Sandia Labs has developed, and is soon to release, “an air sampler the size of an ear plug…expected to cheaply and easily collect atmospheric samples to improve computer climate models.” Okay, so they’re not actually earplugs, but we made you look. In any event, this is a pretty important development, as the widespread diffusion of these air samplers could lead to dramatic improvements in climate data. Reminds us of the Global Community Monitor’s “bucket,” a nimbler, cheaper bucket-sized version of bulkier and less mobile air-quality monitoring devices, which could be taken into any community for accurate sampling.