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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

Gold Prices Rise as Hormuz Tensions Fuel Inflation Risks

Gold prices moved higher on Thursday, recovering from their lowest level since early August as renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz increased concerns over energy supplies and inflation. Expectations that the...

Oil Prices Rise as Gulf Hurricane and Middle East Supply Risks Mount

Oil prices climbed on Thursday as traders assessed potential supply disruptions from a strengthening storm along the U.S. Gulf Coast and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures for December...

US-Led Coalition Targets Global Factory Overcapacity

Trade ministers from 12 G20 nations, the European Union and Poland have backed a US-led initiative aimed at tackling structural excess factory capacity and trade-distorting policies that contribute to global...

Mike Rogers Calls for End to US-Canada Tariff War

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is calling for an immediate end to the US-Canada tariff dispute, distancing himself from President Donald Trump on another major policy issue ahead of next months election....

Bangladesh GDP Growth Accelerates to 4.6% on Industrial Rebound

Bangladeshs economy recorded a sharp acceleration in growth during the April-June quarter, supported by a strong recovery in industrial activity and steady expansion in the services sector, even as agriculture lost...

Politics

US Pressures Allies to Distance From Anti-Disinformation Conference

The US State Department urged Canada and European allies to distance themselves from an anti-disinformation conference after organizers included a panel examining whether the United States poses an information manipulation...

Hegseth Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew After Record Iran War Deployment

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday as the aircraft carrier completed an extended wartime deployment marked by intense combat operations and concerns over crew...

Tsai Warns of China’s Sustained Pressure on Taiwan

Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen warned a U.S. audience on Wednesday that China is maintaining sustained pressure on Taiwan through military, cyber and economic activities designed to reshape the islands security...

Trump Backs Florida Golf Course as Presidential Retreat

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to transform part of his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course into a secure presidential retreat similar to Camp David. Its a great idea, and it will be used a...

Saudi Airport Attacks Kill Three as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Three people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia as escalating fighting between Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces threatens regional aviation and key shipping...

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

Tencent Shares Fall as $5 Billion AI Bond Sale Weighed

Tencent Holdings (HK:0700) shares declined on Thursday following reports that the Chinese technology giant is exploring a potential offshore bond offering worth up to $5 billion to support its growing artificial...

Elon Musk Accuses Indian Telecom Giants of Blocking Starlink Launch

Elon Musk has accused powerful telecommunications companies in India of obstructing SpaceXs Starlink satellite internet launch, raising concerns about competition and regulatory barriers in one of the worlds largest...

Solidigm Taps Goldman, Morgan Stanley for $10 Billion US IPO

SK hynixs U.S. flash-memory subsidiary Solidigm has reportedly selected Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters for a planned initial public offering that could raise around $10 billion. Bloomberg News...

Samsung Q3 Profit Hits Record High on AI Memory Demand

Samsung Electronics forecast its strongest-ever third-quarter operating profit as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to fuel sales of advanced memory chips, although earnings landed slightly below the higher...

Broadcom, Oracle and SpaceX Seek Billions in Private Debt for AI Expansion

Major artificial intelligence companies are increasingly turning to private debt markets to finance tens of billions of dollars in AI chips and data center infrastructure, as traditional funding sources struggle to keep...