Category Archives: Science and Health

What is the latest science telling us about climate change?

After another record-breaking year for global temperatures in 2024, pressure is rising on policymakers to step up efforts to curb climate change. The last global scientific consensus on the phenomenon was released in 2021 through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but scientists say evidence shows global warming and its impacts have since been unfolding faster than expected.Here is some of the latest climate research:

Critical point

The world may already have hit 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) of warming above the average pre-industrial temperature — a critical threshold beyond which it is at risk of irreversible and extreme climate change, scientists say.

A group of researchers made the suggestion in a study released in November based on an analysis of 2,000 years of atmospheric gases trapped in Antarctic ice cores.

Scientists have typically measured today’s temperatures against a baseline temperature average for 1850-1900. By that measure, the world is now at nearly 1.3 C (2.4 F) of warming. But the new data suggests a longer pre-industrial baseline, based on temperature data spanning the year 13 to 1700, which put warming at 1.49 C in 2023, the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience said.

Ocean changes

The warming of the Atlantic could hasten the collapse of a key current system, which scientists warn could already be sputtering. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which transports warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, has helped to keep European winters milder for centuries. Research in 2018 showed that AMOC has weakened by about 15 percent since 1950, while research published in February 2024 in the journal Science Advances suggested it could be closer to a critical slowdown than previously thought. In addition, with the world in the throes of a fourth mass coral bleaching event the largest on record scientists fear the world’s reefs have passed a point of no return.

Scientists will be studying bleached reefs from Australia to Brazil for signs of recovery over the next few years if temperatures fall.

Extreme weather

Ocean warming is not only fuelling stronger Atlantic storms, it is also causing them to intensify more rapidly, with some jumping from a Category 1 to a Category 3 storm in just hours. Growing evidence shows this is true of other ocean basins. In October 2024 Hurricane Milton needed only one day in the Gulf of Mexico to go from tropical storm to the Gulf’s second most powerful hurricane on record, slamming Florida’s west coast. Warmer air can also hold more moisture, helping storms carry and eventually release more rain. As a result, hurricanes are delivering flooding even in mountain towns like Asheville, North Carolina, inundated in September 2024 by Hurricane Helene.

Forests and fires

Global warming is drying waterways and sapping moisture from forests, creating conditions for bigger and hotter wildfires from the US West and Canada to southern Europe and Russia’s Far East. Research published in October in Nature Climate Change calculated that about 13pc of deaths associated with toxic wildfire smoke during the 2010s could be attributed to the climate effect on wildfires. Brazil’s Amazon in 2024 was in the grip of its worst and most widespread drought since records began in 1950.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2025

University of Minnesota professors receive National Medal of Science award

The day’s local, regional and national news, detailed events and late-breaking stories are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with the latest sports, weather updates including the extended forecast.(ABC 6 News) — Two University of Minnesota professors are being honored with the National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest scientific award.R. Lawrence Edwards is an isotopes geochemist who helped develop the modern method of uranium thorium dating, which helps figure out how climate has changed over time.David Tillman is the most highly-cited ecologist in the world. He is a pioneer in biodiversity, helping combine math and biology to understand how plant species interact and react to human impacts like habitat destruction.
For Related Stories: National Medal of Science  University of Minnesota

I’m a food scientist… these are the things I would NEVER eat

By EMILY LEFROY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:07 EST, 6 January 2025 | Updated: 21:11 EST, 6 January 2025

Christy Clark could be serious contender for Liberal party leader, says political scientist

The contest to replace Justin Trudeau as the leader of the Liberal Party should include candidates from across the country, according to the University of Victoria’s Michael Prince.

But more importantly, new blood, not old, he says.

“Ideally, it would be someone who isn’t closely associated with Mr. Trudeau’s brand and his image,” said Prince, a political scientist at UVic.

“With a Prime Minister at approval ratings of 21 or 22 per cent and his party at 16 or 17 per cent, they’re historic lows.”

Prince says a good option would be Mark Carney, a former governor of the Bank of Canada who was hired by Trudeau in September as a special advisor on economic growth.

“He’s someone who’s been associated with governing and the federal government but hasn’t been smack dab in the middle of Trudeau government and wearing or owning a lot of the issues and decisions of the last ten years,” Prince said.

Another possibility, he says, is former B.C. premier Christy Clark.

“Christy Clark, to me, represents someone who’s more to the centre than the centre-left of the Liberal party, and I think a lot of Liberals and maybe Canadians would be looking for a recalibration of the Liberal party’s values or priorities and shifting more towards bread and butter issues, economic issues,” said Prince.

