NIU Today

NIU geology professors Ross Powell and Reed Scherer will be participating in a panel discussion this weekend during Batavia’s 9th annual A Green Night Out at the Movies. Presented by the Batavia Environmental Commission (BEC) and Confident Aire, the event is free and open to the public. It will feature the documentary film “The Wisdom...

Reed Scherer’s doctoral research set out to test a radical hypothesis put forth in the 1970s that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet “collapsed” during the interglacial period that immediately predated the most recent Ice Age, and could again. Confirming past instability of this ice sheet would contribute to growing concerns regarding future collapse and consequent...

“This Changes Everything,” a documentary film based on Naomi Klein’s book of the same name, will make its northern Illinois premiere Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the historic Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St. in downtown DeKalb. The 7:45 p.m. screening, which is free and open to the public, begins shortly after a STEM Café on...

Antarctica is melting, according to evidence brought back to Illinois by NIU Geology professor Reed Scherer and his students. At the next STEM Café, Scherer will discuss his Antarctic research, why it matters and what it reveals about global climate trends. The free talk and discussion will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,...

Mixed messages about climate disruption in the media and elsewhere cause confusion for the public and could prevent action to ensure a better future, says Doug Sisterson, a research meteorologist at Argonne National Laboratory. Sisterson will visit NIU Friday, April 10, to speak on “What We Know and Don’t Know About Climate Disruption,” exploring striking...

Last year’s polar vortex caused some of the most severe winter weather Illinois has seen in the past 50 years, and the recent cold snap has everyone wondering what this winter will bring. Is the polar vortex part of global warming or proof that it doesn’t exist? STEM Café invites you to find out at...

[vsw id=”oVtlIB-EbXg” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”] The coastline, or grounding zone, where the massive West Antarctic Ice Sheet atop land meets the Ross Sea, is considered an important piece of the puzzle for scientists working to predict the effect of climate change on rising seawaters, which threaten coastal cities worldwide. Yet researchers have never laid...

Explore solar energy, climate science and all things sunny Saturday, Sept. 27, during Solar Fest at DuPage Children’s Museum. Hosted by DuPage Children’s Museum, Argonne National Laboratory and NIU STEM Read, Solar Fest takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. The event features exciting, educational events and activities for young learners. Visitors will have a...

Richard Alley, a riveting speaker and one of the most famous climate scientists of our time, will visit NIU this month to give a public talk on the impact that fossil fuels have had on climate and the potential for a bright future of sustainable energy usage on the planet. Alley, who hosted the PBS...

NIU anthropology professor Giovanni Bennardo has won a highly competitive Fulbright Scholar grant to teach and conduct research this coming semester in Italy. Bennardo, who was named a Presidential Research Professor this past spring in recognition of his scholarship, is more than a little bit familiar with Italy. He was born and raised in the...

For storm chasers, the coming of spring means one thing: tornadoes. Recent tornado-related disasters have led experts to wonder how climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of these destructive storms. At the next STEM Café, NIU STEM Outreach will present “Chasing the Storm: Tornadoes in a Warming World.” This free presentation and discussion...

Why should we care about global warming? Ninety-seven percent of all scientists conducting research on climate change have data to convince them that global warming is real and one of the foremost issues societies will need to cope with in the future. Yet debate rages about this issue in the public and political arenas while...