Russia and the World in the 21st Century

Program entitled Russia and the World in the 21st Century: Continuity and Change by Dr. Thomas Remington, who is one of the very foremost scholars of Russian affairs in the western world

Science with a difference : organising planet walk in Malta

Even to this very day, many look at science as something that is done in a classroom. Perhaps, an experiment conducted in a laboratory may relate well to what one understands by ‘Science’. A group of twenty young people in Malta decided it is time to show that science can be done with a difference. These young people formed a club, which they called Astro-Club. They got to know about ‘Planet Walk’ from the author of this paper who is the advisor to the group. With their enthusiasm for science, directed especially towards Astronomy, they started on a venture aimed at setting up ’Planet Walk’ in Malta, thus aiming at promoting science to the general public. The project generated a lot of energy amongst the group members. They knew that nothing like this had ever been done in Malta. This presented more of a challenge. This paper looks at the process, the difficulties encountered and the satisfaction involved in creating ’Planet Walk’, offering an incentive and encouragement for others to follow and create more “Planet Walks” in their own countries. It is argued that the wonder and mystery that are related to astronomy may be used further towards promoting a better attitude towards science, laying the foundations for a long-term relationship between the world of science and the child. An explanation is offered as to how science can become more exciting and how it can be taken out of the classroom and used fruitfully, showing that science has all to do with the way we live.peer-reviewe

INGSA-AFRICA - 2020 research survey report on the role of scientific knowledge in policymaking : scientists/researchers and policymakers/practitioners perspectives

That research and evidence is one of the least important factors in policy development is a particularly worrying outcome from this survey by the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA). The paper provides a breakdown of survey results regarding scientific knowledge and evidence-based policy making. A key commonality of scientists and policymakers that can provide a focus for interventions to improve evidence-to-policy mechanisms was in response to the statement: “There is a need for an intermediary to translate scientific evidence to politician and decision maker.” Few policymaker respondents (89%) indicated they had “Firsthand experience of seeking science advice from a scientist or researcher.

Scientific literacy and citizenship

Scientific research has social and moral implications that can no longer be disregarded. Educating students in science involves more than understanding scientific knowledge and carrying out investigations. If students are to grow to become tomorrow's responsible citizens, they need to understand scientific issues as well as their impact on society in economic, social and moral tenus. An argument will be put forward in favour of a science education that considers the social implications of scientific activity on both a local and global scale. Science education needs to give more attention to activities placed in contexts and include the social and ethical aspects of the scientific enterprise.peer-reviewe

Integrating Species Traits into Species Pools

Despite decades of research on the species‐pool concept and the recent explosion of interest in trait‐based frameworks in ecology and biogeography, surprisingly little is known about how spatial and temporal changes in species‐pool functional diversity (SPFD) influence biodiversity and the processes underlying community assembly. Current trait‐based frameworks focus primarily on community assembly from a static regional species pool, without considering how spatial or temporal variation in SPFD alters the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic assembly processes. Likewise, species‐pool concepts primarily focus on how the number of species in the species pool influences local biodiversity. However, species pools with similar richness can vary substantially in functional‐trait diversity, which can strongly influence community assembly and biodiversity responses to environmental change. Here, we integrate recent advances in community ecology, trait‐based ecology, and biogeography to provide a more comprehensive framework that explicitly considers how variation in SPFD, among regions and within regions through time, influences the relative importance of community assembly processes and patterns of biodiversity. First, we provide a brief overview of the primary ecological and evolutionary processes that create differences in SPFD among regions and within regions through time. We then illustrate how SPFD may influence fundamental processes of local community assembly (dispersal, ecological drift, niche selection). Higher SPFD may increase the relative importance of deterministic community assembly when greater functional diversity in the species pool increases niche selection across environmental gradients. In contrast, lower SPFD may increase the relative importance of stochastic community assembly when high functional redundancy in the species pool increases the influence of dispersal history or ecological drift. Next, we outline experimental and observational approaches for testing the influence of SPFD on assembly processes and biodiversity. Finally, we highlight applications of this framework for restoration and conservation. This species‐pool functional diversity framework has the potential to advance our understanding of how local‐ and regional‐scale processes jointly influence patterns of biodiversity across biogeographic regions, changes in biodiversity within regions over time, and restoration outcomes and conservation efforts in ecosystems altered by environmental change

GRID3 Eswatini Settlement Extents Version 01, Alpha

NOTE: This initial version of the Eswatini settlement extents has been superseded by the final version, "GRID3 Eswatini Settlement Extents, Version 01", now available here: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-ye7c-1k53 The database constitutes a comprehensive set of settlement polygons nationwide. It is in geodatabase format and consists of three feature classes for built up areas (BUA), small settlement areas (SSA), and hamlets (hamlets). This work has been undertaken as part of the Geo-referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) initiative in Eswatini. GRID3 works with countries to generate, validate and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and subnational boundaries. For more information, see https://grid3.org/ Keywords: built up areas, BUA, small settlement areas, SSA, hamlets, settlement aggregation, settlement extent, CIESIN, GRID3, Novel-

GRID3 Djibouti Settlement Extents Version 01, Alpha

NOTE: This initial version of the Djibouti settlement extents has been superseded by the final version, "GRID3 Djibouti Settlement Extents, Version 01", now available here: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-bq88-g842 The database constitutes a comprehensive set of settlement polygons nationwide. It is in geodatabase format and consists of three feature classes for built up areas (BUA), small settlement areas (SSA), and hamlets (hamlets). This work has been undertaken as part of the Geo-referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) initiative in Djibouti. GRID3 works with countries to generate, validate and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and subnational boundaries. For more information, see https://grid3.org/ Keywords: built up areas, BUA, small settlement areas, SSA, hamlets, settlement aggregation, settlement extent, CIESIN, GRID3, Novel-

GRID3 Mali Settlement Extents Version 01, Alpha

NOTE: This version of the Mali settlement extents has been superseded by "GRID3 Mali Settlement Extents, Version 01.01", now available here: https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-hr0y-v173 The database constitutes a comprehensive set of settlement polygons nationwide. It is in geodatabase format and consists of three feature classes for built up areas (BUA), small settlement areas (SSA), and hamlets (hamlets). This work has been undertaken as part of the Geo-referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) initiative in Mali. GRID3 works with countries to generate, validate and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and subnational boundaries. For more information, see https://grid3.org/ Keywords: built up areas, BUA, small settlement areas, SSA, hamlets, settlement aggregation, settlement extent, CIESIN, GRID3, Novel-

GRID3 Western Sahara Settlement Extents Version 01, Alpha

The database constitutes a comprehensive set of settlement polygons nationwide. It is in geodatabase format and consists of three feature classes for built up areas (BUA), small settlement areas (SSA), and hamlets (hamlets). This work has been undertaken as part of the Geo-referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) initiative in Western Sahara. GRID3 works with countries to generate, validate and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and subnational boundaries. For more information, see https://grid3.org/ Keywords: built up areas, BUA, small settlement areas, SSA, hamlets, settlement aggregation, settlement extent, CIESIN, GRID3, Novel-