“And that’s clearly Christy Clark’s brand, that’s clearly her track record.”

Watch the report below:

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Clark wasn’t doing interviews Monday but did post in part on X: “As a lifelong Liberal I look forward to joining tens of thousands of Canadians to choose our next Leader. This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we’ve had to grow our Party and welcome new Liberals – including Canadians concerned about the future of our country – let’s seize it!”

Would Campbell River’s Jody Wilson-Rabould, who resigned as justice minister under Trudeau in 2019, be an option?

“I don’t see why she would want to re-enter politics at this stage with this party and the condition it’s in. This may not be the time,” Prince added.

On X today, Wilson-Raybould posted: “I hope to see an elevation in our discourse beyond petty, toxic partisanship, and a revitalized focus on developing sound public policy to guide our future.”

Many well-known current or former cabinet ministers are being named as contenders, including Christia Freeland, Dominic Leblanc, Melanie Joly and Anita Anand, to name a few.

Prince questions whether the next leader will just be a lame-duck candidate who will lose the next general election and need to be replaced after that anyway.

“In the next general election, considering how well the Conservatives are polling, the Liberals could finish fourth, so whether the party wants to toss that leader again or stick with them, some candidates might take a wait-and-see approach and not go into this round,” said Prince.

Back to Clark, Prince says she’d offer an interesting dynamic to the race.

“She would bring energy and a different dimension than the same old, same old that a lot of people in western Canada would go, ‘Yeah, here we go again, two or three candidates from Ontario, Toronto or Montreal, Quebec City area, you know, same old same old Liberal party.’”

READ ALSO: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns as Liberal party leader

More an art than a science

Terraced drainage (terraces) has long been recognized as an effective way to reduce runoff and soil erosion. Terraces block the downward flow at key intervals, which reduces surface water velocity and, thus, erosion. In its purest form, it has been used in Asia for as long as 2,300 years.
However, designing and building modern, durable, reliable terraces can seem overwhelming, despite the many benefits.
Jeremy Meiners, VP of Illinois-based drainage design software company AGREM, has spent a good deal of his career working closely with, and demystifying, drainage systems including terraced drainage. He’s worked on or reviewed essentially every terrace design that’s gone through AGREM, 
Drainage Contractor: How did you get into designing terraced systems?
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Snapshots of Urban Climate Science

