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What's On at The California Academy of Sciences
Exhibits, Lectures, Programs and Events
January 2003
Skulls Ongoing through fall 2003
X-Ray Ichthyology Ongoing through fall 2003
Village Children Ongoing through fall 2003
Dennis Anderson Photos Opening: November 28, 2002
Photo Contest Winners Closed
Powers of Ten Closing January 5, 2003
-Lectures-
Deep Underwater in Cuba
Geography and politics have endowed Cuba with the region's most pristine
coast and marine environment. Join Bill Belleville as he recounts his
month-long journey around the island in the company of American and Cuban
marine biologists and a Discovery Channel film crew. Their voyage was
the first and only United States submersible research expedition in Cuban
waters to date. From mangrove swamps and coral reefs to a submerged volcano,
the explorers encountered sublime wild places rarely seen by human eyes.
Wednesday, January 8, 2 & 7:30 pm, Free to members/$8 non-members.
Earthlike Planets: How They Form and How We Can Find Them
Models of planetary system formation predict that rocky planets should
form in orbit about most single stars. Current technology and search techniques
are limited to the discovery of large planetary bodies. In December 2001,
NASA selected the Kepler Mission to explore the structure and diversity
of planetary systems, with a special emphasis on the detection of Earth-size
planets in the habitable zones surrounding sunlike stars. Dr. Jack Lissauer
from NASA-Ames Research Center will describe the Kepler Mission and its
use of transit photometry (the drop in light when a planet passes between
its star and the observer) from space. Tuesday, January 21, 7:30&9
pm Lecture tickets are $3 each and may be purchased at the door.
Crossing the Frozen Roof of the World
Despite enduring darkness, isolation, one of the stormiest winters on
record, a polar bear attack, and flooded sea ice, Pam Flowers successfully
completed the first solo expedition both by a woman and an American across
2,500 miles of Arctic from Barrow, Alaska to Repulse Bay, Canada. In her
new book, Alone across the Arctic: One Woman's Epic Journey by Dog Team,
Flowers recounts her gripping adventure story and gives insight into the
incredible tenacity required to complete such a trip. Join Flowers as
she shares this exciting tale along with wonderful photographs of the
frozen roof of the world. Wednesday, January 22, 7:30 pm, $6 members/
$8 non-members. Booksigning to follow the lecture.
Conversations at the Herbst Theatre 2003
Presented by City Arts & Lectures, Inc.
Steven Pinker, psychologist of language, M.I.T. The Language Instinct
· The Blank Slate In conversation with Nina Jablonski Tuesday,
January 14, at Herbst Theatre, 8 pm. This series is made possible, in
part, by a grant from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund. To order tickets,
please call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400.
-Field Trips, Seminars & Workshops-
Winter's Birding Bonanza
When the days grow shorter, colder, and wetter, the Bay area becomes a
birder's paradise for thousands of birds from sparrows to bald eagles.
It's the perfect time for getting out and discovering our seasonal feathered
friends. You can see this amazing birding bounty for yourself on one of
the Academy's many January field trips led by Academy instructors. Explore
a variety of coastal habitats, including Bodega Bay, Point Reyes, Golden
Gate Park, San Francisco Bay, Lake San Antonio, and San Luis Obispo in
search of waterbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, eagles, raptors, and others.
Courses range from $30 to $150 and require advance registration.
New Planets, New Worlds
Explore one of the hottest topics in modern astronomy and consider plans
to expand this exciting research quest. Instructed by astronomer Seth
Shostak. Adult Seminar two Thursdays, January 9 & 16, 7&9 pm $35
non-members/$30 members.
Non-Ceremonial Sand Painting
Get inspired by Asian and Native American traditions to create lovely,
durable sandpaintings. Instructed by artist Susan Tibbon. Workshop for
Families with Children Ages 7 and up Sunday, January 12, 11 am&4 pm
$45 adults/$35 children, non-members; $40 adults/$30 children, members
(Plus $6-material fee per person)
Redwoods of the World
Take an in-depth look at the remarkable realm of redwoods, including the
world's tallest and bulkiest trees. Adult Seminar and Field Trip. Five
Wednesdays, January 22&February 19, 7&9 pm & two Saturdays,
February 8 & 15, 10 am&2 pm $130 non-members/$120 members.
Waterworld
Spend the weekend learning to capture water environments which cover 70
percent of the earth's surface through watercolor. Instructed by artist
Christine Cohen. Adult Workshop Saturday & Sunday, January 25 &
26, 10 am&4 pm $110 non-members/$100 members (Supplies not included;
materials list sent with confirmation notice.)
-Kids: Things To Do -
Children's Story Time - ongoing
Story Time takes place in the Skulls exhibit at the California Academy
of Sciences each Saturday at 10:30 am. Children ages 3 to 7 are welcome.
Free with admission
Ancient Hawaiian Traditions Come to Life
In ancient times, dancers were taught in a hula halau, meaning a hall,
by a hula master (kumu hula). Young dancers, both male and female, were
specially chosen for their grace and physical coordination and trained
in making costumes and leis as well as in dance. Dancers continue to this
day to belong to hula halaus (the word now refers to a hula school or
group), where regional differences in hula styles are still maintained.
Costumes for the classical kahiko hula, were made from layers of bark
cloth (kapa) wrapped around the body. Leis fashioned from such natural
materials as mountain ferns, flowers, shells, seeds, kukui nuts, or dog's
teeth were worn on the head, wrists, and ankles to accentuate the dancers'
movements. Misao Mizuno and her dance troupe demonstrate the classic form
and history of the hula Saturday, January 18, 1 pm. Free with museum admission.
