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Proposed rule could gut American science, Penn researcher warns
The Trump administration is seeking not only to cut research funding, but to give political appointees veto power over how and what kinds of scientific study are permissible.
Meet Biomni
In creating a comprehensive, AI-enabled research agent for the biomedical sciences, Stanford researchers hope to speed innovation by eliminating the tedium of scientific legwork.
Princeton collaborators celebrate start of observatory's ‘ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our Universe’
Princeton researchers have played a major role in developing software pipelines to process the massive amounts of data the Legacy Survey of Space and Time generates as it scans the cosmos.
Mass-produced science is coming. What happens to scientists?
Artificial intelligence may soon enable researchers to generate high-quality science at a previously unimaginable speed. For science consumers—the public, medical patients, technology users—the likely effects will be positive. For scientists, the effects will be as disruptive as industrial mass production was for artisan manufacturers.
At WVU, a NASA ESCAPADE researcher brings space science down to Earth
WVU researcher Chris Fowler is helping NASA’s ESCAPADE mission send satellites to Mars to study space weather and the Martian atmosphere. Back on Earth, he’s using a NASA early-career award to bring real spacecraft data and coding into rural West Virginia high schools.
Scientists finally solved a 150-year-old gallium mystery
Scientists have rewritten the story of gallium after discovering that its unusual atomic bonds re-form at high temperatures, contradicting decades of accepted theory. The finding changes how researchers explain why the metal melts so easily and behaves unlike almost any other metal. Beyond solving a long-standing scientific mystery, the work could lead to advances in semiconductors, nanotechnology, and liquid metal engineering.
The Ozempic and Wegovy mistake sending thousands to poison control
Poison control calls involving semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) soared after the drug was approved for weight management, with researchers linking the increase to accidental dosing mistakes rather than intentional misuse. Simple education about proper weekly dosing and gradual dose increases could help prevent many of these avoidable incidents.
In nearly seventy years of deep-sea exploration, researchers compiled 43,681 submersible dive records — and found that humans have visually observed less than 0.001% of the deep seafloor, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, according to a Science Advances study published in May 2025.
In almost seven decades of deep-sea exploration, the direct human view of the deep ocean floor is still smaller than many people would guess. A Science
Western Nevada College students engage in science research, bring education to life
While many college students spend summer break away from campus, a dedicated group of Western Nevada College student researchers devoted a month advancing biomedical science through paid research experiences as […]
Syncing Up for Science
Researchers capture how the rhythms of our brains and bodies allow us to connect with each other
Scientists finally crack nature's secret for building better cancer drugs
Researchers have cracked the code behind bacteria's ability to naturally manufacture multiple versions of powerful anti-cancer drugs. The discovery could make it much easier to engineer new cancer treatments inspired by nature, including improved versions of existing medicines.
Scientists used AI to crack one of water's biggest mysteries
Water’s odd behavior becomes even more dramatic when it is supercooled, but scientists have struggled to compare the many different ways of describing its microscopic structure. Researchers at the University of Osaka used an AI model trained on computer simulations to evaluate 16 different structural descriptors. The system identified the most effective ways to distinguish between water’s two competing liquid states, providing a clearer framework for studying one of nature’s most mysterious substances.
AI tools meant to vet science are surprisingly easy to fool
The gold standard of scientific review, peer review by researchers’ colleagues, is in crisis. AI might offer a solution but has problems of its own.
‘Shell-shocked’ Chicago scientists raise alarm about federal overhaul of research grant funding
Researchers here and across the country say a proposed rule could undermine a system that has helped fueled scientific innovation for generations. A public comment period ends July 13.
‘Shell-shocked’ Chicago scientists raise alarm about federal overhaul of research grant funding
Researchers here and across the country say a proposed rule could undermine a system that has helped fueled scientific innovation for generations. A public comment period ends July 13.
