Sorry, skeptics: NASA and NOAA were right about the 2014 temperature record

Last week, in an announcement that not only drew massive media attention but was seized upon by President Obama in his State of the Union address, NASA and NOAA jointly declared that 2014 was the hottest year ever recorded, based on temperature records that go back to the year 1880.

The news came out on Fridaymorning. It was announced through press releases by the agencies, but also through more thorough discussions for the public and media, including this PowerPoint presentationand a media briefingdiscussing it.

Why revisit all of this? Because since the announcement there has been a strong reaction, and a lot of climate skeptics have suggested that really, 2014 might not have been the hottest year after all. Consider, for instance,this articlein the UKsDaily Mail,whosefirst sentence reads, The Nasa climate scientists who claimed 2014 set a new record for global warmth last night admitted they were only 38 per cent sure this was true.

Given the stakes here this is the biggest news story about climate change in quite some time I think it is important to examine this charge. For further discussion of the matter, by the way, you should also seethis postby Andrew Revkin at theNew York Timesandthis oneby Andrew Freedman at Mashable.

So whats up with this 38 percent figure, and does it really undermine the idea that 2014 was the hottest year on record?

The figure comes from slide 5 of the PowerPoint presentationmentioned above, where NASA scientists noted that there was a 38 percent chance that 2014 was the hottest year, but only a 23 percent chance that the honor goes to the next contender, 2010, and a 17 percent chance that it goes to 2005.

The same slide shows that NOAAs scientists were even more confident in the 2014 record, ranking it as having a 48 percent probability, compared with only an 18 percent chance for 2010 and a 13 percent chance for 2005. Here is the slide:

According to a NASA spokesman, the PowerPoint containing this slide went online at the same time that the 2014 temperature record itself was announced. So it may not have been as prominent as the press releases from the agencies, but it was available.

The slide was also discussed in the press briefingwhen the news of the new record was released. In the briefing,NOAAs Thomas Karl, director of the National Climatic Data Center, noted:

Certainly there are uncertainties in putting all this together, all these datasets. But after considering the uncertainties, we have calculated the probability that 2014, versus other years that were relatively warm, were actually the warmest year on record. And the way you can interpret these data tables is, for the NOAA data, 2014 is two and a half times more likely than the second warmest year on record, 2010, to actually be the warmest on record, after consideration of all the data uncertainties that we take into account. And for the NASA data, that number is on the order of about one and a half times more likely than the second warmest year on their records, which again, is 2010. So clearly, 2014 in both our records were the warmest, and theres a fair bit of confidence that that is indeed the case, even considering data uncertainties.

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Sorry, skeptics: NASA and NOAA were right about the 2014 temperature record

NASA Spinoff 2015 Features Space Technology Making Life Better on Earth – Video


NASA Spinoff 2015 Features Space Technology Making Life Better on Earth
NASA has a long history of transferring technologies from their original mission applications to secondary uses. For example, Mars continues to be a rich destination for scientific discovery...

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Exclusive: A trip inside NASA’s historic Space Launch Complex 36, the new Moon Mountain – Video


Exclusive: A trip inside NASA #39;s historic Space Launch Complex 36, the new Moon Mountain
Moon Express has big goals for mining the heavens, but to get there it needs better facilities down here on earth. Join us for an exclusive trip inside the historic NASA Space Launch Complex...

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NASA Education Express Message — Jan. 22, 2015

Search for NASA Educational Resources With New Search ToolAre you looking for a lesson plan about the planet Jupiter? Do you need a poster with information about the Wright Brothers' first flight? Or maybe you're hunting for a website with information about NASA's deep space missions. NASA Education has a new tool to help you in your search!NASA's new Educational Resource Search Tool can help you find lesson plans, posters, educator guides and other materials to supplement your science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum. Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keywords.To check out the new search tool and begin your educational resource hunt, visithttp://www.nasa.gov/education/materials/.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational UseNASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visithttp://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.Questions about this opportunity should be directed toGSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series

