Kepler's: Phil Lapsley
Phil Lapsley discusses and signs his book "Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell." Lapsley traces the birth of long-distance communication and the telephone, the rise of AT&T's monopoly, the creation of the sophisticated machines that made it all work, and the discovery of Ma Bell's Achilles' heel. The event is today, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., at Kepler's, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Go to keplers.com

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Simon "Pete" Worden, the center director for Ames Research Center, will discuss the idea of engineering life in broader ranges than are found on earth and its implications for the search for life. The event is today, Feb. 13, 7:15-9:15 p.m. at the Palo Alto Elks Lodge, 4249 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Go to pa-spaug.org

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