Yearlong project spotlights Mathematics of Planet Earth

Throughout 2013, mathematics educators and institutions are taking part in the Mathematics of Planet Earth project (http://mpe2013.org/), a worldwide effort to promote awareness of the ways in which the mathematical sciences are used in modeling the earth and its systems – both natural and manmade. More than a hundred scientific societies, universities, research institutes, and organizations have banded together to encourage research and heighten awareness of the essential role played by mathematics in facing the challenges to our planet.

Most recently, this theme has been incorporated into April’s Mathematics Awareness Month, with this year’s theme of Math and Sustainability (http://www.mathaware.org/mam/2013/sustainability/). The Math Awareness website features a range of activities and resources that can be used at all levels to empower students with the knowledge and skills they need to help society address sustainability issues.

In the print issue of Chemistry World, January 2013, vol 10, n. 1, page 12 (online Nov. 27, 2012), Phillip Broadwith writes about the controversial use of the h-index to rank chemists.  The h-index was developed by Jorge Hirsch, physicist, in 2005 as an objective method to measure a researcher's productivity.   Henry Schaefer and Amy Peterson of the University of Georgia (Athens) have been using the h-index to rank chemists for the last five years.  They have garnered much criticism from the discipline.  Many believe that too much emphasis on a single metric for measuring academic productivity.  Schaefer and Peterson will cease publishing this ranking after this year.  Read it online at:  http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2012/11/h-index-rankings-stop-chemist-chemistry