Hungary moves to overhaul university models banned from Horizon Europe
Hungary’s new government is aiming to overhaul the governance model of the institutions and universities that lost access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funds “in a short timeframe,” according to Péter Horváth, the new state secretary for science policy and innovation. “As of today, the two non-university foundation-controlled institutions under my remit have been transformed,” he told Science|Business. “We hope the universities will follow and that this will be enough to satisfy the EU’s demands.”Under the previous government, led by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, many academic and scientific institutions were restructured and made into special public trust foundations, with members strongly linked to the government given lifelong mandates and significant decision-making powers with little oversight. The European Commission deemed that this undermined academic freedom and transparency in the country, leading to a ban on 34 institutions in 2022, including 21 universities, which saw academics in Hungary lose access to Horizon Europe grants. The new Hungarian government, elected in May and led by Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party, has promised to dismantle this governance model and restore the institutions to EU programmes. As a result, the European Commission has promised to return access to the Erasmus+ education mobility programme, but so far no concrete agreement has been made on the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation. Hungary has already made legislative changes in June to allow the institutions to be reformed and set a timeline for the implementation.The non-university foundations, which are mainly cultural centres such as the Foundation for Hungarian Culture or the Makovecz Campus Foundation, will all be dissolved by August 31 this year, a date tied to EU-set milestones that Hungary must meet to unlock frozen funds, with control transferred to relevant ministries. Meanwhile, the universities will have until 31 August 2027. For each university foundation, the government will set the dissolution date and the body to take over operations. There is no final decision on a permanent new model for the universities, according to Hungarian MEP Eszter Lakos, who is shadow rapporteur for the Horizon Europe specific programme, a separate piece of legislation detailing implementation rules for the EU’s next research programme, due to start in 2028. “The aim of the transition year is to settle this with [the universities], not to impose a model, and not to put them under state control,” she told Science|Business. “The goal is to give academic independence back to universities.”There are three models that are most likely to be implemented. One would be a return to a traditional, state-run model. Another could be a newer, more self-standing public institution. A third option would be a reformed version of the foundation models that meet EU standards. According to Lakos, the dismantling of the system put in place by the Orbán government is well underway and if all goes according to plan, Hungary could regain access to EU research money by the start of the next academic year in 2027. “I believe that the Hungarian government is doing the necessary changes so the universities could return as beneficiaries to Horizon from the next school year,” she said. In the meantime, “the universities, institutes and cultural assets carry on under proper public stewardship rather than a handful of unaccountable trustees,” said Lakos. The laws passed in June impose new safeguards: board terms are capped at four years and renewable only once, appointments are made through open competitions and sitting politicians cannot join joining these boards.It remains unclear whether a domestic science funding programme set up as a back-up scheme by the former government following the EU funding ban, called HU-rizon, could be continued. “This programme should never have had to have been established in the first place, but it has proven to be quite popular,” he said. “I am considering continuing this programme with a refined focus on helping international collaborations.”Re-organising the research network One of the first priorities for Horváth and his cabinet is to resolve questions over the future of the Hungarian Research Network, Hun-Ren. The network of academic institutes was taken away from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2019 and turned into a quasi-private organisation, with similarities in its governance to the public trust foundations.Horváth and his team have consulted over 5,000 representatives from the network and the conclusion is broad unhappiness with the directors of all the institutes involved. “We have presented the results to the president and the chief executive of the network and this is currently being discussed,” Horváth said. The plan is to re-integrate the network back into the Academy of Sciences but in an improved way, “learning from mistakes of the past,” he added. The government also wants to reintegrate four humanities and social science research centres into the network that the previous government had transferred to Eötvös Loránd University. The transfer brought sharp criticism from the academic community, with a group of Hungarian research heads, including European Research Council grant recipients, sending an open letter to Orbán warning that the transfer would “cause historically significant harm to the entirety