Tag: science
Dear Breakthrough Prize Billionaires: Fund the Science You’re Watching Trump Destroy
Opinion Cross CurrentsFridays Dear Breakthrough Prize Billionaires: Fund the Science You’re Watching Trump Destroy The billionaires behind Facebook and Google can do more than hand out glitzy awards for science. They should fund the research the Trump administration has canned By Megha Satyanarayana Laureates line up onstage during the 11th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker…
New science: rare plants, climate consequences, marine movement
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent science published by Conservation International experts. Nearly 40 percent of global plant species are categorized as “very rare” — observed less than five times ever — and are most at risk for extinction as climate change accelerates, according to a recent report. Conservation International scientist…
The Science behind Baseball’s ‘Torpedo Bats’
Why the New ‘Torpedo Bat’ Is Hitting It out of the Park After a stellar Yankees win on Saturday, torpedo bats are in the spotlight. Is there science behind these baseball bats? By Stephanie Pappas edited by Dean Visser The New York Yankees’ Austin Wells swings the new torpedo bat and hits a home run…
New science: saving life on land, record-breaking rays, freshwater action plan
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts. Reforesting the tropics could be an effective strategy for conserving threatened wildlife while slowing climate change, according to a new study. A 2019 UN report revealed that more than 1 million terrestrial species across the globe are at…
As Happened in Texas, Ignoring EPA Science Will Allow Pollution and Cancer to Fester
Opinion As Happened in Texas, Ignoring EPA Science Will Allow Pollution and Cancer to Fester Trump administration plans to destroy EPA science will leave the air we breathe and the water we drink more polluted By Jennifer Sass Cows graze near the Oak Grove Power Plant in Robertson County, Texas, subject to EPA (Environmental Protection…
How Real Is Severance? The Show’s Neurosurgery Consultant Breaks Down Its Science
The Neurosurgeon Who Advised Severance Breaks Down Its Science A neurosurgeon who has acted as a consultant for Severance explains the science behind the show’s brain-altering procedure—and whether it could ever become reality. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Naeem Amarsy & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Today we’re…
New tech could transform science of wildlife ‘selfies’
A groundbreaking new effort could greatly expand our knowledge of where the wild things are. Placed by researchers in forests and natural areas around the world, motion-detector cameras — known as “camera traps” — snap thousands of photos a day of animals rarely seen by human eyes. These unwitting selfies have provided scientists an unequaled…
New science: deep-sea hotspot, Indigenous ocean conservation and more
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent research published by Conservation International experts. Off the coast of Chile, the deep waters surrounding Easter Island are brimming with some of the densest populations of black corals on Earth, according to new research. Black corals create critical habitat for an abundance of deep-sea life,…
Stand Up for Science Rallies Draw Crowds Protesting Trump Cuts
Stand Up for Science Rallies Draw Crowds Protesting Trump Cuts Scientists and supporters rallied in cities across the U.S. and Europe to protest dramatic funding cuts and other attacks from the Trump administration By Julian Nowogrodzki, Humberto Basilio, Heidi Ledford, Brendan Maher, Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine Activists participate in the Stand Up for Science…
‘Stand Up for Science’ Rallies Will Protest Trump Attacks on Research
‘Stand Up for Science’ Rallies Will Protest Trump Attacks on Research Amid President Donald Trump’s attacks on government scientists and science funding, researchers are arranging rallies to “Stand Up for Science” in Washington, D.C., and nationwide on March 7 By Meghan Bartels edited by Dean Visser March for Science rally in Lafayette, Indiana, on April…
Ex-US security officials urge funding for science research to keep up with China
Appeal from officials, including two senior figures from Trump’s first term, comes amid reports National Science Foundation’s budget will be slashed Chuck Hagel, the former US defense secretary, and other former US national security officials, including two senior figures from Donald Trump’s first term, on Tuesday warned that China was outpacing the US in critical…
National Science Foundation Mass Firings Go Beyond Trump’s Orders, Sparking Outrage
National Science Foundation Mass Firings Go Beyond Trump’s Orders, Sparking Outrage At an emotional meeting, NSF officials announced layoffs for about 10 percent of their workforce and warned of more firings to come By Corbin Hiar & E&E News National Science Foundation headquarters shown outside Washington. CLIMATEWIRE | The National Science Foundation went beyond the…
Trump Administration’s Attacks on Science in First 30 Days
Science under Siege during Trump’s First 30 Days The Trump administration has acted fast to attack science with a range of funding and policy tactics By Jeff Tollefson, Max Kozlov, Alexandra Witze, Dan Garisto & Nature magazine U.S. President Donald Trump looks at an executive order on halting federal funds for schools and universities that…
A Perfectly Cooked Egg, according to Materials Science
How Do You Cook a Perfect Egg? Scientists Have Figured It Out Materials scientists have found a way to perfectly cook an egg white and egg yolk simultaneously By Arminda Downey-Mavromatis edited by Andrea Thompson Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Hard-boiling, soft-boiling or using a trendy sous vide—no matter the approach, cooking a whole…
Sen. Ted Cruz’s list of ‘woke’ science includes self-driving cars and solar eclipses
