Lectures and talks in San Francisco

A guided history walk of Lands End's wild northwest corner led by historian and retired National Park Ranger John Martini. Participants will follow the route of the historic Ferries & Cliff House steam train, view the remains of two shipwrecks (weather permitting), and visit the USS San Francisco Memorial to learn about the warship's 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal. The two-hour walk covers uneven terrain; easy grade. Limited to 30 people.

A curator walkthrough of 'Drawn Together,' a group exhibition celebrating human connection through diverse artistic media. Curator Auriel Garza leads visitors through works exploring gatherings of figures—friends, families, teams, dancers—and the expressive power of line work as both structural and emotional force. The exhibition examines how artists depict shared joy, camaraderie, and belonging across varied settings from supermarkets to dance floors to family dining tables, offering a heartfelt tribute to the ties that bring us together.

Explore the Mediterranean diet and regional Italian culinary traditions with Bernadette Festa, MS, RD. Learn the health principles behind this way of eating—its emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and how food traditions vary across Italy—alongside selections of regional recipes from everyday dishes to traditional favorites. Discover how to bring the Mediterranean approach into your own kitchen.

A walking tour through San Francisco's Civic Center, Mid-Market, and SoMa exploring murals, monuments, and public art shaped by collective action and community collaboration. Led by art historian, writer, and skateboarder Ted Barrow, the tour begins at the San Francisco Public Library Main Branch at the Maya Angelou monument by Lava Thomas, traces Market Street to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the exhibition *Dread Scott: The Body Politic*, and highlights works celebrating the people and communities that shape San Francisco. The program considers how public art creates spaces for connection, visibility, and collective expression, and examines art as a platform for protest and social justice.

Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. A screening of Comparsa, a documentary following sisters Lesli and Lupe in Ciudad Peonia, Guatemala, who use art and performance to heal community trauma and confront violence against women after 41 girls are killed in a state-run facility. The film explores how they organize a youth movement featuring exuberant street performances, towering puppets, and fire-breathing stilt walkers to reclaim public space and challenge corruption. Built on a 15-year relationship between filmmakers and subjects, it is a portrait of sisterhood, peacebuilding, and art's transformational power.

A curator-led walkthrough of OBJECTS: USA, the landmark 1969 Smithsonian exhibition of American studio craft, now reimagined at the Museum of Craft and Design. Chief Curator Ariel Zaccheo shares curatorial insights and stories behind select works in clay, fiber, glass, metal, and wood, exploring the materials, techniques, and ideas connecting makers across generations. The exhibition features over 70 historic and contemporary works by leading artists and designers, reflecting the Bay Area's central role in developing American studio craft and challenging postwar art hierarchies.

Filmmakers will participate in a post-screening Q&A. A screening of eight short films from the SF Latino Film Festival's Community Voices program, featuring works by local filmmakers including James Hall, Alma Amancay Herrera-Pazmiño, Naomi Garcia Pasmanick, Noemi Ochoa, Xander R. Trejo, and Nicolas Jara. The program includes narratives ranging from cultural documentation and community art to speculative fiction, with runtimes from 4 to 15 minutes.

Post-screening Q&A with director Jack MacInnes and film subject Israa, moderated by Carrie Lozano. A screening of One in a Million, a ten-year documentary following Israa from age 11 as she and her family flee Syria across the Aegean Sea to Germany, navigating adolescence, identity, and belonging in exile. Co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, the film chronicles war, displacement, and the tension between new freedoms and Syrian traditions.

Colin Jost, Emmy-winning writer and co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update," discusses his career in comedy and media. Jost has been a writer on SNL since 2005 and published the New York Times bestseller "A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir" in 2020. He also hosted "Pop Culture Jeopardy!" on Prime Video in 2024, earning an Emmy nomination. Part of the Silk Speaker Series during CelebrateUSF at the University of San Francisco.

A guided walking tour through San Francisco's Castro neighborhood exploring LGBTQIA+ resistance history, created by Shawn Sprockett, a former senior adjunct professor and practicing designer. The tour traces queer activism from the White Night riots through the AIDS crisis and subsequent police violence, introducing figures including trans doctors, lesbian healthcare workers, and community organizers. Approximately 90 minutes of walking on city sidewalks with one moderate hill, ending at the Lookout bar with a complimentary drink. The tour closes Sprockett's three-part history of queer San Francisco (following North Beach and Tenderloin tours). Runs monthly; ages 21+.

Litquake's closing-night poetry crawl hosted across three simultaneous events at Medicine for Nightmares. 'Grandmas are Griots' (5–6pm, hosted by Allie Jones) honors oral storytelling traditions and matriarchal resistance through readings by Ashia Ajani, Liftawiya, mel, Sara Borjas, and Jones. 'In the Spirit of Kapwa' (6:30–7:30pm, hosted by Tiffani Patton) is presented by Mesa Refuge. 'Pochx Deluxe: An Ode to the California Lengua' (9–10pm, hosted by Lourdes Figueroa) concludes the evening. Each program centers embodied practice, cultural memory, and collective commitment.

A screening of the documentary Steal This Story, Please! with journalist Amy Goodman and director Tia Lessin for a post-screening Q&A. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin examine three decades of Amy Goodman's career as a trailblazing investigative journalist at Democracy Now!, covering global conflicts and stories silenced by commercial media. The film explores how Goodman navigates a news landscape reshaped by corporate consolidation and political assaults on truth, offering both a portrait of resistance and a meditation on democracy when the press surrenders to power.

The final graduating class of California College of the Arts' MFA in Writing program reads from their work at this Litquake event. The emerging writers—working in fiction, memoir, poetry, and hybrid forms—present pieces that move across borders, histories, families, and imagined futures with wit, ambition, and emotional precision. This reading marks both a farewell to a decades-long program and an introduction to the writers who will carry its legacy forward, affirming that literature remains one of our most powerful ways of attending to one another, to history, and to ourselves.

An evening of poetry and prose centered on resistance and radical dreaming, featuring queer, immigrant, and trans writers speaking to justice and imagining alternatives. Curated and hosted by Baruch Porras Hernandez, the program features poets Preeti Vangani and Gio!, with musical guest Mobby Rosas.

Join the Asian Art Museum's Kasama Festival celebrating Filipino American History Month. Michelle Sterling, children's book author, discusses *When Lola Visits*, her story of a young girl spending a summer with her grandmother from the Philippines. The book weaves Tagalog songs and mango jam into an evocative tale of familial love spanning oceans and generations.

Nebula and Hugo Award–winning author Charlie Jane Anders celebrates the launch of her new Star Trek comic series, Star Trek Zero Point, set a few years after Star Trek: Picard season 3. Anders will discuss the inspiration behind the series, Trek's message of fighting intolerance in 2026, and why it resonates now. The story follows Captain Raffi Musiker commanding a starship tasked with preventing future disasters, guided by a powerful A.I. wearing the face of a familiar ally. Meet-and-greet and signing follow. Special guests include the USS Golden Gate fan club, formed in 1993, which celebrates Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations across the Bay Area.

Post-screening Q&A with the filmmaker. A screening of Libertad, a documentary about Alejandra, an Indigenous transgender woman from Oaxaca, Mexico who fled violence 30 years ago and now seeks reunion with her elderly mother while advocating for immigrant, LGBTQ+, and indigenous rights in California. The film explores family, identity, and the transnational challenges of survival and solidarity across borders. Part of the 18th annual SF Latino Film Festival at the Roxie Theater.

Introduction by directors Stephens and Sprinkle with Q&A moderated by Madison Young. A screening of Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency, a documentary by Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle about ecological grief, resilience, and transformation in the aftermath of California's wildfires. When lightning forces the longtime lovers to evacuate their Boulder Creek home, they channel loss into ecosexual art and environmental activism, weaving stories from formerly incarcerated firefighters, Indigenous scholars, fire artists, and community members. The film explores fire as destructive, regenerative, and erotic force while centering queer resilience amid climate crisis.

Kapil Ramachandran of Columbia University's Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease presents recent findings on neuroproteasomes and spatial control of neuronal proteostasis. Hosted by Lennart Mucke, MD, at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease.

John Briscoe, SF poet, lawyer, and restaurateur, discusses the plagiarism of women's writing in the Western canon—examining how female authors have been erased, misattributed, or had their work appropriated within literary history.

A screening of Young China, a documentary retracing Sun Yat-sen's travels across six American cities through historic sites, archival materials, and interviews with descendants and community members. The film explores Sun Yat-sen's deep connections to the United States and the Chinese American communities who supported his revolutionary work over a century ago. Following the screening, a live panel with descendants, scholars, and community members invites reflection on immigration, identity, community involvement, and trans-Pacific history. Part of a special program marking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth.

Has the Democratic Party lost its soul? Author and former Democratic operative Evan Barker discusses her inside story of departing from the party, arguing it has been hijacked by out-of-touch activists, coastal elitists, and special interests. She explores her political disillusionment in conversation with Sarah McCammon, National Correspondent for NPR.

