Mini-Newsletter January 2012 AAAS Section on Industrial Science and Technology (Section P)
2012 Industrial Science and Technology Business Meeting Schedule– Please Join Us!!!
Open to all meeting registrants - Come join us!
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Oceanview Suite 3 (Pan Pacific Hotel)
We hope to see you at the annual business meeting of the AAAS Section on Industrial Science and Technology that will take place Saturday morning, February 18, 2012 from 10:00 to noon in the Oceanview Suite 3 (Pan Pacific Hotel) during the AAAS Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C. Section Chair Carol Burns will lead the meeting. All are welcome to attend! We will provide coffee and tea service, fruit and assorted gourmet pastries at the business meeting. Minimizing our food costs allows our section to help subsidize the travel costs of speakers invited to participate in Section-P sponsored symposia. For those unable to attend the meeting, please be sure to share your ideas for next year’s technical symposia and/or topical lectures that Section P might propose/sponsor/cosponsor at the 2013 AAAS annual meeting (to be held in Boston) in advance of the February 18, 2012 business meeting. You are, of course, welcome to share your ideas and input anytime, which can be submitted to Section Secretary Anice Anderson at [email protected], or any of the other section officers listed below. We will also discuss Fellows Nominations for next year, so let us know your suggestions! Also, President of the AAAS Caribbean Division, Jorge Colón will talk to us about Haiti.
We have organized/co-organized, sponsored/co-sponsored 26 technical symposia at the upcoming AAAS meeting (outlined below). We hope you can attend some of them! 2,800 AAAS members are now affiliated with our Section. We hope together we come up with some great new proposals during the meeting. The proposal deadline for 2013 Annual meeting technical symposia will be in April 2012. The 2013 Meeting Theme is provided at the end of this letter to facilitate ideas and discussion for future symposia we may suggest.
OFFICERS: The Industrial Science and Technology Section P officers are: Chair: Carol Burns, Los Alamos National Laboratory Chair-Elect: Cammie Abernathy, Dean, College of Engineering, University of Florida Section Secretary, Anice Anderson, Private Consultant Retired Chairs: Jennie C. Hunter-Cevera, RTI International Previously-retired Chairs: S. Thomas Picraux and Stan Bull Members-at-Large: Ray Baughman, Nanotech Institute, University Texas at Dallas Daniel Herr, Semiconductor Research Corporation; Univ North Carolina Harry S. Hertz, NIST Kenneth Jackson, University of Arizona Council Delegate: Steven W. Popper, RAND Corp. Electorate Nominating Committee: Gordon D. Jarvinen, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Richard Broglie, Pioneer/DuPont. Thanks to Robert Boily, Inforex Inc., and Qinghuang Lin, IBM. Members of our Nominating Committee include(d) Ana Ivelisse Aviles, Tingye Li, Joyce A. Nettleton, and Robert W. Sprague, and Affiliate Representatives Saul Gass, Kenneth Jackson, Charles Larson. Thanks to all who serve!
See you soon in Vancouver!
Best regards,
Anice Anderson and Carol Burns
Anice Anderson, Ph.D. American Association for Advancement of Science Section (P) Industrial Science and Technology Secretary 812.249.3642
1 Section P Supported Symposia and Symposia of Interest
Friday February 17, 2012
Designing Marine Protected Area Networks Within Changing Global Climate Conditions (Session 4584)
Friday, February 17, 2012: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM Room 116-117 (VCC West Building)
Ocean water and species move across international boundaries. Technologies required to accurately track and predict their movements are essential in managing human activities affecting marine ecosystems. Critical transboundary ecosystem issues are affected by climate change. These problems require the scientific study and global solutions discussed in this session by U.S. and Canadian scientists and industry. A central question associated with design and implementation of marine protected area (MPA) networks is to understand the movements of species. Where organisms originate from (spawning grounds), where they move to (adult and larval dispersal), and how quickly they move (influences growth and survival) are important considerations in determining where MPA networks should be located, the strength of their connectivity, and the effectiveness of a network of MPAs in protecting critical life stages of species. Understanding and accurately predicting the movement of species is inherently a biophysical challenge. Research in accurately assessing movement of species is ongoing in dart, acoustic, and satellite tagging studies (animal telemetry); molecular, stable isotope and geochemical analysis; and physical process and ocean circulation models. As species and water move across political boundaries, close communication and collaboration among nations are essential in assessing the effectiveness of MPA networks in protecting life stages of species and their associated habitats.
Organizer: Robert J. Brock, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Co-Organizer: Anice Anderson, Private Consultant
Speakers:
Brad deYoung, Memorial University of Newfoundland Observing and Understanding How the Ocean Moves Organisms Together and Apart
Nicholas Tolimieri, Northwest Fisheries Science Center Climate Change and Marine Reserves: What Do We Know, and How Much Do We Need To Know?