of Hungarian scientific life.” The transfer was “one of the biggest shames in Hungarian research in the past 20 years,” Horváth said. “We want to immediately re-integrate them back into the research network and to regain the trust of these institutions, because the way they were treated was really unfair.”Another pressing issue is the Élvonal Excellence Research and Talent Development Foundation, led by Nobel laureate Ferenc Krausz. The foundation signed a financing agreement with the former government earlier this year for a budget of over €730 million over the next five years. The goal is to create a world-class centre to attract top talent from abroad and to develop local researchers. But there was little transparency about this foundation, and news of its huge budget, which is nearly as much as Hungary’s entire research budget, caused a stir in the media following the recent elections. Another issue is that, as with the foundation boards of the institutes banned from Horizon Europe, there was little-to-no oversight of decisions led by Krausz. “It was an excellent idea but an unacceptable execution,” Horváth said of the foundation. “The fact that this is out of the Hungarian funding scheme, mostly concentrating on one person who decides on the budget is unacceptable for us.”The government plans to merge the centre with the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, the country’s R&D funding agency, with a reduced budget. Horváth is hopeful that Krausz will still be involved. The new government’s R&D goalsA phrase that crops up regularly during the discussion with Horváth is “democratic process.” The new state secretary is determined to involve Hungary’s research community in shaping future policies. This marks a departure from the previous government’s approach, and several people in Hungary’s research community have commented on the openness of the new government. In terms of concrete goals, Horváth and his team already have plans. He wants to create a new science fund in Hungary, based on the best practices of other European countries. The fund would not be tied to annual government budgets and would provide long-term, stable financing. “If we were to succeed in creating this fund, then I think it would be one of the biggest achievements for me in this period of government,” Horváth said. On the innovation side, he is looking into how best to bring in the private sector. “We want to make sure that we are working with the private sector to support innovation,” Horváth said. One of his big aims is to introduce entrepreneurship teaching into high schools. Hungary already has a reputable national academy offering research and innovation training in the field of natural sciences, and Horváth wants to expand this to all disciplines and across the whole country. “One of the main ways to elevate our innovative businesses is to teach our children to be innovative,” he said. “This will probably need ten years to pay off, but this is what we should do. Our aim is to make Hungary strong in our region, and this is what is needed.” Related articlesHungary’s Horizon Europe performance in numbersCommission unlocks Erasmus+ cash for Hungary, Horizon could be next‘Academic Huxit.’ Hungarian researchers speak out on impact of EU ban A more difficult task will be funding. The new government is aiming to increase research spending to 2% of the GDP by 2030, and then increase it to 3% in line with EU objectives. Currently, spending sits around 1.3%. But according to Horváth, the current budget, inherited from the previous government, is “heavily in the negative,” so any plans to increase research spending will have to start next year. Achieving 2% by 2030 already needs a big push, almost doubling the research budget. “This is something we’d definitely like to reach, and something I can see us achieving,” he said. “From the 2030s, I’d like to see an innovative generation growing up that can help us reach the 3% target.” Positivity in the new governmentDespite the many challenges facing Horváth and his team, the mood is positive. “It feels a bit like a start-up right now. Everyone is working 24/7, day and night, trying to do as much as they can. There is a lot of energy,” he said. It is a big change for the state secretary who, like many in his cabinet, is coming from a background in research or business, and not in politics. “Six weeks ago, I was sitting with my microscope and my research PhDs, so it’s been a big change for me,” said the computer scientist, who was previously the director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the Hun-Ren Biological Research Centre in Hungary and worked at the Institute for AI for Health at Helmholtz Munich. But he is relishing the task to transform the country’s R&D landscape. “We feel enormous support from the Hungarian people, but also from Europe,” he said. “We’ve received a lot of letters of support from around Europe. There is big trust there, and huge responsibility on our side. We want to get everything back on track, and there’s a lot to do.”
The Unknown Universe Inside Your Gut
The human microbiome is essential to our health, but scientists have only begun to understand why. Two researchers set out to map this largely uncharted terrain.
Study highlights health equity challenges, financial burden of aesthetic surgery complications
Researchers from UC Davis Medical Center have identified significant socioeconomic disparities among patients seeking treatment for complications after aesthetic surgery, according to a new study published ...
