Entries Tagged as 'National Acadamies News'

Improving Accuracy of Long-Term Climate Forecasts

Centers that produce climate predictions, such as seasonal hurricane or longer-term drought forecasts, could increase their value for officials by modifying procedures for archiving and disseminating information, says a new report from the National Research Council. In addition, advancements in observational capabilities, statistical and dynamical models, and data assimilation systems could enhance understanding of key climate processes and improve forecasts.more...

InterAcademy Council Releases Review of IPCC

A new report from the InterAcademy Council, an organization of the world’s science academies, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, says that the process used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to produce its periodic assessment reports has been a success overall, but that IPCC needs to reform its management structure, strengthen its procedures, and become more transparent to handle increasingly complex climate assessments and greater public scrutiny. The report was released today at the United Nations.more...

Koshland Science Museum Announces Fall Events

Beginning in September, the Marian Koshland Science Museum in Washington, D.C., will offer a new season of public programs. Art Kramer, psychology professor, University of Illinois, will host a program on training your brain with video games; Carl Zimmer, award-winning author and science journalist, will talk about communicating science using new media; and there will be a science trivia night at the museum.more...

Live Webcast Tomorrow - Priorities for Astronomy and Astrophysics Research

New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, a new report from the National Research Council, surveys the field of space- and ground-based astronomy and astrophysics and recommends priorities for the most important scientific and technical activities in the coming decade. .more...

Live Webcast Tomorrow on Causes of Deepwater Horizon Explosion

A committee of the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council that is conducting a technical analysis of the causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will hold its first public meeting Aug. 12 and 13 to gather information on government oversight and regulation of deep water oil exploration and drilling.more...

Management of Methane Well Water Complicated by Regulatory Framework

Effective management of water produced from coalbed methane wells in some western U.S. basins is limited by complications in the regulatory framework, not because of water quality, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council that examines management of water extracted from coalbed methane basins in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.more...

Select Agents Should Be Defined by DNA Sequence

A DNA sequence-based system could be developed to better define when a dangerous pathogen or toxin should be subject to Select Agent regulations, says a new report from the National Research Council, which adds that this system could be coupled with a "yellow flag" system that recognizes requests to synthesize suspicious DNA sequences and serves as a reference to anyone with relevant questions, allowing for appropriate follow-up.more...

Live Webcast Monday on the Evaluation of U.S. Global HIV/AIDS Programs

This public event will include a brief presentation on a strategic approach for evaluating U.S. global HIV/AIDS programs implemented under the Lantos-Hyde Act of 2008, followed by a moderated question-and-comment period with members of the IOM committee that authored a recent report on the topic. Listen to the live audio webcast from 10 a.m. to noon EDT. Please refresh this page after 9:50 a.m. for a link to the webcast audio.more...

U.S. Nuclear Forensic Capabilities Analyzed

, a new report from the National Research Council, examines how the U.S. can sustain and improve its ability to test intercepted nuclear material and devices, or in a worst-case situation, evaluate the aftermath of a nuclear detonation or radiological dispersal, to determine the origin of nuclear material or devices.more...

Workshop on Medical Device 510(k) Clearance Process

An Institute of Medicine committee that is assessing the FDA process for clearing and approving certain kinds of medical devices and its ability to protect and promote public health is holding an information-gathering workshop today.more...