HKU Department of Geography holds “Extreme Weather and Sustainable Development" education event

Uniting cross-sector forces to inspire climate action in the next generation

The University of Hong Kong

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Ms LEE Shuk Ming, Senior Scientific Officer of The Hong Kong Observatory (third left), Professor LAM Chiu Ying, SBS, former Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (fourth left), Professor LAM Yun Fat Nicky of the Department of Geography of the University of Hong Kong (fourth right) and other guests of honor at the event.

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Credit: The University of Hong Kong

Jointly organised by the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Scout Association of Hong Kong, the "Extreme Weather and Sustainable Development" education event was successfully held on 13 April at HKU. The event attracted around 300 participants, including secondary school students, educators, and members of the public, all united by a shared commitment to raising youth awareness and engagement in climate action, and rethinking the pathway toward a sustainable future.

Interdisciplinary collaboration to build sustainable cities of the future
The Department of Geography collaborated with the Faculty of Social Sciences of HKU to organise an interdisciplinary applied learning workshop, allowing participants to experience DIY assembly of programmable portable meteorological instruments to collect microclimate spatial geographic data on campus, to understand the relevant concepts of urban heat island effect. The workshop instructor, Mr CHANG Man Hei Jeffrey, a doctoral student from the Department of Geography at HKU, also introduced the integrated education direction of citizen science and geographical and meteorological surveys in the teaching content.

In the keynote session, Ms LEE Shuk Ming, Senior Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory, reviewed recent extreme weather events affecting Hong Kong and stressed the urgency of both mitigation and adaptation strategies. Professor LAM Yun Fat Nicky from HKU’s Department of Geography highlighted the critical role of educators in integrating STEAM education and citizen science. He advocated for inquiry-based, student-centered approaches to cultivating climate literacy among the younger generation.

The themed symposium welcomed distinguished speakers from the fields of education and meteorological science, including former Director of the Hong Kong Observatory Professor LAM Chiu Ying, SBS; Mr. Marius CHOW, Director of Talent Development at the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE); Principal KWOK Chi Tai of the Ho Koon Nature Education cum Astronomical Centre (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen); and Vice Principal LEUNG Wing Kin of Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College. The discussion focused on the positioning of meteorological education within the local curriculum, opportunities and challenges in integrating STEAM, and strategies to deepen student engagement in sustainability issues through cross-sector collaboration.

All speakers emphasised that in the face of intensifying climate change, cross-disciplinary cooperation and youth empowerment are more important than ever. They noted that climate action can begin with simple lifestyle changes—what we eat, wear, and how we commute—and need not be confined to traditional academic subjects. In today’s STEAM-driven landscape, technologies and data offer exciting opportunities to spark curiosity and empathy among students toward weather and environmental issues.

This event not only strengthened ties between the academic and educational sectors, but also served as an innovative model for experiential learning in Hong Kong secondary schools—demonstrating the powerful synergy of geography and STEAM education in advancing sustainability.

This event also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Meteorology Team of the Scout Association of Hong Kong. The diverse programme featured the 4th Scout Meteorology Day, a DIY portable weather station workshop, a Geography x STEAM-themed symposium, an exhibition of student innovations, a STEAM poster competition, and an award ceremony and sharing session hosted by the Ho Koon Nature Education cum Astronomical Centre (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen). Together, these offerings provided a multifaceted learning experience that deepened participants' understanding of extreme weather events, the urban heat island effect, and climate change.

About the Department of Geography, HKU
Founded in 1931, the Department of Geography at HKU is one of the city’s oldest academic units dedicated to geographical research and education. The department explores interactions between people and the environment and actively promotes sustainable development across local and regional scales. Its areas of study span both human and physical geography, including urban and transport planning, regional development in China, geomorphology and hydrology, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Located in the Centennial Campus’s Jockey Club Tower, the department houses specialized laboratories and Hong Kong’s largest map library. To date, it has nurtured over 3,500 undergraduate and 1,100 postgraduate alumni, upholding a core mission to cultivate globally minded and locally grounded geographic talent.

