Past Forums - Reports

Forums are informal and free debates among some fifteen to twenty-five high-level participants on open questions of scientific nature or science policy matters. Forums do not necessarily lead to formal recommendations or decisions.

The Future of Magnetospheric Research (24/25 March 2009)

A Forum to debate the current status and potential future evolution of the physics of Earth’s magnetosphere after 50 years of intense research activity was held at ISSI on 24-25 March 2009. An earlier discussion in the framework of COSPAR’s Scientific Advisory Committee had raised the topicality of such a Forum. Twenty-four leading scientists from 12 different countries, many of whom had contributed over several decades to magnetospheric sciences, participated in the Forum’s debates. The discovery, exploration and detailed understanding of the Earth’s magnetosphere have been key scientific goals and the focus of significant activities in scientific space research in the past fifty years. In terms of resources devoted to magnetospheric research and the numbers of scientists that have been directly engaged in it, the discipline dominated the early part of the space age. In the past thirty years or so, other scientific disciplines have progressed to match or surpass the activity levels in magnetospheric research. Nevertheless, the topic remains very active, although in parallel with other scientific areas, the sophistication of the missions that provide much of the raw material for the research has increased significantly. In common with what is needed to keep space research disciplines fresh and relevant, it is important to review the status of magnetospheric research and identify its future directions. Five introductory talks, treating key aspects of magnetospheric research, provided the framework for the discussions. The main achievements and the remaining key questions were reviewed by the debates that followed, focussing on how to progress successfully from the phenomenology that dominated magnetospheric research in the past to the study of physical processes and their applicability to other scientific disciplines. The Forum concluded that the natural evolution of the rich heritage of half a century of magnetospheric research implies and requires the application of its physical insights and results to a broader range of topics in space sciences. This will, together with new research undertaken in the magnetosphere, bring a renewal that is necessary for the continuation of the discipline. In addition, topics were identified that will be considered as possible subjects of future ISSI Workshops. The suggested topics are in all cases building on knowledge and understanding acquired in the study of the Earth’s magnetos- phere, but will address wider areas in which interdisciplinarity will bring new and added insight. This approach takes advantage of the special mission of ISSI to bring together a broader scientific participation in addressing new and challenging topics in space sciences.

Pictures of the Forum on the Future of Magnetospheric Research 24/25 March 2009

Earth Sciences Forum (11/12 May 2009)

In 2007 ISSI has entered into a contractual relation with the Earth Observation Programmes Directorate of ESA, and set up a programme, funded by ESRIN (ESA center for Earth Observation) and partially by the Swiss Space Office, and managed within ISSI, focused on the International Polar Year (IPY) and related to ESA Living Planet programme topics. This truly international and interdisciplinary programme, encompasses the 2008–2010 period. It is structured in two phases, of 16 and 20 months respectively. The components of this programme are IPY projects, International Living Planet Teams, Workshops, and Forums.
To conclude Phase 1 (1.1.2008-1.5.2009), a Forum took place with the participation of 23 leading scientists from several countries. The scientific results of this phase were presented dur ing the first day of the Forum by the Team leaders for both IPY1 and 2007/08 Teams, and were positively received by the partic ipants. The presentations covered a large area of Earth Science topics, such as the monitoring of Antarctic sea ice (P. Heil), studies of the dynamics and climate of the Northwater/Nares Strait region (P. Gudmandsen), the analysis of glacier changes in the Eurasian Arctic sector (A. Sharov), water vapor and its role in weather and climate (N. Kämpfer), the origin and function of auroral arcs at the Earth’s ionosphere and upper atmosphere (T. van Eyken), the dynamic coupling between the middle and upper atmosphere (K. Hocke) and the coupling of atmospheric regions with near-earth space (M. Parrot). The contribution of ISSI to provide the ground for international and interdisciplinary activities in order to achieve a better understanding on the various Earth system components and their interrelations has been emphasized. A talk presenting the on-going and future ESA’s Living Planet missions have been given by Dr. Stephen Briggs. The first day of the Forum ended with a conference on the “Significant results from Demeter” by Michel Parrot.
The planned work for Phase 2 of the Earth Science Project (1.5.2009–1.1.2012) was presented and discussed during the second day of the Forum. Strong support has been received for the planned Workshops on the “Earth’s Cryosphere and Sea Level Change” and the “Global Earth Energy and Radiation Balance”. A second Forum will be held towards the end of Phase 2 which will give a “wrap-up” of the ISSI activities on Earth Sciences, and which will provide the final report.

