Marine Mammal Center Science Sunday is a free engaging ocean-inspired classroom series for kids and adults on the second and fourth Sunday of every month.
Interactive classroom presentations hosted by the Center’s education team. Learn interesting facts about marine mammals. Presentations are 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM (45 minutes each).

Marine Science Sundays 2017:
January 22: Animals of the Arctic
February 12 and 26: Marine Mammal Parents and Pups
March 12 and 26: The Big, The Small and The Weird
April 9 and 23: Magnificent Migrations
May 14 and 28: Back from the Brink: Saving Species
June 11 and 25: Marine Mammal Sounds
June 18 (3rd Sunday): Summer with the Sea Lions
July 9 and 23: Marine Mammal Superheroes
August 13 and 27: Under the Bridge: Marine Mammals of SF Bay
September 10 and 24: Top Predators: Orcas and Great White Sharks
September 17 (3rd Sunday): Sea Otter Spectacular
October 8 and 22: Creatures of the Deep
November 12 and 26: An Ocean Feast: Marine Mammal Feeding
December 10 and 24: Seal and Sea Lion Superstars of 2017

Directions to The Marine Mammal Center (PDF)

The Marine Mammal Center
2000 Bunker Road
Fort Cronkhite
Sausalito, 94965
(415) 289-7330

Admission: Free (donations welcome — The Marine Mammal Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization)
2nd and 4th Sundays each month
Daily: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Ira Flatow

Last week I spent 45 minutes (the time it takes to get from South San Francisco to San Jose) with Ira Flatow. He is the founder and president of Science Friday. I told Ira that I had my doubts about global warming, so he spent a good deal of the trip trying to enlighten me. Though he had some good arguments, they didn’t convince me (yet) to see the light, or should I say “the warm”. Bantering things around with the good-natured Mr. Flatow was enjoyable.   scifri on twitter

Brian Sussman

Today I met Brian Sussman. He was a local science reporter and meteorologist for KPIX, and now he hosts a morning radio show on KSFO-AM. I’ll be reading his book, Climategate, to get his view on global warming.

I guess time will tell…

From Nov. last year, but posted recently as a NASA image of the day we bring you a killer 3D view of the San Andreas Fault running up the peninsula and out to see north of Pacifica. This project is about mapping which parts of the fault are creeping past each other with little “stickiness,” and which parts appear to be locked together—places where pent-up stress may be released suddenly in a major earthquake.

San Andreas Fault Satellite Imagery

To read more about NASA’s mission to map the San Andreas and related faults with radar imagery, please read Scientists Search for a Pulse in Skies Above Earthquake Country.

The Green Roof Industry Association has awarded the new Cal Academy of Sciences with an award of excellence for their green roof installation. The new Academy opens on September 27, 2008. The living roof is a key part of the platinum LEED certification the museum has accomplished. From the southeast view the building truly blends in to the landscape. From the west, see picture below, still a sight to behold.

The roof also retains 2 million gallons of rainwater, preventing 70% of the rainwater that falls on the roof from becoming runoff. The water that does run off the roof is collected in basement-level cisterns and reused for roof irrigation. No potable water will be used to irrigate the living roof.

The roof covers an ambitious 197,000 sq. ft. to a depth of 6-7 inches and cost $17 per sq. ft. In conjunction with the building’s other innovative sustainable features, the living roof contributes to many of the anticipated LEED® points, which, when achieved, will make the Academy the world’s largest LEED® Platinum -certified public space

Photo Credit: Peter Kaminski. H/t to Inhabitat.

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