A practical guide to eliminating hallucinations, optimizing computational resources, and deploying secure, trustworthy, and compliant AI systems. Rush Shahani discusses concrete steps for building reliable AI in production environments.

Experimental astrophysicist Dr. Julie Rolla explores how NASA's work extends far beyond space exploration. Drawing on her experience in ultra-high energy neutrinos, dark matter, AI-driven detector design, and climate-focused satellite applications, she discusses how space science drives advances in medicine, climate science, technology, and emergency response. From telemedicine tools to Mars missions that reveal planetary evolution, NASA's breakthroughs quietly benefit everyday life while inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.

A celebration of Fatimah Asghar's sophomore poetry collection *Daughter of the Mountains*, with writers R.O. Kwon and Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Asghar's collection explores exile, ancestry, spirituality, and belonging through meditative poems that grapple with loss, longing, and love. Kwon is author of the National Book Critics Circle finalist *The Incendiaries* and *Exhibit*. Rojas Contreras is author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist memoir *The Man Who Could Move Clouds* and the novel *Fruit of the Drunken Tree*. Hosted at The Booksmith. Seats available by advance book purchase or $3 sliding-scale donation; general admission on a first-come, first-served basis.

National Book Award finalist Fady Joudah discusses Exhibit G, a collection of poems, essays, and photographs offering a Palestinian representation of Gaza's devastation and resilience. Writing from his perspective as a Palestinian American physician, Joudah explores the paradoxes of witnessing destruction from afar while caring for the sick in the US. The book combines personal reflection with images from Gaza, insisting on Palestinian interiority and the survival of beauty amid genocide. Proceeds benefit Gaza Soup Kitchen.

A talk with Ken Knabb, translator of Guy Debord and the Situationist International and author of The Joy of Revolution. Knabb's masterwork examines modern revolutionary possibilities through a situationist lens, analyzing radical tactics across ordinary and extraordinary conditions, and envisioning postrevolutionary liberated communities. This new edition includes updates, detourned comics, reviews, analyses of Occupy and Trump-era resistance, and reflections on the coronavirus shutdown.

​Abstract: ​"Bend is a proof language whose programs run as fast as C on one core, and in parallel on GPUs. Its checker verifies proofs in seconds, so you can write large programs that are proven correct and still fast. I'll show how it works, and how its core relates to Lean." ​Speaker: https://x.com/VictorTaelin Bend: https://bend-lang.com ​The SF Lean meetup: Weekly presentations and discussions about formal methods, software verification, AI, and math. Beginners welcome! ​Website: https://sflean.group/ Join our Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/bXNPhQyjfe Host: Adi Baradwaj More info: https://luma.com/0zs5pdkz

A screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre (1989), followed by discussion with local photographer and film enthusiast Tommy Milutin. This haunting, dreamlike odyssey follows a traumatized circus performer navigating a surreal world shaped by his mother's influence, past violence, and distorted love—blending horror, spirituality, and psychological turmoil into a strikingly unconventional cinematic experience.

Learn how to build an end-to-end agentic geospatial pipeline using satellite and weather data on AWS and Wherobots. This technical talk covers practical approaches to processing geospatial intelligence at scale, combining machine learning with geospatial analysis. Hosted at AWS Builder Loft.

Kathi Zellweger and Mike Chinoy discuss Zellweger's firsthand experiences delivering humanitarian aid in North Korea, focusing on strategies for building trust, navigating institutional barriers, and supporting vulnerable populations in one of the world's most isolated countries. The conversation explores the practical and diplomatic challenges of NGO work in restrictive contexts.

A practical seminar on generative AI models, tools, platforms, and workflows designed to accelerate scientific research. Vivek Natarajan, AI researcher at Google DeepMind, will discuss new applications and methodologies for AI-guided research. Followed by a networking reception.

A workshop on building scalable go-to-market systems for AI-native companies. Participants will learn why speed without a GTM operating system creates fragility, and what it takes to build systems that are fast, repeatable, and built to scale. Led by Lydia Flocchini and Tim Hillison—both 3x CMOs, GTM Partners Certified Partners, and repeat operators with a track record of nine successful builds across startups, scaleups, and Fortune 500 companies. Attendees will leave with a clear GTM operating system framework, a maturity assessment of their current GTM journey, and real examples from data to agentic GTM. A One Way Summit 2026 Official Side Event.

AI-generated code now arrives faster than validation pipelines can process, breaking the balance between code production and quality checks. This meetup brings together engineers rebuilding feedback systems for the agent era. Speakers and panelists will discuss why this gap matters for change success rates and recovery time, how pairing robust delivery pipelines with sub-minute validation improves efficiency, and how running only relevant tests keeps compute costs down. Hosted by Bond AI with a panel discussion, audience Q&A, and peer networking.

A Halloween-themed interactive investigation into a broken development environment, hosted by AI Valley and Flox. Attendees follow clues through suspicious dependencies and environment issues to diagnose what went wrong—with talks and live demos from Justin Castilla (Flox), Jessica Garson Beauchemin (Runpod), Amin Karbas (Resolve AI), and Dan Gross (FriendliAI). The event combines technical problem-solving with food, drinks, and networking; costumes encouraged.

A conversation on how engineering teams integrate AI into their workflows beyond code generation. Tanmai Gopal (CEO, PromptQL) discusses how customer context and team knowledge shape AI-assisted work; Iba Masood (Optimal AI) covers AI code review, quality, security, and measurement; Joe Maionchi (co-founder, RocketRide.ai) addresses moving AI prototypes to reliable production, including testing, debugging, and maintenance. Aimed at engineering leaders attending GitHub Universe.

A talk on founder psychology and resilience with Matteo Cassese, founder coach and keynote speaker. How do successful founders—Steve Jobs, Larry Page, Jensen Huang—leverage difficulty and chaos for growth while avoiding burnout? Cassese explores the internal work that shapes external success: transforming conflict into opportunity, the stories founders tell themselves, and unconventional approaches to confidence and mindset drawn from psychology, mythology, and contemplative practice.

A talk on how AI is transforming the modern software engineering stack. Hosted by Mobile Monday Silicon Valley at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

A screening of Saving 4 Seconds, a documentary about Bay Area efforts to implement life-saving suicide-prevention policy on the Golden Gate Bridge. The film features interviews with local families, advocates, and elected officials who championed the policy, along with never-before-seen CCTV footage of bridge employees intervening to save lives. Hosted by SPUR Urban Center, a trusted civic institution.

What happens when humanitarian workers operate in one of the world's most closed and repressive regimes? Kathi Zellwegger shares firsthand insights from her experience providing humanitarian aid on the ground in North Korea, offering rare perspective on daily life, state control, and the possibilities for engagement with the isolated communist state. In conversation with Mike Chinoy, journalist and Korea expert.

An Anti-Debate on the billionaire tax, a structured dialogue format where participants build on each other's insights to explore complexity rather than declare winners. Moderated by systems strategist Jenny Stefanotti, with San Jose State finance professor Annette Nellen and UC Berkeley law professor Brian Galle exploring the tax's merits, challenges, and trade-offs from multiple perspectives.

Frontier AI systems face real-world challenges at scale: GPU failures, cascading outages, and non-deterministic behavior threaten reliability. This session explores operational lessons from 2026's high-impact AI infrastructure incidents, featuring infrastructure leaders, SREs, and MLOps engineers discussing practical architectures for cluster resilience, inference under pressure, and redefining SLOs for probabilistic systems. Topics include mitigating compute failures, designing fallbacks and circuit breakers, measuring reliability in AI systems, and blameless postmortems from major 2026 outages. Hosted by Bond AI and Rootly.

A screening and conversation around Lynn Novick's forthcoming PBS documentary Crime and Punishment in America, executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard. Novick, an acclaimed filmmaker whose previous work includes documentaries on American history and institutions, will discuss how the United States became the world's leading incarcerator and explore the forces behind mass incarceration. Co-presented by Commonwealth Club World Affairs and KQED Live.

Explore how our relationships with cities, parks, and the more-than-human world shape our future in this panel inspired by Susanna Kwan's *Awake in the Floating City*, the 2026 One City One Book selection. Drawing on five years of the Parks as Ancestors series, the conversation expands beyond protected parklands to consider urban spaces as living legacies. Local community leaders working on place-based environmental justice—including moderator Yakuta Poonawalla of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy—reflect on memory, loss, connection, and responsibility across generations and cultures. The panel coincides with Indigenous Peoples' Day, Día de los Muertos, and Diwali, inviting participants to consider what we inherit from places and people who came before us, and what we will leave behind. Attendees may bring a photograph or sentimental object honoring someone they have lost.

A moderated conversation with legendary turntablists DJ Qbert and DJ Shortkut exploring their creative journeys, technical innovation, and impact on turntablism as a respected musical discipline. The discussion covers their Filipino heritage, artistic longevity, and commitment to supporting the next generation through education and workshops. Moderated by Kendo the DJ, founder of Mixsterious. A short live demonstration of their technical skill and performance style may be included.