Researchers in Colorado get a better idea of health problems caused by wildfire smoke
Colorado researchers get a better idea of the possible health problems caused by wildfire smoke
Researchers are getting a better idea of the ills caused by wildfire smoke as the West becomes the location of larger and more severe fires.
UC Santa Cruz researchers at NASA COFFIES Science Center make breakthrough on solar enigma
Researchers are closer to unraveling a long-standing solar mystery surrounding the extreme thinness of the Sun’s tachocline layer
Making the ‘invisible’ visible: How high-speed movies could change the way scientists study disease
An advanced imaging method captures chemical processes in living organisms in real time, allowing researchers to observe biology as it happens.
Opening the future of science
The U.S. NSF LCCF Overview and Characteristic Science Applications virtual panel featured remarks from NSF and TACC leaders, followed by a moderated panel of researchers using TACC's Frontera and Vista supercomputers to tackle some of science's most complex challenges.
UCLA scientists bring real-world experiences — and pop culture
Broad Stem Cell Research Center researchers use Pokémon, LeBron James to help science click for high school students.
Men’s average testosterone levels have halved in last 50 years, say scientists
Exclusive: Researchers warn of ‘major crisis in male reproductive health’ partly driven by obesity and diabetes
NASA’s COFFIES Science Center Makes Breakthrough on Solar Enigma
One of NASA's DRIVE Science Centers, COFFIES, enabled a group of researchers to tackle a fundamental question about how the Sun works in a recent paper.
Former Cowboys DE Marshawn Kneeland diagnosed by researchers with stage 1 CTE
The former Cowboys defensive end died by suicide in November.
Bumblebees collect up to 7 times more toxic metals than honeybees
Bumblebees are picking up dramatically more toxic heavy metals than honeybees, even when both species forage in the same places. Researchers warn that this hidden pollution could quietly reduce their ability to find food, reproduce, and keep colonies healthy.
Scientists discover how astrocytes help memories last
Some memories remain with us for years, shaping how we learn from experience and adapt to the world around us. Others disappear quickly, even when they once seemed important. Although scientists have long studied how memories are formed in the brain, far less is known about what allows certain memories to persist over time. A research team led by Dr. KOH Wuhyun at the Center for Memory and Glioscience within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), together with researchers at the Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), has now discovered that astrocytes play a critical role in this process. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells in the brain that have traditionally been considered support cells for neurons. The study shows that these cells actively help determine whether memories can be maintained over long periods of time, revealing a previously unknown mechanism that supports long-term memory persistence.
What If We Could Spread Compassion Like a Disease?
Researchers are exploring what epidemiology—the science of how disease spreads—might teach us about spreading compassion.
Argonne team’s ChemGraph unlocks AI for chemistry and materials science
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have developed a framework, ChemGraph, that uses artificial intelligence to help nonexperts access computational chemistry expertise.
Archery World Cup Stage 4 begins, Shotgun World Cup continues: Indian Sports LIVE July 7
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on July 7, 2026.
Archery World Cup Stage 4 begins, Shotgun World Cup continues: Indian Sports LIVE July 7
Here are all the updates from Indian sports on July 7, 2026.
‘Sacred moments’ in healthcare: Not just for the religious among us
The phenomenon is not unique to healthcare, but researchers have been exploring the prevalence and predictability of these experiences in medical settings.
AI just supercharged the race to find room temperature superconductors
Scientists have combined machine learning with quantum physics to discover two new superconductors and create a much faster way to search for many more. The technique could bring researchers significantly closer to the long-sought goal of a room-temperature superconductor.
Community Engagement in the Science and Study of Gun Violence
Learn how a new guide helps researchers partner with communities most affected by gun violence to produce more equitable, community-engaged research.
Security firm finds 'first documented' AI agentic ransomware attack
Researchers at Sysdig say they found "a warning sign" of where ransomware attacks are heading.