Media Enquiries
Please contact the Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong
(Email: geog@hku.hk) or Mr. Jeffrey Chang (Email: mhjchang@connect.hku.hk)

 

Holiday flights could carry fewer passengers as world warms

University of Reading

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Rising temperatures due to climate change may force aircraft at European airports to reduce passenger numbers in the coming decades. 

Scientists from the University of Reading studied how hotter air affects aircraft performance during take-off at 30 sites across Europe. When air gets warmer, it becomes less dense, making it harder for planes to generate lift, the force that allows them to fly. 

The research, published in the journal Aerospace, focused on the Airbus A320, a common aircraft used for short and medium-haul flights across Europe. By the 2060s, some airports with shorter runways may need to reduce their maximum take-off weight by the equivalent of approximately 10 passengers per flight during summer months. 

Dr Jonny Williams, lead author of the study at the University of Reading, said: “A warming world has an impact on people and businesses worldwide, and we are now showing one way it could increase the price of your summer holiday. Flying to Spain, Italy or Greece could get more expensive as flights carry fewer people due to climate change. 

“Hot summer days when smaller airports have to reduce their weight will get more common. Our research shows conditions which used to happen about 1 day in a summer may happen 3 or 4 days a week by the 2060s. 

“Aviation is sometimes singled out as a significant source of the greenhouse gases that are causing the planet to heat up. Our study provides yet more evidence that aviation is itself not immune to the impacts of climate change.” 

Mediterranean misery 

Of the sites studied, the findings suggest four popular tourist destinations will be most affected:  

• Chios, Greece 

• Pantelleria, Italy  

• Rome Ciampino, Italy 

• San Sebastian, Spain.  

These airports have shorter runways meaning the airlines can’t operate them at the maximum weight set by the manufacturer. Future increases in heatwaves will only make this worse, forcing operators to reduce aircraft weights and profit margins even further. 

While larger airports like London Heathrow and Gatwick have runways long enough to handle the A320 even in extreme heat, they may face challenges with larger aircraft like the Airbus A380, which needs more runway space. 

The problem may also affect airport operations beyond simply reducing passenger numbers. Airlines might need to reschedule flights to cooler parts of the day, and runway maintenance needs could increase as surfaces degrade faster in extreme heat. The researchers note that following a more sustainable climate path would stabilise these effects, whereas continued high emissions would make the problem significantly worse. Future studies will examine how other factors like humidity and changing wind patterns may further impact take-off performance.

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Journal

Aerospace

DOI

10.3390/aerospace12030165 

Article Title

Quantifying the Effects of Climate Change on Aircraft Take-Off Performance at European Airports

 

Microorganisms employ a secret weapon during metabolism

MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen

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White waters of Kueishantao: sulfur-rich hydrothermal fluids turn the sea milky. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; S. Bühring

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Credit: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen; S. Bühring

Extremely harsh conditions can be found even in shallow marine waters. A common cause for this is the presence of hydrothermal systems where dissolved materials from the Earth’s interior make their way to the surface. These systems are usually the only energy source in the deep sea because photosynthesis is not possible in the dark depths. Hydrothermal vents, however, also occur in shallow coastal regions, for example, near the volcanic island of Kueishantao in eastern Taiwan. The island is surrounded by hydrothermal vents in shallow water, at depths of around ten meters. Hot and acidic water rises to the surface here and alters the sea-water chemistry. This results in extreme conditions.