Jake Rice, Fisheries and Oceans Canada MPA Policy and Climate Change: Seizing Synergies and Reducing Risks
Conquering the Final Frontier: The Importance of Space Technologies in All That We Do
Friday, February 17, 2012: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM Room 217-218 (VCC West Building)
Famous futurologist Alvin Toffler observed trends in wealth creation in the postindustrial society: everywhere (globalization), nowhere (cyberspace), and out there (outer space). Space technologies are already becoming an integral part of modern society. Satellite navigation based on the global positioning system (GPS) has become the basis for precision time and accurate location used worldwide by cellular phones, electrical power networks, and banking. GPS supports just-in-time manufacturing and worldwide logistics chains through precise tracking and is becoming central to commercial aviation. Satellite-based remote sensing supports improved agricultural productivity through high-precision farming and accurate weather forecasts, and helps in crisis management and disaster situation assessment. What are the most urgent challenges in space of the 21st century? Which kind of threats do we face from the outer space? How can we exploit space for the good of all humanity? How are space scientists collaborating across the globe? The symposium will bring together leading scientists
2 and visionaries to present a unique perspective on the role of space science in meeting some of the most important challenges of the modern world. Organizer: David Boteler, International Space Environment Service (ISES) Co-Organizer: Stephan Lechner, European Commission, JRC, Institute for Protection and Security of the Citizen
Speakers: David Boteler, NOAA Space Weather Monitoring: A Global Dimension
Steven MacLean, Canadian Space Agency Space, Climate, and Communications: The Polar Communications and Weather Mission
Stephan Lechner, Joint Research Center (JRC), Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen Global Monitoring for Environment and Security
Redesigning the Governance of Science, Technology, and Innovation After Japan's Earthquake
Friday, February 17, 2012: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM Room 122 (VCC West Building)
The great east Japan earthquake that occurred on 11 March 2011 had a significant impact on Japan's and the world's science, technology, and innovation (STI) networks, which are closely connected. For example, the destruction of research facilities, damage to lifelines and restrictions on electricity supply, and the return to home countries of many foreign researchers and students have caused the interruption and stagnation of research and development activities in Japan and the world. Furthermore, the nuclear power plant accidents point to an urgent need to review existing energy policies. Many challenges have emerged in terms of risk management and communication given the public's shaken confidence in science and technology not only in Japan but also in the rest of the world. This symposium will address various challenges stemming from the great earthquake, how STI policy can contribute to understanding and analyzing them and finding solutions, and the prospects for redesigning the governance of STI.
Organizer: Tateo Arimoto, Japan Science and Technology Agency Co-organizers:Yuko Harayama, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Kazuhito Oyamada, Japan Science and Technology Agency Moderator: Yuko Harayama, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Discussant: Vaughan Turekian, AAAS
Speakers: Masahiro Kuroda, Tohoku University of Community Service and Science Prospects and Challenges for Science of STI Policy After the 3.11 Japan Disaster
Julia Lane, NSF Science of Science Policy and the Great East Japan Earthquake
Barend van der Meulen, Rathenau Institute Economic Disasters and the Effects on Science
Putting Scientific Breakthroughs To Work in Support of Renewable Energy
Friday, February 17, 2012: 8:30 AM-11:30 AM Room 118 (VCC West Building)
Some of the most promising forms of renewable energy require extracting that energy from the environment: wind, solar, hydrokinetic, and thermal. Current efforts are expensive, but with proper cross-disciplinary science, costs are decreasing, in some cases rapidly. Key to the economic success of using these new forms of energy is understanding the environment well enough to know where to build systems, how to build them, and what the impact on the environment will be. Environmental scientists, working together with engineers and electricity providers, are finding ways to maximize output while minimizing impacts. Innovative research is at the core of these recent advancements, with scientists asking questions they have never 3 asked before and learning to work across disciplines to find world solutions. The efficiency and placement of different types of renewable energy must meet the available energy demands. Electricity providers require as complete an understanding of how much energy will be available and at what times. The impacts of wind turbines, solar panels, and most important, ocean- derived energy forms must be examined in a cross-disciplinary manner. Speakers will address these issues, summarize recent breakthroughs, and provide road maps for how these critical issues are being addressed by scientists internationally.
Organizer: Elizabeth C. Weatherhead, University of Colorado Co-Organizer: Suzanne Van Drunick, University of Colorado
Speakers: Dan Arvizu, National Renewable Energy Laboratory The Role of Science in Achieving Clean Energy Goals for the Future
Susan K. Avery, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scientific Breakthroughs To Monitor the Impacts of Ocean Energy Extraction
Nicolas Fichaux, International Renewable Energy Agency Acting on Our Best Understanding of Renewable Energy Resources
David Grimes, Meteorological Service of Canada Coordinating the Best Science on Renewable Energy in the International Community
Alexander E. MacDonald, NOAA Scientific Breakthroughs on Optimal Placement of Solar and Wind Installations
Peter Madsen, Technical University of Denmark Transfer of Science to Industry in Wind Energy
Successful Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Insights from Practice and Theory
Friday, February 17, 2012: 8:30 AM-11:30 AM Room 212 (VCC West Building)
Grand challenges in science and society demand collaboration among researchers from multiple disciplines and nonacademic partners. Therefore, a growing number of research funding and academic programs are adopting interdisciplinary, collaborative approaches. Because traditional academic culture and incentives tend to reward individual achievement and disciplinary approaches, these interdisciplinary programs are experimenting with new modes of knowledge production and transfer, data sharing, and reward systems within a variety of institutional and cultural settings. Some collaborative projects produce transformative results for science and society, while others are plagued with team conflict, low productivity, and uncertain outcomes. This session will attempt to extract some lessons for success from this collection of experiments in interdisciplinarity. The goal is to provide practical insights from both practice and theory to inform the planning, management, and sustainability of interdisciplinary collaborations. The session aims to integrate knowledge from an interdisciplinary panel that includes leaders of successful global collaborations, academic administrators, and social and behavioral scientists who study collaborative knowledge production.