Former Houston U.S. Rep. Bill Archer dies at 98
The Houston Republican served for three decades in Congress, rising to become chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
New workflow tool gives scientists a clearer view of how DNA is regulated
Researchers from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS have developed a new method that allows scientists to better understand how DNA is organized and regulated inside cells. ...
Researchers Develop AI Test to Predict Recurrence of Breast Cancer
Breakthrough offers potential for faster, less costly predictions to help guide treatment
UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center brings real scientists into L.A. classrooms
For many high school students, the term “scientist” conjures someone who doesn’t look like them or share their background. This program sets out to change that, bringing young researchers directly into classrooms for hands-on, interactive presentations.
Scientists solve a 30-year rye pollen mystery that could transform cancer research
Scientists have finally solved a nearly 30-year-old mystery surrounding two unusual molecules found in rye pollen that once showed an intriguing ability to help animals fight tumors. By determining their exact 3D structures, researchers have unlocked the blueprint needed to investigate how these natural compounds interact with the immune system and which parts may be responsible for their cancer-fighting effects.
Scientists want to quarantine alien life on the Moon before it reaches Earth
Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth. They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism could have unpredictable effects on Earth's ecosystems. By using robotic handling systems on the Moon, researchers hope to eliminate the risk of accidental exposure or release.
Northwestern summer program helps high school students REACH for science and art education
In just three weeks, a Northwestern summer program introduces high school students to astronomy, art and coding. The Research Experiences in Astronomy at CIERA for High School Students program trains students to become modern researchers, teaching them how to code and analyze data, according to REACH director James Schottelkotte. The program is running two three-week...
First experiment to thicken Arctic ice with seawater shows promise — but there’s a big catch
Researchers recently performed the first scientific test of sea ice thickening in the field, but there remains a big question mark over how scalable this method is.
Examining Algal Blooms in Blue Mesa
Using satellite data, researchers connected harmful algal blooms with warm water and low water levels at one of Colorado's largest reservoirs.
Streetlights are trapping thousands of pill bugs in giant “death spirals”
Researchers discovered that artificial streetlights can trap thousands of woodlice in mesmerizing circular "death spirals" never before seen in the wild. The surprising finding suggests that light pollution may be unintentionally altering the behavior of even the smallest ground-dwelling animals.
Millions may be getting the wrong cholesterol test
A new study suggests that apoB, a blood test that measures harmful cholesterol particles, is better than standard LDL cholesterol testing for deciding who needs more intensive treatment. Researchers found it could prevent more heart attacks and strokes while remaining cost-effective for the U.S. healthcare system.
Researchers in Switzerland invent a new type of pixel
Pixels either control light or analyze it. This one does both.
Bill Archer, Influential Texas Congressman, Is Dead at 98
Serving for 30 years, he eventually wrote virtually all tax laws considered by the House and was a major influence on budget bills as Ways and Means chairman.
Scientists find the “Achilles’ heel” of deadly gut bacteria
Researchers discovered an “Achilles’ heel” shared by E. coli, Shigella, and other diarrhea-causing bacteria: enzymes they use to breach the gut’s protective mucus layer. By targeting this common vulnerability, scientists may be able to develop a single vaccine that prevents several major diarrheal infections before they even begin.
Record-breaking ocean drilling reveals why Japan's 2011 tsunami was so deadly
Scientists have uncovered a hidden weakness beneath the Pacific Ocean that helps explain why Japan’s catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami became so devastating. By drilling deeper into the seafloor than ever before, researchers discovered a thin, slippery layer of ancient clay that allowed the massive rupture to race all the way to the ocean floor, triggering enormous seafloor movement and a powerful tsunami.
Scientists may have finally found how Alzheimer's kills brain cells
Researchers have identified a previously overlooked mechanism of brain cell death that appears to play a major role in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. The finding could lead to new treatments aimed at slowing neuron loss by interrupting the process before cells are destroyed.