A screening of When ICE Melts, a feature-length documentary about resistance to Operation Metro Surge and ICE enforcement in Minnesota's Twin Cities, with director Kip Hedges in person for a post-screening Q&A moderated by SFSU Faculty and CFA member Blanca Missé. The film follows organizers, community leaders, and working-class resistance across neighborhoods, workplaces, and unions, including footage of the January 23 mass strike. It examines strategic lessons in building democratic structures and solidarity to confront authoritarianism, designed as a resource for organizers and activists in other cities.

A technical talk on building software factories using coding agents, harnesses, and verification systems. Attendees will learn how AI-driven coding tools are being integrated into production workflows and what engineering practices enable scaling from experimental agents to reliable systems.

A community ballot-review gathering where attendees work through local and statewide measures together, ask questions, share resources, and discuss options before casting votes. The format is collaborative and low-pressure—you vote on what you feel informed about and skip the rest. Hosted at Manny's.

A lecture on Frank Netter's groundbreaking medical illustrations and the intersection of art and science in medical education. Dr. Wen Shen, an endocrine surgeon with a master's degree in the history of medicine, explores Netter's career and his profound influence on how physicians visualize and understand the human body. Part of the Orlo H. Clark Lectureship series.

Rabbi Shais Rishon, spiritual leader of Ohel Eidot CHeMDaT"A (the first African American-led and -centered synagogue in Washington, D.C.), discusses his book *The Souls of Black Jewish Folk*, published under his pseudonym MaNishtana. Drawing on a personal legacy of African American Judaism stretching to the 1780s and his upbringing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community, Rishon explores how Jewish tradition, racial identity, and contemporary American life intersect. He will be in conversation with a member of the USF faculty.

Veteran journalist Jonathan Weber, founding editor of The San Francisco Standard, discusses his book *City on the Edge* in conversation with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Brad Stone. Drawing on nearly 200 interviews with elected officials, tech leaders, activists, and artists, the book chronicles San Francisco's transformation from cultural hub to global technology center, exploring the conflicts and pivotal decisions that shaped one of the world's most influential cities—and what they reveal about its future.

Thomas Frank discusses his new book *The Creativity Con*, a critique of how 'innovation' and 'creativity' have become ideological cover for policies that entrench class inequality and protect elite interests. Frank charts the construction of America's self-image from Sputnik to Silicon Valley, examining how these concepts have been deployed by business leaders, technologists, and politicians while actual policies reinforce the status quo—tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation, offshoring, and urban reorientation. Frank is the bestselling author of *What's the Matter with Kansas?* and *Listen, Liberal*, founding editor of *The Baffler*, and former Wall Street Journal columnist.

A lightning-talk meetup for Bay Area biosecurity professionals covering pandemic prevention technology, AI evaluation for biorisks, and synthetic DNA screening. Featured speakers include Jonas Sandbrink (CEO, BioTrust) on trusted access credentials for frontier biology, and Misha Gurevich (CEO, Aerolamp) on far-UVC technology. Hosted by Tessa Alexanian and Joey Bream in their personal capacities. The evening includes a meet-and-mingle, talks with Q&A, and informal discussion over snacks.

A celebration of San Francisco's stairways featuring authors Mary Burk (Stairway Walks in San Francisco) and Alexandra Kenin (Urban Trails series). Moderator Liz Novoa hosts an SF stairway trivia game while Burk and Kenin share stories of the city's known and hidden stairways, best views, secret gardens, and a detailed map of SF's roughly 1,000 stairways. The grand finale of SF Stairway Month, organized by Glen Park Beautiful as part of the inaugural Walktober celebration.

A talk on early childhood development measurement and monitoring. Susanne Martin Herz, MD, PhD, will discuss the Global Scales for Early Development (GSED), how developmental trajectories can be tracked similarly to physical growth metrics, and how the GSED and D-score inform population-level health monitoring and program design. Part of UCSF's Grand Rounds series exploring global health advances and research.

Chris Baker and Alysia Gonzales read from their work at the Writers Grotto's Words & Stories Reading Series.

Learn about indoor air quality, children's environmental health, and practical strategies for creating healthier home environments. Representatives from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 will discuss common indoor air pollutants and asthma triggers—smoke, mold, dust, and pests—and explain how to use the Air Quality Index (AQI) to plan safe daily activities. Space is limited; reservations required.

A lecture on scientific explorations of neonatal pain and early life adversity. Dr. Kanwaljeet J. S. Anand, professor of Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Perioperative & Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and director of the Stanford Child Wellness Lab, will discuss his research journey toward changing the paradigm for neonatal anesthesia and analgesia, and his ongoing work on child wellness and early life adversity. The lecture is followed by a reception.

An exploration of how enterprise AI adoption is reshaping infrastructure, security, and data practices across organizations. The event features presentations and discussions on emerging AI applications and their operational impact.

Explore the German-American influence on Bay Area innovation from the Gold Rush through Silicon Valley. Award-winning author Sandra Bonura discusses Claus Spreckels, the German-born 'Sugar King of California' who built an industrial empire. German journalist Arndt Peltner examines German immigrants' broader role in shaping the region. Silicon Valley entrepreneurship specialist Anne Cocquyt traces continuing connections between German innovation and contemporary Bay Area enterprise. Reuters editor Judith Langowski moderates, followed by audience Q&A.

A delightfully eerie celebration of Edward Gorey, the iconic artist and 'Godfather of Goth,' featuring short performances, behind-the-scenes stories, film clips, and surprises hosted by author Carol Verburg. Guests are invited to wear Gorey-inspired costumes or bat attire for prizes, though dressing up is optional.

Mark Applebaum, Edith & Leland Smith Professor of Composition at Stanford University, explores what made the Beatles unique and transformative. Over seven years across thirteen albums, the band evolved dramatically and changed music for decades. Applebaum—a composer, jazz pianist, and TED talk speaker seen by over five million viewers—examines whether their impact came from innate musical ability, creative songwriting, commitment to experimentation, or sheer charm. Leave hearing the Beatles in a new light.

A celebration of *Mark of the Warrior*, the sequel to the New York Times bestseller *Breath of the Dragon*, featuring authors Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee in conversation with Andrea Stewart. The novelists discuss their collaborative fantasy epic.

A ProductTank SF meetup focused on building products designed for AI agents. ProductTank is a global community for product managers and builders to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities in product development. This session explores how to design, develop, and ship products that leverage agent-based AI systems, covering product strategy, user experience, and technical implementation for agent-driven applications.

A talk on strategies for securing autonomous AI systems and managing emerging security threats in the field. Hosted at Orrick.

A lecture on how poetry teaches us to sit with life's biggest questions—love, grief, curiosity, doubt, belief, and awe. Poet and critic Dean Rader, a University of San Francisco professor and T.S. Eliot Prize winner, guides attendees through accessible 20th and 21st-century poems exploring what it means to be alive. No literary background required. Followed by Q&A.

Five published authors read from their latest work in horror, science fiction, and speculative fiction. Featured writers include Cynthia Gómez (The Nightmare Box and Other Stories), Loren Rhoads (In the Wake of the Templars, Unsafe Words), Sumiko Saulson (Happiness and Other Diseases, Black Magic Women editor), Kristina Ten (Tell Me Yours, I'll Tell You Mine), and Tamika Thompson (The Curse of Hester Gardens, 2024 Indie Book Award winner). Hosted by Telegraph Hill Arts and Literature at Telegraph Hill Books.

Two leading astronomers discuss the frontiers of space science in a laid-back, Q&A-friendly setting. Nick Rodd, a Divisional Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley Lab and former CERN faculty member, presents the latest developments in dark matter detection. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute and co-host of the weekly podcast Big Picture Science, explores the search for extraterrestrial life. Part of the global Astronomy on Tap series, this is the revival of San Francisco's monthly chapter. No science background required.

Douglas Stuart celebrates his Booker Prize-longlisted novel *John of John*, a portrait of a young artist returning to his Hebridean island home and the tensions between duty, desire, and family secrets. Stuart, author of the Booker Prize-winning *Shuggie Bain*, is in conversation with Matthew Clark Davison, co-author of *The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre* and creative writing educator at San Francisco State University.

Opening night celebration of Scaling Intelligence, an exhibition of 11 commissioned artworks exploring creative possibilities at the intersection of AI, machine learning, and artistic practice. Selected through a global open call, participating artists developed works with Modal cloud computing credits and support from Gray Area and Modal, investigating how different forms of intelligence might connect, interact, and sense the world. Projects range from satellite imagery and microbial visualization to neural network exploration and watershed mapping. Featured artists include Cezar Mocan, Colin O'Donnell & Justine Sun, Dela Cruz & Will Gardiner, Grayson Earle, Iana Chugunova, Ira Greenberg, Kristina Pulejkova, Miguel Novelo Cruz, Parag Mital, Rashed Haq, Sasha Sorokina, and Spencer Chang. The exhibition runs through November 1.

