In this issue:

Message to Members: 2008 Annual Meeting--S&T from a Global Perspective

News to Note: AAAS/China Workshop, Meeting with Rwandan Leaders, US Lab Safety, Election of AAAS Fellows, Nuclear Materials Safety

Advancing Science, Serving Society: Barnard Environmental Lecture, Abelson Seminar

Science Careers: Neuroscience Special Feature, HBCU Research Conference

Announcements: Eppendorf/ Science Prize Winner, AAAS Officers Election, S&T Policy Fellowships, Mass Media Fellowships

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Sponsored by:

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Message to Members

2008 Annual Meeting--S&T from a Global Perspective

Dear AAAS Member,

Leading scientists, engineers, educators, and policy makers from 56 countries will gather to present groundbreaking research and explore interactions among scientific disciplines during the 2008 Annual Meeting, "Science and Technology from a Global Perspective," 14-18 February in Boston, Massachusetts.

The global perspective of our meeting focuses attention on the power of science and technology, as well as education, to assist less developed segments of world society while also improving cooperation among developed countries and spurring knowledge-driven transformation across scientific disciplines. More than 150 symposia, plenary lectures, topical lectures, and poster sessions invite your participation in discussions of global health and food production, climate change and energy, ecology and resource management, public communication and public policy, space science, and world security and stability.

Special events include a Town Hall Meeting which will engage the public in "Understanding Obesity and Childhood Nutrition." Career development fairs and workshops will advance the next generation of scientists. Family Science Days will captivate parents and children alike with the excitement of discovery, open to the public free of charge.

We expect up to 10,000 participants and hundreds of members of the national and international media as well as exhibitors of cutting-edge products and services. You are invited to join the largest and most important interdisciplinary scientific gathering of the year. I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,


David Baltimore, President, AAAS
Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology, California Institute of Technology

P.S. You can review the Annual Meeting program, develop your personal itinerary, and register at www.aaas.org/meetings.

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News to Note

AAAS, China Explore Global S&T Ethics
During a six-day visit to China in late September, US ethics and policy experts convened with their Chinese counterparts to discuss the development of common standards and practices for the scientific enterprise. The event, "China-US Workshop on Scientists’ Social and Ethical Responsibilities," covered integrity issues in an era of unprecedented global cooperation in science and technology.
Read more about the ambitious new engagement between AAAS and Chinese S&T organizations, including cooperative agreements, and view a slideshow of photos from the bilateral meetings and workshop.
Read the story translated into Mandarin Chinese.

AAAS President and Rwandan Leaders Meet to Discuss S&T
In mid-October, AAAS President David Baltimore and AAAS Director for International Cooperation Tom Wang traveled to Rwanda to meet with President Paul Kagame; Romain Murenzi, Rwanda’s minister for Science, Technology, and Scientific Research; and other top science and health leaders. The goal of the meetings was to understand Rwanda’s capacities, interests, and needs and to lay a foundation for possible future science, technology, and education collaboration. Lacking exploitable natural resources, the country is forging a future based on human resources, aiming to make Rwanda a sub-Saharan technology hub. Read more about Rwanda’s commitment to confronting deep poverty and the aftermath of genocide 13 years ago, and about AAAS’s broader mission of international engagement and cooperation.

Panel Urges Cooperation to Strengthen US Lab Safety
In the wake of new terrorist threats and widely reported security lapses, a recent AAAS panel urged scientists and law enforcement to join forces to strengthen laboratory security guidelines. Noting that stricter US guidelines since 2001 have caused some scientists to discontinue research on select pathogens, the panel urged collaboration through national standards for pathogen storage, accident response, and physical security around laboratories that will protect against bioterrorism while not impeding scientific research. Read more.

AAAS Announces Election of Fellows
In October, the AAAS Council elected 471 members as Fellows of AAAS. Recognized for their contributions to science and technology, the Fellows will be honored at a special forum during the 2008 Annual Meeting. See the complete listing, by section affiliation.