“These chimneys release super-heated, highly acidic water into the overlying water columns. One might think that such an extreme location is lifeless, but it is actually full of life because at the same time the vents are constantly producing chemical energy in the form of reduced chemical compounds,” says Joely Maak, first author of the study and a PhD student at MARUM. One of the predominant organisms at these hydrothermal systems is a microorganism called Campylobacteria. Its “secret weapon”, as Maak refers to it, is the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle. This cycle is a biochemical pathway for transferring carbon into organic molecules and biomass. Compared to the more widely utilized Calvin cycle, organisms using rTCA do not have to go through as many energy-intensive steps. That is the secret weapon that makes it possible for them to predominate in this extreme environment.

“The analysis of isotope ratios has enabled us to track the carbon fixed using this 'secret weapon' even into the crab that lives there - a transfer that could not be detected in this way before,” explains Dr. Solveig Bühring of MARUM, a senior author of this study.

The study is an integral element of research within the current Cluster “The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface”. The main objective here is to gain a better understanding of ocean-floor ecosystems under changing environmental conditions and material cycles.

Contact:

Joely Maak
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Telephone: 0421 21865585
Email: jmaak@marum.de

Dr. Solveig I. Büring
MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen
Telephone: 0421 21865964
Email: sbuehring@marum.de

MARUM produces fundamental scientific knowledge about the role of the ocean and the seafloor in the total Earth system. The dynamics of the oceans and the seabed significantly impact the entire Earth system through the interaction of geological, physical, biological and chemical processes. These influence both the climate and the global carbon cycle, resulting in the creation of unique biological systems. MARUM is committed to fundamental and unbiased research in the interests of society, the marine environment, and in accordance with the sustainability goals of the United Nations. It publishes its quality-assured scientific data to make it publicly available. MARUM informs the public about new discoveries in the marine environment and provides practical knowledge through its dialogue with society. MARUM cooperation with companies and industrial partners is carried out in accordance with its goal of protecting the marine environment.

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Journal

Biogeosciences

DOI

10.5194/bg-22-1853-2025 

Article Title

The energy-efficient reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle drives carbon uptake and transfer to higher trophic levels within the Kueishantao shallow-water hydrothermal system

Article Publication Date

15-Apr-2025

 

Favorite music sets the brain's opioids in motion

University of Turku

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Brain regions where favourite music affected opioid release.

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Credit: Turku PET Centre

A new imaging study by the Turku PET Centre in Finland showed that listening to favorite music affects the function of the brain’s opioid system.

Music can evoke intense pleasure, sometimes experienced physically as pleasant “chills.” While the effect of music on pleasure is clear, the brain mechanisms behind musical enjoyment are not yet fully understood. The brain's opioid system is known to be involved in pleasurable experiences related to survival-critical behaviors, such as eating and sex. This new study from the Turku PET Centre in Finland demonstrates for the first time that listening to favorite music also activates the brain’s opioid receptors.

The study measured the release of opioids in the brain using positron emission tomography (PET) while participants listened to their favorite music. Additionally, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine how the density of opioid receptors affects brain activation when listening to music.

The results show that favorite music influenced opioid release in several brain areas associated with the experience of pleasure. The release of opioids was also linked to how often participants reported experiencing pleasurable chills while listening to music. Furthermore, individual differences in the number of opioid receptors correlated with brain activation during music listening: the more opioid receptors participants had, the more strongly their brains reacted in MRI scans.

“These results show for the first time directly that listening to music activates the brain’s opioid system. The release of opioids explains why music can produce such strong feelings of pleasure, even though it is not a primary reward necessary for survival or reproduction, like food or sexual pleasure,” says Academy Research Fellow Vesa Putkinen from the University of Turku.

Professor Lauri Nummenmaa adds: “The brain’s opioid system is also involved in pain relief. Based on our findings, the previously observed pain-relieving effects of music may be due to music-induced opioid responses in the brain.”

The study provides significant new insight into how the brain’s chemical systems regulate the pleasure derived from music. The results may also help develop new music-based interventions, for example, in pain management and the treatment of mental health disorders.