Curious about icy bodies in the outer reaches of our solar system, the effects of space junk on deep-space observation, the latest discoveries about the origins of the universe and new ways galaxy formation is mapped? Come to the Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series presented by Smithsonian researchers who are exploring the sun, the moon, planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. These speakers will share behind-the-scenes details about how their research is done and about technologies that advance new discoveries. The lectures will be held at the Albert Einstein Planetarium at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.Each lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. EST and is followed by a Q&A session. Stay after the lecture to visit the museum's observatory, weather permitting.Jan. 24, 2015 -- Observing the Origin of the Universe From the South PoleAfter three years of observing from the South Pole, scientists may have found confirmation that the universe underwent a burst of inflationary growth at the time of the Big Bang. Cosmologist Colin Bischoff will discuss these findings as well as the excitement of astronomy from Antarctica.Feb. 21, 2015 -- Tracing the Structure of the Universe With Galaxy SurveysStudies of galaxy formation and cosmology have exploded in recent years due to the immense data obtained from large galaxy surveys. Postdoctoral fellow Cameron McBride will discuss how observational data and theory are combined to better understand fundamental questions in our universe, and will highlight some exciting results from ongoing research.

For more information about the Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series, visithttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/lectures/smithsonian-stars/.Questions about this lecture series should be directed to the visitor service line at 202-633-2214.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________Sally Ride EarthKAM Announces the 2015 Winter MissionStudents and educators are invited to participate in the Sally Ride EarthKAM winter mission scheduled forJan. 27-30, 2015. Guide your students in hands-on research as they program a camera aboard the International Space Station to take pictures of specific locations on Earth. The optional online curricula at the Sally Ride EarthKAM website are targeted at middle school students but are adaptable for other grade levels. All students and educators are welcome, including participants in afterschool programs.For more information and to register for an upcoming mission, visit the Sally Ride EarthKAM home page athttps://earthkam.ucsd.edu/.If you have questions about the EarthKAM project, please emailek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________DEADLINE EXTENDED: 2014-2015 NASA Goddard OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff ChallengeNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is launching the 2014-2015 TRANSFORMERS OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Challenge, hosted by the Innovative Technology Partnerships Office. The purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of NASA's Technology Transfer Program and to inspire interest in all NASA missions, programs and projects.This year the scope of the contest is being expanded to include two challenges. In the first challenge, students in grades 3-12 are asked to submit a video describing their favorite NASA Goddard spinoff. In a new twist, participants in this years contest must also use the engineering design process to develop and propose a new spinoff application of their own for the technology. Spinoffs are technologies originally created for space and modified into everyday products used on Earth. Examples include memory foam, invisible braces and scratch-resistant lenses for eyeglasses.The second challenge, the TRANSFORMERS OPTIMUS PRIME InWorld Challenge, offers students in grades 6-12 an opportunity to take their video spinoff ideas to another level. Interested teams must study James Webb Space Telescope spinoff technology and post their completed spinoff videos for review by college engineering students. Engineering college mentors will select 20 teams to continue the collaborative design process within a multiuser virtual world to build a 3-D model of the teams design solutions.Winning students from each grade category will be invited to Goddard to participate in a behind-the-scenes workshop, attend a VIP awards ceremony and meet actor Peter Cullen, the voice of OPTIMUS PRIME.The new deadline to register and upload videos isJan. 28, 2015.For more information, visithttp://itpo.gsfc.nasa.gov/optimus/.Questions about this contest should be directed to Darryl Mitchell atDarryl.R.Mitchell@nasa.gov.TRANSFORMERS and OPTIMUS PRIME are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. 2014 Hasbro. All rights reserved.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DEADLINE EXTENDED: 2014 NASA EONS Solicitation New AppendixNASA's Office of Education is accepting new proposals under the Education Opportunities in NASA STEM, or EONS, 2014 NASA Research Announcement for the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, Institutional Research Opportunity, or MIRO appendix. This effort was previously titled as the NASA University Research Centers Project, and has now been consolidated into the MUREP Program within the NASA Office of Education.Through the EONS omnibus solicitation, the opportunity MIRO has been released. Through MIRO awards, NASA aims to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM literacy and to enhance and sustain the capability of minority serving institutions to perform NASA-related research and education, which directly support NASA's four mission directorates -- Aeronautics Research, Human Exploration and Space Operations, Science, and Space Technology.The deadline for proposals has been extended toJan. 30, 2015.For more information regarding theMIRO solicitation, please visit theNASA EONSpage on the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Proposal System, or NSPIRES, website at:http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7bB6C61D04-5793-EF52-3497-1AA57FA424A5%7d&path=open.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2015 NOAA Undergraduate ScholarshipThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is accepting applications for its 2015 Educational Partnership Program, or EPP, Undergraduate Scholarship Program. The EPP Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study to rising junior undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields that directly support NOAA's mission.Participants receive total awards valued at up to $35,000 in total support during their junior and senior years. During the first summer, scholars complete a nine-week paid summer internship at NOAA in Silver Spring, Maryland. During the second summer, scholars complete paid internships at NOAA facilities across the country. A stipend and housing allowance is provided. At the end of both summer internships, students present the results of their projects at an education and science symposium in Silver Spring.Students attending an accredited Minority Serving Institution within the United States or U.S. Territories as defined by the U.S. Department of Education (Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaskan-Native Serving Institutions, and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions) are eligible to apply for the program. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must earn and maintain a minimum 3.2 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.Applications are dueJan. 30, 2015.For more information and to submit an online application, visithttp://www.epp.noaa.gov/ssp_undergrad_page.html.Questions about this scholarship opportunity should be directed toEPP.USP@noaa.gov.