The Future of Magnetospheric Research (24/25 March 2009)

An earlier discussion in the framework of COSPAR’s Scientific Advisory Committee had raised the topicality of such a Forum. Twenty-four leading scientists from 12 different countries, many of whom had contributed over several decades to magnetospheric sciences, participated in the Forum’s de bates.
The discovery, exploration and detailed understanding of the Earth’s magnetosphere have been key scientific goals and the focus of significant activities in scientific space research in the past fifty years. In terms of resources devoted to magnetospheric research and the numbers of scientists that have been directly engaged in it, the discipline dominated the early part of the space age. In the past thirty years or so, other scientific disciplines have progressed to match or surpass the activity levels in magnetospheric research. Never theless, the topic remains very active, although in parallel with other scientific areas, the sophistication of the missions that provide much of the raw material for the research has increased significantly. In common with what is needed to keep space research disciplines fresh and relevant, it is important to review the status of magnetospheric research and identify its future directions.
Five introductory talks, treating key aspects of magnetospheric research, provided the framework for the discussions. The main achievements and the remaining key questions were reviewed by the debates that followed, focussing on how to progress successfully from the phenomenology that dominated magnetospheric research in the past to the study of physical processes and their applicability to other scientific disciplines.
The Forum concluded that the natural evolution of the rich heritage of half a century of magnetospheric research implies and requires the application of its physical insights and results to a broader range of topics in space sciences. This will, together with new research undertaken in the magnetosphere, bring a renewal that is necessary for the continuation of the discipline. In addition, topics were identified that will be considered as possible subjects of future ISSI Workshops. The suggested topics are in all cases building on knowledge and understanding acquired in the study of the Earth’s magnetosphere, but will address wider areas in which interdisciplinarity will bring new and added insight. This approach takes advantage of the special mission of ISSI to bring together a broader scientific participation in addressing new and challenging topics in space sciences.

Space Science and Education (12/13 June 2007)

Twenty five representatives of the world of Education, Science, Space Organizations, and Industry, were invited and actively participated. The main purpose of the Forum was to assess the potential of space sci- ence for education at the high school level. The Forum also intended to promote space research in view of the growing importance of space for science for the management of our planet’s future and the necessity to form the future genera- tions of engineers and scientists. The topics covered addressed the following ques- tions: 1) The interest of science and space sciences among the young people, 2) The place of space sciences in education systems, 3) The role of space agencies and international scientific institutions, 4) The role of industry, foundations, and Space Centers, 5) A review of actions and mani- festations to be considered at national and international level.
The conclusions of the Forum can be summarized as follows: Space research, space in general, is important for the young and represents a unique asset for education and is therefore of a strategic importance for the future. Space sciences are truly multidisciplinary and lend well to the teaching of fundamental physics principles through practical and spectacular applications in astronomy, Earth and environmental sciences, planetary exploration, and engineering sciences.
The role of teachers is crucial. It is essential to recruit the best teachers in sciences in the future. It is as well essential to expose the teachers and their pupils to the practical world of space science and engineering through visits and formation of teams involving institutes, industry, and space agencies.
The large number of initiatives, festivals, competitions, field-experiments, or special classes, that were presented evidence the genuine perception by all partners of the importance of science and in particular space sciences. At first sight, the large number looks fairly encouraging especially considering the fact that several of these initiatives have a multiplication effect as they are coordinated through networks, points of contact, and addresses. Except in a few cases, the efficiency of this way of proceeding is not demonstraed and is questionable. “Calibrating” that efficiency is clearly needed. On the other hand, this kind of bottom-up approach should not be discouraged and the cali bration process should not be seen as a negation of all these valuable efforts whose one common success is the possibility of exchanging experiences and information.
The creation of networks of scientists, teachers, industrialists, and decision mak- ers is an important element in motivating the latter and getting their support. A real issue was recognized as being one of lack of a complementary top-down approach at the European level. The suggestion was made to initiate contacts wherever possible with the highest political authorities to draw their attention on the importance of the problem in view of fully involving the European Union.
Finally, it was suggested that a similar initiative should be considered in the near future based on a larger number of representatives of the communities represented at ISSI.
ISSI has edited a special CD-ROM comprising a detailed report on the Forum and the set of all presentations made in the course of the event.

Earth Science from Space (2/3 March 2006)

The goal of the third ISSI Forum was to assess the need for an ISSI-like institute in the field of Earth sciences, the adequacy of ISSI's present mode of operation and tools for their potential application to activities in Earth sciences, and the logistical and financial implications of the implied developments in case a positive answer was found to the first points.
The ISSI Forum on Earth sciences from space was held on March 2-3, 2006. It was attended by approximately 25 agencies representatives and high-ranking sci- entists active in some of the numerous dis- ciplines encompassed by the denomination “Earth sciences”. The discussions took place in a neutral, open-minded atmosphere, with the common understanding that an opening of ISSI to Earth sciences should be carried out only at the conditions that a specific and useful role could be identified for ISSI in Earth sciences, and that a clear added value could result from this opening for both the traditional and newly addressed science communities.
After identifying the specificities of Earth with respect to space sciences, the Forum participants evaluated ISSI's traditional assets and the applicability of ISSI's tools to the field of Earth sciences. Recommendations where collected from both the traditional and newly addressed communities as to the role that should, or should not, be played by ISSI in this new field of activity. Finally, potential future actions were defined, in case the path of ISSI's engagement in Earth sciences was to be followed.
As a result of these discussions, the Forum participants supported the opening of ISSI's field of activities to Earth sciences, with the recommendation that the words “international”, “space”, and “science” be maintained as keywords for future ISSI activities also in the newly addressed activity field. In particular, the importance was stressed of maintaining science at the absolute foreground of ISSI's activities. ISSI's profile shall thus remain that of a highly creative, high-quality science ground, repeatedly providing a neutral convergence point for interdisciplinary and international scientists.

