CALL FOR APPLICATIONS (Closing date for applications (as well as for abstract submission): 17 August 2007). Utsikten Meetings, Nyn

WORLD'S FIRST COIN WITH PLASMA EFFECT! The Royal Canadian Mint has released a $20 silver IPY coin. This coin pays tribute to the visionary scientists who established an international collaboration to study the earth's polar regions 125 years ago, an initiative inspired by the arrival of the first English explorer in the Arctic three centuries prior. To underscore this timely theme, this special-edition coin is being issued with a plasma effect from the cutting edge of minting. Only 7,000 coins have been treated with this remarkable technique to create the blue hues and capture the frigid essence of the Arctic as represented on this coin. For more details and to order the coin please see the ...

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS (JULY, 2007) The Canadian Aboriginal Science and Technology Society (CASTS), is preparing to hold its 8th national conference October 3 - 5, 2007. The Treaty Seven First Nations Education Association (TSFNEA), with the support of the University of Calgary, is proud to host the CASTS Conference 2007. The conference will be held at The Coast Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The CASTS Conference 2007 is the only national Aboriginal Science and Technology conference in Canada. The forums of discussion will cover the following areas: . Health . Environment . Education . Science & Technology . ...

When it was established in December 1861, the Navy Medal of Honor was only intended for enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps; officers would have to wait a further 54 years before being made eligible. The original provisions of the medal (the first decoration authorized by Congress to be worn on the uniform) contained a scant few words which opened the window of opportunity for it to be awarded for lifesaving at sea: '. . . which shall be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities . . .'[emphasis added] Over a decade passed before Congress created the Gold and Silver Lifesaving Medals on June 20, 1874. As of 1880, along wit...

At the end of August, an unusual expedition under Russian leadership will leave for the Arctic Ocean. One of the participants is J

WP10 HERMES to the NORDIC MARGINS, POLARSTERN EXPEDITION PS ARK XXII/1a ( Coldwater coral reefs off Norway (72

2007 International Science School 4 July 2007 Taronga's penguin colony had a temporary population boost today to raise awareness of the International Science School, which began in Sydney this week. The extra members were popular television scientist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Antarctic researcher Dr Rhian Salmon, who were introduced to the Zoo's Little Penguin colony and talked with keepers about the impact of climate change on the penguins and other polar species, such as Leopard Seals. Dr Karl, a regular speaker at the Professor Harry Messel International Science School (ISS), is raising awareness and prompting discu...

Preview of An Arctic Tale: The Word is Out. IPY has begun, and it's going to be big. The first summer season of four starts in earnest this month as researchers from around the world set off to the Arctic on ships, planes, small boats, and wheels. Canada, Russia, Alaska, Svalbard, Greenland, Scandinavia... hundreds of independent researchers heading North, at the same time, is powerful, full of potential. They will not only be inv...

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) has recently released the latest issue of the Australian Antarctic Magazine. The theme of this issue is the International Polar Year. AAD is participating in over 40 IPY projects and this issue of the magazine features some of these projects including the first marine research voyage for the AAD-coordinated Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML). You can download the Australian Antarctic Magazine, Issue 12, 2007 as a pdf here. For further information, please see the ...

Researchers and explorers will probe the Gakkel Ridge during expedition that begins on July 1. They will be using new robotic vehicles to hunt for life and hydrothermal vents on the Arctic seafloor. Researchers will use two new autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)--Puma and Jaguar--in tandem to locate hydrothermal vent sites on the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean. (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) More information can be found on the project website. ...