center
Where: Axis Cafe, 1201 8th Street (btw. 16th & Irwin in Potrero Hill) 94107, San Francisco
Bonus: Weather permitting, we’ll do some telescope-assisted sky-gazing after the talk. On the menu is a lovely waxing half moon and glamorous gaseous Jupiter. Ask A Scientist is looking for 3-4 people volunteer to bring their telescopes to set up on the sidewalk outside Axis Cafe for moon- and Jupiter-viewing during the break and after the talk.
The Singularity Summit – the premier dialog on the Singularity
Saturday, October 25th at Montgomery Theatre, San Jose
Featured speakers include author Vernor Vinge, noted authority on the Singularity, Peter Diamandiws, founder/X Prize Foundation, and topics range from Web 3.0, neurotech, nanotech, robotics, and AI. Sure to be interesting – the first Singularity Summit was held at Stanford in 2006 to further understanding and discussion about the Singularity concept and the future of human technological progress. It was founded as a venue for leading thinkers to explore the subject, whether scientist, enthusiast, or skeptic. An extraordinary group of visionaries in business, science, technology, design, and the arts, come together in our community to explore this exciting topic. Your participation offers a world of powerful ideas, a unique networking opportunity, and access to an exclusive directory of your peers.
Sponsored by the Long Now Foundation – discount attendance fee for members
ABRACADABRA!
The San Francisco JCC series featuring magic, the paranormal, and mystery!
Jewish Adventures with the Paranormal
With Eddy Portnoy of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Join scholar Eddy Portnoy for a fascinating romp through the little-known history of Jewish psychics, pseudo-scientists and seers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Thursday, October 16, 8:00 PM
Moshe Idel on Jewish Magical and Mystical Traditions
In conversation with Nathaniel Deutsch of the University of California at Santa Cruz, preeminent kabbalah scholar Moshe Idel discusses the role of magic in Jewish mysticism, the use of amulets and incantations, and the persistence of the Jewish magical tradition in contemporary Israeli society.
Mon, October 27, 8:00 PM
An Evening with Ricky Jay
Ricky Jay’s status as a legendary card shark and magician has made him the definitive source on the subject for the Encyclopaedia Britannica. The New York Times Book Review raved about Jay’s book, Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women, while entertainment fans know him for his award-winning stage and screen work with David Mamet and his acting roles in such hits as HBOs Deadwood.
No one under 17 is admitted.
Sat, November 1, 8:00 PM