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U.S. National Park Service's Young Leaders in Climate Change -- Summer 2015 InternshipsThe George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders in Climate Change, or YLCC,builds a pathway for exemplary students in higher education to apply cutting-edge climate change knowledge to park management. The program provides paid summer internships to highly accomplished graduate and upper-level undergraduate students to work on diverse issues related to climate change and its effects in national parks. Participants gain valuable work experience, explore career options and develop leadership skills under the mentorship and guidance of the National Park Service.The program features structured projects in one or more of the following interdisciplinary areas: climate change science and monitoring; resource conservation and adaptation; policy development; sustainable park operations; facilities adaptation; and communication/interpretation/education. Interns who successfully complete the YLCC will be eligible to be hired noncompetitively into subsequent federal jobsonce they complete their degree programs. These jobs would be in the Department of Interior, National Park Service or one of the other bureaus within the Department of Interior. An intern must qualify for the job in order to be hired noncompetitively.Internships are full-time positions (40 hours/week) lasting 11-12 weeks. Interns are paid $14/hour plus benefits, and are employees of the University of Washington. Most positions come with free or subsidized housing in dormitories or other shared accommodations in parks. Internships offer rigorous and challenging projects that demand high-level academic knowledge and skills, allowing interns considerable autonomy and opportunity for leadership under an effective mentor.The application deadline is12:01 pm PST on Jan. 30, 2015.For additional information and to apply for a YLCC internship, visithttp://parksclimateinterns.org/.Questions about this program should be directed to Tim Watkins atclimate_change@nps.gov.

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NASA History Program Office Summer and Fall 2015 InternshipsThe NASA History Program Office is seeking undergraduate and graduate students for summer and fall 2015 internships. The History Program Office maintains archival materials to answer research questions from NASA personnel, journalists, scholars, students at all levels and others from around the world. The division also edits and publishes several books and monographs each year. It maintains a large number of websites on NASA history.Students of all majors are welcome to apply. While detailed prior knowledge of the aeronautics and space fields is not necessary, a keen interest and some basic familiarity with these topics are needed. Strong research, writing and editing skills are essential. Experience with social media is a plus.Intern projects are flexible. Typical projects include handling a variety of information requests, writing posts for the NASA history Twitter and Facebook pages, editing historical manuscripts, doing research and writing biographical sketches, and identifying and captioning photos.Applications for summer 2015 internships are dueFeb. 1, 2015. Fall 2015 internship applications are dueJune 1, 2015.For more information, visithttp://history.nasa.gov/interncall.htm.If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Bill Barry atbill.barry@nasa.gov.

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NASA Education Express Message -- Jan. 22, 2015

Neil deGrasse Tyson and the Meaning of Life, NASA Social Video Excerpt – Video


Neil deGrasse Tyson and the Meaning of Life, NASA Social Video Excerpt
Hi guys, started putting together some NASA Florida footage decided to make the test excerpt upload public: On Jan 15, 2015 I stumbled upon Neil deGrasse Tyson #39;s recorded answer to young 6...

