We are both here in Washington, D.C. (or will be soon) for the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting. Some of the stuff happening is here. First off, John Holdren speaks tomorrow night, so everybody will be expecting pointed words on the science budget.

Meanwhile, let me pull a few threads–sessions that sound very cool and where I think I’d learn something:

Comparing National Responses to Climate Change: Networks of Debate and Contention
Friday, 18 February 1:30PM-4:30PM
Organized by: Jeffrey P. Broadbent, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
SPEAKERS
Jeffrey P. Broadbent, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Comparing National Responses to Climate Change: Networks, Discourse, and Action
Dana R. Fisher, Columbia University, New York City
Understanding Political Discourse on Climate Change in U.S. Congressional Hearings
Sony Pellissery, Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India
Contestations on Climate Science in the Development Context: The Case of India
Sun-Jin Yun, Seoul National University, South Korea
Climate Change Media Debates in Korea
Jun Jin, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Role of Chinese Environmental NonGovernmental Organizations in International Talks
Koichi Hasegawa, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Japan’s Climate Change Media and Politics: 2008–2009

Eugenie Scott has also organized a very cool session:

The Challenge of Teaching Evolution in the Islamic World
Friday, 18 February 3:00PM-4:30PM
Organized by: Eugenie C. Scott, National Center for Science Education, Oakland, CA
SPEAKERS
Taner Edis, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
A Brief History of Islamic Creationism in Turkey
Jason R. Wiles, Syracuse University, NY
Teaching and Learning About Biological Evolution in the Muslim World
Salman Hameed, Hampshire College, Amherst, MA
The Future of Acceptance of Evolution in the Muslim World

And then there’s a study of this emerging environmental issue, which has the distinction of being at 8 am on a Sunday morning:

Fractures Developing: The Science, Policy, and Perception of Shale Gas Development
Sunday, 20 February 8:00AM-9:30AM
Organized by: John P. Martin, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany; Michele L. Aldrich, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
SPEAKERS
John P. Martin, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany
Gas Shales: Energy Rocks with Big Implications
Anthony W. Gorody, Universal Geoscience Consulting, Inc., Houston, TX
Addressing Environmental Angst: Baselines, Monitors, and Other Strategies
Abby Kinchy, Rensselaer Polytechnic University, Troy, NY
Fractious Citizens: Sociological Perspectives on the Hydraulic Fracturing Controversy

This is intellectual fare, but of course, AAAS is really a big party. Hope to see some folks there…