Space Science and the Media (3/4 March 2005)

The forum examined the challenge of communicating science and more explicitly space science to the public. This is a problem of a general character which does not spare the domain of space sciences, particularly in Europe, where, in addition, the comparison often made with the US raises criticisms against not only the scientists and the media but also the space agencies. For that very reason, ISSI felt the need to address the problem both in its generality and its specificity as to what concerns space sciences.
The Forum rested on the contribution of the best actors in the domains identified above. For two days, some 31 journalists and representatives of Europe’s space program explored the problems and discussed the misunderstandings, and attempted to find solutions. The forum also considered the relationship between sci- ence and society and the role of science communication in the formulation of policy on science-related issues. The topics were introduced by selected scientists and journalists, followed by discussions among the participants.
The workshop also compared the way ESA and NASA handle the release of raw data. NASA has adopted a policy of giving the public direct access to raw scientific results on the Internet before proper scientific analysis has been performed, making the public a direct actor in the scientific process, while ESA adopts a more prudent attitude. In addition, its mandate does not allow to fully master the process which is to a large extent in the hands of the Principal Investigators who are not funded by ESA directly, at least in the mandatory scientific program. ESA is also affected by having to work in the different languages of its member states, while NASA enjoys the advantage of communicating in one language.
This led to the wider question of whether media coverage of science is dominated by the US. In Germany (67 per cent), Spain (85 per cent) and Sweden 71 per cent of articles describe US science, while in the UK, eight per cent of articles describe US science and 77 per cent of articles describe UK science. Much debate focused on Beagle 2. Scientists were reluctant to concede that it had been a great success in communication terms even if it failed scientifically and partly overshadowed the success of Mars Express. The public’s inter- est in Mars through Beagle 2 has in effect generated a resurgent interest in planetary science in the UK and has increased Government support for the European science program. It was also considered as worrying that only 25% of the scientists on both side of the Atlantic find it necessary to be somehow active in outreach and it was felt urgent that these ratios be exchanged.
The recommendations adopted by the Forum are given in a short ISSI report. They suggest that education about the media is seen as more relevant for scientists than education about science for journalists. In particular improving the communication skills of space scientists is a priority. In spite of the adverse weather conditions, all participants agreed that initiatives like this Forum are useful and should be continued in order to focus attention on this problem.

Astrobiology (9/10 November 2004)

The goals of the first ISSI Forum were threefold. The main goal was to consult scientists active in the field of Astrobiology to find out whether there is a desire and need in their community for ISSI to contribute to the advancement of this interdisciplinary research discipline. In case of a positive evaluation, the Forum should generate a list of themes for future Astrobiology workshops at ISSI as well as confirm the position of Dr. Oliver Botta as an Astrobiology Discipline Scientist.
The Forum on Astrobiology took place on November 9-10, 2004. The program was divided into four main themes that are central research focus points in Astrobiology: theme 1) From the ISM to the First Stages of Protoplanetary Disk Formation, theme 2) Planetary Systems Formation; Search for Extrasolar Planets, theme 3) Recognition of Life, and theme 4) Under- standing the Physical and Chemical Conditions/Principles underlying the Origin of Life. On the first day, each theme was introduced by a presentation by one of the 13 participants, followed by a discussion. Day 2 started with a lively open discussion session, followed by the formulation of a short report of the Forum participants to the ISSI directorate. In this document the recommendation is made that “because of its interdisciplinary nature, the field of Astrobiology is a natural component of the mission of ISSI. [...] The Forum therefore encourages ISSI to be involved in this activity by 1) organizing workshops, 2) providing access to International Teams and 3) inviting and supporting Visiting Scientists.”
For how long the Earth will remain the only known planet with life? What are the physical and chemical conditions underlying the Origin of life? Based on the outcome of the first ISSI Forum, Astrobiology has been established at ISSI as new discipline. (“El Universo y la vida”, M.G. Salomone, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC - INTA), p. 35)
In addition, the Forum proposed four themes for future workshops related to Astrobiology (not prioritized here): 1) Strategies for Life Detection, 2) From the Hadean to the Archean Earth: Implications for Terrestrial Planets, 3) Extending the Concept of Habitable Zones, and 4) Titan (post-landing). Also, it was proposed that one of the future Summer Schools held in Alpbach, Austria, should be dedicated to Astrobiology.
Overall, the first Forum ever to be held at ISSI can be considered a big success, and the format turned out to be adequate for this type of meetings. Based on the outcome of this Forum, Astrobiology has been established at ISSI as new discipline.

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