Organizer: Melanie Roberts, University of Colorado Co-Organizer: Edward G. Derrick, AAAS Science and Policy Programs Moderator: Edward G. Derrick, AAAS Science and Policy Programs Discussant: Norine Noonan, University of South Florida
Speakers: James P. Collins, Arizona State University The Implications of Transformations in Scientific Practice
Daniel Pauly, University of British Columbia Lessons from a Use-Inspired International Collaboration in Marine Research
4 Irwin Feller, AAAS Does Interdisciplinary Research Require Organizational Restructuring?
Stephanie Pfirman, Barnard College Interdisciplinary, Problem-Oriented Research and the Early-Career Scholar
Michele Lamont, Harvard University Shared Socio-Emotional-Cognitive Platforms To Promote Interdisciplinary Synthesis
Denis Gray, North Carolina State University Cross-Sector Partnerships: Lessons from Cooperative Research Centers
Food, Feed and Fuel: Optimizing Economic and Sustainable Biofuel Production
Friday, February 17, 2012: 1:30-4:30 Pm Room 118 (VCC West Building)
Biofuels from energy crops and inedible agricultural products (such as straw) offer promise as a domestic source for transportation fuel. But before biofuels can compete economically, the logistics of harvesting, storing, and transporting feedstock material to biorefineries must be optimized. Harvesting wheat straw and corn stalks that are traditionally left in the field cannot affect soil health or farmer productivity. Seasonal feedstocks must withstand long-term storage without rotting. And biomass must be ground and compacted in a way that makes industrial-scale transportation and handling efficient and economical. An international panel of symposium speakers from diverse agencies will explain how academia, government, and industry are collaborating to research and demonstrate solutions. They will discuss how the food versus fuel issue can be solved, sustainable planting and landscape management, spoilage and long-distance transport, interfacing with biorefineries, and risks associated with the budding biorefinery business model.
Organizer: Nicole Stricker, Idaho National Laboratory Co-Organizer: Anice Anderson, Private Consultant Moderator: J. Richard Hess, Idaho National Laboratory
Speakers: J. Richard Hess, Idaho National Laboratory Crossing Borders: Government, Academia, and Industry Are Solving Bioenergy Challenges
Frank Rosillo-Calle, Imperial College London Food vs. Fuel
Douglas Karlen, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Sustainable Landscape Management Practices for Biofuels Crop Production
Bruce Dale, Michigan State University Preparing Biomass for Storage and Transportation
John N. Saddler, University of British Columbia The Biorefining Story: Progress in the Commercialization of Biomass to Fuels
Brian Duff, U.S. Department of Energy Risks Associated with the Industrial Biofuels Business Model
Documenting a Changing Ocean Through International Multidisciplinary Collaborations 5
Friday, February 17, 2012: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Room 212 (VCC West Building)
Resource exploitation, pollution, acidification, temperature, and salinity changes are altering marine ecosystems, seawater chemistry, and ocean circulation in complex ways that are interconnected and feedback on the causes that initiated them. Understanding these changes is essential to providing food sources, to sustaining economic development, and to predicting future atmospheric greenhouse gas levels and global warming. The complexities and interrelatedness of these questions demand that oceanographic research be multidisciplinary, integrative, and based on global-scale observations conducted through large, frequently multinational, programs. The speakers will present major achievements from large-scale oceanographic programs addressing interrelated physical, chemical, and biological changes in the ocean. They will particularly focus on lessons learned and future challenges in crafting cross-cutting, collaborative, and global ocean observational programs.
Organizer: Roger Francois, University of British Columbia Co-organizers:Roberta Hamme, University of Victoria and Andrey Proshutinsky, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Speakers: Eddy Carmack, Fisheries and Ocean Canada Rapidly Changing Arctic Ocean: Observations from the International Polar Year
Hein de Baar, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Highlights of Recent GEOTRACES Field Programs
Ian Perry, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Shifting Paradigms and Improving Decision-Making for Marine Systems Under Change
W. Brechner Owens, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The International Argo Program: Providing Global Ocean Observations for Climate
Kendra Daly, University of South Florida Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry: Building a Community from the Bottom Up
J. Anthony Koslow, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Perspectives on Ocean Climate from a 60+ Year Ocean Observation Program
Analogy in Applications of Mathematics and Statistics to Other Disciplines
Friday, February 17, 2012: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Room 213 (VCC West Building)
Every model of a complex situation is an analogy, highlighting one set of features while suppressing others with the goal of gaining understanding. Mathematicians have developed a precise language, or category theory, for systematizing analogies. For example, because volume is related to containment, it is often more significant than length: larger balls cannot be put in smaller ones, while the small intestine is longer than the body that contains it. This perspective focuses on extracting meaning from relations among measurements. It has become a powerful technical tool in the application of mathematics across many scientific areas. The panel will present examples from networks, evolution, cancer research, and dynamical systems where the exploitation of analogy has led to important new discoveries and insights. Whereas traditional approaches to modeling nature have relied on classical techniques of continuous mathematics and linear approximation, the modern scientist is faced with massive amounts of discrete data, usually obtained from highly nonlinear dynamics where the “rules of nature” are opaque at best. This session will demonstrate how mathematical notions of persistence and naturality can be used to understand statistical properties, patterns, and features hidden in the massive experimental data being collected at an ever-increasing rate across science. The speakers have been selected for their ability to communicate to audiences with diverse backgrounds and scientific interests.
Organizer: Benjamin Mann, Ayasdi Inc. Co-Organizer: Jack Morava, Johns Hopkins University 6
Speakers: Robert Calderbank, Duke University Reaching Consensus
Gunnar Carlsson, Stanford University Topology as an Organizing Principle for Biomedical Data
Michael Deem, Rice University Emergence of Modularity in Biology
Richard Lenski, Michigan State University Exploring Adaptive Landscapes in a Long-term Experiment with Bacteria
Konstantin Mischaikow, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Database Schema for the Global Dynamics of Multiparameter Nonlinear Systems
SATURDAY SESSIONS AND MEETING (supported by Section P)
Data to Knowledge to Action: Computational Science in a Global Knowledge Society
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM Room 121 (VCC West Building)
Rich data streams coupled with computational tools are contributing to an inflection point in our global knowledge society. Researchers are increasingly able to harness large datasets to generate new insights that can guide decision-making. For example, organizations regularly capture transactions and operational data, and sensor networks (including global positioning system [GPS] data from smartphones) support a wide spectrum of applications, from detecting traffic flows to capturing levels of moisture in vineyards. Similarly, the shift of commerce, science, education, art, and entertainment to the Web is resulting in unprecedented quantities of data about human activities. Algorithmic tools, including approaches for discovering and visualizing important dependencies, influences, and relationships amidst a sea of complex interactions, as well as methods for constructing and using predictive models that help unearth patterns that we cannot see directly, can transform data into insights in the form of rich visualizations and recommendations for action. Such tools have provided “optics” into potential illnesses lurking behind a patient's symptoms, the locations and durations of traffic jams in a city, usage patterns and impacts of home appliances on energy consumption and costs, and so on. In this session, speakers will describe how computing research is enabling a “data to knowledge to action” pipeline that is increasingly critical for facilitating a 21st century global knowledge society.
