More than 14,000 physicists from around the world will convene to present groundbreaking research at the American Physical Society’s joint March Meeting and April Meeting, now called the Global Physics Summit. The conference will be held in person in Anaheim, California and online everywhere March 16-21.

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is known for a  stunning spectacle of light in the night sky but this near-Earth manifestation, which is caused by explosive activity on the sun and carried by the solar wind, can also interrupt vital communications and security infrastructure on Earth. Using artificial intelligence, researchers at the University of New Hampshire categorized and labeled the largest ever database of aurora images that could help scientists better understand and forecast the disruptive geomagnetic storms.

Hydroclimate whiplash – rapid swings between intensely wet and dangerously dry weather – has already increased globally due to climate change, with further large increases expected as warming continues, according to a team of researchers led by UCLA’s Daniel Swain.