Scientists have now made the most comprehensive tally yet of deep-sea exploration — 43,681 dive records dating back to 1958 — and found that humans have directly seen less than 0.001% of the deep ocean floor, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, leaving the vast seafloor across 66% of Earth’s surface essentially unobserved.
Humanity has sent cameras to the Moon, Mars, Venus and the outer planets, but on Earth itself there is still a larger frontier that has barely been looked at directly. A 2025 study in Science Advances has now put a number on that gap: since 1958, researchers have compiled 43,681 records of dives deep enough […]
Residents in eastern Congo cling to hope as a new Ebola treatment trial begins
Residents in Congo's Ebola outbreak zone are hopeful as researchers begin a study of two potential treatments.
Scientists discover the deep sleep circuit that builds muscle, burns fat, and boosts the brain
Researchers have identified the brain circuitry that links deep sleep with the release of growth hormone, revealing how the two regulate each other. The newly discovered feedback loop helps explain why poor sleep can interfere with growth, muscle repair, fat metabolism, and brain function. Understanding this system could pave the way for new therapies for sleep disorders and diseases tied to metabolism and the brain, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Noted neurobiologist and ex-taekwondo captain Chih-Ying Su leaves US for China
As former faculty vice dean swaps San Diego for Shenzhen, her lab offers jobs, training to researchers interested in sensory signalling.
The secret to healthy aging may be hidden in your blood
Some people live past 100 with remarkable health, and researchers may have uncovered one reason why. A new study found that centenarians have a unique chemical "fingerprint" in their blood that sets them apart from normal aging, including unusual patterns of bile acids and steroids linked to longer survival.
Scientists may have finally solved the black hole information paradox
Researchers have proposed that black holes stop evaporating at the last moment, leaving behind tiny remnants that preserve all the information they contain. The same seven-dimensional geometry behind this idea could also help explain why elementary particles have mass.
The secret to healthy aging may be hidden in your blood
Some people live past 100 with remarkable health, and researchers may have uncovered one reason why. A new study found that centenarians have a unique chemical "fingerprint" in their blood that sets them apart from normal aging, including unusual patterns of bile acids and steroids linked to longer survival.
This toad exists only in Canada—and scientists have finally discovered why
Scientists have identified something that may be even more uniquely Canadian than the beaver or moose: a genetically distinct western toad population found only in Canada. The discovery, made by researchers from the University of Ottawa, points to a rare and previously unrecognized group of toads living in the Canadian Rockies and raises fresh questions about conservation, biodiversity, and how much wildlife still remains to be fully understood.
New adenomyosis atlas reveals lesion-specific signals that may spare healthy uterine tissue
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have identified distinctive biological characteristics within adenomyosis lesions that could help pave the way for more targeted, less invasive treatments. The ...
Scientists Uncover Fossil Teeth Showing How Early Mammals Adapted After the Dinosaur Extinction
Researchers analyzed 200 fossil teeth from ancient mammals in China, revealing how they adapted and diversified after the mass extinction
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
A career of flying for science (and the occasional sled dog)
Martin Stuefer, the director of the Hyperspectral Imaging Lab at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, is both a pilot and researcher.
Digital diabetes tool shown to improve patient care and cut health care costs
A new study by University of Manchester researchers has linked a digital platform helping people manage type 2 diabetes to better blood sugar control, improved health and potential long-term NHS cost ...
Scientists have detected a giant fan-shaped structure buried beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, suggesting the frozen continent may be hiding the geological scars of the breakup that helped separate Antarctica from Australia
East Antarctica can look, from above, like the quiet half of the frozen continent: old, thick, cold and buried under kilometres of ice. But beneath that ice, new mapping suggests the bedrock may carry the shape of a much more violent past. In a Nature Geoscience study published in June 2026, researchers described a giant […]
'Milestone': Scientists claim to build synthetic cell, raising concerns in step toward artificial life
University of Minnesota researchers say "SpudCell" is the most life-like synthetic cell yet, able to grow, divide and pass traits to offspring.
