The crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear electricity generating facility, touched off when a tsunami hit northern Japan, has achieved the “key milestone” of cold shutdown where the temperature within the damaged reactors is below the boiling point of water, said Gregory Jaczko, chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Families with children, teachers, early-career scientists, and all others with a curious mind are invited to come to events that are free and open to the public at the AAAS Annual Meeting, 17-21 February in Washington, D.C.

With cutting-edge lectures on topics such as climate change and science-based efforts to create better forms of energy as well as hands-on science activities for children, the AAAS Annual Meeting promises something for people of all ages and interests.

The percentage of Americans who believe global warming is real dropped slightly from 80% in 2008 to 75% late last year, still a robust majority that reflects a continued agreement with the conclusions of climate science, a leading specialist on survey research told a Capitol Hill briefing co-sponsored by AAAS.