AAAS 2003 Conference Report
I went to the AAAS conference in February, 2003 -- http://www.aaas.org/meetings/MPE.shtml
Since it was in Denver this year, I was able to go. I was able to attend sessions from Friday, February 14th through Monday, February the 17th. I particularly enjoyed the session on the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) on Sunday. I learned quite a bit at the other various scientific sessions. It was interesting to see some of the viewpoints of scientists and scientific publishers from all over the world.
Friday February 14th
TITLE:
The Asteroid/Comet Impact Hazard: A Decade of Growing Awareness
TIME:
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
ORGANIZERS:
David Morrison, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ames Research Center; Clark R. Chapman, Southwest Research Institute; Richard Binzel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
Policy Frameworks for Impact Mitigation - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=790
SYNOPSIS:
This symposium addresses scientific and public interest in collisions of near-Earth objects (NEOs, both asteroids and comets) with the Earth.
From Noon till 1:00 PM, I saw a live broadcasting of NPR's "Talk of the Nation, Science Friday."
TITLE:
Making Science Relevant to Undergraduates
TIME:
2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
ORGANIZERS:
Virginia G. Carson, Chapman University
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
SYNOPSIS:
Freshmen come to colleges and universities with a variety of expectations about the science courses they will be taking. These expectations range from fear and dread for some non-science majors to eager anticipation for those students planning to major in a science. By making classes more relevant to the modern student, non-science majors will be more comfortable interacting with scientists and science majors will become better able to make contributions accepted by the general public.
Saturday, February 15th
TITLE:
The Sun: Source of Life and Key to the Cosmos
TIME:
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
ORGANIZERS:
Sydney D'Silva, Iowa State University; Lee Anne Willson, Iowa State University
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
The Changing Sun - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=844
SYNOPSIS:
The Sun sustains life on Earth by the energy it generates at its center. It produces magnetic fields that drive magnificent phenomena from sunspots and solar flares to the dazzling display of the northern lights. The study of our Sun--- Solar Physics---spans from its deep interior, where nuclear particles interact, to the Earth, where its energy affects life in a multitude of ways.
TITLE:
Environmental Effects of Outdoor Lighting
TIME:
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
ORGANIZERS:
David Crawford, International Dark-Sky Association
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
Light Pollution : the Problem and the Solutions - http://www.darksky.org - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=69
SYNOPSIS:
The extent of lighting at night, indoors and out, has increased enormously over the last century. What are the effects of so much light at night on plants, animals, and humans? What is the impact on science? This session brings together individuals with expertise on some of these questions, although clearly much remains unknown. The proposed session involves medical science, the environment, technology and its impact on humans, and astronomy.
Had lunch with Dorothy McGarry at Wolfgang Puck’s.
TITLE:
Science’s Shrinking Public Domain?
TIME:
2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
ORGANIZERS:
John S. Gardenier, Independent Researcher
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
Growing the Intellectual Commons: Keeping Our Eye on the Prize http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=935
SYNOPSIS:
Science rests on access to data and information. As more and more of society realizes that we are now in an Information Age, the monetary value of information becomes more evident. This tends to drive some commercial firms, bodies politic, and even some scientists to seek ways to "lock up" data and information which used to be available for "fair use." Particularly in electronic form, more so than in paper form, technological means exist to restrict access.
Sunday, February 16th
TITLE:
NSDL: Progress toward Enhancing Education via Digital Libraries
TIME:
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
ORGANIZERS:
Dave Fulker, NSDL; Alice M. Agogino, University of California-Berkeley
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
SYNOPSIS:
Digital-library technology is being employed with the goal of large-scale enhancement to teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Of special importance is the National Science Digital Library (NSDL), funded by the National Science Foundation as a highly distributed development effort, involving more than 80 principal investigators.
TITLE:
Scientific Collaboration in Transition
TIME:
2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
ORGANIZERS:
Edward J. Hackett, Arizona State University
AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS:
"The Collaborative Process of Technology Transfer" - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=350
Multimethod Inquiry into Collaborative Processes - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=666
The Impact of Research Collaboration on Scientific Productivity - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=401
Problems in Scientific Collaboration: Does Email Hinder or Help? - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=376
New Dimensions of Scientific Collaboration - http://php.aaas.org/meetings/abstracts.php?xabs=888
SYNOPSIS:
Collaboration is an integral part of the life of science, and in recent years the extent and character of scientific collaboration have undergone profound change.
Monday, February 17th
TITLE:
Mathematical Models for Traffic Flow (Phantom Jams and Real Data)
TIME:
2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
ORGANIZERS:
Paul Nelson, Texas A&M University
SYNOPSIS:
Escalation in the costs of roadway additions and expansions, together with increased environmental concerns (both of which are especially acute in urban areas), have led to the necessity to achieve high efficiency in the use of existing roadways. At the same time novel technological developments, particularly in sensors and communication, have provided novel opportunities to achieve this enhanced efficiency.