The Weston Observatory, Boston College’s center of geophysical research, offers periodic colloquiua open to the public. The next one will be on October 2, 7-9PM, on The Geological History of Cape Cod, presented by Dr. Ken Galli. The observatory is at 361 Concord Road in Weston. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Email anastasia.macherides@bc.edu to reserve a seat. Three days later, the speaker will lead an all-day field trip, A Geologist’s View of Cape Cod, on October 5, 8AM-5PM, starting and ending at the Weston Observatory parking lot.

Celebrating its first 15 years, the Broad Institute in Cambridge is hosting Broad@15, a series of free, public lectures.  On October 7, 6-7PM, Geneticist Benjamin Neale and neuroscientist Beth Stevens will speak on What Genetics and Biology are Teaching Us about Mental Illness. Register here. All Broad@15 talks will be live streamed. You can view the live stream and video of previous talks via links at broadinstitute.org/15.

Register here for these upcoming Day Camp programs offered by Code Ninjas in Wellesley:

• October 9: App Builders Day Camp and Competition, 8:30AM-4:30PM
• October 14: Robotics Day Camp, 8:30AM-4:30PM

Boston Tech Mom (“a parent’s guide to raising a future techie”) is a great resource for all things STEM around Boston — including her monthly posts about free or low-cost STEM Events for Kids in Boston. Here’s her Boston Tech Mom: Tech Events for Kids in October list of STEM events.

Bedford High School (9 Mudge Way, Bedford) will host the 17th annual Women of Science Competition for up to 45 teams of junior and senior women from area high schools competing in four science and engineering events on December 7, 7:30AM-3PM. Each team of three students will compete as a group. Area high schools may register up to two teams each by October 31 and possibly a third team after that if there’s room. The event is sponsored by MilliporeSigma and ThermoFischer with support from UMass Lowell, Bedford Public Schools, and the Bedford Education Association. For more information, contact Michael Griffin or Michelle Pietrangelo at Bedford High School.

Boston’s Museum of Science will host its first Sci-K fun run along the Charles River esplanade on October 6, to benefit the museum.  Check-in will be at 8AM, with start time at 9AM and at 11AM awards ceremony, food and beverages, and science activities (see Facebook page). It’s a dog-friendly, stroller-friendly, untimed run. Registration is $35 for adults, $18 for kids under 13.

The New England Sci-Tech STEM education center (16 Tech Circle, Natick) will host an Astronomy Day on October 5, 4PM-10PM. There will be planetarium shows, a presentation by Gallileo, a Mars movie marathon, telescope viewing, amateur-radio activities, and maker activities. All are free and open to the public.

Framingham State University will present The Future of Space Exploration: An Ethical Perspective, featuring Dr. Martin Collins of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.  It will take place at the McCarthy Forum (100 State Street, Framingham) on October 16, 7PM-8:30PM. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Registration is now open for the Saturday-morning session of Science on Saturday, on October 19 at 10AM at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory (244 Wood Street in Lexington).  The topic will be The Science and Magic of Optics!, presented by Lincoln Laboratory’s Recent College Graduates Employee Resource Group. See laser light bend and bounce, learn how different colors combine, watch flat images pop up in 3D, reveal hidden messages with light, and visit demonstration booths. All children (5-17 years) must be escorted by an adult, and every adult must be escorted by a child or children.  Children under 5 are not admitted. Admission is free but each person attending must be registered.  Space is limited. Register online by October 18 (October 7 for non-U.S. citizens). Register an adult first, then a child, then others. Adults must bring government photo identification.  See other rules on the registration pages.