Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

By comparing the atmospheres and climates of Earth, Venus and Mars, I have found a quantitative warming relation that scales with the 0.3 power of the carbon dioxide mass overlying each square meter of planetary surface. This relation is consistent with the more recent warming experienced on Earth due to human activities. Although the atmospheric photo-chemistry that underlies the observed warming is complex, K-12 students can still progress in their learning Đ from basic observations of rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels to plotting quantitative relations, interpreting their significance, and deliberating over possible human interventions.

About William H. Waller

I have worked as an observational astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, astronomy professor at Tufts University, and physical, Earth & space sciences teacher at my hometown high school in Rockport, MA. My research focus concerns the environmental causes and consequences of starburst activity in nearby galaxies. From 2002 to 2007, I served as Co-PI for the New England Space Science Initiative in Education (NESSIE), a NASA education & public outreach program where we brokered and nurtured scientist-educator “partnerships in cosmic discovery.” Since then, I have been mentoring high-school students in authentic research, developing content for The Galactic Inquirer, and more recently, producing video presentations for Doc Waller’s Earth & Space Reports. I am co-author of Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier (Harvard University Press), author of The Milky Way – An Insider’s Guide (Princeton University Press), and expectant author of Astronomy – A Beginner’s Guide through Space and Time (OneWorld Publishers – in preparation).

Watch a recording of this talk (external link)