QUEST Community Science Blog

Thousands March To Curb Climate Change

Thousands March To Curb Climate Change

Tens of thousands of people join rallies in Washington DC and San Francisco to urge action on climate change.

Asteroid 2012 DA14: In Line For a Rim Shot

Asteroid 2012 DA14: In Line For a Rim Shot

Duck! Here comes asteroid 2012 DA14, grazing close to where you live on February 15th!

Bay Area Bird Challenge: The Great Backyard Bird Count Is This Weekend!

Bay Area Bird Challenge: The Great Backyard Bird Count Is This Weekend!

Help the Bay Area be better represented in this year's Great Backyard Bird Count!

Romantic Spots for Bay Area Geologists (and Those Who Love Them)

Romantic Spots for Bay Area Geologists (and Those Who Love Them)

Don't be surprised, be delighted if your current or future romantic partner treats you to a day straight up on the rocks.

Welcoming Pinnacles to the Elite Club of National Parks

Welcoming Pinnacles to the Elite Club of National Parks

If you visit the slice of Central California serenity known as Pinnacles, you might notice the sign out front now says, “National Park.”

Lighten Up, California: Why GloFish Can't Glow in the Golden State

Lighten Up, California: Why GloFish Can't Glow in the Golden State

One of the more popular exhibits at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose is the wetlab. The exhibit is getting a little long in the tooth so I was looking for ways to give it a bit of a refresh.

Geological Sounds

Geological Sounds

Geology can be heard as well as seen: here's a tour of some sounds that Earth makes.

Coyote Killings: A Complex Debate of Conservation and Cruelty

Coyote Killings: A Complex Debate of Conservation and Cruelty

Coyotes, reviled for preying on sheep and goats, are the most targeted predator in the U.S. This week, hunters in the tiny Modoc County town of Adin will compete in a contest to kill the most coyotes to protect their livestock–even though research shows that killing coyotes results in higher reproductive rates.

Winter Waterfall Hiking in Marin

Winter Waterfall Hiking in Marin

Winter may not bring snow to the San Francisco Bay Area, but it definitely brings waterfalls. If you find time before spring, head to Cataract Creek Trail in Marin County.

Groundhogs and Ground Squirrels: Winter Prognosticators

Groundhogs and Ground Squirrels: Winter Prognosticators

Ground squirrels in our local parks and grasslands are related to groundhogs. Find out more about their role in weather predictions and grassland ecology.

What Makes California's Quake Warning System So Timely?

What Makes California's Quake Warning System So Timely?

In the age-old war between Northern and Southern California, a change in the science has changed the politics.

Comments Do Matter (So Get Talking!)

Comments Do Matter (So Get Talking!)

Back in December I wrote a blog post asking scientists to comment online more often.

Mars Mountain Climbing Mashup!

Mars Mountain Climbing Mashup!

The comparison between Earth-side mountain exploration and the planned expedition by the Mars rover Curiosity came to my mind as I read a book my family got me over the holidays: Last Climb, the story of the legendary Mount Everest expeditions of George Leigh Mallory.

Geological Outings Around the Bay: San Bruno Mountain

Geological Outings Around the Bay: San Bruno Mountain

There is no Bay Area peak more central than San Bruno Mountain, and it's remarkably unspoiled.

Fear and Loathing in Wolf Country

Fear and Loathing in Wolf Country

After federal wildlife officials removed endangered species protections on wolves in the Rocky Mountains, hunters quickly killed them by the hundreds. If California's lone wolf leaves the state, he could meet a similar fate.

Warblers' Secrets for Successful Survival Strategies

Warblers' Secrets for Successful Survival Strategies

Learn the survival secrets of our winter visitors, the yellow-rumped warblers.

Placing a Bet on the Surface of Mars

Placing a Bet on the Surface of Mars

As Curiosity gets ready to use its rock drill for the first time, we can hypothesize on what it will find.

Pregnancy and Paternity: New Fetal DNA Testing

Pregnancy and Paternity: New Fetal DNA Testing

Imagine you are a woman in a committed relationship. The worst happens and you are raped and become pregnant. What are your options?

The Stars Go For the Gold

The Stars Go For the Gold

The middle-aged adage that we are made from stardust, made popular by Carl Sagan back in the 1970s, pops up in my thoughts now and then. Not just pretty words; it's the literal truth!

Geological Outings Around the Bay: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness

Geological Outings Around the Bay: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness

Enjoy a quiet canyon amid the noise, haste and rumpled rocks of the East Bay.