60 things scientists are talking about

Where better to find out what’s hot in the world of science than at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)? Held last week in San Diego, the meeting is the nation’s largest annual general scientific conference and draws thousands of attendees from about 50 countries. This year’s theme was bridging science and society, and topics ranged from coral reef fisheries and food allergies to the science of superheroes. Here’s a whirlwind tour through 60 of the seminars.

1. Does Size Matter? Rationales for Large Marine Reserves
2. Celebrating the Birth of the Laser: A Look Back After 50 Years
3. Watching the Watchmen and Cheering the Heroes: The Science of Superheroes
4. Stress and the Central Role of the Brain in Health Inequities
5. Scientific Approaches to Teaching Science in K-16 Education
6. Smart and Secure Transmission Grids To Realize US and EU Renewable Energy Potentials
7. Working Together for the Public: Challenges for Verification of Nuclear Activities
8. Decoding the Secret Pathologies of Dolphins: Significance for Human and Ocean Health
9. Human Dimensions of Geoengineering
10. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, New Fish: Society Needs Marine Biodiversity Research
11. One Health: Attaining Optimal Health for People, Animals, and the Environment
12. Physics and Art: A Gateway to the Sciences
13. Toward Green Mobility: Integrating Electric Drive Vehicles and Smart Grid Technology
14. Up in Flames: Fire in a Changing Environment
15. Mind Changes: Can Out-of-School Learning Contribute to Evolution Literacy?
16. A California Roadmap for Identifying Chemicals that Affect Breast Cancer Risk
17. A Wobbly Three-Legged Stool: Science, Politics, and the Public
18. Building Bridges Between Ocean Scientists, Educators, and Students
19. Food Allergies: The Enemy Within
20. Worlds of Wonder: Can Video Games Teach Science?
21. Limits to Sustainability of Coral Reef Fisheries
22. Traumatic Brain Injury: The Violent and Silent Epidemic
23. Algae for Food, Feed, Fiber, Freshwater, and Fuel
24. First-Person Solvers? Learning Mathematics in a Video Game
25. Biofuels' Uncertain Future: Unraveling the Science and Politics of Indirect Land Use
26. Confronting Ocean Acidification: Options for Management and Policy
27. Impact of Biomedical Progress on Health Span and Health Care of the Elderly
28. Nuclear Waste Management: From Public Perception To Industrial Reality
29. Tracking and Tracing Our Food Supply: The Way Forward
30. Past, Present, and Future of Forensic Science in the United States
31. Traffic, Crowds, and Society
32. 50 Years of Exobiology and Astrobiology: Past, Present, and Future Life in the Universe
33. Can Geoengineering Save Us from Global Warming?
34. Combating Global Emissions: The Urgent Need for a New Strategy in the Asia- Pacific Rim
35. Learning Science in Informal Environments
36. The Brain on Trial: Neuroscience Evidence in the Courtroom
37. Particles and People: How Basic Physics Benefits Society
38. The Science of Well-Being and Implications for Societal Quality of Life
39. Earthquake Science and Advocacy: Helping Californians Live Along the San Andreas Fault
40. Reemergence of Science, Technology, and Education as Priorities in the Arab World
41. Unexpected Discoveries on Brain Function and Development from Model Organisms
42. Denial, Detente, and Decisions: Fisheries Science at the Crossroads
43. Real Numbers: Mathematical Technologies for Counterterrorism and Border Security
44. Rethinking the Science, Biology, and Importance of Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine
45. Music-Language Interactions in the Brain: From the Brainstem to Broca’s Area
46. Gray Is the New Green: How Energy Recycling Curbs Both Global Warming and Power Costs
47. Adam Smith Meets Jacques Cousteau: Using Economics To Protect Marine Resources
48. Healthy and Plentiful Animal-Based Foods: Science Offers New Possibilities
49. Role of Sleep in Memory from Development to Old Age
50. Will Coral Reefs Disappear? Separating Fact from Conjecture
51. Can Science Feed the World?
52. Intelligence of Dolphins: Ethical and Policy Implications
53. Language Learning in Deaf Children: Integrating Research on Speech, Gesture, and Sign
54. Progress in the Use of Earth Observation for Fighting Hunger
55. Can Singapore Mathematics Enhance Student Learning in the United States?
56. Children of Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Their Health and New Genetic Issues
57. From Gene Discovery to Cell Biology in Psychiatry: An Emerging Case
58. Information Technologies and Remote Sensing for Understanding Human Rights Violations
59. Understanding Climate-Change Skepticism: Its Sources and Strategies
60. The Road to Personalized Medicine

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com