Organizer: Erwin P. Gianchandani, Computing Research Association
Speakers: Deborah Estrin, University of California Participatory Sensing
Eric Horvitz, Microsoft Research Pursuing the Dream of Evidence-Based Health Care
Peter Stone, University of Texas Intersections of the Future: Using Fully Autonomous Vehicles
7 Exploding Myths on Reactor Security, Harm Reduction, and Genetically Modified Organisms
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM Room 201 (VCC West Building)
This session explores myths about the seldom-seen science behind some of today's most controversial public policy issues. Case studies will spotlight that crucial interface between science, policy, and society vis-à-vis nuclear energy, crop innovations (gentically modified organisms [GMOs]), and harm reduction (tobacco). Accepting that societal problems are not necessarily problems with purely scientific solutions, speakers will argue that calculated risks are fundamental to realizing proven benefits. Fukushima or not, why is it so difficult to separate fact from fiction on nuclear reactor safety and waste management solutions? What are the known and unknown implications of innovation in biotechnology and genetic engineering? Is tobacco harm reduction the greatest public health imperative today or is quit or die enough? Their common cause will be to demonstrate that innovative science is ever more prevalent and important. Their common aim will be to urge the wider scientific community to think — and act — in the global interest, while pressing the reset button for evidence- based policy above policy-biased evidence. Their approach will not be to assume that scientific consensus can exist or to frame issues as science versus the public with science in the right. Yet, governments face challenges in terms of how science is viewed and used, with the gap between public perceptions and scientific realities widening. Citizens are, nevertheless, unequivocal in their support for finding solutions to global issues.
Organizer: Aidan Gilligan, SciCom - Making Sense of Science Moderator: Patrick Cunningham, Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland Discussants:Carl Johan Sundberg, Karolinska Institute and Istvan Palugyai, Nepszabadsag
Speakers: Roland Schenkel, Nuclear Energy Consultant Nuclear in the Political Riflescope: Putting the Brakes on or Keeping Nuclear an Option?
David O'Reilly, British American Tobacco Harm Reduction Science: A Costly Illusion or Promising Breakthrough?
Guy van den Eede, European Commission, Joint Research Center Whatever Crops Up: Solving Real Problems in Every Season
Quantum Computing: Current Status and Future Prospects
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 8:30 AM-11:30 AM Room 118 (VCC West Building)
Large-scale quantum computers, if and when they can be developed, will be capable of solving otherwise intractable problems with far-reaching applications to cryptology, materials science, and medicine. The quest for scalable quantum computers is a grand challenge for 21st century science and a highly interdisciplinary enterprise, drawing heavily from physical science, computer science, mathematics, and engineering. In this symposium, leading theorists and experimentalists will report on rapidly moving recent developments and assess the prospects for future progress. The speakers are major contributors to the subject who are also highly effective at conveying the excitement of the field to broad audiences. The symposium will address some of the central questions pursued in current research. What is the essential difference between quantum and classical information processing, and what is the source of a uantum computer's power? What can quantum computing teach us about fundamental physical law? Can a quantum computer operate reliably even though its elementary components are imperfect? What is the best way to construct a quantum processor, and how can we build the large systems needed to solve hard computational problems?
Organizer: John Preskill, California Institute of Technology
Speakers: John Preskill, California Institute of Technology The Entanglement Frontier
8 Scott Aaronson, MIT Quantum Computing and the Laws of Physics
Michael Freedman, Microsoft Station Q Topological Quantum Computing
Charles Marcus, Harvard University Semiconductor Quantum Computing
John Martinis, University of California Quantum Computing with Superconducting Circuits
SECTION P Industrial Science & Technology MEETING –PLEASE JOIN US!!!!!
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Oceanview Suite #3 (Pan Pacific Hotel)
Quantum Information Science and Technology: A Global Perspective
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Room 212 (VCC West Building)
Quantum information science emerged during the past decade as an interdisciplinary endeavor engaging mathematics, computer science, and branches of physics, material science, chemistry, and, recently, biology. Quantum information science has revealed irreconcilable conflicts between commonly accepted but unproven precepts of different disciplines: particularly physics, computer science, and mathematics. The resolution of this problem will either transform our understanding of the validity of quantum mechanics or computational complexity theory, or both, with potential impact ranging from the foundations of physics to practical matters of electronic commerce. Meanwhile, quantum information science has transformed the organization of research and has led to the formation of interdisciplinary research institutes worldwide, most notably in the Asia-Pacific circumference and in Canada. Quantum information science provides a laboratory for viewing scientific work-force trends, notably, the flow from West to East, and within Asia; the development of new educational curricula; and patterns of intellectual property policy and transitions to industry in a vibrant field of long-term research. The speakers are heads of new institutes in this field who will address frontier problems of research and institutional response. A companion symposium is entitled "Quantum Computing: Current Status and Future Prospects."
