alex robinson » conference

Climate Change Congress

alex — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:36:56 +0000

I recently attended the International Climate Change Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark. This was the precursor to the big political conference COP-15, which will happen in December at the same venue, and at which (hopefully), a new global climate accord will be reached.

You can watch some of the plenary sessions at their website [www.climatecongress.ku.dk] and see the six key messages that were produced as an update the the 2007 IPCC report. I would particularly check out the closing session, where the Prime Minister of Denmark and several scientists tried to communicate with each other. However all plenary sessions were quite interesting. Note: to watch videos, you need Microsoft Internet Explorer.

One interesting talk was about media coverage on climate change. From some recent statistics, it looks clear that disinformation campaigns run by conservative think-tanks employ pretty effective strategies to get their message across. Interestingly, I think if you asked anyone at the conference, they would agree that since pre-industrial times, the Earth is warmer by around 0.7°C – with little room for debate.

Gallop Poll Statistics

ESOF 2008

alex — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:47:45 +0000

ESOF 2008 – Barcelona, Spain

European Science Open Forum – 5 days to ruminate on anything and everything related to science (make that 6 after missing the flight home…). This was a really nice opportunity to get an overview of how science is percieved, used and actually done here in the EU. There were speakers from many different countries, as well as some “Sirs” and Nobel laureates. Enjoy some impressions of the trip below.

Our ultra-modern hotel, complete with stripes painted on the windows...
Our feeble attempts to de-stripify our world only ended in disappointment
We made the best of it though! (That reflective window with the blinds is the bathroom/shower)
Walking by a movie shooting out in the street
Enjoying some tapas!
Conference venue (not the palace, just to my right actually... but still...)
Ta-da!
Loaded up! (In the end, we brought home 3.5kg of papers)
Nice house
Gaud�'s house
Full moon and guitar
Escalator to nowhere!
Seeing my brain!
Watch the correlation between brain size and happiness!
I didn't complain too much
Barcelona at night
Not a bad venue for a conference
We even tried to spot some celebrities...
Fitting themes were discussed, given my life
Exploring the "Outreach" section - sometimes more interesting than the presentations ;)
Exploring the "Outreach" section - sometimes more interesting than the presentations ;)
Exploring the "Outreach" section - sometimes more interesting than the presentations ;)
A wrinkley-shirted Nobelist, expounding.
Me, with an audio-visual experience
String theory!
Finally, wonderful view from our airport hotel, after we missed the flight home. Whoops!

First NICE meeting

alex — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:23:30 +0000

One of my first tasks as a PhD student here was to attend the 1st meeting of our research group, NICE. Coincidentally, it took place in Morat, Switzerland, just kilometers away from where I used to live in Le Locle! For a few days, I was immersed in the science of ice sheet modeling – in the company of some of the leading researchers in Europe. To boot, I got to catch up with many good friends that I hadn’t seen in a while.

Arrival in Z�rich
Good ole' Coop!
At ETH University, looking out at the city
My hotel room in the castle
...and the view
At my first NICE conference
Fellow Nicer's
The grounds
Yeah, Greenland!
Back in Switzerland...
Le Lac de Morat
A flashback! Anthony and Greg's brother
Friendly Petanque competitors
Greg, life is strange.
In Neuchatel
The old train back to Le Locle - somehow miss it...
Z�rich by night
The IAESTE ski team reuniting, Aliaksei up for a visit from idyllic Lugano
Flo and Josep, looking sharp
Z�rich again
eXtreme - powdermeisters converge. Lucky for Switzerland, we didn't smell any powder nearby.