What blindspots shape our everyday conversations? Zachary Reese, professor of psychology at the University of San Francisco, explores the hidden dynamics of human connection: how we calculate sentence endings, build shared reality, and unconsciously follow patterns to make others laugh. Drawing on his research, Reese reveals why people hesitate to share good news (fear of seeming to brag) and avoid mentioning similar experiences (fear of stealing the spotlight)—behaviors that paradoxically undermine connection. He'll present findings from speed-friending studies on first-encounter anxiety and close with practical, research-backed strategies for deeper, more authentic conversations. The evening includes arrival time, lecture, and Q&A.

A flavorful exploration of Taiwan through food, examining how the island's diverse history, cultures, and development have shaped its culinary traditions and how cuisine expresses national identity and serves as a tool of cultural diplomacy. Features David Chih-Hsiang Wu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, in conversation hosted by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies at the University of San Francisco.

A fireside chat with U.S. Congressman Kevin Mullin on his legislative priorities, state and federal partnerships for economic growth, and business policy. Hosted by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

How are observatories adapting to survive mounting pressures from wildfires, light pollution, satellite megaconstellations, and federal budget cuts? Dr. Teznie Pugh, Superintendent of McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas at Austin, explores the field's response, arguing that modern astronomy requires training in advocacy, communication, and policy alongside excellent science. She examines coalitions among observatories, environmental and climate scientists, conservation groups, and elected officials, and draws lessons from satellite negotiations, light pollution regulation, and wildfire mitigation strategies.

How can data visualization deepen scientific investigation and communication? Eric Rodenbeck, founder of Stamen Design, discusses collaborations with UCSF scientists and researchers, including the Atlas of Emotions with Paul Ekman and the Dalai Lama, the UCSF Health Atlas with Dr. Debby Oh, and Brain Cartography with Dr. Edward Chang. He explores how maps, interfaces, and visual systems can reveal complex data, expose unexpected relationships, generate new questions, and help researchers and broader audiences understand science differently.

A practical talk on zero trust security strategies applied to AI systems, covering model protection, data security, and autonomous agent safety. Hosted by Cloudflare, a leader in cloud security infrastructure.

An evening connecting climate designers with business professionals to explore climate careers and real-world solutions. Climate designers from UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design present projects on flooding disaster management, environmental contamination from sea level rise, extreme heat, and green infrastructure. Attendees gather for topic-specific tables where designers pressure-test visions against professionals with expertise in financing, partnerships, governance, and implementation — an opportunity to discover how climate expertise translates to careers and how business skills apply to human adaptation challenges.

A discussion on U.S.-China relations focusing on energy, technology, finance, and digital trade ties between the San Francisco Bay Area and Shenzhen. Hosted by the Bay Area Council in partnership with Bank of China NY, the event will feature speakers exploring bilateral economic and innovation opportunities. Followed by dinner and drinks aboard the Historic Klamath.

A Halloween-themed practical workshop on using AI agents, combining food and hands-on lessons on agent-based systems and their real-world applications.

Followed by a post-screening Q&A with co-director Eric Daniel Metzgar. A screening of The Great Experiment, an epic documentary in black and white filmed across the US from 2017 to 2021, examining American democracy and national identity through observational storytelling. Rather than debate left-right ideology, the film weaves together diverse American experiences to hold contradictions in frame and ask whether the democratic experiment can survive.

A conversation with Deb Olin Unferth, 4-time Pushcart Prize winner and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, on her latest novel *Earth 7*. Hosted at Mechanics' Institute, a trusted San Francisco civic institution.

Multidisciplinary artist Doug Aitken traces his three-decade career spanning film, video, sound, and performance. His practice centers on site-specific works that explore how we build landscapes, inhabit environments, and share experiences. Aitken discusses six projects anchored in film and video that reveal how his work continually reframes itself, including projects never before shown in San Francisco. Hosted at SFMOMA.

A conversation with April Snow, CIIS alum and licensed psychotherapist, on reframing high sensitivity as a strength rather than a problem. Drawing from her clinical practice and lived experience as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), Snow explores practical frameworks for accepting sensitivity, managing an overwhelmed nervous system, nurturing your inner world, and thriving in daily life, work, and relationships. She also addresses supporting Highly Sensitive Children. Hosted at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Learn tax fundamentals for self-employed creatives and freelancers, covering taxable income, deductible expenses, Schedule C forms, hobby losses, home office deductions, self-employed health insurance, and recent tax code updates. Sarah Lockhart, an Enrolled Agent with 25 years of experience serving artists and nonprofits, will lead the presentation and Q&A. Lockhart has developed tax workshops for Intersection for the Arts, Vital Arts, and SF Art Institute, and brings both tax expertise and a multi-disciplinary artistic background to the discussion.

A screening of short films and archival footage exploring queer and trans domesticity and community space, presented in conjunction with the exhibition "Where We Made Room." The program opens with Jenni Olson's "575 Castro Street" (2008), a meditation on the Castro Camera Store and Harvey Milk's assassination-eve audio recordings, featuring his iconic message of hope and denunciation of anti-LGBTQ violence. Followed by a discussion between artist and curator Aleo Landeta and filmmaker Jenni Olson on queer spatial practice and their work.

San Francisco voters will decide in November whether to increase funding for the city's Housing Trust Fund. Hear from experts in affordable housing, homelessness prevention, tenant protections, and public policy on the fund's impact, future direction, and connection to related ballot measures.

Explore the science of fear at the Exploratorium's Halloween event. Ralph Washington, Jr. traces the history, culture, and myth behind our aversion to insects in 'Creepy, Crawly, Curious: The Science Behind Our Bug Fears' (7:00 pm), while the evening features hands-on exhibits on survival instincts, a cow eye dissection, and demonstrations across the galleries. Dance to darkwave, post-punk, and cumbia with Los Goths Co., and enter the annual costume contest.

A candid panel on women's reproductive and pelvic health, covering fertility, contraception, menopause, endometriosis, PMDD, PCOS, pelvic-floor dysfunction, and healthcare navigation. Featuring Dr. Jasmine Pedroso (OB-GYN and fertility specialist at Kindbody), Dr. Joy Brotherton (minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon at Marin Fertility Center and Sutter Health), and Dr. Karen Hodges (pelvic health physical therapist and UCSF/SFSU graduate). The second half is open to anonymous audience questions—no topic is off-limits.

A Halloween-themed evening of horror stories and wine tastings hosted at the San Francisco Public Library. Justin, sommelier and owner of Ward Four Wines, will read a selection of classic and contemporary horror fiction interspersed with two guided wine tastings from sustainably sourced, family-owned vineyards. Costumes encouraged; the best costume wins a bottle of wine and a copy of this year's One City One Book selection. Ages 21+.

A screening of Bird of Four Hundred Voices, a documentary about Eugene Rodríguez and Los Cenzontles, the Bay Area organization that has preserved Mexican and Mexican American cultural traditions through music, dance, and storytelling for over 35 years. Directed by Bay Area filmmaker James Hall, the film features decades of archival footage, intimate interviews, and performances, with appearances by Linda Ronstadt, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder, and others. The screening begins with a live performance by Los Cenzontles, followed by a conversation with Hall and special guests on cultural preservation, intergenerational storytelling, and the arts as community catalyst.

A screening of Wolven (1978), Michael Wadleigh's horror classic starring Albert Finney and Diane Venora, about a New York City detective investigating a series of gruesome deaths that may be connected to a mythical wolf-like creature. Introduced by Norman Zelaya. Popcorn provided.

A celebration of Daisy Fried's poetry collection *My Destination*, featuring Fried in conversation with Katie Peterson. Fried's poems explore grief, desire, motherhood, illness, and public anger with unflinching attention to bodies, objects, and moments where private life meets moral force. Peterson, professor of English at UC Davis and author of *Fog and Smoke*, brings her expertise as both a celebrated poet and editor of Robert Lowell's selected poems. The event includes a reading and discussion of Fried's work.

An illustrated graphic history examining ten major genocides across five centuries—from the mass slaughter of First Peoples in the Americas to the genocide in Gaza. Award-winning writer, artist, and genocide-survivor descendant Dana Moshoian Walrath reveals how dehumanization operates through violence and the political systems that enable it. Her interactive graphic narrative uses visual manipulation to mirror the mechanisms of dehumanization, then restores victims' humanity, making their suffering undeniable. Walrath's previous works include the graphic memoir *Aliceheimers* and the verse novel *Like Water on Stone* on the Armenian genocide.

A panel discussion on Japanese law firms entering and operating in the California legal market, examining business opportunities, regulatory and competitive challenges, and strategic approaches to market entry and practice development.

A cultural history exploring humanity's widespread practice of wearing masks across time and society. Humanities West examines the psychology behind masking our personalities in public and traces the deep human affinity for physical masks as both cultural artifact and psychological tool. Hosted by Humanities West at The Commonwealth Club of California.