Briefing Calls for US Effort to Secure Nuclear Materials
With enough materials to make more than 200,000 nuclear weapons scattered across the globe in dozens of countries, Matthew Bunn of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government stated the highest-probability global danger is from small terrorist groups, rather than full-scale war. Bunn told US Senate staff members at a AAAS Capitol Hill briefing that the nuclear material to make a simple, plutonium implosion bomb would fit in a single soda can. While noting certain areas of improvement in nuclear weapons security in the past year, Bunn called for upgrades worldwide, urging the Bush Administration to take five key steps and the US Congress to act on pending legislation. Read more about these recommendations and get access to the Kennedy School’s just-released report, Securing the Bomb 2007.

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Advancing Science, Serving Society

Barnard Lecture Addresses the "Intertwined Challenges of Energy and Environment"
In a sobering assessment of the world’s energy future, AAAS Chairman John P. Holdren told a packed auditorium at AAAS that there are no technological silver bullets to solve the persistent conflict between rising global demand for cheap energy and the environmental harm that results. In the ninth annual AAAS Robert C. Barnard Environmental Lecture, Holdren offered a wide-ranging review of the growth in energy use over time, dispelled some myths about whether the world is running out of energy, and discussed the environmental challenges--particularly climate change--that lie at the heart of the world’s energy predicament. He noted that the "business as usual" path would lead to a 50% increase in global energy demand between 2005 and 2030, with nearly a doubling in the amount of coal-fired electrical power.

Read more, including Holdren’s assessment of society’s options. View the PowerPoint presentation and watch a video of the lecture, given 18 October in the AAAS auditorium in Washington, D.C.

The Robert C. Barnard Environmental Lecture is held each fall, hosted by the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program. The lectureship honors Barnard’s 50 years of service as an attorney deeply concerned with the intersection of science, law, and the environment.
http://fellowships.aaas.org/

Abelson Seminar Explores "New Horizons in Polar Science"
The richness of polar regions and the impact of climate change and other environmental threats were explored 30 October, during the annual Philip Hauge Abelson Advancing Science Seminar at AAAS. Whales with sword-like tusks, dwindling penguin populations, microorganisms entombed in the Antarctic "living ice sheet," and the cosmic origins of the universe were among the intriguing topics covered by leading researchers. One speaker, AAAS President-elect James J. McCarthy, stated that "the polar regions are like the canary in the coal mine, and when the canary drops, it’s time to leave the mine. But we have no exit strategy." Read more about the warning signals of global warming and the call for a US federal program that can address the scale of the problem.

The seminar was held in recognition of the International Polar Year and in honor of Philip Abelson, editor of Science for 22 years and a senior adviser to AAAS until shortly before his death at age 90.

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Science Careers

Read the latest career features from Science Careers. You can also search jobs, get career advice, find grant information and much more at www.sciencecareers.org –all for free.

Science Special Feature: Careers in Neuroscience: From Protons to Poetry
The 26 October issue of Science includes a special feature on neuroscience careers. The subject areas that qualify as neuroscience are as far-reaching and as interconnected as neurons themselves. Consequently, neuroscientists often work on questions that span several distinct subfields. Read more.

Undergraduate Research Conference: Broad Participation in S&T Education, Careers, Drives US Innovation
Speakers at the 2007 National Science Foundation Historically Black Colleges and Universities--Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) called for support of undergraduate research and innovative curricula to encourage diversity on the frontiers of science and technology. Read more about the October conference organized by AAAS.
See also the related story, "Networking and Presentations Skills Emphasized at Undergraduate Research Conference"

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Sponsored by:

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Announcements

Consider a Year-End Gift to Advance Science and to Serve Society
2007 has been an active year for AAAS. In addition to our hallmark programs, we took on many new initiatives that addressed critical issues in science and technology. To sustain this ambitious agenda, we hope you will consider AAAS as you assess your end-of-year giving, as it is through member contributions that we are able to promote science in all forms. For more information on the many ways to donate to AAAS, go to http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/giving/types/designate.shtml or contact the AAAS Development Team at +1 (202) 326-6636.

