Scientific American: Many thanks to all the readers who have followed this blog over the past two months. I have just returned to Colorado after having spent nearly a year abroad doing research in the Himalayas. The expedition was challenging in many ways, including the unpredictable weather, which forced changes in field plans, sometimes at the last minute. Back in October, for example, a large cyclone off the coast of India made its way across the continent. When it slammed up against the Himalayas, more than a meter...