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Journal

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine

DOI

10.1007/s00259-025-07232-z 

Method of Research

Imaging analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Pleasurable music activates cerebral µ-opioid receptors: a combined PET-fMRI study

 

Term or permanent life insurance? A new study offers guidance

56% of Americans not adequately prepared for death of income earner

Ohio State University

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study offers clarity on one of the most common questions asked of financial professionals: Is term or permanent life insurance right for me?

Researchers at The Ohio State University conducted a study of how different life insurance product types were related to whether households had adequate financial resources if an income earner died.

They didn’t compare permanent and term life insurance directly, but they calculated how likely households with different life insurance products were financially prepared compared to those with no insurance.

The result? Households with both term and permanent life insurance policies were most likely to be ready for income loss after an unexpected death, when compared to those with no insurance.

“There’s a lot of debate in the financial adviser community on whether permanent life insurance or term life insurance is the best tool to protect consumers,” said study co-author Eric Olsen, who did the work while earning his PhD in family resource management at Ohio State.

“Our study suggests having both of them might be ideal for many people.”

Co-author Cäzilia Loibl, professor and chair of consumer sciences at Ohio State, said the results show the value of each type of life insurance product.

“The discussion is often one versus the other, but they have some different purposes and can work well together,” Loibl said.

The most concerning finding was that 56% of the sample did not have adequate financial resources – from insurance or other sources – to deal with the loss of an income earner, Olsen said.

“We need to examine how we can motivate families to build the resources they need to protect themselves in case of the death of an income earner,” he said. “Way too many people aren’t prepared.”

The study was published online recently in the journal Financial Planning Review. The research was led by Youngwon Nam, who did the work while earning her PhD at Ohio State, and who is now an associate professor of consumer science at Seoul National University in Korea. Robert Scharff, professor of consumer sciences at Ohio State, was also a co-author.

Consumers are often confused about differences between term and permanent life insurance, the researchers said. Term life insurance is often cheaper and covers people for a set period of time. Permanent life insurance (also known as cash value life insurance), which includes whole life, universal life and variable life, among others, is more expensive, but lasts for a whole lifetime and includes an investment component.

The researchers used data from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted by the Federal Reserve Board. This study only included households with more than one person, with at least one being employed full-time. The final sample was 1,818 households.

In this sample, 54% had term life insurance, 8% had permanent life insurance, and 10% had both.

The study was designed to examine financial adequacy: the ability of households to replace the income lost if an income earner died.  Researchers measured financial adequacy three different ways.

Households had life insurance adequacy if their life insurance payout alone could replace lost income; net financial assets adequacy meant assets like savings, stocks, and retirement accounts (minus liabilities) plus life insurance payout could replace income; and net worth adequacy included financial assets and non-financial assets, such as houses and property, (minus liabilities) plus life insurance pay

The findings showed 11% of the sample had financial adequacy with life insurance alone, 17% had net financial asset adequacy and 16% had net worth adequacy

So how did the different types of life insurance products compare in helping achieve financial adequacy?

In one analysis, the researchers examined the financial adequacy of households under the net financial asset adequacy scenario.

In this case, households that had both term and permanent life insurance had a 5.58 times higher likelihood of being financially prepared for the death of an income earner than a household with no life insurance.

A household with only term life insurance had a 3.95 times higher likelihood of financial adequacy, and a household with only permanent life insurance had a 3.01 times higher likelihood of financial adequacy.

The results were similar when the researchers looked at how prepared households were under the life insurance adequacy and net worth adequacy scenarios.

Overall, the findings make clear that people need to check to make sure that they have enough life insurance coverage, because most don’t, Loibl said.

And while any kind of insurance is better than none, this study suggests having both term and permanent life insurance may be a strong option for many.

“What kind of life insurance you have does matter in the long term and people need to determine what is best for their situation,” she said.

