Desert Research Institute: A wonderland of scientific achievement
While most people recognize that a lot of “important stuff” is going on at the Desert Research Institute, few people truly understand the massive scope and nature of the studies taking place at this world-class institution.
Allow me to paint you a picture.
Imagine yourself in an old sci-fi movie, walking down a hallway of identical closed doors. Open one door and suddenly you’re looking at the face of the moon. Open another and you’re in the Antarctic with penguins waddling around. Open yet another and you’re exploring the ocean floor with sea life teeming all around you. This is the wonderland of DRI that few people ever have the opportunity to experience firsthand.
On any given day, 300 experiments are conducted throughout the world by DRI researchers. Many of these projects are linked to some of the most pressing scientific concerns of the global community.
Will there be enough water for arid locations like Nevada to sustain life for today, and in the future?
Chris Garner, a DRI assistant research hydrologist, is studying the sustainability of semi-arid hydrology areas to assess the feasibility of water leasing.
Think you can’t change the weather? DRI scientist Arlen Huggins says “cloud-seeding” experiments have shown promise at increasing precipitation, creating the possibility of “economical water creation” through “weather modification.”
Can wind, water, sun and biofuels be counted on as reliable energy sources?
Alan Gertler, a DRI research professor, has studied the blending of hydrogen with compressed natural gases; DRI’s Kent Koekman is heading a study to convert leafy/woody biomasses to densified feedstock that can be fed into thermal gasifiers for conversion into syngas, fuels and value-added chemicals.
What about global warming? Scientists from around the world are trying to figure out how to evaluate global climate changes to best prepare for or alter the future of the planet. If this sounds like pretty dramatic stuff, there’s a reason for it: DRI is responsible for some pretty dramatic research.
A few other examples:
Research on the effects of the industrial revolution on the environment, conducted by DRI’s Joe McConnell, was ranked 19th in Discover magazine’s 100 top science stories of 2007; DRI researchers working with the National Science Foundation’s West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Ice Core Project recently recovered a 1,900-foot ice core – a discovery that could provide insight into 100,000 years of the earth’s climate history.
As you can see, there are amazing technological and scientific projects under way at DRI. The Silver State should be proud of housing one of the foremost research facilities in the world.
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