China Part II: The International Winds Workshop

I wanted to talk about the meeting a little bit, because I think it is interesting from a scientific and cultural point of view. I hope you'll indulge me a bit.
First, I have to give a bit of background. Satellite images are something you're probably familiar with. Every tv weather forecaster stands in front of an animation of clouds flying over your region. Those images were created from very smart people figuring out how to distinguish clouds from clear sky given what a satellite measures: emitted and scattered energy. It's not a trivial task.
Once you have those clouds isolated, you can trace how they move over time. If you assume that they move at the speed of the wind, you can actually map out what the winds look like in the upper atmosphere. These winds are extremely valuable for weather forecasters, particularly over the oceans.
Those winds are roughly what the meeting is about. It was a meeting of satellite wind producers from around the world, and users of the satellite winds: namely computer weather modeling centers. What's pretty cool about it to me is that all of these great minds are gathering together to work on some very specific issues. International politics is forgotten in favor of problem solving and collaboration. The meeting is pretty low key and involves lots of socializing and eating together as well.
China was a great venue, as they are really up-and-coming in terms of satellites and meteorology. In a few years they will be among the best in the world. Combining this meeting with a chance to see Beijing as a tourist was an exciting experience. It's something I'm not likely to forget soon.