When you picture atmospheric scientists, you might think of them monitoring cloud cover on the open plains or even chasing a twister through a cornfield. You probably don’t imagine teams of people launching weather balloons in the center of one of the largest cities in the U.S.But that’s what happened this past July during the CROCUS Urban Canyon Campaign in Chicago. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research program, the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) effort studies urban climate change and the impact it has on local homeowners and businesses.An urban canyon is a city street packed densely with buildings on both sides. These confined spaces trap heat, leading to an urban heat island effect. This effect is one of the factors that contribute to cities being warmer than surrounding areas. It can impact energy use, air quality and overall climate patterns. The goal of the Urban Canyon campaign was to collect data at the street level, where people live and work, and in the boundary layer, where air from the city mixes with the atmosphere.Over a two-week period, CROCUS researchers from Chicago and around the region converged on the city to conduct two intensive measurement sessions. They measured temperature, air quality and air flow in and around Chicago’s mix of skyscrapers, highways and neighborhoods. Their data will help inform strategies to mitigate extreme heat and weather while protecting property and infrastructure.Backed by the support of community partners Blacks in Green (BIG) and the Puerto Rican Agenda, more than 40 scientists and staff collaborated to make the campaign a success. Throughout their work, they snapped pictures of research in action. The University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) greenhouse grounds served as a staging area for the campaign. On July 15, 2024, researchers tested equipment, planned measurement routes and even compared sunscreens as they readied themselves for science, sun exposure and high heat during the study. Everywhere is your office during a field campaign. Atmospheric scientist Scott Collis perched on a cooler to join a Zoom call about upcoming weather. These daily forecasts led by the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory interns were essential in informing the team about when weather conditions would be right to answer their research questions. Dawn in the heart of Chicago. The Urban Canyon campaign began its first active measurement day on July 23, 2024. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s SPARC Trailer was stationed just west of the Chicago Loop to capture data as the city woke up to morning rush hour. SPARC stands for Space Science and Engineering Center Portable Atmospheric Research Center. The instruments on the trailer record temperature, water vapor and air pollution. They can even record the way wind moves up and around buildings. Measurements like this are essential in understanding how Chicago’s skyscrapers might trap hot air at the street level during extreme heat days. Chicago’s lakefront and greenspaces are key pieces of the city’s climate puzzle. Teams of roving scientists measured temperature fluctuations and air quality levels as they moved from the shore of Lake Michigan into the urban canyon along Roosevelt Road where tall buildings flank the high-traffic corridor. Community partners like BIG play an essential role in the scientific process. They ensure that research questions reflect the real-world needs of homeowners and businesses in areas most at risk for temperature extremes. They also help get neighbors excited about the science happening in their backyards. On July 23, 2024, CROCUS researchers and BIG visited the Gary Comer Youth Center to demonstrate and celebrate urban climate science in action. Research is fueled by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. During the Urban Canyon campaign, it was also fueled by pizza. Over the course of the campaign, the Street-Level Measurement Team walked an estimated 600+ miles through the streets of Chicago. Here they are on July 26, 2024, sitting down for some well-deserved slices. Good morning from the Shedd Aquarium! The second intensive research period ran from July 27 to July 28, 2024. Researchers from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (UIUC) launched their weather balloon from the Shedd’s circle drive while other teams around the city simultaneously released their balloons. Launching weather balloons at the same time allowed researchers to compare temperature, wind speed and wind direction at various heights in the lower atmosphere across the city. The researchers released 42 balloons during the campaign. Those things that look like shopping carts are actually mobile sensor systems that collect temperature readings at and just off the ground where people are living, working and walking around. Liz Moyer (second from right) from the University of Chicago led students as they pushed the mobile sensors along the Roosevelt Road corridor to gain a better understanding of potential human exposure to extreme heat. The roving team worked their way from Buckingham Fountain near the shore of Lake Michigan to the steps of the Art Institute of Chicago and into the urban canyons of Chicago’s financial district, taking measurements with portable sensors. But research in the city also leads to outreach in the city. Researchers often paused to answer people’s questions about their science and their equipment. The final day of the campaign was July 28, 2024. CROCUS principal investigator Cristina Negri (center) conferred with students from Valparaiso University as they prepped for the last balloon launch at the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School in Humboldt Park. The park’s trees and greenspaces are a stark contrast to the surrounding area, which is densely populated with houses and apartment buildings. The data from these balloon launches is helping researchers and community partners like the Puerto Rican Agenda understand just how much the park influences heat mitigation and air quality in the neighborhood. The deep-dish pizza might be getting cold, but the Urban Canyon campaign’s research is heating up. While scientists will continue to analyze and interpret the 420 data records they collected, you can see their initial findings at Data – Community Research on Climate and Urban Science.The Urban Canyon campaign was made possible through the hard work and collaboration of CROCUS partners from Argonne, BIG, Northeastern Illinois University, UIC, UIUC, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Valparaiso University and the Puerto Rican Agenda. Host sites at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School, Gary Comer Youth Center, UIC Greenhouse and the Shedd Aquarium provided space and support for this important research. Interns and student volunteers from UIC, Northeastern, Valparaiso and the DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program were essential in making the campaign a success.Watch an overview of the campaign at Science in Chicago: The CROCUS Urban Canyon Campaign (youtube​.com)Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.