Our ancient ‘hobbit’ cousins ate dragon leftovers
Researchers fed a Komodo dragon a goat to figure out if Homo floresiensis truly were the hunters they were originally thought to be.
Scientists make quantum time flow backward in stunning physics breakthrough
Researchers have created quantum control techniques that can make a system appear to run backward in time. By precisely managing quantum measurements, they can reshape the system's arrow of time and even harvest energy from the measurement process itself. The breakthrough could lead to more powerful quantum computers, quantum batteries, and other advanced technologies.
This satellite constellation transformed earth science by creatively tuning in to GPS signals
When NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, or CYGNSS, launched into orbit in 2016, none of the University of Michigan Engineering researchers who developed the system expected it to transform ...
Artificial intelligence: Yann LeCun works on more flexible AI
Leading AI researcher Yan LeCun has a start-up which is developing a more flexible AI system.
A new attack uses a BioShock-style puzzle to convince AI browsers they're not in the real world
Researchers from LayerX recently unveiled BioShocking, a new type of vulnerability designed to target AI-powered browsers capable of executing autonomous tasks on the open web. The security...
Could your gut bacteria really slow Alzheimer’s? Scientists reveal a surprising link - Futura-Sciences
European researchers previously demonstrated that transferring stool samples from human Alzheimer’s patients into healthy rats triggered symptoms like spatial memory issues. Other models show that altering gut microbes changes the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau proteins, the two main hallmarks of the disease. Scientists have even found that certain...
Stem cell scientists engineer 'synthetic organizer' cells to improve kidney organoids
In a study published in Science, USC researchers paired a biological discovery with an engineering feat to create more faithful, reproducible lab-grown kidney structures from stem cells, known as organoids.
Hungry bacteria and a new way to scale up data
Yale researchers present novel strategies for creating computer simulations and providing better emergency care, uncover new information about gut bacteria, and moderate a national discussion about science.
The Earth Will Not Be Consumed When The Sun Becomes A Red Giant, But Life Will Die Out By 1.8 Billion Years Anyway
Researchers revisited both the Sun's eventual death and the lifespan of Earth's biosphere, and neither result was quite what they were expecting.
Scientists discover a protein switch that burns fat and blocks new fat cells
A protein called “Mitch” may hold the key to a new generation of obesity treatments. Researchers found that disabling it in human cells boosts fat burning, increases energy use, and makes it harder for new fat cells to develop. The findings help explain why mice lacking Mitch were leaner, more athletic, and resistant to obesity.
Croatia criticised for ‘unambitious’ changes to 2022 science law
Croatia’s science ministry has been accused of a lack of ambition, and even incompetence, over proposed changes to the country’s 2022 science law. Critics say an opportunity has been missed to fix wider shortcomings in the research and universities system.“This law, like all the previous ones, will not significantly change the current state of science in Croatia,” Vlatko Silobrčić, a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, told Science Business. “A small shift here and there will not have a significant impact.”The 2022 law introduced multi-year block grant financing of research, based on results, and changes intended to boost employment and career progression for researchers and lecturers. But implementation of the law has been uneven. “It became apparent that certain of its provisions were subject to different interpretations by higher education institutions and scientific institutes,” the science ministry said in its proposal for change. “This caused legal uncertainty in the system, administrative difficulties in implementation and, in certain cases, unequal treatment of teachers, scientists and students.”Most of the proposed amendments deal with technicalities in hiring and promoting staff, such as extending the committee deadlines from 60 to 90 days, or allowing applicants to cite all of their achievements and not only those since their last appointment.Both the ministry and Croatian media highlighted changes that would raise the retirement age from 65 to 67 years and allow part-time students 15 year rather than 10 years to finish their studies.The change to retirement age has been criticised for reinforcing a weakness in the system. According to Matko Marušić, professor emeritus at the University of Split, this will “allow unproductive teachers to advance and work longer, while hindering and discouraging productive ones.”A longtime campaigner for excellence-based meritocracy, he sees little hope in the new legislation. “I am not optimistic that things will improve,” he told Science Business. “As recent changes to the law in Croatia show, the legal framework is becoming increasingly hypocritical and harmful.”For Marušić, who analyses Croatia's university system in a recently published book, the situation is “unfavourable and constantly deteriorating” due to the criteria used for academic advancement.