The Low Down

By Stacy Morford, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Attention surfers, divers, snorkelers, and other ocean enthusiasts: Those vibrant coral reefs below you need your help. In many parts of the world, corals are getting sick in the warm water accompanying El Niño, and they’re turning bone white.

It’s called coral bleaching, and in severe cases it can kill them over time. But while scientists know that coral bleaching has been connected to changes in water temperature, many questions remain about the causes and the recovery process.

To track the evolution of coral bleaching and home in on its triggers, a group of surfer-scientists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory has teamed up with the World Surf League and GoFlow to launch Bleach Patrol, a citizen science project and app. The app and website went live just ahead of spring break, as millions of people headed for the beaches.

We’re mixing things up a little bit here at The Low Down. We decided to feature a discussion from Past Present, a podcast that’s produced by three Columbia alumni: Nicole Hemmer '05GSAS, '06GSAS, '10GSAS (a research associate at the Miller Center for Public Affairs in Charlottesville, Virginia), Natalia Mehlman Petrzela '00CC (an assistant professor of history at The New School), and Neil Young '04GSAS, '05GSAS, '08GSAS (a historian and author of We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics).

As climate continues to dominate the national conversation, Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) is a powerful player in the fight to conserve our planet.  LDEO scientists are at the forefront in understanding the risks to human life and property from extreme weather events, both in the present and future climates, and on developing solutions to mitigate those risks. Hear directly from Dr. Arthur Lerner-Lam, deputy director of LDEO, as he discusses why climate research is more pressing now than ever before, and how Columbia, like no other university, is tackling the big challenges of today's climate landscape. 

On July 30, 2015 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that targets the global problem of wildlife trafficking, calling on all 193 UN member states to take on a series of actions to “prevent, combat, and eradicate the illegal trade in wildlife.”

Adopted by consensus, the resolution recognizes growing global concern over widespread poaching and trafficking – particularly of elephants and rhinos.

In this episode, three ambassadors to the UN from Botswana, Germany and Vietnam address the problem facing wildlife today.

This panel discussion was sponsored by the Columbia University Club of New York.

In this episode, Richard Bulliet, Professor of History and Middle East Studies at Columbia, and Dr. Nina Ansary '89BC, '91GSAS, '09GSAS, '13GSAS, the author of the book, Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran, discuss the women's movement in Iran and how Ansary's book breaks down stereotypical assumptions and the often misunderstood story of women in Iran today.

"Based on her doctoral thesis on the women's movement in Iran, Jewels of Allah shatters stereotypical assumptions and the often misunderstood story of women in Iran today. Challenging the dominant narrative of the demise of women and their downward spiral into passive submission since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Ansary argues that 'despite the current regime's best laid plans to redirect women into the private domain, the female population in Iran is distinguished by an unprecedented surge in female literacy and a flourishing feminist movement against the boundaries of traditional religious prescription.' " 

- Barnard Center for Research on Women (BCRW)

This talk was brought to you by BCRW and the Middle East Institute at Columbia University.

If you tried to define television today, odds are that your definition would be very different from what it might have been just 10 years ago. Thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, more and more people are using their computers as their TVs. And it's not just serial programming that's moved online. Television news outlets have also made the move, producing content specifically for the web.

In this episode, CNN's Meredith Artley addresses this digital shift head-on, discussing how the old barriers between "digital" and "traditional" journalism are crumbling faster than ever.

This talk was presented as part of the Hearst Digital Media Lecture series at the Columbia Journalism School.

Injuries in youth sports have become all too common. And the injuries aren't minor. Torn ACLs and concussions make regular appearances on high school fields and courts. So, what exactly is the problem that we’re facing? And when did it become apparent to coaches that there was this huge problem with sports injury on a youth level in this country? An expert panel offers answers.

Panelists include: Dr. Christopher S. Ahmad '90SEAS (Head Team Physician for the New York Yankees), Diana Caskey (Head Women's Swimming and Diving Coach at Columbia University), Jim Gossett (Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine and Head Athletics Trainer for the Columbia Lions), Glenn Meyers '84CC, '85SEAS, '01SEAS (Former Columbia Baseball Team Captain, former Professional Baseball Player for the California Angels and Minnesota Twins), Dr. Beth Shubin Stein '91CC, '96PS (Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College), Dr. Brent Walker (Associate Athletics Director of Championship Performance at Columbia University).

Each year, global leaders convene at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, to address topics at the forefront of the world agenda. Among those in attendance are prominent Columbia alumni and faculty.

This year's conference took place on January 20-23.

Hear directly from some of these Columbians, who provide insight on its significance and why you should pay attention.

Columbia Professor James Shapiro '77CC is no stranger to Shakespeare. He has lead lectures and seminars at Columbia about the bard since 1985 and has written several books on the subject. The talk we recorded specifically references his newest book, "The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606."

In this talk, Shapiro discusses the significance of that year, the events that influenced Shakespeare’s writing, why he chose to focus so intensely on Lear in this new book, and when his fascination with Shakespeare first began. So, curl up in a cozy armchair with a nice cup of tea and enjoy.

This is part 3 in a 3-part series on career transitions. Click here to listen to part 1.

A major career change can happen by either being "pushed" by problems with a current situation or "pulled" by the promise of greater opportunities. Either way, this choice is never an easy decision and is often accompanied by fear and stress. To better understand how decision making can impact a career, hear a psychological explanation from Professor Elke Weber (Columbia Business School), expert on behavioral and neural models of judgment and choice under uncertainty and time delays. Understand how to differentiate between different decision modes to help resolve your own internal conflicts as you continue on down your own career path.