Researcher Rachel Wilson Wins Eppendorf/ Science Prize
Focusing on the fruitfly’s smell circuits, Rachael Wilson discovered unexpected complexities in the way odors are processed in the brain. The work of the researcher at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, as described in a 1,000-word essay, has been awarded the 2007 International Grand Prize in Neurobiology by the journal Science and Eppendorf AG. Read more about the prize, and see the finalists’ essays. The winning essay also was published in the 26 October issue of Science.
http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2007/1025eppendorf.shtml

Register for the Next Science Webinar: "Tackling Reproducibility Issues in Mass Spectrometry–based Biomarker Discovery"
On 5 December, at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time (9am PST, 5pm GMT), fnd out what factors you should consider in the design of your mass spectrometry–based proteomics experiments. Three experts will present their thoughts and discuss best practices for study design, including challenges you might encounter, and how to overcome them. Questions can be submitted live to the expert panel. Register today at www.sciencemag.org/webinar.
Produced by the Science /AAAS Business Office and sponsored by Bio-Rad.

Vote for AAAS Officers: Deadline 23 November
Members who have not returned ballots for the 2007 election of the AAAS president-elect, members of the Board of Directors and Committee on Nominations, and section officers are urged to mail their ballots, postmarked no later than Friday, 23 November. If you did not receive a ballot, contact Gretchen Seiler at gseiler@aaas.org.

Science & Technology Policy Fellowship: Deadline 20 December 2007
AAAS S&T Policy Fellows put their science and engineering expertise to work supporting policy making based on sound science in US congressional offices and federal agencies located in Washington, D.C. Doctoral level degrees are required and early career through senior career professionals are invited to apply. One-year fellowships begin next September. Access full information including eligibility and criteria, guidelines for candidates and references, the 2008-09 class schedule, and an online application.
http://fellowships.aaas.org/

Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship: Deadline 15 January 2008
Increase your science communication skills as a science journalist. Fellows work for 10 weeks during the summer at mass media sites nationwide, including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and NPR. To be eligible, candidates must be either: undergraduates in their senior year; graduate or postgraduate students; or within one year after graduation or defense of their thesis. An applicant’s field of study must be in the natural, physical, health, engineering, computer or social sciences, or mathematics. Students enrolled in English, journalism, science journalism, or other nontechnical fields are not eligible. AAAS selects 15 - 20 Fellows each summer. US$4,500 stipend plus travel expenses. Visit http://www.aaas.org/programs/education/MassMedia/ for an application and more information.

Minority Science Writers Internship: Deadline 1 March 2008
Science is a global activity, but the demographics of the journalists who cover it do not reflect that diversity. AAAS offers the Minority Science Writers Internship (MSWI) for students who are interested in journalism as a career and who want to learn about science writing. Interns work for 10 weeks at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of Science magazine, the largest interdisciplinary journal in the world. The application for the paid internship is posted at www.aaas.org/mswi. Candidates must be college undergraduates at the time of their application.

Attend Genomes to Systems 2008 - 17 to 19 March, Manchester, UK
Science will be a sponsor of the leading international genomics-related conference, Genomes to Systems 2008, offering 15 in-depth sessions featuring presentations from 66 of the world’s leading researchers in postgenome science. The conference brings together 800 delegates for a three-day program, including a network evening and a commercial exhibition with technology showcases. Early-bird discounts are available before 7 December. For more information and to register, go to www.genomestosystems.org.
 
Join the XX International Congress of Genetics – 12-17 July 2008, Berlin, Germany
Science /AAAS is proud to sponsor the XX International Congress of Genetics, Berlin, Germany, 12-17 July, 2008, which will present the elite gathering of the world’s leading geneticists. The dramatic recent progress in functional genomics will be presented and evaluated in 10 plenary lectures, 54 concurrent symposia, 280 oral presentations, and hundreds of posters. An exciting spectrum ranging from metagenomics to evolution of humans will be covered. For more information, visit www.geneticsberlin2008.com.

Special AAAS Membership/2008 Annual Meeting Offer
Do you have colleagues who are not yet members of AAAS? If they register in advance for the 2008 Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, they will receive a one-year membership to AAAS for free, along with all member benefits including a one-year subscription to the journal Science, access to Science and all of its archives online, and access to Science Express. International members will receive Science Digital. This offer is good for advance registration only, and expires on 18 January 2008. Only nonmembers qualify. Share the news now. Register for "Science and Technology from a Global Perspective," 14-18 February 2008. www.aaasmeetings.org/registration

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About AAAS

AAAS News & Notes appears in Science in the last issue of each month.
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