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2017-03-23 Pugwash Meeting: The EPA, Climate, and Trump

Many times before and during his campaign, Donald Trump contradicted scientific consensus on climate change. After winning the election, he proposed a climate denier to lead the transition to his administration for the EPA. As soon as he was inaugurated, several federal agencies who conduct research on the environment and other natural matters were ordered to cease communicating their research. Now the administrator he selected for the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, has disagreed that carbon dioxide is a "primary contributor" to carbon dioxide and claimed that further study and debate is necessary. Following all of this doubt and obstruction, the new president is expected to undo the work that previous US administrations have applied to protect the environment.

Already, President Trump has proposed major budget reductions for the EPA; NOAA, which conducts weather research and includes the National Weather Service; and other such agencies, in order to feed greater defense spending. He is expected to repeal the 2015 Clean Power Plan soon, which restricts the greenhouse gas emissions of power plants. Given his oath to reduce government regulation, what has been set in motion, and the support of the Republican majorities in Congress, it is quite clear that Donald Trump intends to set back efforts in reducing pollution, addressing climate change, and other past targets of the EPA.

What environmental effects is our country, as well as the rest of the world, likely to experience as a result of the Trump Administration's policies? Are there ways that their policies might change direction or that our environment might be protected despite the deregulation and downsizing?

Read more:

Trump’s Climate Agenda: Do Less, With Less

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2017-03-09 Pugwash Meeting: Technology in Education

Despite the potential to provide teaching without restriction of time or place, educational technology has seen mixed results. Students have gained opportunities to learn at their own pace and study curricula that their schools may not otherwise be able to provide. On the other hand, the effectiveness of their learning depends on the quality of the technology, which may be outdated or poorly designed. For instance, many teaching programs use simple, procedural methods to instill knowledge, which research has found to be less effective in some cases than focus on concepts and critical thinking.

What are the differences between effective and ineffective teaching programs? What benefits do applications of technology have over traditional teaching methods, and what is the proper place of technology in education?

Read More:

Silicon Valley teacher: Don’t confuse educational technology that helps kids learn — and doesn’t

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2017-03-02 Pugwash Lecture: Mathematical Paradoxes in Democratic Election Systems

This week, we are hosting J. Gregory Yoest's lecture on the decision science involved in election systems, particularly the USA's electoral college. There has been much consternation and debate regarding the electoral college, especially after two recent elections where the victor did not lead in the popular vote. Research by 20th century social choice theorists, however, generated several arguments in favor of the current system. Join us this Thursday as Mr. Yoest examines various possible election systems and compares them against the electoral college.

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2017-02-23 Pugwash Meeting: Ranking the World's Most Pressing Problems

Instead of focusing on a specific issue this week, we'll conduct an exercise in comparing the urgency of the world's most pressing problems. Do you think that the world should be more concerned about climate change or fair government? Should more resources go towards ending starvation or water crises? Does malaria or AIDS pose a greater threat to the people of the world? Join us with all of your thoughts on disasters, diseases, and humanity's deficiencies, and together we'll choose how they rank amongst each other.

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2017-02-09 Pugwash Meeting: Scientific Communication

A worry has developed that America’s new administration is causing difficulties in discussing science with the public. Federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department have seen their public communications heavily restricted. The USDA’s scientific research group was even forced to cease all of its publications. Some have decried these restrictions as contrary to “scientists’ right to speak about their work,” as well as that of the American people to hear about “taxpayer-funded research.”

Already, scientists across the country are planning a rally in Washington, D.C. on Earth Day. Coming off the heels of the Inauguration Day Women’s March, the March for Science carries many intents that scientists hope to share with the country, including respect for evidence-based research and open communication thereof. While hopes are high for many, however, some researchers disagree with the march and see it as overly political or otherwise contrary to the philosophy of science.

How should scientists communicate with the public? Do they need to take forceful measures to draw attention to important issues or maintain an air of non-partisan rationality? And what other obstacles are holding back scientists from sharing their research and passion for science?

Read More:

Washington Post: Federal agencies ordered to restrict their communications

Washington Post: Scientists plan to march on Washington — but where will it get them?

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2017-02-02 Pugwash Meeting: Nuclear Power

As the world increases its dependence on technology, global energy demand rises in turn and more power plants are needed. Additionally, fossil fuels are progressively being replaced by cleaner energy sources, such as solar and wind, to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Nuclear power helps considerably with both of these concerns, thanks to uranium's incredible energy density and the lack of greenhouse gases emitted.

There remain, however, contentious debates regarding the cost and safety of nuclear plants. Large nuclear facilities cost about $9 billion to build in the US and show no signs of becoming cheaper, in contrast to natural gas and solar power (along with needed storage), which have greatly dropped in price in recent years. Furthermore, disasters like the meltdowns at Chernobyl and Fukushima have painted nuclear plants in the public eye as fatal accidents waiting to happen.

On the other hand, these worries may be invalidated by development of new technologies for nuclear power. Designs for "small modular reactors" are in progress and promise to both be far cheaper to install than current large nuclear plants and have fewer vulnerabilities that could risk a meltdown.

How should we proceed with nuclear power? Is this energy source too dangerous to use, or do its benefits outweigh its risks? Can we count on new technologies to solve these problems of cost and safety?

Read more:

Bloomberg: China’s Nuclear Power Capacity Set to Overtake U.S. Within Decade

Bloomberg: The Dream of Cheap Nuclear Power Is Over

Futurism: There’s No Argument Against Nuclear Power

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2017-01-26 Pugwash Meeting: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

The field of medicine faces a global crisis as bacteria evolve to resist our most reliable antibiotics. Bacteria have developed these resistances in response to widespread use of antibiotics in both human patients and livestock. According to the World Health Organization, if this overuse continues or grows, modern medicine could become completely ineffective and minor injuries and infections could become deadly once again.

To prevent further development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, we need to reduce our collective use of antibiotics. Collective effort solutions, however, face the incredible difficulty of convincing many people to take an action that may harm or inconvenience them personally in the short term. If antibiotic usage is reduced, doctors won't be able to treat their patients as effectively and farmers won't be able to grow their livestock to such great size and quantities as they do now. But if usage is not reduced, they may experience the same consequences many times over in the future.

What actions need to be taken to counteract the evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and by whom? What challenges must humanity address such comprehensive problems like the dilemma of antibiotics, and how can they overcome them?

Read More:

Antibiotic Resistance Is Everyone's Problem

Resistance to the Antibiotic of Last Resort Is Silently Spreading

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2017-01-19 Pugwash Meeting: Nuclear Weapons

Does the US need a larger nuclear arsenal? Some scholars have argued for expansion of our deployed arsenal, pointing to present threats from China, North Korea, and Russia. The latter in particular has yet to reduce its deployed arsenal to meet the restrictions of the New START treaty. Other scholars have downplayed these threats, claming our existing firepower to be enough to match them; instead of increasing our numbers, we should focus on modernizing our arsenal to more diverse capbilities. Meanwhile, a new president is preparing to enter his first term, and he has made clear his preference for nuclear expansion in a December tweet. What will be the future of America's nuclear arsenal, and what will be the consequences?

Read more:

Matthew Kroenig: Trump Said the U.S. Should Expand Nuclear Weapons. He’s Right.

Steven Pifer: No, the U.S. Doesn’t Need to Expand Its Nuclear Weapons Program