It’s Spring Break for many schools in the area, so we’ve got lots of guests at the California Academy of Sciences. I always love seeing our science presenters doing their thing with a large audience. Here’s one of them giving a “Swamp Talk” to some of our visitors. Here’s more video of Claude in action!
“Expedition Reef” is the latest planetarium show produced by the California Academy of Sciences, and my favorite so far! “Expedition Reef” focuses on one of Earth’s most precious resources — the delicate chains of coral reefs found all around our planet. The show reveals in stunning detail what makes these ocean environments so special, …
I’m excited to share the news about KQED Learn, a free, safe online space for students to engage in thoughtful discussions about timely societal topics, using fact-based arguments and social media that they share. As the next generation of KQED’s awesome “Do Now” series, this looks like a great tool for teachers to facilitate thoughtful debates …
For the past couple of weeks, I have been focused on next steps in my career. I’m plotting a major professional transition, which is both frightening and thrilling. As I ponder all of the possibilities and consider all of the external and internal factors involved, my brain gets overtaxed with the cognitive load. Then I …
Okay, this is not quite as cool as an actual Wakandan embassy coming to Oakland, but pretty damn close. Inspired by the success of their movie "Black Panther," Disney is giving $1 million to Boys and Girls Club to fund STEM learning programs around the country, including funding of a "STEM Center of Innovation" in …
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of co-leading a series of community outreach events in the Philippines, along with my colleague Lindzy. This was part of a much larger "Verde Island Passage" scientific expedition, focused on an area of the Philippines called by some "the center of the center of marine biodiversity" …
Check out this editorial in Ed Source by the Elizabeth Babcock of the California Academy of Sciences on the importance of after-school programs. Elizabeth notes that the Trump administration has been consistently trying to cut Federal funding for after-school initiatives, including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers in the 2019 budget. She notes: A reduction in …
Today is my six year anniversary of working at the California Academy of Sciences. It’s been an incredible adventure so far, full of crazy ideas, ambitious events, exciting projects, and so many wonderful colleagues along the way. I’m still grateful every day that I get to work here. Looking forward to whatever comes next.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has teamed up with DJ Ben Mirin to bring us BeastBox. Make your own music by mixing wild animal voices with beatbox loops and unlock "Beast Mode" by adding five animals from the same ecosystem. You get access to a special track created by DJ Mirin! I've been playing with it …
One of my favorite exhibits at the California Academy of Sciences is the Reef Lagoon tank, which houses a wide variety of rays — Cownose, Blue-spotted ribbontail, Honeycomb, and Bluespotted. Rays are the best! We have had a live cam from our reef lagoon on our website for awhile now. So calming and beautiful, right? Now …