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Journal

Financial Planning Review

DOI

10.1002/cfp2.70000 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Life Insurance Product Type, Financial Knowledge, and Financial Adequacy

 

Nurturing now, thriving later: The lasting power of affectionate mothering

Twin study demonstrates long-term impact of childhood warmth on personality traits, life outcomes

American Psychological Association

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Affectionate mothering in childhood may have a lasting impact on important personality traits, potentially influencing life outcomes such as educational achievement, economic success, and health and well-being, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The findings suggest that positive maternal parenting could foster important traits such as openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness.

“Personality traits are strong predictors of important life outcomes, from academic and career success to health and well-being,” said Jasmin Wertz, PhD, lead author of the study and a professor of psychology at the University of Edinburgh. “Our findings suggest that fostering positive parenting environments in early childhood could have a small but significant and lasting impact on the development of these crucial personality traits.”

Wertz and her colleagues examined how maternal affection during childhood—specifically between the ages of 5 and 10—predicted the Big Five personality traits at age 18. The Big Five personality traits are viewed by personality psychologists as the five basic dimensions of human personality: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, or emotional stability.

The research was published in the journal American Psychologist.

Researchers examined data from 2,232 British identical twins (51.1% female) who were followed from birth through age 18 as part of the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twins Study. Studying identical twins allows researchers to control for genetic and environmental factors by comparing identical twins who grew up in the same family. During the study, researchers conducted home visits with the twins’ mothers and recorded them talking about each of their children. Trained observers then rated the mothers’ responses for warmth and affection.

Twins whose mothers expressed more warmth toward them in childhood were rated as more open, conscientious and agreeable as young adults. 

The results offer evidence that positive, affectionate mothering can affect key personality traits that are linked to success later in life, and these influences could have an impact across generations, said Wertz. The researchers note that even modest changes in personality could lead to significant population-wide benefits over time, particularly in promoting conscientiousness, which is strongly associated with success in education, work and health.

Researchers found no lasting associations between maternal affection and extraversion or neuroticism. These findings suggest that other environmental or genetic factors—such as peer relationships, life experiences, and perhaps later interventions—may be more influential for these in adulthood.

The findings also underscore the importance of considering both genetic and environmental factors when designing programs aimed at promoting positive personality traits, according to Wertz.

“This research provides valuable evidence for the potential of parenting programs to influence critical aspects of personality development,” she said. “However, it also highlights the need for a nuanced understanding of how different factors, including genetics, parenting and life experiences, interact to shape who we are.”

Wertz believes the research provides important practical considerations for policymakers and practitioners working in education, family welfare and mental health. Given that conscientiousness may predict success in school and the workplace, interventions designed to enhance affectionate parenting could contribute to improving educational outcomes, mental health and social well-being on a broader scale. 

“There are many proven ways to support parents, such as policies that improve a family’s financial situation; access to treatment for parents who struggle with mental health problems such as depression; and parenting programs that help parents build stronger relationships with their children,” she said.

The research also sheds light on the possibility of developing parental training models to address inequalities in personality development. “By targeting parenting practices that promote positive traits in childhood, it may be possible to reduce disparities in life outcomes associated with socioeconomic background, family dynamics and other environmental factors,” Wertz said.

Article: “Parenting in Childhood Predicts Personality in Early Adulthood: A Longitudinal Twin-Differences Study,” by Jasmin Wertz, PhD, University of Edinburgh; Terrie Moffitt, PhD, and Avshalom Caspi, PhD, Duke University; Flora Blangis, PhD, Louise Arseneault, PhD, Andrea Danese, PhD, and Helen Fisher, PhD, King’s College London; and Antony Ambler, MSc, University of Otago. American Psychologist, published online April 17, 2025.

Contact: Jasmin Wertz, PhD, can be contacted by email at jasmin.wertz@ed.ac.uk. 

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA’s membership includes  173,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.

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Journal

American Psychologist

DOI

10.1037/amp0001508 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Parenting in Childhood Predicts Personality in Early Adulthood: A Longitudinal Twin-Differences Study

Article Publication Date

17-Apr-2025