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Andrew Dessler

Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University

The thread that runs through all of my group's research is the water molecule. In its vapor form, water is our atmosphere's most important greenhouse gas. In the form of clouds, it represents another powerful moderator of our climate. Few constituents are as important to the atmosphere, as hard to understand, or as interesting. The complexity of water and its multiple interconnections with other parts of the atmospheric/oceanic system means that water cannot be studied by itself, but must be understood as part of a larger, more complex system. In all cases, the goal of our work is two-fold: improve our understanding of the physics of the atmosphere, and provide "yardsticks" with which to test of the validity and accuracy of global climate models.

I spent 2000 as a Senior Policy Analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. While there, I became aware of a profound lack of understanding among policymakers and the general public about how science works and how to interpret the conflicting claims one often hears in policy debates. Based on that experience, I wrote a book that uses examples from the climate change arena to explain how science is used and misused in the policy arena.

I spent most of my early career studying the chemistry of the stratosphere. This included working on balloon- and aircraft-borne water vapor and ozone instruments as well as analyzing satellite measurements of the trace species that control stratospheric ozone chemistry. I still have a keen interest in stratospheric water vapor, but I have not worked on stratospheric ozone chemistry in a long, long time.

What Hurricane Harvey says about risk, climate and resilience

Sep 02, 2017 05:17 am UTC| Nature

Hurricane Harvey has taught us many lessons, but the most valuable may be the oldest lesson of all, one we humans have been learning and forgetting since the dawn of time: how much we all have to lose when climate and...

Economy

ECB's Kocher Says No Inflation Spillover Yet From Iran Conflict, Warns Risks Remain

The European Central Bank (ECB) does not currently see evidence that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is triggering broader inflationary pressures across the euro area, although policymakers remain alert to potential...

Asian Stocks Rise as Softer U.S. Inflation Boosts Sentiment Despite Middle East Tensions

Asian stock markets traded mostly higher on Wednesday after weaker-than-expected U.S. inflation data eased expectations of a near-term Federal Reserve interest rate hike, although escalating tensions in the Middle East...

Asian Currencies Stay Rangebound as Middle East Tensions, Weak China GDP Weigh on Sentiment

Most Asian currencies traded in narrow ranges on Wednesday as investors remained cautious over escalating tensions in the Middle East and weaker-than-expected Chinese economic growth, despite a softer U.S. dollar following...

China Home Prices Fall Again in June Despite Slower Pace of Decline

Chinas new home prices continued to decline in June, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing the countrys property market despite signs that the pace of deterioration is easing. Official data released by the National...

US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions

U.S. consumer inflation likely eased in June, but economists say the slowdown may provide little relief for households or significantly reduce the likelihood of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this year,...

Politics

Trump Administration Launches AI Cybersecurity Partnership to Protect Critical Infrastructure

The Trump administration is launching a new initiative to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity by bringing together leading artificial intelligence developers and operators of critical infrastructure to identify and address...

Trump Administration Bars U.S. Travelers From Congo Flights Amid Ebola Outbreak

The Trump administration has imposed new travel restrictions on American citizens who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), preventing them from boarding commercial flights to the United States as...

Trump to Deliver National Address on 2020 Election Intelligence, Voting Machine Security

President Donald Trump is set to deliver a national address on Thursday night, outlining newly declassified intelligence related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election and discussing what the White House describes as...

Trump Says U.S. Strikes on Iran Will Continue Until Nuclear Deal Is Reached

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States remains in direct contact with Iranian officials but warned that military operations against Iran will continue until Tehran agrees to a new deal, signaling...

Trump Administration Bars U.S. Travelers From Congo Flights Amid Ebola Outbreak

The Trump administration has imposed new travel restrictions on American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the country faces a worsening Ebola outbreak, according to a White House official. Under the...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

ASML Raises 2026 Outlook as AI Chip Demand Lifts Q2 Earnings

ASML Holding (AS: ASML) reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter 2026 earnings on Wednesday, fueled by robust demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chip manufacturing equipment and higher sales from its installed...

Arm Stock Falls After HSBC Downgrade, Citing Limited Near-Term AI Upside

Arm Holdings shares came under pressure after HSBC downgraded the semiconductor designer to hold from buy,arguing that the companys recent rally has already priced in much of its long-term artificial intelligence (AI)...

SK Hynix Stock Soars as AI Memory Demand Outlook Fuels Chip Rally

SK Hynix shares surged nearly 13% in Seoul on Wednesday, leading a broad rally in South Korean semiconductor stocks as easing U.S. inflation and renewed optimism over artificial intelligence (AI) memory demand boosted...

Yaskawa Electric Shares Slide as Weak Profit Overshadows Strong AI Demand

Yaskawa Electric Corp. (TYO:6506) shares extended losses for a second consecutive session on Tuesday after the Japanese robotics and factory automation company reported weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings, with...

Australia Flags Child Safety Gaps at Apple, Meta, Google Over Online Sexual Extortion

Australias online safety regulator has warned that major technology companies, including Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Snap, still have significant shortcomings in tackling child sexual abuse and the rising threat of...