Subscribe to Receive the Daily Report

Sunday, November 30th, 2014

The Chinese scientific revolution aims to tackle climate change

Author:     John Abraham
Source:     The Guardian (U.K.)
Publication Date:     Friday 28 November 2014 09.00 EST
 Link: The Chinese scientific revolution aims to tackle climate change
Stephan:   As a result of the Republican distaste for science, and the gutting of research budgets through decisions such as the Sequester and specific targeted cuts, particularly in areas like climate change and genetics, which the Theocratic Right does not like, U.S. research is beginning to fall behind in a number of fields. It doesn't seem very glamorous, and the media pays virtually no attention to it, but I believe this is a major trend with serious long-term consequences. This article gives one a good sense of what is happening.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences recently hosted a small workshop on devices that are used to measure ocean temperatures. Credit: Corbis/Zhang Jiansong

The Chinese Academy of Sciences recently hosted a small workshop on devices that are used to measure ocean temperatures.
Credit: Corbis/Zhang Jiansong

This article is about the future landscape of science in general, and climate science in particular.

Just a few days ago, the Chinese Academy of Sciences hosted a small workshop which involved scientists from around the world that work on a device called the Expendable Bathythermograph, or XBT for short. The obscurity of the conference speaks volumes; it didn’t get much, if any, press attention. This fact tells a lot about the host nation.

XBTs are devices that are used to measure ocean temperatures. They were developed many decades ago to help navies determine the depth of the thermocline. Submarines positioned below the thermocline are more able to avoid detection. The devices are released from the deck of a ship and they fall through the water, recording temperatures along the way. As […]

Read the Full Article