An evening exploring horror, the Gothic, and why we return to things that frighten us. Professors Sara Hackenberg (San Francisco State University) and Renée Fox (UC Santa Cruz) discuss the enduring appeal of the Gothic and the evolution of vampire fiction. The evening concludes with a theatrical table read of J. R. Planché's *The Vampire; or, The Bride of the Isles* (1820) in Golden Gate Park at 8:30 PM. Participants may register for roles in the reading.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Michael Lewis discusses his new book *Blockers*, an inside account of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and the public servants who resisted it. Lewis, author of *Flash Boys*, *Moneyball*, and *Going Infinite*, traces how individuals navigated a transformative government initiative. In conversation with Lara Bazelon, Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and author of three books on criminal justice and racial equity, Lewis explores themes of institutional power, ethical resistance, and the human stories behind policy.

A screening of Séance with director Vivian Kerr, who will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Set in 1892 California, the film follows novelist Emma Strand as she takes refuge from a storm at the mansion of her first husband George and his unstable new wife Lillian, who claims to be haunted by their dead child. Over the evening, Emma confronts her marital unhappiness, the temptation of adultery, and the disturbing possibility that the house is genuinely haunted.

A screening of *Maxita* with director Mariana Machado, followed by panel discussion. The documentary follows Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa, a leading voice for Brazil's Indigenous peoples, as he travels from the Amazon to confront the mining industry destroying the forests. He reunites with activist Ailton Krenak to expose the devastation's global consequences. Part of Cine + Mas 18th Latino Film Festival and ¡VIVA! at the Library, a celebration of Latinx heritage and cultures.

Celebrate the opening of Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean, an exhibition featuring Southeast Asia's largest ancient bronze—a rare Reclining Vishnu sculpture on loan from Cambodia's National Museum. Asian Art Museum curators Natasha Reichle and Forrest McGill discuss the significance and history of this thousand-year-old Cambodian National Treasure in a double-feature talk.

Followed by a post-screening Q&A with director Habiba Nosheen, moderated by Jenni Olson. A screening of The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, an intimate coming-of-age documentary by 3X Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Habiba Nosheen that follows three teenage girls in Pakistan as they pursue gymnastics in a society where girls and sport rarely coexist. The film explores themes of girlhood, joy, and quiet rebellion as these young athletes navigate deeply rooted cultural expectations about what is possible for them.

A guided walking tour of four historic cemeteries in Colma where notable San Franciscans are buried: Woodlawn, Home of Peace, Hills of Eternity, and Cypress Lawn, with a visit to Holy Cross. The tour concludes with a group return to Colma or South San Francisco BART. Hosted by Shaping San Francisco.

Dr. Michael Huther, Director of the Presidium of the German Economic Institute, discusses Germany's economic trajectory amid geopolitical upheaval. Topics include structural challenges in manufacturing and energy, China's growing trade pressure, Germany's defense spending as the Ukraine war continues, and evolving EU-U.S. relations. Huther brings decades of experience analyzing German economic policy, including prior roles as Secretary General of the German Council of Economic Experts and chief economist for DekaBank.

The 16th annual Lundberg Institute Lecture explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping pediatric care and how families seek medical information, with a focus on the future of the doctor-patient relationship. Alan Greene, M.D., pediatrician and co-founder of DrGreene.com, discusses the implications of AI for both physicians and parents, moderated by George Hammond, author of *Conversations With Socrates*.

A screening of the documentary Traces, which centers Ukrainian women survivors of wartime sexual violence and torture resulting from Russia's invasion. Director Alisa Kovalenko and producer Natalia Libet (co-founder, 2Brave Productions) discuss the film's testimony and documentation work, with moderation by Steven Saum of Saint Mary's College.

An election-night gathering at Manny's to celebrate the 2026 midterm results. Attendees are invited to watch returns together in a nonpartisan, inclusive setting. Complimentary tickets available by request; pay-it-forward pricing supports free admission for those with financial barriers. No candidate promotion.

A public talk by Martin Strauss exploring curious corners of history. Hosted by Curiosity Guild, a community of storytellers investigating the wonderfully weird through nearly-monthly 21+ talks that celebrate historical oddities and overlooked narratives.

Kristen Naiman, Chief Brand Officer at The RealReal and co-author of Real Style, discusses her book, which reframes style beyond traditional fashion guides to explore personal expression, sustainability, and intentional consumption in the age of resale and circular fashion.

Architecture and design teams create vast amounts of project data that often becomes fragmented across design, construction administration, fabrication, construction, and operations phases—resulting in duplicated effort, disconnected workflows, and lost institutional knowledge. This AIA San Francisco session examines how design teams can develop more connected approaches to project information across the entire lifecycle. Attendees will explore different data types (design, BIM, project management, asset information), identify common information loss points, and learn practical strategies for maintaining continuity between phases. Real-world workflow examples demonstrate how intentional data management improves collaboration, reduces rework, and extends design value well beyond project handoff. Earns 1 AIA LU credit.

El Niño conditions are expected to increase heavy rain and flooding this winter. Hear from Bay Area leaders working to protect communities before, during, and after storms. Local jurisdictions, community organizations, and advocates discuss flood preparation, response coordination, resilience efforts, gaps in current planning, and sustained investment in emergency preparedness.

Katrina Lee, John C. Elam/Vorys Sater Professor in Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, examines democracy and the resilience of large law firms. Lee is an award-winning teacher and author of *The Legal Career: Knowing the Business, Thriving in Practice* (third edition, 2026), and teaches Business of Law, Legal Negotiation, and Legal Analysis and Writing. She chairs the AALS Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and previously practiced complex litigation in San Francisco as a law firm equity partner.

StopScamsSF, the nation's first city-led program dedicated to protecting residents from financial scams, is hosting a Listen and Learn Session to educate the community on common scams and tactics scammers use to target residents. Led by Mandy Ngu, Community Engagement Specialist for the Office of Financial Empowerment, participants will learn how to recognize scams while sharing their own experiences and feedback — input that helps shape the city's response to financial exploitation. Cantonese translation provided.

An examination of Arab Shi'a communities, Iran's political influence across the region, and transnational geopolitical connections shaping the Middle East and U.S.-Iran relations. The program explores how Shi'a networks and Iranian power projection affect regional stability and U.S. foreign policy.

Stanford researchers Jon Saad-Falcon and Avanika Narayan present their work on Intelligence per Watt (IPW), a unified metric measuring how efficiently AI models deliver capabilities relative to power consumption. As data center energy demands surge, the research examines which tasks require frontier-scale cloud models versus local alternatives, tested across 20+ models and 8 accelerators on 1M real-world queries. Learn how efficiency measurements help researchers, builders, and policymakers decide where AI should run when supply outpaces power availability, and which queries create genuine value versus where gaps remain. Followed by research discussion and networking.

A live demonstration of dong-ahn (youthful) makeup technique with Aurelia Kim, founder and makeup artist of Aube Hair & Makeup. Kim will showcase Korean beauty's foundation method on a live model, exploring how subtle changes in placement, texture, and balance shape facial contours and create polished, natural looks. The event examines the artistry and intricacies of K-Beauty and how intentional details transform overall appearance. Hosted by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies at University of San Francisco.

Aryeh Green, who has lived in Israel for over 40 years, explores themes of peace and place in an intimate setting at Book Passage. The event features Green discussing his experience and insights on life in Israel.

A community gathering to discuss the 2026 election results and their implications for the nation's future. Hosted at Manny's Cafe, the event brings people together to learn from one another and reflect on what comes next. Manny's offers free tickets to those who cannot afford the $10 entry and encourages supporters to purchase 'Pay It Forward' tickets for others.

A screening of the first two episodes of Millennial Punk – Eine Subkultur in Zeiten der Digitalisierung, a four-part documentary exploring the punk scene of the 1990s and early 2000s through the voices of musicians, journalists, and activists who lived it. The series examines punk's lasting ties to anti-discrimination, anti-fascism, and diversity, and asks what sustains punk's ethos in an increasingly digital world. Following the screening, writer Diana Ringelsiep and director Felix Bundschuh join for a conversation and Q&A.

A 90-minute survey of 400 years of operatic history, from Dafne (1597) through A Streetcar Named Desire (1998). The presentation introduces key terms, concepts, and celebrated performers through recordings and live discussion, designed for both opera newcomers and experienced enthusiasts seeking deeper knowledge of the form's evolution and major works.

The San Francisco Neo-Futurists discuss how they operate as a non-hierarchical, consensus-based collective to produce 100 shows annually, write and direct the acclaimed *Infinite Wrench*, and manage their performance space, committees, budget, and fundraising. Learn their process for developing new material with rotating casts, their anti-oppression practices, and how they balance artistic creation with collective business operations. The Neos are a prolific experimental theater group known for immediate, ephemeral, accessible performance that positions the audience as active creative participants.

A presentation and panel discussion on how artists and institutions are evolving archives to center marginalized stories, histories, and perspectives. Participants will explore projects that reimagine engagement with public spaces and memory-work practices for preserving and transmitting culture. This final installment of the Power & Public Memory: Shaping Legacy Program Series — a San Francisco Arts Commission initiative examining the city's Civic Art Collection and supporting artist-led reimaginings of monuments and memorials — brings together community voices historically excluded from these conversations.