Two University of Minnesota professors each awarded National Medal of Science

Two University of Minnesota professors each received the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony last week for their work in geochemistry and ecology.R. Lawrence Edwards and David Tilman were recognized with the award among 14 laureates on Friday. Nominees are evaluated by a committee of scientists and engineers appointed by the president, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation.“We are incredibly proud to celebrate and honor Professors Edwards and Tilman for their tremendous achievements in pushing the boundaries of science and innovation,” said University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, in a release. “Their unwavering commitment to excellence has enhanced the collective understanding of our planet. The new knowledge they have generated and the discoveries they have uncovered will play a key role in shaping a brighter future for generations to come.”Managed by the National Science Foundation, the presidential award is given to those who have made “outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, engineering, or social and behavioral sciences,” according to the release. It is considered the country’s highest recognition for scientists and engineers.Edwards, a regents and Distinguished McKnight University professor in the College of Science and Engineering, is an isotope geochemist who has helped develop modern uranium-thorium dating methods which have contributed to understanding of the planet’s climate history and ocean chemistry, according to the release.Using data from cave deposits, ocean sediments and ice cores, Edwards also has established patterns on climate changes and his work has helped explain the causes of abrupt climate change and rapid melting of ice sheets at the end of glacial cycles. Most of his work is done using a mass spectrometer, the modern version of which was developed by St. Paul-native Alfred O. C. Nier.“So improving the timeline of climate history is really when my contribution has been, and it’s been not only with the improvement in uranium thorium dating, but we’ve used that improvement in uranium thorium dating to improve carbon dating as well,” Edwards said.Dating improvements have allowed for a more precise timeline of climate history, Edwards said. The recognition is the honor of a lifetime, he said.“And I never thought I would be honored in this way. My dad used to say, put one foot in front of the other. And that’s sort of what I’ve done. It’s just keep on going along and following different threads. And then, sooner or later, things start clicking, and this happens, and that happens, and then things kind of work out. But we ended up putting together these incredible climate records and then going from there,” Edwards said.Tilman, a regents professor of ecology, evolution and behavior in the College of Biological Sciences, is the most highly cited ecologist in the world and known for his combined use of mathematics and biology to understand plant species interactions. Tilman formerly served as director of Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve where he explored how human impacts on nature then affect people. His research has informed global environmental preservation strategies, such as cleansing air and water.The number of species in a system and its diversity is one of the most important variables in determining how an ecosystem operates, Tilman said. Loss of species is akin to losing a profession and its skills that help a society operate, Tilman said.“We’ve been able to (uncover) these general principles that seem to apply very broadly from one place around the earth to another place and another. And it is that broad intellectual framework which has helped solve problems in ecosystems around the world,” Tilman said.One of the most exciting and interesting parts of receiving the National Medal of Science was meeting other recipients, Tilman said.“We often hear scary, seemingly scary news, about major environmental problems. I will say, we do have major problems, but there’s been so much work done, not just by me, but by scholars around the world, we now know solutions to these problems. We know solutions that can actually solve these problems at the same time they give us, as citizens of the world, of people living in Minnesota, wherever we might live, actually a better life than they had before,” Tilman said.Edwards and Tilman are members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Science. Late University of Minnesota faculty members Norman Borlaug and Leonid Hurwicz won the National Medal of Science in 2004 for contributions in plant pathology by Borlaug and in 1990 for economics to Hurwicz.Originally Published: January 6, 2025 at 6:51 PM CST

Middle Schoolers Experience Wonders of Science at Tween Tech

originally published: 01/06/2025

Stockton senior Breanna Hawkins, points out some birds on campus to a group of middle schoolers who attended her Tween Tech workshop. Hawkins, of Marshall, Michigan, is the president of Stockton’s Birding Club, and she showed the students how to use the Merlin Bird ID app to identify birdsong on their phones. Photo by Susan Allen, Stockton UniversityHawkins, who’s also the president of the Stockton Birding Club, became the first Stockton student to host a Tween Tech workshop. She talked to the middle schoolers about using the Merlin Bird ID app to identify birdsong.After presenting the students in the classroom with some audio samples of birdsong and how they correspond to visual sonograms, she took them outside to a bird feeder to show how the app uses artificial intelligence to recognize birds just by listening with your phone.“We have to engage young people in the outdoors because when people are interested, they have a stake in the game to help save the planet or help with conservation efforts,” said the Marshall, Michigan, native.The workshop resonated with first-time Tween Tech attendee Amelia Isom, an eighth grader from Galloway who spent a week at Stockton last summer in the STEM-focused Tech Trek program. She said she didn’t realize before the workshop that each bird species had a different call.“I didn’t realize that they were so diverse. I’m very interested in environmental sciences, and I haven’t really learned about birds, so it’s really interesting to learn about that, as well as AI,” Isom said. “I like going hiking and being outside, especially in the summer, so I think it would be very interesting to use the app.”Isom was one of about 30 students from Galloway Township Middle School who attended Tween Tech this year, said Paula Junker, the school’s principal. That number is up from 20 last year, and Junker said she plans to continue to take advantage of the unique opportunity to bring her students to campus.“In seventh and eighth grade, you don’t know what you want to be or what is out there. A lot of times we just know what our parents know or what they did,” she said. “This gives the girls opportunities to see what options are out there and help figure out what they might be interested in.”In addition to opening the students’ eyes to STEM fields, Keenan hopes the experience will ultimately lead them to major in a science field at Stockton.“Many prior Tween Tech attendees have become Stockton students who are pursuing majors in Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science right now,” said the former dean of Stockton’s School of Education. “Their hands-on experiences at Stockton have moved them beyond envisioning in the abstract. They tangibly engage with the inspirational faculty and leading-edge equipment that make Stockton the place they want to attend.Reach New Jersey’s largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ StageOther schools that participated in Tween Tech include Fernwood and Alder middle schools in Egg Harbor Township, William Davies Middle School in Hamilton Township, Weymouth Township School, Southern Regional Middle School in Manahawkin and Margaret Mace School in North Wildwood.Stockton University is ranked among the top public universities in the nation. Their nearly 9,000 students can choose to live and learn on the 1,600-acre wooded main campus in the Pinelands National Reserve in South Jersey and at our coastal residential campus just steps from the beach and Boardwalk in Atlantic City. The university offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs.

