Author Archives: William Hooke

“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that [is] it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not before.”– Rahm Emanuel (Wall Street Journal interview, November 19, 2008) Covid-19 … Continue reading →

Picking up from the previous LOTRW post: Okay, Bill, where does the covid-19-as-vaccine concept come in? Convince me. Start close. Covid-19 is proving deadly. But it’s a mere “cowpox” compared with other more serious disease threats that have concerned public health officials … Continue reading →

Covid-19: both a threat today and a vaccine for tomorrow. Covid-19 is a threat that calls for a global vaccine “fix,” and yet, at the same time, the pandemic itself may be immunizing our world, better-equipping humanity to cope with … Continue reading →

Over the hundred-year lifetime of the American Meteorological Society, meteorologists and scientists in related disciplines spanning hydrology, oceanography, climatology, space weather and even a bit of social science have made great strides. With sustained national support – from both the … Continue reading →

“The American Meteorological Society advances the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society.” –the AMS Mission The AMS logo (above) may have an entirely new look heading into the second century, but the AMS mission remains … Continue reading →

Analysis breaks down a whole into its constituent parts. Synthesis combines distinct elements or components to build a coherent whole. (To oversimplify greatly) The AMS’ first century, just celebrated, has been a triumph – of analysis. Over that hundred-year span, … Continue reading →

The previous LOTRW post singled out Bill Gail (and his entire Centennial Committee and their extended network) for all their work in getting us to this 2020-moment. But AMS-member-gratitude shouldn’t stop there. We should also express our thanks to the four … Continue reading →

The American Meteorological Society’s 2020 Annual Meeting– our 100th– is underway. A record number of attendees – more than 5000 – are gathering in Boston for the occasion. But the Centennial itself is the tip of the iceberg. Years of planning … Continue reading →

Google the phrase “the war on science” and a host of links pop up immediately. Scientists might be forgiven for occasionally feeling beset. But the fact is, there isn’t really a war focused on science. Scientists, technologists, innovators, thus far, … Continue reading →

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”– Exodus 20:16 KJV “In war the first casualty is the truth.”– attributed variously, in slightly different forms. “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard … Continue reading →