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This week in science: 8/4 - 8/10
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Highlight: this month's Ask a Scientist event will feature a talk entitled "Robots!" by David Calkins. Great food for thought accompanied by great food to eat at the Axis Cafe.
Headlines first, followed by the details
Monday, August 4th at 6:00 pm
Nuclear Energy: Fueling the Future?
Angie Howard, Senior Vice President, Nuclear Energy Institute
The Center for Inquiry
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
595 Market St., 2nd Floor
Wednesday, August 6th, 7:00 pm
Robots!
David Calkins; Lecturer of Computer & Electrical Engineering at SF State University
Axis Cafe, 1201 8th Street (btw. 16th & Irwin) San Francisco
Ask a Scientist
Thursday, August 7th at 7:00 pm
Wired for Speech: How Voice Activates Interactions with People and Computers
CLIFFORD NASS , The Thomas More Storke Professor
Stanford University Outdoor Science Talks at the Cantor Arts Center (map)
Saturday August 8th, 8:30 p.m.
Astrobiology, Planetary Protection and the Search for ET Life
Margaret Race
Mountain Theater, Mount Tamalpais State Park, Mill Valley, CA
Details:
Monday, August 4th at 6:00 pm
Nuclear Energy: Fueling the Future?
Angie Howard, Senior Vice President, Nuclear Energy Institute
The Center for Inquiry
Commonwealth Club San Francisco
595 Market St., 2nd Floor
People across the political spectrum are agreeing that we have to reduce our dependence on oil. But what's the best solution to the problem? Nuclear energy has been hailed as a cheap and effective alternative energy source, but what are the safety risks associated with nuclear plants? What can we do with the waste? How is France, a country that relies heavily on nuclear power, dealing with these concerns? Come find out everything you need to know about going nuclear from a panel of experts with a variety of opinions and perspectives.
Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. hors d'oeuvres reception
MEMBERS FREE, $18 non-members
In association with the Environment & Natural Resources Member-Led Forum
Wednesday, August 6th, 7:00 pm
Robots!
David Calkins; Lecturer of Computer & Electrical Engineering at SF State University
Axis Cafe, 1201 8th Street (btw. 16th & Irwin) San Francisco
Ask a Scientist
From Talos and Golem to Rosie the Maid and KITT the Car, artifical humans have long been a source of fascination to real humans. While fiction and fantasy abound with an animated cast of automatons ranging from evil to endearing, today's real robots are building our cars, defusing roadside bombs, and vacuuming up the dog hairs while we're at work. Find out what David Calkins, one of America's most respected robotics authorities, has to say about the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence. Among his numerous titles, David is president of the Robotics Society of America, founder of the ROBOGames, and co-founder and president of ComBots — the country's largest organizer of robot combat. So if you've got questions about robots, this is clearly the guy to ask. Oh, and I forgot to mention, David will also be bringing some very special guests with him: ROBOTS!
Thursday, August 7th at 7:00 pm
Wired for Speech: How Voice Activates Interactions with People and Computers
CLIFFORD NASS , The Thomas More Storke Professor
Stanford University Outdoor Science Talks at the Cantor Arts Center (map)
Technologies that talk and listen are populating computers, cars, call centers, and even home appliances and toys, but voice interfaces frequently seem to be more problem than opportunity. This talk will describe how the human brain and body are "wired" for speech: The sound of a voice, whether from a person or machine, causes us to respond as we respond to actual people and to behave as we would in any social situation.
In this lecture, you will discover how voice can lead people to be polite to computers, to gender-stereotype cars, to buy more when a website's personality matches their own, to be charmed by a toy's flattery, and to drive more safely when the car has the correct emotion. You will learn whether an automated call center should apologize when it can't understand what you say; why negotiations and creativity can improve when your words don't come from your mouth; when to speak to maximize learning; how to encourage people to disagree with a robot; and the perfect combination of microphone and speaker to elicit honesty. This discussion will also help you gain a better understanding of the future of the machines that will speak with and listen to us.
Saturday August 8th, 8:30 p.m.
Astrobiology, Planetary Protection and the Search for ET Life
Margaret Race
Mountain Theater, Mount Tamalpais State Park, Mill Valley, CA
Margeret Race explains why there is more than rocket science involved in NASA missions.
Free admission
(415) 383-1100