Organizer: Charles W. Clark, Joint Quantum Institute Co-Organizer: Amy Wang, Tsinghua University Moderator: Amy Wang, Tsinghua University
Speakers: Raymond Laflamme, Institute for Quantum Computing Quantum Information Processing
J. Ignacio Cirac, Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics Quantum Information Theory: Applications and Challenges
Artur Ekert, Center for Quantum Technologies A Powerful Twist on Quantum Cryptography
Andrew Yao, Tsinghua University Quantum Information in China
Charles W. Clark, Joint Quantum Institute Next-Generation Atomtronics 9
Web Surveillance: Fighting Terrorism and Infectious Diseases
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Ballroom A (VCC West Building)
Traditional approaches to understanding the spread of terrorism and infectious diseases are based on 20th century communication models, such as newsletters, face-to-face meetings, and clinic reports. With the new media (e.g., the Web and online social networks), scientists can trace geographic and chronological patterns to reveal the nature of significant events such as radical concepts or epidemic outbreaks. This symposium will focus on the advancement of Web surveillance methodologies developed in the fields of information management, GIScience, linguistic ontology, complex networks, and epidemiology. Innovative Web search tools, intelligence ranking algorithms, space-time analysis, user-generated contents, and social networks will be highlighted in the symposium to demonstrate this new research direction. The Web, a powerful platform for collective thinking and idea exchange, provides valuable intelligence to help scientists monitoring processes ranging in diversity from the spread of diseases to the structure of terrorist networks. The information dynamics can be transformed into visual maps and information landscapes for space-time analysis. Understanding the diffusion and cluster patterns in response to terrorist movements and epidemics may significantly facilitate intervention, and eventually, prevention responses.
Organizer: Ming-Hsiang Tsou, San Diego State University Discussants: Vinton Cerf, Google Inc. and Eduardo Jezierski, InSTEDD
Speakers: Hsinchun Chen, University of Arizona Security Informatics: The Dark Web Experience
Kathleen M. Carley, Carnegie Mellon University Social Dynamics: Change in Web-Mediated Geographically Embedded Social Networks
Ming-Hsiang Tsou, San Diego State University Mapping Ideas from Cyberspace to Realspace with Geospatial Fingerprints
Nigel Collier, National Institute of Informatics Text Mining in Action: Early Alerting of Disease Outbreaks from Online Media
Filippo Menczer, Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing Tracking the Diffusion of Ideas in Social Media
Li An, San Diego State University How Do Ideas Spread over the Internet? Evidence from Space-Time Analysis
NanoCellulose: An Abundant, Sustainable, Versatile Biopolymer
Saturday, February 18, 2012: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM Room 220 (VCC West Building)
Nanocellulose is a generic name for a new family of novel fibrils derived from plant cell walls or bacteria. Just as cellulose has been an abundant natural resource for millennia with substantial contributions to the development of civilizations, the unique nanocelluloses are sustainable biopolymers poised to have a major role in improving the quality of human life in this century. A rapidly expanding field of nanocellulose science has emerged with pioneering results, leading some to predict that the field could parallel history, where the 1920s studies on cellulose contributed to the discovery of polymers and led to the origin of polymer science. Fibrillated, crystalline, and bacterial nanocelluloses have unsurpassed versatility and strength for composite materials, films, medical implants, drug delivery systems, and a biomaterial rivaling Kevlar, which is made from fossil fuels. With cellulosic biofuels becoming a competitive alternative to fossil fuels, research in enzymology is targeting high-value nanofibrillated cellulose as a biofuel co-product. This symposium will present current findings that bridge multidisciplines, from genomics of tree and plant breeding, plant cell wall structure and function, advanced techniques for 10 characterizing cell walls and nanocellulose, and specialized methods for isolating nanofibrils, to novel biomaterials. The speakers represent three international science and technology centers at the forefront of this new wave of cellulose research.
Organizer/Moderator: Barbara Illman, U.S. Forest Service
Speakers: Theodore Wegner, U.S. Forest Service A World View of Nanocellulose
Nils Petersen, National Research Council Canada Nano-Scale Devices for Nanocellulose
Ali Harlin, VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Nanocellulosic Technologies: A Success Story
SUNDAY SESSIONS (supported by Section P)
Applying Assistive Technology to Improve Quality of Life
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM Room 217-218 (VCC West Building)
About 10 percent of the world's population live with a disability, and the aging population is one of the main challenges of the 21st century for developed countries. Recent improvements in computer science and new technologies have opened new perspectives on ways to help aging and disabled people. Assistive technology has been applied for years, but it is not yet available to everybody. Major barriers include the availability of effective and affordable assistive technology and the necessity of individual tailoring. These issues have implications for research and development (R&D). Experts should involve end-users in their studies to ensure that information and communication technologies (ICTs) themselves do not end up creating barriers by being too complex or inaccessible. In spite of some progress, major improvement can be achieved by accelerating the uptake of ICT innovations, focusing on interoperability, reducing complexity, and promoting ways to cater to people with special needs through mainstream technologies. The scope of this session will be to discuss how these technologies can be improved, the challenges in R&D for coping with people's needs, and ways that service delivery can be enhanced and improved. Organizer: Stephan Lechner, European Commission, JRC, Institute for Protection and Security of the Citizen Co-Organizer: Geraldine Barry, European Commission, JRC
Speakers: Bonnie Sobel, Kentucky State University Technological Aids for Disabled Students: A U.S. Perspective
Richard McNicoll, Centre de Recherche Appliquée en Technologies de l'Information (CRIM) Research and Technology in Canada: How Can Technology Help Disabled People?