Historian Kelly Lytle Hernández discusses her book *Racist by Design: Two Centuries of U.S. Immigration Control*, which traces how the United States has systematically used immigration law and enforcement as a tool of racial subordination from the early 19th century to the present. The conversation examines the legal and policy architecture that has shaped immigration control as a fundamentally racialized practice. Lytle Hernández is a UCLA professor and author of multiple works on US immigration and racial history.

A screening of Jane Schoenbrun's film Public Access Afterworld followed by an author talk. Schoenbrun, filmmaker and author, explores the mysterious realm on the other side of our screens and the dark forces that inhabit it. The event takes place at the Roxie Theater in collaboration with Book Passage.

A screening of Runa Simi with director Augusto Zegarra. The film follows Fernando Valencia, a 29-year-old Quechua voice artist and Indigenous activist from Cusco, Peru, as he pursues an ambitious dream: dubbing Disney's The Lion King into Quechua (Runa Simi), the ancestral Incan language. Starting with his viral Quechua Clips project—which reimagined iconic animated scenes in Quechua for millions of hungry speakers—Fernando embarks on this quixotic quest with his eight-year-old son Dylan, a homemade studio, and relentless resolve. The film documents his navigation of rejection, setbacks, and self-doubt, ultimately becoming a powerful statement on language justice and cultural reclamation.

Explore practical steps for planning ahead, including creating an advance health care directive and communicating your wishes with loved ones. Learn how advance care planning helps you make informed decisions about future care and ensures your preferences are understood and respected. Led by Heart Bridge Care, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit founded and directed by hospice nurses that provides end-of-life care navigation, holistic support, and community education.

An evening of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by USF MFA student writers. Discover new voices and celebrate the literary community in San Francisco with the USF MFA program.

An expert panel discussion analyzing the 2026 midterm elections—their results, causes, and implications for Congress, the presidency, and California's political landscape, including the gubernatorial race and House succession. Hosted by Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, a trusted civic institution.

A salon discussion on cause prioritization within effective altruism: how do we compare and weigh competing global problems — from global health interventions and family planning to animal welfare, insect sentience, and AI ethics — when resources are limited? Hosted by Effective Altruism San Francisco, the group will explore disagreements with frameworks like 80,000 Hours' list of pressing problems, tensions between personal values and comparative advantage, and tools like the Moral Parliament framework for deliberating across moral worldviews.

A 60-minute culinary demonstration and book signing featuring Chef Eric Bédiat, Head Cuisine Chef at Le Cordon Bleu London. Bédiat brings decades of experience from Michelin-starred restaurants across France and the UK, having worked alongside renowned chefs including Michel Roux at the three-Michelin-starred Waterside Inn and Guy Martin at Le Grand Véfour in Paris. He will introduce the groundbreaking seven-volume Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts School cookbook collection and demonstrate signature techniques including Beef Tartare. A rare opportunity to learn directly from one of Le Cordon Bleu's most respected chef educators and ambassadors.

Law professor and civil rights activist Robin Knauer Maril discusses her book *A Queer Guide to Saving American Democracy*, which examines the assault on LGBTQ rights as a symptom of broader democratic crisis and fascism in America. Drawing on her decade in the LGBTQ civil rights movement, including her work as Associate Legal Director at the Human Rights Campaign, Maril argues that queer and trans people are at the frontlines of defending democratic institutions. The event centers queer and trans voices leading resistance movements and explores pro-democracy frameworks rooted in queer resilience and joy. Hosted by City Lights Bookstore and Cambridge University Press.

What can millions of museum specimens tell us about biodiversity and climate change? The California Academy of Sciences holds nearly 46 million specimens — plants, insects, fossils — each a data point in Earth's biological story. Over recent years, large-scale digitization efforts including high-speed scanning, DNA barcoding, and global databases have transformed these century-old collections into searchable tools for tracking how species shift under climate change, guiding coastal restoration, and informing conservation policy. Academy scientists Dr. Terry Gosliner, Dr. Sarah Jacobs, Chris Grinter, and Crystal Cortez join Chief of Science Dr. Shannon Bennett for a panel discussion on how digitization and community science are turning historic collections into powerful conservation tools.

A day of talks and fireside chats on AI infrastructure and security from The Velocity Room, a technologists' membership community. Tom Edwards, EY's Americas consumer AI lead, on what it takes to scale generative and agentic AI across an enterprise; Zane Niyazbekov of AWS infrastructure supply on the land, power, and water behind a hyperscale data center; Christine Boles, a 33-year Intel veteran who ran its federal and industrial edge-computing business, on edge compute and physical AI in industry; Joseph Bisaccia of Behavior Frontiers on standing up an AI function under HIPAA; and Cal Al-Dhubaib of Rubrik on keeping AI systems from becoming autonomous insiders. A security session, a community AMA built from questions gathered over lunch, and a closing happy hour round out the program.

A behind-the-scenes tour of Matter of Trust's Eco-Home and Edible Urban Garden, a demonstration space showcasing practical, accessible solutions for sustainable city living. Explore how renters and urban residents can make their homes more environmentally friendly. Hosted by SPUR Urban Center.

Taiwanese-American writers Shawna Yang Ryan and Grace Loh Prasad discuss Ryan's novel Anatomy, a formally inventive meditation on an unnamed Asian American performance artist's journey toward female consciousness, desire, and autonomy across the Clinton and Trump eras. The conversation explores Asian American fiction, the writing life, and the intersections of race, gender, politics, and embodiment. Ryan is author of Anatomy, Green Island (a Boston Globe Pick of the Week and Amazon Best Book of the Month), and Water Ghosts (a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller), and recipient of an American Book Award. Prasad is author of The Translator's Daughter, a memoir finalist for the Northern California Book Award, and her essay won the inaugural 2025 Panorama Prize.

A panel discussion on how light, sound, and color shape human experience in buildings and landscapes. Panelists including Bill Hynes, PLA, LEED AP and other leaders in architecture, landscape, interiors, and lighting design will examine multisensory design through built work across residences, cultural, civic, and commercial spaces. The conversation explores how design decisions—in lighting, materials, and technology—affect how people feel in physical spaces, and how digital expectations are reshaping architectural design.

What does it mean to truly notice the natural world in an age of distraction and climate anxiety? Author Richard Louv explores how slowing down and opening our senses to the living world around us can reconnect us to nature and inspire action. In conversation with Jenny Park, Executive Director of Climate One, Louv discusses his book *Noticing: Intimate Encounters with the Natural World* and the power of attention as a path to hope and environmental engagement.

James Beard award-winning chef, author, and television personality Melissa King discusses her intimate memoir about family, food, and discovering her voice as a queer Chinese American chef. King explores how embracing her love of cooking empowered her to embrace all dimensions of her identity—her Chinese heritage, American upbringing, and the parts of herself that felt both too much and not enough. A powerful story of self-acceptance and finding freedom.

A conversation on food, drink, and cultural memory across the Caribbean diaspora, inspired by the exhibition 'After the Island: Ornament and Ceramic Practice in the Jamaican Diaspora.' Chef and cocktail creator Nelson German, James Beard Award–winning culinary anthropologist Andréa Lawson Gray, and moderator Nigel Jones explore how ingredients like rum, sugarcane, citrus, and botanicals carry histories of trade, labor, and resistance—and how creative practices preserve lineage while embracing reinvention. Drawing from German's forthcoming book *Caribbean Cocktails: Drinks & Bites from the Afro-Latino Diaspora*, the panel considers the Caribbean as a site of circulation where African, Indigenous, and European influences collided to produce new aesthetic and culinary languages. Drinks and food samples follow the conversation.

Jonathan Weber discusses City on the Edge, his account of San Francisco's tech boom and near-collapse, tracing the intersection of technology, politics, and urban identity. Moderated by Jeanne Carstensen. Hosted at the Mechanics' Institute, a trusted civic institution.

Agents are generating massive data volumes, running autonomous queries, and executing multi-step production workflows—fundamentally shifting how AI teams approach evaluation and observability. Ankur Goyal, Co-founder and CEO of Braintrust, and Corinne Riley, Partner at Greylock, discuss why the focus is moving from standalone evals to agent observability, rebuilding databases for agentic systems, and making model decisions when there are more models than ever. A fireside chat with audience Q&A for technical leaders building with AI.

A screening of Episodes 3 & 4 of Millennial Punk – Eine Subkultur in Zeiten der Digitalisierung, a four-part documentary series by Diana Ringelsiep and Felix Bundschuh (2024) exploring the punk scene of the 1990s and early 2000s. Musicians, journalists, and activists from the era reflect on punk's evolution and enduring commitment to anti-discrimination, anti-fascism, and diversity in an increasingly digital world. Episodes 1 and 2, followed by a conversation with the filmmakers, screen on November 4.

