Science Event Pick: Wonderfest '09

The Bay Area Festival of Science
The first weekend of November is science geek nirvana with the return of a Bay Area gem: Wonderfest, the Bay Area Festival of Science. The 2-day festival is Saturday, November 7^th (on Stanford’s campus) and Sunday, November 8^th (on Berkeley’s campus).

Every year, Wonderfest pairs researchers to answer provocative questions in the world of science. The point is to create an engaging dialogue between the scientists and the audience, empowering people to make up their own mind.

I’m always blown away by the scientific luminaries that take part in the dialogues. Just last year, there was a dialogue on our energy future featuring current Secretary of Energy (and Nobel Laureate) Steven Chu and co-lead author of the IPCC report on climate change Dan Kammen.

This year is no exception with an expanded line-up of exceptional dialogues:

Does Moore’s Law Apply to Energy Technology?
Does Media Violence Inspire Real Violence?
Is Evolution Still Darwinian?
Do Robots Make Better Astronauts?
Does Darwin Illuminate Emotion & Spirituality?
Can We Create Life?

Dialogues not your thing? This year brings the debut of the Amateur Science Forum, (exhibitions of local citizen science programs), the Bay Area Science Expo (shop for science inspired books, crafts, and music), and my personal favorite: the Mind Duel. The Mind Duel is a science quiz competition between a local high champion and a panel of local science professors. A Nobel Laureate humbled by a local high student…it’s possible and likely at Wonderfest.

Wonderfest 2009

When: Saturday 11/7 1-10 PM, Sunday 11/8 10 AM -5 PM
Where: Saturday - Hewlett Teaching Center, Stanford University
Sunday - Stanley Hall, UC Berkeley
Cost: FREE
Details: Through public discourse about provocative scientific questions, Wonderfest aspires to stimulate curiosity, promote careful reasoning, challenge unexamined beliefs, and encourage life-long learning. Wonderfest achieves these ends by presenting series of scientific events to the general public. At most of these events, pairs of articulate and accomplished researchers discuss and debate compelling questions at the edge of scientific understanding.

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