AAAS Conference: Stop fretting about the dust that builds up in corners and on furniture. It may just be protecting you from climate change.
The benefits and risks of dust and its role in blocking climate change will be explored tomorrow during a session at the annual scientific meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, taking place this year in San Diego, California.
It is one of almost 150 scientific presentations being made by some of the world's most accomplished scientists.
All offer a chance for people to get up close and personal with the researchers.
Attendees are encouraged to ask questions and raise issues, with the goal being to promote a better public understanding of the importance of science to our daily lives.
The research into dust and how it can interact with climate is very real, with dust in the atmosphere able to affect the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface. There are other interesting research papers, for example how dolphins might contribute to our understanding of diabetes, and how algae might become the fuel of the future while also serving as a useful food source.
These and dozens of other papers will be presented at the conference which runs from February 18th-22th.
Each day during the conference The Irish Times will carry reports in the newspaper and also on the web describing the research being presented at the meeting. Links to some of the reports will also be provided over Twitter. Web access is via www.irishtimes.com and the Twitter link is @dickahlstrom
The AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society and is the publisher of the important journal, Science. The body was founded in Philadelphia in 1848 and occurs in a different major US city every year.
Up to 8,000 people are expected to visit the event this year, some of them to take advantage of a series of “Family Science Day” presentations taking place next weekend.
More information about the AAAS and the meeting is available at www.aaas.org