That breakdown results in the production of considerable by-products, including methane gas. Because methane gas traps heat, much the same as carbon dioxide does, it contributes to global warming. The contribution is significant, Proctor says, because the oceans, which cover three quarters of the surface of the earth, are full of methane. Proctor and her students are trying to determine which microbes in the zooplankton's gut produce the gas. The award is given to increase understanding between the United States and foreign countries.
Illiteracy has a new enemy, and it comes in the shape of the new Miss America.
She earned a bachelor of music degree in 1994. She has since moved to Kansas, where she won her title, to work on her master's degree. She was number 723 of President Bush's 1,000 points of light and has vowed to fight illiteracy during her reign as Miss America. Holland has been pursuing the title of Miss America for six years, since she placed first runner-up in the Miss Florida pageant at the age of 17. The purpose of the center is to educate young students interested in careers in mathematics, science and technology.