Stephan Lechner, European Commission, JRC Institute for Protection and Security of the Citizen E-Inclusion in Europe
The Global Quest for Excellence
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM Room 119-120 (VCC West Building)
The borderless global environment for research and innovation is rapidly redefining the concept of excellence. Whether considering opportunities for collaboration or for capitalizing on their competitive advantages, nations are increasingly expanding their horizons to position themselves as key players in a global world. Thus, countries are developing national
11 strategies to be magnets for top talent and leaders in advancing knowledge and in reaping the benefit of research in cutting- edge innovation. The symposium will present the experience of France, Germany, and Canada in launching initiatives of excellence. It will explore how we are redefining excellence in the 21st century, where our ability to flatten the world and build a global knowledge society are key determinants of the wellness and prosperity of our planet.
Organizer: Suzanne Fortier, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Moderator: Suzanne Fortier, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Speakers: Chad Gaffield, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Redefining and Pursuing Excellence in the 21st Century
Matthias Kleiner, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft The German Excellence Experience
Philippe Freyssinet, French National Research Agency (ANR) France's Investments for the Future: Striving for Global Excellence
Anthropology and Engineering: Technological Innovations in Global Health
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 8:30 AM-11:30 AM Room 215-216 (VCC West Building)
Recent technological innovations for global health that involve interdisciplinary teams of engineers, epidemiologists, social scientists, and others hold great promise for surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment. These technological innovations can reduce disparities in health care across the globe. For example, the proliferation of mobile communication devices and innovations in these devices provide the opportunity to reach remote populations with inadequate access to health care. This step will dramatically improve the quality of life and economic well-being of these populations. This symposium will feature several innovations that are in use or being tested for point-of-care technology to address problems in infectious diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or gastrointestinal diseases related to contaminated water sources. This symposium will present case studies of various innovations to make health care more affordable in both developing and developed nations. Speakers will include the inventors of these new technologies, public health experts, and anthropologists who will discuss issues related to culture, equity, ethics, and use.
Organizer:Margaret Bentley, University of North Carolina Co-organizers: Ram Sriram, National Institute of Standards and Technology and Don Giddens, Georgia Institute of Technology
Speakers: Julie Swann, Georgia Institute of Technology Improving the Allocation of Limited Health-Care Resources in the Developing World
Margaret Bentley, University of North Carolina Technology and Global Capacity Building: How Do Local Contexts Affect Learning?
Eswaran Subrahmanian, Carnegie Mellon University Technological Innovations in a Rapidly Changing Social and Economic Context: India
Marcia Inhorn, Yale University Islam and Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the High-Tech Middle East
Aydogan Ozcan, University of California Photonics-Based Telemedicine Technologies Toward Smart Global Health Systems
Can a Smarter Grid Slow Down Climate Change While Accelerating Energy Independence?
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 8:30 AM-11:30 AM 12 Room 118 (VCC West Building)
The key to energy independence is often seen as replacing Middle Eastern oil with other sources of fossil-based fuels found closer to home. However, the cost of exploration and exploitation of such resources, often found in the most inhospitable and technologically challenging areas of the developed world, makes such transitions cost-inhibitive and economically unjustifiable. Moreover, the environmental risks associated with the exploration and exploitation of such fossil-based resources, e.g., Gulf of Mexico's oil spill, makes the public and policy-makers wary of entertaining further work in this area. On the other hand, recent technological advances have made it possible to produce energy from a host of renewable sources of energy that do not emit greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, the adoption and penetration of clean energies into the mainstream energy market has been slow. Recent surges in the cost of oil have not changed the situation. Clean energy sources still account for a fraction of the world's total electrical power production. This session will assess whether the adoption of clean sources of energy is being hindered not simply by their diffuse nature or higher cost, but also by the absence of a smarter electricity grid that is capable of providing a secure and reliable service for its customers, using a portfolio of often intermittent renewable sources of energy.
Organizer: Hassan Farhangi, British Columbia Institute of Technology Discussant: Chris Marnay, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Speakers: John Macdonald, Day4 Energy Inc. Future of Energy Systems and Unsustainability of Status Quo
Kip Morison, BC Hydro Utility Perspectives on Issues Confronting the Energy Industry
Hassan Farhangi, British Columbia Institute of Technology Smart Grid and Its Role in Achieving Energy Independence
Reza Iravani, University of Toronto Managing Demand Through a Smarter Distribution System
Geza Joos, McGill University Expanding Production Capacity Through Renewable Sources of Energy
David G. Michelson, University of British Columbia Transforming the Existing Grid into a Smart Grid
Updating the International System of Units: The Foundation for Science and Technology
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM Room 208-209 (VCC West Building)
The International System of Units (SI) is the common basis for consistent measurement for all of science and technology. Traceability to the metric system is one means to ensure fair trade and equitable commerce. National metrology institutes implicated in the Convention of the Meter are working to revise the definitions of four base units — the kilogram (kg), ampere (A), mole (mol), and kelvin (K) — by using fixed and exact values for some fundamental constants: Planck's constant (h), the Avogadro number (NA), the elementary charge (e), and the Boltzmann constant (kB). This change echoes the 1983 redefinition of the meter, which now relies on a fixed and exact value for the speed of light (c). One visible consequence of the redefinition will be that the International Prototype of the Kilogram, an artifact standard made from Pt-Ir, will no longer define the unit of mass, marking the end of the era where human-made objects, rather than nature itself, sets the reference for our system of units. Attendees will learn about the current SI, the proposed new definitions, and the latest experimental and theoretical knowledge that will be incorporated to set the values for the constants. Because the metric system is widely implemented and virtually everyone is affected by the system of measurement, speakers also will discuss the challenges associated with informing, educating, and engaging the global community to pave the way for a successful introduction in the coming years.
Organizer: Alan G. Steele, National Research Council of Canada Co-Organizer: James K. Olthoff, National Institute of Standards and Technology
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Speakers: Barry M. Wood, National Research Council of Canada Defining and Redefining the International System of Units
Dave Inglis, National Research Council of Canada Critical Experiments for Metrology and the International System of Units
Georgia L. Harris, National Institute of Standards and Technology Engagement and Education: A New Challenge for the International System of Units
Is There Life Beyond Moore's Law?