Music from Tonga
Musicians from the Heilala o Tonga Group bring us a concert of music in
the Tongan tradition. Singing in strong harmony to the accompaniment of
various instruments ukulele, guitar, banjo, bass, handmade, and lali (a
percussion instrument made of bamboo) the musicians perform songs that
tell of love won and lost, Tonga's island landscape and its royal family,
human relationships, and everyday activities, like fishing. Saturday,
January 25, 1 pm, Free with museum admission.
Fun With Dead Heads
Make a Skull & Examine real skulls and then make a simple machine
skull model of your own. All ages. Saturday & Sunday, January 25 &
26, 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm.
Mysterious Victims of Flying Predators & Examine the hunting
technique of hawks, eagles and other flying predators, then help reconstruct
the scene of the crime as we identify the skulls of their prey. Saturday
& Sunday, January 18 & 19, 11:30 am and 1:30 pm.
Bare Bones & Take a crash course on recognizing animals by
their skulls alone. Examine human, hyena, turtle and rodent skulls, learning
important details used by experts to compare species. Saturday & Sunday,
January 11 & 12, 11:30 am & 1:30 pm.
Bird Skulls & Meet a live toucan, touch real
bird skulls and explore avian skull design. Saturdays & Sundays, January
4 & 5, 25 & 26, 11:30 am & 1:30 pm.
-Exhibits & Happenings -
Holidays at the Academy
The Academy is open every day of the year. Families are invited to visit
both Christmas Day, December 25, 2002 and New Years' Day, January 1, 2003.
This year New Years' Day coincides with our Free Day. On Free Day, the
Academy is open from 10 am to 8:45 pm. Open every day from 10 am to 5
pm.
Natural Selection: Darwin's Birthday
Set aside time to smooch under the stars and kiss among the fishes with
an evening of music, dancing and revelry. It's time to celebrate Darwin's
Birthday with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers and the Academy
Explorers. This year, the Explorers (the Academy's young professionals
group) will host Natural Selection Friday, February 7, 2003 from 8:30
pm&midnight. Tickets $40 in advance/$55 at the door. Sign up to receive
an invitation by emailing info@calacademy.org.
Skulls
Ongoing through fall 2003
Skulls includes almost 1,700 different dead heads -- ranging from monkeys
and giraffes to warthogs and rats to bears and dolphins. Created by Academy
staff, this exhibit is festooned with 860 sea lion heads in a 93-foot-long
undulating display. Skulls shows visitors what the study of human and
animal skulls can reveal about behavior, injury, disease, evolutionary
adaptation, and more. This strange and stunning display will captivate
young and old alike.
X-Ray Ichthyology
Ongoing through fall 2003
Prepare to look at fish in a whole new light. X-Ray Ichthyology captures
forty-six fish from the Academy's ichthyology collection on X-ray film.
Blown up and backlit, these large-format photographs transform scaly swimmers
ranging from piranhas to guitarfish into eerie, luminescent works of art.
Village Children
Ongoing through fall 2003
See faces of children from around the world, in villages both rural and
urban. This collection of photographs is a tribute to communities that
allow people to live and work in a space of human dimensions and shared
values. Village Children is a traveling exhibit of photographs by the
noted photographer Dr. Philip Rasori. This exhibit will be on display
in the Academy's Cafe opening October 12.
Dennis Anderson Photos
Opening: November 28, 2002
Dennis Anderson presents portraits of life on the San Francisco Bay. From
glowing undersea creatures and sunset scenes to commercial fisherman and
cargo handling, Anderson's work captures the Bay as an intersection of
nature and commerce in still photographs. Get a glimpse of San Francisco
Bay through Anderson's photography exhibit on display at the Academy in
Wild California Hall opening November 28.
Powers of Ten
Closing January 5, 2003
Come visit a place where the farthest reaches of the Universe and the
familiar features of your own back yard are just a few steps and a few
zeros apart. Using a series of photographs based on the landmark film
of the same name by Charles and Ray Eames, Powers of Ten explores 44 powers
of ten, beginning with 1026 meters (the size of the known Universe) and
ending at 10-18 meters (the size of the smallest known subatomic particles).
At each station, videos and objects from the Academy's vast research collections
allow visitors to investigate scientific discoveries relating to different
powers of ten.
Nature Discovery - ongoing
Each year the California Academy of Sciences offers children, families
and adults more than 200 field trips, workshops and classes focusing on
science and the natural world. Explore tide pools in Marin, discover birds
in Golden Gate Park or learn how to draw and paint animals in Steinhart
Aquarium.
Steinhart Aquarium
Watch live sharks, alligators, penguins, hundreds of fish and a living
coral reef at Steinhart Aquarium. Steinhart Aquarium houses over 600 varieties
of aquatic life in 165 individual tanks. Open ocean fish swim around you
in the 100,000-gallon fish roundabout (feedings take place at 1:30 pm
daily). Penguin feedings take place at 11:30 am and 4 pm each day. California
Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park Open 365 days of the year
Free Wednesday
The first Wednesday of every month is free, all year long! The museum
stays open until 8:45 pm on free Wednesdays - at 5 pm step into Morrison
Planetarium for a free half-hour concert.
Wednesday, January 2, 10 am - 8:45 pm California Academy of Sciences,
Free
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