The first meeting of the millennium of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest scientific organization, is being held in Washington, D.C., today, Feb. 17, through Tuesday, Feb. 22. The work of Cornell faculty will be prominent throughout the six days.
The AAAS annual meeting is presenting more than 600 speakers, participating in 140 multidisciplinary sessions, discussing the latest research on subjects ranging from the science of dietary salt, antibiotics in agriculture, supermassive black holes, ethnobotany, adolescent criminal behavior and neutrinos to the politics of global food security.
On Friday, Feb. 18, Phyllis Moen, the Ferris Family Professor of Life Course Studies, will report on a study suggesting that childless couples who work for the same employer tend to experience lower life quality and have less egalitarian marriages than coworking couples with children and childless couples who work at different places. Moen's paper, "When Couples Are Coworkers: Stressors, Strategies and Life Quality," is part of a AAAS symposium, "Three Jobs -- Two People: 21st Century Solutions to Overwork." Moen also is director of the Cornell Employment and Family Careers Institute. Also on Feb. 18, Steven Squyres, professor of astronomy, will discuss Mars exploration programs planned for the next decade. His talk will be part of a session on "Mars Exploration: Recent Results and Future Plans." Finally, that same day, David Pimentel, professor of ecology and entomology, will be speaking in a session on "Human Health and Climate Change." He will warn that global warming will create a favorable climate for disease-causing organisms and food-plant pests, providing great challenges for the survival of the planet.
On Saturday, Feb. 19, Susan McCouch, associate professor of plant breeding, will propose using the potential of biotechnology to improve the nutritional status of hungry people around the world. Her talk, "Is Biotechnology the Answer?" will be part of a session on "Who Will the World Feed in the 21st Century?"
On Sunday, Feb. 20, Carol Krumhansl, professor of psychology, will be talking about why the variety of music found cross-culturally suggests a deep human need to create, perform and listen to music. Her talk will be part of a panel session titled "Bio Music: The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music."
On Monday, Feb. 21, Donald P. Hayes, sociology professor emeritus, will be talking about lexical laziness during a session on "Enviroshock: Systematic Appraisal of America's Health, Capability, Productivity and Crime." He will present his plan for closing the gap between science books and dumbed-down texts for nonscience subjects.
In addition, on Sunday, Feb. 20, Bruce V. Lewenstein, associate professor of communication and science and technology studies, and his co-authors, will be honored at a reception for the book The Establishment of Science in America: 150 Years of the American Association for the Advancement of Science released last December.
| Cornell Chronicle Front Page | | Table of Contents | | Cornell News Service Home Page |