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Ballroom A (VCC West Building)
Digital electronics is a major driver of the modern economy, accounting for a large proportion of the productivity gains that characterized the global economy since the mid-1990s. Advances have been fueled by what is colloquially known as Moore's Law that successfully predicted the exponential increase in performance of computing machines for the last 40 years. This gain has been achieved because of increasing miniaturization of billions of tiny switches that make up the guts of today's computing machine. However, because sizes of these devices are reaching atomic dimensions, further progress will be stalled by limits imposed by fundamental physics. An impediment to progress is that nano-scale switching devices cannot be systematically arranged, organized, and interconnected by conventional technological means to orchestrate a useful computational architecture. To take computing power beyond Moore's Law would require entirely new scientific, engineering, and conceptual frameworks. Fundamental research across disciplines involving electrical engineers, computer scientists, chemists, physicists, material scientists, and biologists would be needed during the coming decades to combat this technological bottleneck and economic slowdown resulting from it. Recent surveys reveal that the United States is rapidly losing ground in international competition in this area. The symposium will focus on the multidisciplinary nature of the scientific problem in the context of global economy.
Organizer: Sankar Basu, National Science Foundation (NSF) Co-Organizer: Robert J. Trew, NSF
Speakers: Farnam Jahanian, NSF Is the Death of Moore's Law a National or Global Crisis?
Ralph K. Cavin III, Semiconductor Research Corp. Beyond Moore's Law: An International Perspective
Paolo Lugli, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Beyond Moore: A European Perspective
Wolfgang Porod, University of Notre Dame Emerging Nano-Electronic Device and Circuit Technologies
Erik Winfree, California Institute of Technology Molecular Programming with DNA Nanotechnology
Tsu-Jae King Liu, University of California Mechanical Computing Redux: Energy-Efficient Computing with Relays
International Comparisons of Research and Development Policy
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM Room 122 (VCC West Building)
14 There are as many unique approaches to national research and development (R&D) policy as there are nations, each shaped by the country's innovation culture, political systems, and the relationship between the various sectors of its economy. Some nations direct R&D policy from centralized government policy organizations, while others have a more distributed policy infrastructure or allow their country's innovation ecosystem to grow organically with little government involvement. Mechanisms to provide funding to industry, academia, and nonprofits also vary greatly between nations. This session will feature three national perspectives on R&D policy while highlighting how they adapt to changes in both their own economy and the greater world economy. How these differences are addressed in international collaboration will also be discussed.
Organizer: Albert Teich, Independent Consultant Moderator: Edward G. Derrick, AAAS Science and Policy Programs Discussant: Albert Teich, Independent Consultant
Speakers: Jerome Pischella, Canadian Embassy Evaluating Canada's R&D Federal Support Strategy
Takashi Inutsuka, Embassy of Japan Japan's New Science and Innovation Policy
Frithjof Maennel, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research German Science and Innovation Policy
Quantum Information Technologies: A New Era for Global Communication
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM Room 118 (VCC West Building)
When Marconi applied Maxwell's electromagnetism to send the first wireless message between continents, the Communications Age was born, changing our lives with radio, television, and now cell phones and wireless Internet. Furthermore, our growing understanding of quantum mechanics and information theory, two pillars of the 20th century, has continued to transform our society and the modern world. Uniting the two gives rise to exciting new possibilities: quantum information technologies. These promise to fundamentally change the way we manipulate, store, and transmit information and could revolutionize global communications. Quantum communication is quickly moving from the blackboard to experimental proof of principle and technological innovation. Such quantum information technologies open the door to new applications impossible to achieve in today's world. Many researchers are developing the technologies to connect different places worldwide through satellite quantum communication and quantum repeaters to develop quantum cryptography and test quantum physics at unprecedented distances. This symposium will explore cutting-edge advances in quantum communication, highlighting key international research projects. Speakers will also discuss the potential transformational impacts of the most promising communication outcomes of the quantum information revolution.
Organizer: Martin Laforest, Institute for Quantum Computing Co-Organizer: Lisa Lambert, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Moderator: Raymond Laflamme, University of Waterloo Discussant: Raymond Laflamme, University of Waterloo
Speakers: Thomas Jennewein, University of Waterloo Fundamental Physics Experiments Using Satellite Quantum Communication
Masahide Sasaki, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Global Quantum Communication
Anton Zeilinger, University of Vienna Quantum Cryptography Using the International Space Station
Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Ethical and Policy Implications of Intelligence
Sunday, February 19, 2012: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM 15 Room 220 (VCC West Building)
A variety of scientific studies have found that whales and dolphins are capable of advanced cognitive abilities (such as problem-solving, artificial “language” comprehension, and complex social behavior), indicating that these cetaceans are far more intellectually and emotionally sophisticated than previously thought. Moreover, evidence is growing that for at least some cetacean species, culture is both sophisticated and important. For these species, key processes that are rare or absent in the standard genetically evolved species, begin to operate: cultural group selection, conformism, cultural ethnicity with symbolic markers, and so on. Yet while marine scientists have been uncovering greater intellectual and emotional sophistication in cetaceans, some countries have continued to support the killing of dolphins and to press for the resumption of commercial whaling. The contradiction between scientific findings and political policies underscored the pressing need for a conference to consider the significance of the research for commercial policy and practice. The outcome of the conference was a Declaration of Rights for Cetaceans: Whales and Dolphins. This symposium will present the scientific rationale for the declaration and explore its ethical and policy implications, including the practical challenges of conveying broader implications to a general, international public.
