Meetings

A thin layer of the Earth, ranging from just a few tens of meters to perhaps a few hundred meters, supports a global population of 8 billion people, and all of the wildlife, many marine organisms, and their encompassing ecosystems on the planet. This layer, known as the “critical zone,” extends from the base of active groundwater to the top of the vegetative canopy—and it is degrading. Paul Doss will discuss the critical zone further in his Michel T. Halbouty Distinguished Lecture, “Geologists in the Critical Zone…in a Critical Time,” at GSA Connects 2026 on Wednesday, 14 October from 12:15–1:15 p.m. in the Colorado Convention Center, room Bluebird 1AB, in Denver, Colorado, USA.

All eyes were on Quaise Energy at the 2026 Geothermal Rising Conference, the flagship conference for the geothermal industry, in late September. The news related to Quaise included: the announcement of up to $25 million funding from the US Department of Energy, a talk on the company’s progress to date on what it believes will be the world’s first commercial superhot geothermal power plant, and major awards to two employees.

Eric and Wendy Schmidt announced today Schmidt Global Health, a nonprofit aimed at improving public health by strengthening the systems and advancing the technology used to monitor, identify and respond to emerging disease threats worldwide. 

Wendy Schmidt will address the World Health Summit in Berlin and a livestream audience online at 11 a.m. CEST on Tuesday, Oct. 13 to discuss the organization’s work.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) hosted a two-day summit focused on expanding access to life-saving cancer prevention and screening. The event examined policy solutions at both the population and individual levels, with particular attention to equity, innovation, and access.

UL Research Institutes’ Chemical Insights’ scientists will share their latest information on chemical and exposure safety at the 2026 International Society of Exposure Science (ISES) Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Chemical Insights is hosting a symposium, five presentations, one workshop and six poster sessions on the impacts of chemical emissions on human health. 

BUFFALO, NY — October 5, 2026 — Aging is pleased to support the 11th International Cell Senescence Association (ICSA) Conference, taking place November 3–5, 2026, at Seoul National University’s Siheung Convention Center in South Korea.

Skin Longevity needs credibility. International scientists gathering at the 17th International Congress on Skin Ageing & Challenges 2026 in Málaga, Spain, will examine how skin ageing occurs, how biological skin age can be measured, whether ageing can be modified, and what evidence is required before “Skin Longevity” claims can be made credibly.

The 2026 Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement has been awarded to CosmoAmautas, a Peruvian non-profit association that uses planetary science and astronomy as a gateway to spark curiosity and bring scientific opportunities to children and young students across Peru.