International Polar Year At The Exploratorium Live Webcasts

The Exploratorium kicks off the International Polar Year (IPY) with live webcasts from the South Pole and a series of webcasts on climate change and polar science in December. This winter, a major new telescope is being built at the South Pole to study deep questions about the history and composition of the universe.

The 10-meter (33-foot) diameter South Pole Telescope (SPT) will be pieced together by a team of two dozen scientists, engineers, and technicians in record time. In a special series of live webcasts, blogs, and video updates from the South Pole to the Exploratorium in December 2006, the public is invited to follow along as a team of cosmologists from the University of Chicago and their colleagues race to complete their project before the short Antarctic season comes to a close. Take part online or come to the Exploratorium, where these events are included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium.

Webcast programs originating from the Exploratorium and streaming live on the Web, will feature climate scientists, authors, and Exploratorium senior scientists demonstrating and discussing the work being done to understand climate change, the impact of global warming on people and the environment, and ways individuals can get involved. Guests include Chris Mooney (December 13, 1PM PST), author of The Republican War on Science and an upcoming book, Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics and the Battle Over Global Warming and Robert DeConto (December 15, 3PM, PST).

Chris Mooney is Washington correspondent for Seed magazine and a senior correspondent for the American Prospect. He focuses on issues at the intersection of science, policy, and politics, and is author of the bestselling book The Republican War on Science, the publication of which earned him a spot on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He has spent the last several years researching a book on hurricanes and global warming and the politics behind climate change which will come out in June 2007.

Meteorologist Bob Henson is a science writer who specializes in weather and climate. Since 1989 he has been a writer/editor at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. He is also a contributing editor of Weatherwise magazine and the author of three books, including The Rough Guide to Weather (2002) and The Rough Guide to Climate Change (2006).

More on the book: The Rough Guide to Climate Change gives the complete picture of the single greatest problem facing our planet. In an accessible writing style, the book covers all facets of the issue in detail, from the history of research on the greenhouse effect to political and scientific controversies, potential solutions, and what individuals can do to help.

The Exploratorium's webcasts are made possible by the Moore Foundation, the McBean Family Foundation, the Jim Clarke Endowment, and the National Science Foundation.

By www.exploratorium.edu