Organizer: Stephanie J. Bird, Science and Engineering Ethics Co-Organizer: Thomas I. White, Loyola Marymount University Moderator: Stephanie J. Bird, Science and Engineering Ethics Discussants: Michael Cooper, Cooper & Company Ltd. and Kari Koski, The Whale Museum
Speakers: Lori Marino, Emory University The Scientific Evidence for Complex Intelligence and Self-Awareness in Cetaceans
Thomas I. White, Loyola Marymount University The Ethical Implications of Dolphin Intelligence: Dolphins as Nonhuman Persons
Chris Butler-Stroud, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society Fostering Moral and Legal Change Toward Cetacean Rights
MONDAY SESSIONS (supported by Section P)
Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage: A Global Solution to a Global Challenge
Monday, February 20, 2012: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM Room 122 (VCC West Building)
Can a transition to renewable energy take place fast enough to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions as much as 85 percent by 2050 so that the average global temperature does not increase by more than 2 degrees centigrade above the preindustrial level? Several studies show that a 50 percent reduction is possible with widely implemented energy efficiency measures and wide-scale introduction of renewable energy technologies. However, fossil fuels, in particular coal, will still be needed for decades to come. Therefore, carbon dioxide capture and storage will have to be used on a large scale to curb emissions further. In fact, the “IEA 2050 Energy Roadmap” (International Energy Agency) relies on some 20 gigatons of carbon dioxide to be stored underground, both on- and off-shore. Capture and storage is a formidable challenge. The European Union supports several research projects as well as technology demonstrations. The same applies for the U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Resources Canada, and many other funding agencies. The sharing of knowledge between projects and programs makes the progress faster and the developed solutions safer. The symposium presents worldwide best practice in carbon dioxide storage security and environmental safety, securing the public acceptance and trust.
Organizer: Carlos Saraiva Martins, European Commission Moderator: Wiktor Raldow, European Commission
Speakers: Michael Kuehn, Helmholtz Center Potsdam Carbon Dioxide Care: Carbon Dioxide Site Closure Assessment Research 16
Sallie Greenberg, Illinois State Geological Survey Geological Carbon Sequestration Options in the Illinois Basin
Mark Weaver, Clean Energy Division Greenhouse Gas Capture and Storage: A Tale of Two Projects
Isotopes for Science and Medicine: Rare, Radioactive, and Useful
Monday, February 20, 2012: 9:45 AM-11:15 AM Room 114-115 (VCC West Building)
Forty million nuclear-medicine procedures are performed worldwide each year; nearly half are in the United States alone. These procedures are essential to diagnose heart attacks, cancer metastases, and neurodegenerative diseases. Global supply has been seriously interrupted multiple times over the past 3 years because of critical failures in two aging nuclear reactors dedicated to isotope production (one in Canada and one in The Netherlands). Additional demand for the production of varied isotopes is driven by breakthroughs in targeted biomolecules that carry imaging or therapeutic isotopes. Modern isotope production requires the skills of physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. Governments around the world are aggressively seeking solutions to modernize supply technologies and public policies. TRIUMF is leading a Canadian effort to produce the key medical isotopes using existing medical cyclotrons instead of new nuclear reactors. These isotopes are also of intense research interest for understanding the origin of the chemical elements in supernova explosions. This symposium will discuss the science, public policy, and health issues around the research, development, and production of isotopes for the world.
Organizer: Gene Sprouse, American Physical Society Co-Organizer: Timothy Meyer, TRIUMF Moderator: Nigel Lockyer, TRIUMF
Speakers: Karlheinz Langanke, Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research From the Stars to Earth: The Role of Isotopes in Illuminating the Universe
Paul Schaffer, TRIUMF Hot and Fast: Radiochemistry with Isotopes for Medicine Francois Benard, BC Cancer Agency Seeing and Believing: Medical Isotopes in Functional Cancer Imaging
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Planning for Boston Meeting Symposia: 2013 Theme
The Beauty and Benefits of Science
The theme of the 2013 AAAS Annual Meeting points to the “unreasonable effectiveness” of the scientific enterprise in creating economic growth, solving societal problems, and satisfying the essential human drive to understand the world in which we live.
That phrase, “unreasonable effectiveness,” was coined in 1960 by physicist Eugene Wigner, whose memorable essay, “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences” explored the duality of mathematics – both beautiful unto itself, and also eminently practical, often in unexpected ways. The same duality exists in all fields of science. Basic research can be seen as a quest to understand the beauty that underlies our universe and the myriad phenomena that it contains. Einstein’s theory of general relativity describes the cosmological evolution of the universe; those features not explained by it may ultimately be understood as consequences of string theory or its generalizations. Darwin’s law of natural selection is a principle so powerful that, let loose on the unimaginable richness of carbon-based chemistry (RNA not least), it explains the origin and subsequent wild diversity of evolving life.
At the same time, in virtually every field of science, fundamental research can blossom into applicable research that accomplishes useful, practical goals and creates better lives. In Wigner’s time, it was possible to believe in a “linear model,” where pure, curiosity-driven research “led to” applied research, which in turn “led to” the development of products by industry.
We now appreciate the reality of a much richer set of connections. Fundamental scientific understanding creates whole landscapes on which practical applications may flourish. Basic research may create territories that, only later, become the real estate for new industries, as quantum mechanics and solid-state physics have provided the platform for the semiconductor, computer, and Internet industries. There can also be leaps from basic research to application in a seemingly single bound, such as from number theory to practical encryption, or page rank algorithm to Google.
Equally important are the cases where the “pull” of environmental or societal problems drives fundamentally new basic research. Recognition of a warming planet continues to drive our need for deeper understanding of climate science, of complex ecological webs, of basic plant biology, and much else.
The program of the 2013 AAAS Annual Meeting thus highlights the rich and complicated connections between basic and applied research, and how they bring about both practical benefits and the beauty of pure understanding.
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