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Vete pa’ S’COOL con NASA #SkyScience

La próxima semana (Oct. 12-14) es la Semana de las Ciencias de la Tierra.  Es una gran oportunidad para conocer los programas educativos ofrecidos por la NASA.  Nuestro programa favorito es “S’COOL.”  En este programa, se aprende sobre los diferentes tipos de nubes, y  se pueden hacer observaciones de las mismas en su área, registrarlas, y reportarlas a la NASA.  De esta manera, se puede ayudar a la NASA a verificar la funcionalidad del satélite CERES.  Este satélite observa las mismas nubes que se pueden ver desde el puto de vista terrestre, al igual que desde el espacio!

Conoce los tipos de nubes:  Carta de Identificación de Nubes (NASA)

Registra tus observaciones: Forma de Reporte

Reportarlas a la NASA: Reporte de Observaciones Terrestres de S’COOL

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Recommended Resource: Smarter Every Day

Smarter Every Day is a Youtube channel dedicated to exploring the physics of the world around us and making it fun and accessible to everyone.  Destin Sandlin, a mechanical and aerospace engineer, follows his curiosity with the help of high-speed video, demonstrations, input from experts, occasional help from his family, and the laws of physics. Destin gives the technical side of the series both breadth and depth, while keeping things thoroughly engaging.  His enthusiasm and fascination with science is contagious.

While not specificially focused on atmospheric science,  we wanted to share this resource because of the awesome combination of entertainment and engineering-related education it provides.  Many concepts in fluid mechanics, a favorite topic of ours, make an appearance, for example in the helicopter “deep dive” series.

Prof. McNeill and her family love watching these videos together before bedtime.  That two engineers with PhDs and a two year old all enjoy the videos equally says something about their special appeal and entertainment value (as well as the quality of the technical content).   At 2 years old her son may be a little young to be learning about concepts like cavitation and gyroscopic precession, but he enjoys every minute!

 

 

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De la saca de correos: “Mi hija tiene asma. ¿De qué manera la contaminación del aire afecta a su salud?”

Pregunta: Mi hija tiene asma. ¿De qué manera la contaminación del aire afecta a su salud? – M.N., New York, NY

Respuesta: Las personas asmáticas son muy sensibles a los efectos de la contaminación del aire. Al respirar el aire contaminado, esto puede desencadenar o empeorar los síntomas del asma.  El ĺndice de Calidad del Aire (AQI) es una medida que nos dice que tan ‘saludable’ es el estado actual del aire que respiramos. El AQI se calcula por los niveles de unas sustancias presentes en el aire, las cuales pueden afectar la salud humana, por ejemplo el ozono y la materia particulada. Un nivel AQI sobre 101 no es saludable para la gente asmática, mientras que para los adultos con un buen estado de salud y sin asma, un nivel de AQI sobre 151 no es saludable.

La Prof. McNeill también tiene asma y en los días con alto AQI, ella no se siente bien y usa más el inhalador. Cuando ella estudiaba en la universidad Caltech, cerca de Los Angeles, la calidad del aire fue muy mala, peor que hoy, y esto la motivó a estudiar la química atmosférica.

 

 

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From the mailbag: “What does the air quality index measure, and what values correspond to ‘good’ air quality?”

Question: What does the air quality index measure, and what values correspond to ‘good’ air quality? – T.L., Manila, Philippines

Answer: Good question! The Air Quality Index (AQI) is calculated based on the concentrations of different pollutants in the air, including atmospheric particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.  According to the U.S. EPA, an AQI of 0-50 corresponds to “good” air quality. AQI of 51-100 is “moderate.” When AQI is 101-150, the conditions are “unhealthy for sensitive groups” such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly. AQI of above 151 is considered unhealthy for everyone.

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Blog recommendation: Adventures in Oceanography and Teaching

This fantastic blog was recently brought to our attention.  It is an excellent resource for students and educators interested in oceanography and fluid dynamics.  Mirjam Glessmer has a passion for simple experiments demonstrating important concepts in oceanography. Her blog features many videos and descriptions of these experiments which can be used for classroom demonstrations or at-home learning activities.  She also posts on teaching philosophy. Check it out!

http://mirjamsophiaglessmer.wordpress.com/

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A breath of fresh air…

Welcome to the next generation of the McNeill Group’s bilingual outreach website, newly renamed “AIRE.” AIRE is an acronym for “Atmospheric Information Resource for Educators and students,” and also means “air” in Spanish.  The McNeill Group is working to revitalize this website in our ongoing efforts to bring easy-to-understand, scientifically accurate information about the atmosphere, air pollution, and climate to the public.  Please feel free to contact us with suggestions, questions, or compliments on our site.  And don’t forget to follow us on twitter at @AIRE_outreach!

– The McNeill Group AIRE team

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UN Women/Mary Robinson Foundation Climate Event

Prof. McNeill attended an event titled “Leaders’ Forum on Women Leading the Way- Raising Ambition for Climate Action” on Monday Sep. 22.  The event was hosted by UN Women and the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice in conjunction with the UN Climate Summit 2014.

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Prof. McNeill Q&A Session on reddit

Prof. McNeill held an “Ask me Anything” question and answer session on Reddit on March 10, 2014.  Lots of great topics came up including work-life balance, staying inspired in engineering studies, “natural” surfactants, sippy cup science, and more.   The discussion even made it to the “front page” of reddit for a few hours!  In case you missed it, you can still see the discussion here:  http://redd.it/201xvt.

frontpaaage

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Spotlight on a Scientist ~ Dr. Samar Moussa

Hi, my name is Samar Moussa . I am an atmospheric chemist.

The Fun Stuff
Favorite Movie: The God Father II
Favorite TV Show: The Daily Show
Favorite Book: The Alchemist
Favorite Cuisine: Lebanese
Hobbies: Reading
If she wasn’t a chemist, she would be a…: A TV anchor
Least Known Trait: A cockroach lived for 24 hours in her ear!

The More Serious Stuff

How did you get interested in atmospheric science?
I got interested in atmospheric sciences during my master’s degree where I was involved in a field campaign to measure atmospheric pollutants.

What is the best part of doing research in a Chem-E/Atmospheric Science lab?
The best part of doing research in a Chem-E/Atmospheric Science lab is the interaction with all the scientists and knowing that your research can make a difference on a bigger scale…[This type of research] is interesting, and there is still a large amount of uncertainty in this area. Any findings will be very important and will better give insight to understanding causes for climate change.

What research are you currently working on?
The goal of my research is to understand trace gas- ice interactions that happen in the polar region. Understanding the chemistry behind what is happening in that region is very important and can give additional insights into ice core records.

What instruments/machines do you use for your research?
Ellipsometry and Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (CIMS)

What is one piece of advice you’d give to an aspiring chemical engineer or scientist?
My advice to aspiring chemical engineers or scientists is to be positive, passionate, and always trying to make a difference in what they are pursuing.

How do you plan to apply your degree in a future career?
My plan is to become a professor and train young scientists to make a difference in this world.