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Les Plus Grandes Explorations De La NASA [ Documentaire Science ] – Video


Les Plus Grandes Explorations De La NASA [ Documentaire Science ]
L #39;exploration de Mars tient une place particulirement importante dans les programmes scientifiques d #39;exploration du systme solaire des principales puissances spatiales. Prs de quarante...

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The clearest picture ever from NASA of a dome shaped construction – Video


The clearest picture ever from NASA of a dome shaped construction
PIA 17985 Satellite images Original NASA link http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/?IDNumber=PIA17985 This was presented in the Mars Moon Space group on facebook ...

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NASA and Microsoft Collaboration Will Allow Scientists to Walk on Mars – Video


NASA and Microsoft Collaboration Will Allow Scientists to Walk on Mars
Raw video for media Use. NASA and Microsoft have teamed up to develop software called OnSight, a new technology that will enable scientists to work virtually on Mars using wearable technology...

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NASA and Microsoft Collaboration Will Allow Scientists to Walk on Mars - Video

NASA releases 100-millionth image of the sun

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in a given field. Naturally, he calls the principle the "10,000-Hour Rule." By that pseudoscientific measure, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an Einstein of solar photography.

This week, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory released its 100-millionth image of the sun, a total amassed in just under five years. The satellite uses its chief instrument, the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, to snap a shot of the sun once every 12 seconds.

The AIA uses four telescopes working in conjunction, capturing the radiation emanating from the solar chromosphere and corona. The instrument captures radiation in eight channels, capturing 10 different wavelengths and spanning a temperature range from 20,000 degrees Kelvin to more than 20 million degrees Kelvin.

"Between the AIA and two other instruments on board, the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager and the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment, SDO sends down a whopping 1.5 terabytes of data a day," NASA officials wrote in a news release announcing the 100-million milestone.

"AIA is responsible for about half of that. Every day it provides 57,600 detailed images of the sun that show the dance of how solar material sways and sometimes erupts in the solar atmosphere, the corona."

The AIA is managed by scientists at the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, located in Palo Alto, California, in conjunction with researchers at Stanford University.

2015 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

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NASA releases 100-millionth image of the sun

NASA Spinoff 2015 Features Space Technology Making Life Better on Earth

NASA technologies are being used to locate underground water in some of the driest places on the Earth, build quieter and more fuel-efficient airplanes, and create shock absorbers that brace buildings in earthquakes.

The 2015 edition of NASAs annual Spinoff publication highlights these and other technologies whose origins lie in space exploration, but now have broader applications.

The game-changing technologies NASA develops to push the envelope of space exploration also improve our everyday lives, said NASA Chief Technologist David Miller. Spinoff 2015 is filled with stories that show there is more space in our lives than we think.

Spinoff 2015 tells the story of shock absorbers used during space shuttle launches that are now being used to brace buildings during earthquakes, preventing damage and saving lives. The book also features a NASA-simplified coliform bacteria test that is being used to monitor water quality in rural communities around the world, as well as cabin pressure monitors that alert pilots when oxygen levels are approaching dangerously low levels in their aircraft.

Published every year since 1976, Spinoff offers a close-up look at how NASA's initiatives in aeronautics and space exploration have resulted in technologies with commercial and societal benefits across the economy, in areas such as health and medicine; transportation; public safety; consumer goods; energy and environment; information technology; and industrial productivity. These spinoffs contribute to the countrys economic growth by generating billions of dollars in revenue and creating thousands of jobs.

NASA enjoys a large and varied technology portfolio unlike any other in existence, said Daniel Lockney, NASAs Technology Transfer program executive. And the range of successful technology transfer documented in Spinoff each year is as diverse as NASAs many science and exploration missions.

The publication also includes a Spinoffs of Tomorrow section showcasing 20 industry-ready NASA technologies -- from smart coatings that protect metal from corrosion to an identity verification system that uses the human heartbeat as a fingerprint -- that are all available for licensing.

NASAs Technology Transfer Program is charged with finding the widest possible applications of agency technology. Through partnerships and licensing agreements with industry, the program ensures NASAs investments in pioneering research find secondary applications that benefit the economy, create jobs, and improve quality of life.

Print copies of Spinoff 2015 can be requested free of cost on the Spinoff website, where digital versions of the book also can be downloaded.

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NASA Spinoff 2015 Features Space Technology Making Life Better on Earth