A staged reading of *How to Live in a House on Fire*, a new play by Kari Barclay that uses queer history as a lens to understand climate grief. The play follows two men—Benny and Jeremy—across fifty years, from a gay commune in 1970s Berkeley to the same house during the 2020 California wildfires, asking how we care for each other in moments of crisis. The reading, presented for the first time in the Bay Area where the story takes place, is followed by a talkback with playwright and performance scholar Kari Barclay and director M. Graham Smith, offering audience members a chance to share feedback and participate in the play's development.

A screening of the documentary *Closure* with filmmaker Michał Marczak. After his teenage son Chris disappears in Warsaw, a father launches an obsessive search of the Vistula River using self-built boats, drones, and underwater cameras. As his family grapples with uncertainty, he begins helping other families locate missing loved ones, exploring themes of grief, closure, and the human need for answers.

A monthly poetry reading series featuring two poets with new collections: Angie Minkin (Lineage Songs) and Heather Saunders Estes (Crosswinds). After the featured readings, the community is invited to share their own poems during an open mic. Hosted by Michael Koch and Jerry Ferraz. No charge to attend or read; donations support the featured poets.

The Believer magazine celebrates its fall issue with a conversation between managing editor Ginger Greene and author Katherine Cusumano about Cusumano's feature essay on the indie professional wrestling circuit of the Pacific Northwest. Cusumano is a reporter and essayist whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Orion, and Longreads; she holds an MFA from Oregon State University and received an Oregon Literary Fellowship in 2025. The Believer, a fifteen-time National Magazine Award finalist, is a quarterly journal of literature, arts, and culture featuring criticism, literary nonfiction, immersive reportage, journalism, interviews, comics, and poetry.

A book launch and guided reflection evening with Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tiago Forte, creator of the Building a Second Brain methodology. Forte will lead a live guided journaling, meditation, and visualization exercise attendees can practice annually, followed by a Q&A on reflection, planning, and building a purposeful life, and a book signing. His new book, Life in Perspective, distills two decades of personal practice into the ARC Method—Appreciate the Past, Reflect on the Present, Create the Future—offering a framework for annual life review in an era of constant digital distraction. Every attendee receives a hardcover copy as part of their ticket.

Haera Shin, author of *Korean Cocktails: From Traditional Spirits to Modern Drinks*, explores the evolving world of Korean drinking culture—from traditional sool to modern cocktails and Korean pantry ingredients. She discusses the distinctive flavors of Korean spirits, their reimagining in contemporary cocktails, and how ingredients from the Korean kitchen shaped beverage programs she developed during seven years as Momofuku's beverage director. In conversation with Tess Anne Sawyer, a hospitality industry veteran with two decades of experience in brand advocacy and beverage programming, and a personal connection to Korean culinary traditions through her grandmother.

A screening of Forbidden (1932) with film curator Lara Gabrielle. Part of the Mechanics' Institute's Movies at Mechanics' series, featuring discussion and fresh popcorn.

Comedian Nigel Ng, known globally as Uncle Roger for his viral food critiques and defense of authentic Asian cooking, appears in conversation with Chef Martin Yan to discuss his comedy, food culture, and culinary authenticity. Ng has built a massive following through razor-sharp humor and fiercely opinionated takes on cooking technique and cultural representation in food media.

City Arts & Lectures presents Lindy West discussing her memoir *Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane*. West, a longtime essayist and cultural critic known for her work on internet culture, identity, and personal narrative, reads from and discusses her latest book. A trusted City Arts & Lectures public event.

A guided history walk through Sutro Heights Park led by John Martini, a retired National Park Service ranger and San Francisco historian. The tour explores Adolph Sutro's 19th-century "Pleasure Grounds," including the Cliff House, Sutro Baths ruins, the Merrie Way midway, and Sutro's formal estate. Limited to 30 people. Organized by Western Neighborhoods Project, a nonprofit preserving San Francisco's west-side history.

A series of beginner-friendly sessions exploring the artists, histories, and ideas behind the RM x SFMOMA exhibit. Sturdy Bridge Art Skool creates accessible entry points into the exhibition, grounded in the spirit of RM's vision of building 'a small but sturdy bridge for many.' The program, presented by the Namjooning Collective, welcomes fans and curious learners to approach contemporary art with curiosity, context, and care. Part of the Library's Weaving Stories celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage.

A guided walk exploring the Tenderloin's hidden urban green spaces, from street interventions and community gardens to redwoods and nature-based public art. Led by Shaping San Francisco, an organization dedicated to understanding and reshaping the city's public realm.

A special double-feature film premiere presented by the Manilatown Heritage Foundation, SOMA Pilipinas, and SFMOMA. The Fall of the I-Hotel (restored 2K edition) is Curtis Choy's landmark 1983 documentary chronicling the decade-long fight to save San Francisco's International Hotel and prevent the eviction of its elderly Filipino and Chinese tenants—a defining moment in the struggle for affordable housing and community self-determination. The screening of Manilatown Manang follows. Both films are paired with community conversations featuring Curtis Choy, Jeanette Lazam, and producers, moderated by Caroline Ocampo. The I-Hotel restoration was completed by the Manilatown Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and FotoKem.

A screening of the documentary *Wood Street*, which follows a year in Oakland's largest unhoused encampment as residents face eviction and organize to stay—centering on John and LaMonté as mounting pressure tests their friendship and personal struggles. Filmed using cinéma vérité, the 105-minute film (2026, NR) is followed by a moderated Q&A exploring the making of the film, the Wood Street community, and broader Bay Area issues of housing, displacement, and homelessness. Closed captions in English.

A screening of The Dalai Lama: My Religion is Kindness with director Babeth Mondini-VanLoo and special guest, followed by a Q&A moderated by Gaetano Kazuo Maid, Executive Director of the Buddhist Film Foundation. The film offers an intimate portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama through his longterm engagement with the Dutch people, including members of the royal family, artists, and intellectuals. It explores his message of inner peace, planetary concern, and universal connectedness as responses to contemporary polarization and conflict.

The 27th Annual Potrero Hill & Dogpatch History Night celebrates the neighborhood's rich past with local storytelling, archival photographs, and community connection. This year's program explores Jackson Park's history, marks the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association's 100th anniversary, and documents the waterfront's transformation over time. Hosted by Pier 70 Time Machine and Avenue Greenlight at Pier 70's historic Building 12, with doors at 5:30 PM and the program beginning at 7:00 PM. Live music and refreshments in the atrium.

A staged reading of *How to Live in a House on Fire*, a new play by performance scholar Kari Barclay exploring queer history and climate grief. Set in a gay commune in 1970s Berkeley and the same house during 2020 California wildfires, the play follows Benny and Jeremy across fifty years, asking how we care for each other in crisis and what histories to preserve. After the performance, a talkback with the creative team and director M. Graham Smith invites audience feedback on the work in development. Hosted by the GLBT Historical Society and Crowded Fire Theater.

A walking tour of downtown San Francisco and SOMA exploring the places, histories, and cityscapes that inspired Susanna Kwan's novel *Awake in the Floating City*. Led by Shaping San Francisco, the tour moves from high rises and Chinatown streets to rooftop outlooks, memorials, and other elevated sites, inviting participants to imagine the city across time. The tour is just under two miles with a couple of steep slopes and a staircase. Rain or shine. Part of the San Francisco Public Library's One City One Book program.

A screening of a documentary exploring the lived experiences and cultural continuity of Indigenous peoples across California's South Coast Range, featuring intimate interviews with members of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, Confederated Villages of Lisjan, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, Tamien Nation, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Esselen Tribe, and Salinan Tribe communities. Following the screening, filmmaker and photographer Kirti Bassendine joins tribal representatives Gregg Castro (T'rowt'raahl Salinan / Rumsien-Ramaytush Ohlone) and Corrina Gould (Confederated Villages of Lisjan, tribal spokesperson) for a panel discussion on cultural resilience, the continuing Indigenous presence in California, and the importance of protecting and amplifying Indigenous voices and knowledge.

Prize-winning historian Kevin Waite presents the first book-length biography of Biddy Mason, an enslaved woman who escaped the cotton South and built a remarkable life of freedom, wealth, and social activism in California. Waite's narrative traces Mason's extraordinary journey from bondage through the Civil War era to her emergence as a pioneering entrepreneur and community leader in Los Angeles. A significant contribution to African American history and the untold stories of Black achievement in the American West.

William Kentridge, one of the most influential contemporary artists, discusses his creative process and the philosophical foundations of his interdisciplinary practice spanning drawing, film, sculpture, theatre, and opera. Kentridge explores the conceptual and working methods behind his opera *The Head & the Load* (2018), which examines history, language, and political movements through layered performance. Drawing on his experience growing up in apartheid-era Johannesburg, Kentridge reveals how erasure, movement, and revision shape his approach to art as a cultural catalyst, addressing themes of historical rupture, ethical unease, and provisional meaning across his career.

Listen to Native stories and traditional music with Paul Steward, a tribal member of Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians and lecturer of Native American/American Indian Studies at CSU. Steward specializes in California and Bay Area history, drawing on his upbringing on the reservation and knowledge passed down by his father and grandparents. Part of the Library's celebration of Indigenous voices and cultures.

