system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Are academic conferences open to the public?

I’m a new grad student with a flexible schedule and I’m embarrassed to ask my advisor such a silly question. 

Are academic conferences usually open to the public? I have interests outside of my field and would love to find some conferences so I can listen to people talk about their work. 

Is there a database of upcoming conferences? How would I find out about these? 

Thank you in advance!

Edit: thanks again for the help! Navigating higher ed as a first gen student is exhausting, I’m glad there are kind people out there willing to take time out of their day 😀
gpt
If you mean open, as in free, then most likely “No.”most scientific conferences require registration fees. There are some conferences that you may not be able to attend; these are typically smaller & more intimate, so you need to be presenting or get in touch with organizers to get permission. You’ll still have to pay fees if you are allowed, & this can get very expensive. Larger conferences (like for societies) are generally more permissive but you still pay $$$$$$. In any case, you should just reach out to the organizers and ask.