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Winter PRIDELand
Thursday, January 09, 2025 @ 5:30pmState Theatre Studio15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901category: communityView event page for full information

Tuesday Night Book Club – Harold Pinter, Betrayal
Tuesday, January 14, 2025 @ 7:30pmVIRTUALcategory: communityView event page for full information

How Not To Be Famous – A Conversation with Richard Kind
Saturday, January 25, 2025 @ 8:00pmBergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631category: communityView event page for full information

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 Disney on Ice presents Frozen & Encanto at Cure Insurance Arena
(TRENTON, NJ) — For the first time, Disney On Ice invites families to step inside the magical adventures of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen, the #1 Animated feature of all time, and Disney Animation’s Encanto, the 2022 Academy Award®, BAFTA®, and Golden Globe® Award winner for Best Animated Feature, as they come to life like never before. This adventure on ice transports fans into two of the most popular Disney films as audiences can sing-along to their favorite songs while embracing world-class ice skating, aerial acrobatics and more when Disney On Ice presents Frozen & Encanto skates into Trenton at the CURE Insurance Arena from February 6-9, 2025.

 Registration is Open for Mayo Performing Arts Center’s Spring Performing Arts School
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) — Registration for Spring Performing Arts Classes at Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) is open. Classes begin the week of January 21, 2025 and run through May.

RVCC Planetarium to Present New Star Show in January Focusing on Asteroids
2025-01-11 to 2025-01-25

Loren Graham, professor emeritus of the history of science, dies at 91

Loren R. Graham, professor emeritus of the history of science who served on the MIT faculty for nearly three decades, died on Dec. 15, 2024, at the age of 91.Graham received a BS in chemical engineering from Purdue University in 1955, the same year his classmate, acquaintance, and future NASA astronaut and moon walker Neil Armstrong graduated with a BS in aeronautical engineering. Graham went on to earn a PhD in history in 1964 from Columbia University, where he taught from 1965 until 1978. In 1978, Graham joined the MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) as a professor of the history of science. His specialty during his tenure with the program was in the history of science in Russia and the Soviet Union in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. His work focused on Soviet and Marxist philosophy of science and science politics.Much of Graham’s career spanned the Cold War. He participated in one of the first academic exchange programs between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1960 to 1961 and marched in the Moscow May Day Parade just weeks after Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. In 1965, he received a Fulbright Award to do research in the Soviet Union.Graham wrote extensively on the influence of social context in science and the study of contemporary science and technology in Russia. He also experimented in writing a nonfiction mystery, “Death in the Lighthouse” (2013), and making documentary films. His publications include “Science, Philosophy and Human Behavior in the Soviet Union” (1987), “Science and the Soviet Social Order” (1990), “Science in Russia and the Soviet Union: A Short History” (1993), “The Ghost of the Executed Engineer” (1993); “A Face in the Rock” (1995); and “What Have We Learned About Science and Technology from the Russian Experience?” (1998).His publication “Science, Philosophy and Science in the Soviet Union” was nominated for the National Book Award in 1987. He received the George Sarton Medal from the History of Science Society in 1996 and the Follo Award of the Michigan Historical Society in 2000 for his contributions to Michigan history.Many former colleagues recall the impact he had at MIT. In 1988, with fellow faculty member Roe Merrett Smith, professor emeritus of history, he played a leading role in establishing the graduate program in the history and social study of science and technology that is now known as HASTS. This interdisciplinary graduate Program in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society has become one of the most selective graduate programs at MIT.“Loren was an intellectual innovator and role model for teaching and advising,” says Sherry Turkle, MIT professor of sociology. “And he was a wonderful colleague. … He experimented. He had fun. He cared about writing and about finding joy in work.”Graham served on the STS faculty until his retirement in 2006.Throughout his life, Graham was a member of many foundations and honorary societies, including the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Russian Academy of Natural Science.He was also a member on several boards of trustees, including George Soros’ International Science Foundation, which supported Russian scientists after the collapse of the Soviet Union. For many years he served on the board of trustees of the European University at St. Petersburg, remaining an active member on its development board until 2024. After donating thousands of books from his own library to the university, a special collection was established in his name.In 2012, Graham was awarded a medal by the Russian Academy of Sciences at a ceremony in Moscow for his contributions to the history of science. “His own life as a scholar covered a great deal of important history,” says David Mindell, MIT professor of aeronautics and astronautics and the Dibner Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing.Graham is survived by ​​his wife, Patricia Graham, and daughter, Meg Peterson.