Four authors—Samina Ali (*Pieces You'll Never Get Back*), Diana Kapp (*The Last Free Women*), Jason Roberts (*Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life*), and Parini Shroff (*Some People*)—discuss strategies for overcoming writer's block and creative obstacles. Moderated by Page Street founder and author Janis Cooke Newman (*A Master Plan for Rescue*). Complimentary wine and non-alcoholic drinks served.

A presentation on understanding and responding to behavioral changes in people living with dementia. Learn from an Alzheimer's Association Community Educator about how dementia affects behavior, common triggers, and person-centered care approaches to support both individuals and caregivers. Relevant for family members, professional caregivers, and anyone seeking to understand dementia-related communication and care strategies.

A screening of the documentary *Hold On to Your Music: A Mother's Legacy*, directed by Academy Award nominee Josh Aronson and Emmy winner Adam R. Wood, telling the true story of 14-year-old piano prodigy Lisa Jura, who was sent alone on the Kindertransport from 1938 Vienna to wartime London carrying only her music and her mother's parting words: "Hold on to your music." The film features rare archival footage, newly restored recordings, and live performances by Jura's daughter, internationally acclaimed pianist Mona Golabek. Following the screening, Golabek joins co-director Aronson and producer Susan Solomon Libitzky in conversation with Dr. Anita Friedman. Based on Golabek's bestselling memoir and acclaimed stage production *The Pianist of Willesden Lane*.

A screening of The Last Dance (2024), Anselm Chan's acclaimed Hong Kong drama about a wedding planner who reinvents himself in the funeral industry and forms an unexpected partnership with a Taoist priest. The film explores love, loss, family, and renewal through the collision of two different worlds. Part of the inaugural Hong Kong Films in Focus Series, presented by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies in collaboration with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco, offering audiences insight into how contemporary Hong Kong cinema captures the city's distinctive culture, humor, and everyday life.

A leading cancer researcher and patient advocate shares lessons for living learned through his dual perspective as a doctor and as someone navigating terminal illness. Bryant Lin distills wisdom on meaning, resilience, and the practice of living fully when facing mortality.

A discussion of investigative journalist Melanie D.G. Kaplan's book *Lab Dog*, which traces her adopted beagle Hammy's mysterious past and explores the ethics and realities of laboratory animal research. Kaplan joins USF law professor Matthew Liebman to discuss how her dog's story became a window into the complex world of animal research, institutional practices, and the animals behind scientific discovery.

A book launch and illustrated lecture on how emerging technologies are reshaping architectural imagination and the material world. Katherine Lambert and Christiane Robbins, founders of MAP Studio, examine the relationship between technological systems, architectural speculation, and environmental inquiry—exploring what technology allows architecture to imagine, what it obscures, and what it ultimately builds. Following the presentation, they join Keith Krumwiede, Dean of Architecture at California College of the Arts, for a conversation on implications for architectural practice and education. Copies available for purchase through William Stout Architectural Books.

How will public media evolve to serve its mission to educate, inspire, and unite in an era of media fragmentation, streaming competition, and funding pressures? Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS, and Michael Isip, President and CEO of KQED, discuss the future of public broadcasting as a vital institution for democratic life. Moderated by Michael Bolden, Dean of UC Berkeley Journalism.

Swiss author Nelio Biedermann discusses his debut novel *Lázár*, a sweeping historical family saga that drew comparisons to Thomas Mann and landed on German bestseller lists before the author turned 25. The English translation by Jamie Bulloch earned a New York Times feature and a Publishers Weekly starred review calling it "a marvel." Biedermann speaks in conversation with Blaise Zerega of Alta.

Zyzzyva Magazine celebrates its 133rd issue with an evening of readings and conversation. Founded in 1985 in San Francisco, Zyzzyva publishes poetry, fiction, and essays by West Coast writers and artists, many previously overlooked by mainstream publications. The celebration will be MC'd by Zyzzyva Managing Editor Oscar Villalon, with guest appearances by Allie Coon and Cristina Fries.

Rock historian Richie Unterberger presents a film-based exploration of Cream, the legendary late-1960s supergroup featuring Eric Clapton (guitar), Jack Bruce (bass, vocals), and Ginger Baker (drums). Unterberger, author of *Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground* and numerous rock history volumes, discusses the band's brief but massively influential career, iconic hits like "Sunshine of Your Love" and "White Room," and the musical groups its members were part of before and after Cream. A look at how British blues-rock virtuosity shaped hard rock.

A screening of The 100th: Seeds of Aloha, a documentary honoring Hawaiʻi's legendary 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team—Nisei soldiers whose heroism during WWII reshaped Japanese American history. As a test screening, attendees will experience the film while it is still being refined and provide feedback to the production team. The program includes a special acoustic performance by Harold Payne, the film's music director, followed by a Q&A with Producer/Director Steve Sue. Part of the library's Weaving Stories celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage.

Five talks from designers, artists, researchers, and technologists exploring how aesthetic judgment shapes technology culture. Speakers include Soleio on design philosophy, Nick Susi and VÉRITÉ on artist-made hardware, Dylan Abruscato and Andrew McClintock on taste formation, Tyler Mincey and Toby Shorin on feeling AGI, and Eugenia Kuyda on machine beauty. The evening includes conversation, a "Taste Gallery" edible installation, and drinks. Hosted by tiat and supported by the Department of Anthropology and Culture Forward grant from the Svane Family Foundation.

A practical seminar on generative AI models, tools, platforms, and workflows designed to accelerate scientific research. Michaela Hinks, Head of Science at Edison Scientific, will discuss how AI is reshaping research methodology and enabling new discovery pathways. The talk is followed by a networking reception.

A guide to crisis leadership in high-stakes situations, from life-or-death scenarios to business emergencies. Henry J. Evans explores essential frameworks for decision-making and organizational resilience when the pressure is greatest. Presented at Book Passage Ferry Building.

Explore best practices for handling, storing, and framing photographs to preserve these complex historic materials. Learn about photographic techniques across the decades and how different photographic processes affect care and preservation. Part of SFPL's One City One Book programming, presented by world-class experts in photography and conservation.

Hassan Murad and Vivek Vyas, co-founders of Intuitive AI, discuss how artificial intelligence and data-driven systems are transforming waste management. Their flagship platform, Oscar Sort, uses AI to achieve 91% disposal accuracy, making recycling and sustainability measurable and efficient. The talk explores the Oscar Zero-Waste Platform's integrated tools and the vision to eliminate landfilling and pollution globally. Presented by Yerba Buena Gardens Conservancy.

Dr. Joel Mokyr, 2025 Nobel Laureate in Economics, discusses the cycle of progress—how innovation displaces existing techniques and methods while creating uncertainty and disruption. He explores the future of innovation, addressing concerns about idea scarcity and AI competition, while making the case for continued human ingenuity and economic progress.

A lecture on patient self-advocacy and healthcare navigation with Javonne At-Chan, MSW, ASW, a healthcare consultant, social worker, and child and youth wellness specialist. At-Chan will explore practical strategies for speaking up in medical appointments, navigating insurance and referrals, and advocating for yourself when facing dismissal or confusion. The talk covers communication tools, confidence-building approaches, and how to take a more active role in your own care even when feeling vulnerable or uncertain.

An open mic poetry night at Noe Valley Books where community members share original work. All levels welcome; each poet has a 5-minute slot and may read multiple pieces. Sign up as a poet or attendee.

International Booker Prize-winning translator Jennifer Croft celebrates her debut memoir, *Notes on Postcards*, a collection of personal essays exploring wanderlust, love, and motherhood through a lifelong archive of postcards. The event is presented by Litquake's AfterShocks series at City Lights Bookstore. Free to attend; seating is first-come, first-served.

Social Impact SF, VetraFi, Context Ventures, and The Military Veteran convene military veterans and spouses with founders, investors, and operators for a discussion of careers, startups, and technology.

An open conversation about building AI software factories—systems where agents help plan, build, test, and ship code. Ben Levine, Chief Product Officer at Candidly, leads discussion with product and engineering leaders on what's actually working in practice, where bottlenecks emerge, and how planning, specs, and handoffs change when agents move from demos into daily work. The event pressure-tests claims and explores real tradeoffs beyond polished product pitches.

A screening of experimental films by Rock Ross, a legendary Bay Area filmmaker, with the artist present for a post-screening Q&A. The program surveys 20 years of Ross's work, featuring seven shorts from 1982–1999 on 16mm film, including Sosueme, Till My Head Caves In, Baglight, Autumnal Diptych, Go Like This, Vespucciland the Great and Free, Charcoal Narcissus, and Just Another Girl. Ross, who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and has worked as a film inspector, title designer, and founding projectionist of the No Nothing Cinema and New Nothing Cinema, brings decades of experimental filmmaking and community organizing to Bay Area cinema.

A discussion of how AI systems could concentrate power among a small number of companies, governments, or individuals, and what mechanisms might prevent or mitigate that risk. Hosted by Jen Ba at Mox.