By Jonathan Lambert There is nothing like being in the path of totality during a total solar eclipse. “For just a few minutes, it feels like the whole world stands still and yet everything changes,” says Corinne Brevik, a physicist at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The sky darkens, stars come out as the blaze…
Trump Executive Orders Create Confusion for Science and Health Agencies
Funding Freeze and Communications Hold Create Confusion for U.S. Researchers Researchers in the U.S. are grappling with Trump administration executive orders around health and science agency funding and communications. By Rachel Feltman, Max Kozlov, Lauren J. Young, Fonda Mwangi & Madison Goldberg [CLIP: Theme music] Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman.…
Did your date give you ‘the ick’? Here’s the science behind the feeling
By Andrea Muraskin The food was top-notch, the atmosphere was cozy and my date aimed to entertain. I love a good personal story, so I invited him to relate one that he’d referenced in his profile. Good fodder for a first date, I thought. At one point in the story, as he recounted it, a…
The Science of Cynicism and the Transformative Psychological Power of Hope
Can Hopeful Skepticism Replace Harmful Cynicism? Giving in to cynicism makes us less trusting, less connected, and even less physically and mentally healthy. By Rachel Feltman & Fonda Mwangi Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, this is Rachel Feltman. No one wants to be a sucker. But do most of us go too far…
What Trump’s First Days Say about Science in the New Administration
Opinion What Trump’s First Days Say about Science in the New Administration By Michael S. Lubell & Philip Rubin edited by Daniel Vergano US President Donald Trump holds an executive order announcing the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, he just signed during the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January…
Community Science Initiatives You Can Do on a Trip to the Outdoors
Turning Outdoor Enthusiasts into Community Scientists The founder of Adventure Scientists explains how community science is the ultimate civic engagement By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Kelso Harper Rachel Feltman: If you spend a lot of time on the Internet, you’ve probably seen the phrase “go touch grass” at least once. It might not always…
Trump Cancels Science Reviews at NIH, World’s Largest Public Biomedical Research Funder
Trump Abruptly Cancels Crucial Science Reviews at NIH, World’s Largest Public Funder of Biomedical Research President Trump has placed an indefinite suspension on research grant reviews and travel at the National Institutes of Health and appears to have erased diversity programming pages at the agency’s website By Max Kozlov & Nature magazine A vaccine research…
What Trump’s Executive Orders Mean for Science
What Trump’s Blitz of Executive Orders Means for Science After his second inauguration, President Donald Trump signed a host of executive orders, some with important implications for science By Dan Garisto, Max Kozlov, Jeff Tollefson & Nature magazine U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House…
2024 was the hottest year on record. The reason remains a science mystery
By Alejandra Borunda The numbers vary slightly. NOAA reports 1.46 degrees C of warming, NASA, 1.47; and the EU’s Copernicus, 1.6. “The real punchline is, it was another really warm year,” says Russell Vose, a climate scientist at NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Information, the group that produces the temperature estimates. The 1.5C number gained…
Biden Awards Three Climate Experts Nation’s Highest Science Honor
Biden Awards Three Climate Experts Nation’s Highest Science Honor By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News Rhône Glacier, the source of the river of the same name, is located in the Swiss Alps. Like many other alpine glaciers around the world, it has retreated significantly in the last 150 years as global temperatures rise. Join Our…
The Real Reason People Don’t Trust in Science Has Nothing to Do with Scientists
Opinion The Real Reason People Don’t Trust in Science Has Nothing to Do with Scientists Propaganda works, is the real upshot of a survey showing lingering post-pandemic distrust of science By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks as U.S. President Donald…
The Public Distrusts Scientists’ Morals, Not Their Science
Opinion The Public Distrusts Scientists’ Morals, Not Their Science Reaction to a recent Pew survey on the public’s trust in science shows that the scientific community is not ready to address the real problem By John H. Evans edited by Daniel Vergano Our overlapping Trump and COVID eras have seen a fairly sharp downturn in…
New science: protecting high seas hotspots, wildlife and more
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts. More than 60 percent of the world’s oceans lie beyond the jurisdiction of any nation — an area commonly known as the “high seas.” However, only about 1 percent of this vast and largely unexplored expanse is protected. …
Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People’s Health
Opinion Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People’s Health With a possible bird flu outbreak looming, Donald Trump’s choice of Jay Bhattacharya, a scientist critical of COVID policies, for the NIH is the wrong move for science and public health By Steven M. Albert edited by Tanya Lewis Jay Bhattacharya speaks during…
Why Probability Probably Doesn’t Exist (but It’s Useful to Act like It Does)
Probability Probably Doesn’t Exist All of statistics and much of science depends on probability—an astonishing achievement, considering no one’s really sure what it is By David Spiegelhalter & Nature magazine Life is uncertain. None of us know what is going to happen. We know little of what has happened in the past, or is happening…