Yale Releases Updated Maps of Public Opinion on Climate Change Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 3/22/2017 on 3/22/2017 A team of scientists at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YCCC) has developed a series of interactive maps to depict Americans’ views on climate issues in 50 states, 435 congressional districts, 300 counties, and 916 metro areas. These maps are based on data through the year 2016 and are accessible to the public here. …
Introducing the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 1/25/2017 on 1/25/2017 The Heising-Simons Foundation is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of 51 Pegasi b Fellows. Named after the first exoplanet, discovered in 1995, the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship recognizes exceptional postdoctoral scientists with great potential to advance scientific research in the field of planetary astronomy. This relatively new field bridges planetary science and astronomy to further …
For the Good of Science: Why We Need More Women in Physics and Astronomy Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 12/15/2016 on 12/15/2016 Despite advances in other academic fields, women make up only 20 percent of PhDs awarded in physics, 10 percent of tenured professors in physics, and only 15 percent of tenured professors in astronomy.
MinuteEarth Video: “How This Sea Shell Knows the Weather in Greenland” Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 12/12/2016 on 12/12/2016 How do paleoclimatologists learn and understand Earth’s ancient climates and their variability over time? The answer to this question relies heavily on Foraminifera, which are single-celled marine life forms that provide humanity with a continuous record of Earth’s temperature fluctuations. With support from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the popular educational YouTube channel MinuteEarth has produced a …
A Message on the Passing of Dr. Gordon Hamilton Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 10/25/2016 on 10/25/2016 The staff of the Heising-Simons Foundation was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Dr. Gordon Hamilton—a Foundation grantee and prominent researcher from the University of Maine—after he suffered an accident on October 22 while conducting research in Antarctica. Dr. Hamilton, a physical glaciologist, was renowned for his research on glaciers and their relation …
Mapping Greenland’s Helheim Glacier Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/27/2016 on 9/27/2016 In 2014, a team of glaciologists, software engineers, and electrical engineers from across the U.S. came together to address the lack of experimental data on glacier dynamics. The group sketched out a concept for an autonomous glacier monitoring system, to become reality in the summer of 2015 when the Autonomous Terrestrial Laser Scanner (ATLAS) system was deployed and installed at the Helheim Glacier, one of Greenland’s…
Partnering to Bring Student Scientists to Newsrooms for the Summer Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 9/13/2016 on 9/13/2016 The Heising-Simons Foundation believes in the vital role science journalists play in cultivating accurate coverage of science and technology in the news. For that reason, we supported four AAAS’ Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows this past summer.
3-D Galaxy-mapping Project Enters Construction Phase Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 8/10/2016 on 8/10/2016 A 3-D sky-mapping project that will measure the light of millions of galaxies has received formal approval from the U.S. Department of Energy to move forward with construction.
Yale Leads Research Collaboration to Explore Origins of the Universe Share By Heising-Simons Foundation on 7/28/2016 on 7/28/2016 Yale physics professor David DeMille has launched a pioneering investigation into the origins of the universe with support from the John Templeton Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation. DeMille plans to build a novel apparatus to sense the existence of never-before-seen subatomic particles thought to have a determining role in the formation of matter. Proving their …