“The key criterion for advancement should be scientific productivity,” he said. “In Croatia [. . .] scientific criteria are increasingly lowered, and ineffective and absurd criteria such as waiting times for promotion and age limits for remaining in a job are promoted.” He would also like to see better criteria for the quality of teaching at universities. “In practice, teaching is not monitored or evaluated,” he said, estimating that up to a third of teaching simply does not take place. “Under the guise of university autonomy and bad laws, universities and faculties are allowed to earn additional money by increasing enrolment quotas that have nothing to do with the needs of the labour market.” Lack of ambitionDora Kršul, a reporter at Telegram.hr who covers science policy in Croatia, finds the rationale for changes “bizarre.” “The ministry responsible for supervising the uniform application of the law is changing the law because it is being implemented unevenly,” she said. “This primarily speaks to the power relationship in the sphere of science and higher education in Croatia, that is, the question arises as to who actually manages this system.”Rather than raising quality, she continued, the changes appear to be designed to help vocational and applied universities who have not been complying with the law.The Independent Union of Research and Higher Education Employees of Croatia said that the changes were “unambitious” and represent a missed opportunity for more important changes. “We think some of the changes are even negative,” it said in its statement on June 25. One of these is introduction of an “assistant” job title that allows people to be hired only for the duration of a project. Related articles: Elections to top science bodies test Croatia’s gender equality in researchSlovakia revises R&D approach to increase focus on competitivenessLatvia pilots citizen engagement in research grant evaluationsThe union’s president, Tvrtko Smital, who was part of the 15-member working group tasked with drafting the changes, told the local media there was a “worrying lack of ambition” in the process, and “lack of competence” in terms of research experience and understanding the problems in the system.“There is no clear will to deal with the problems,” said Smital, an assistant professor of marine and environmental sciences at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. “It’s a combination of unambitiousness and incompetence,” he went on, expressing his “deep frustration” with the situation. “There is no strategy, no clear thinking, and money is not being spent optimally.”Croatia’s science ministry has not responded to requests for comment.
🌈 The political fatigue of doing feminist and queer research in anti-gender times
Anti-gender politics does not only attack rights. It attacks the knowledge that makes those rights intelligible. Massimo Prearo argues that anti-gender politics is an epistemic conflict as much as a political one. This conflict generates political fatigue among researchers engaged in feminist and queer work. We must address such fatigue through distance, care and collective reflection
Scientists React to the Lab-Made, Yet Lifelike, SpudCell
This cell-like structure can grow, feed, divide and compete. Researchers ponder what it means for the future of synthetic biology and our definition of “life.”
Teens are turning to chatbots for mental health help. We need rules to keep them safe
The share of young people using AI chatbots for mental health advice rose more than 40% in a single year, researcher writes.
Over-40s with obesity have normal-BMI cholesterol and blood pressure levels, study finds
Success of statins and blood-pressure drugs hailed as researchers find some people with obesity were ‘better off’
Apple's Hide My Email feature has a bug that's been exposing real email addresses, researcher claims
Research appears to reveal a bug that could render the feature effectively useless.
ASU scientists unveil new methods to extract reliable truth from imperfect data
Scientists at Arizona State University are advancing how they interpret complex, imperfect data — challenging long-standing assumptions in fields ranging from imaging to cellular biology. In two papers published in Nature Communications and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team introduces fundamentally new approaches to solving “inverse problems,” where researchers work backward from noisy observations to uncover the underlying reality.
UC Davis to Set Standard for Measuring Airborne Nanoplastic Health Risks
UC Davis researchers have received a nearly $4 million grant NIEH to develop the world’s first standardized method for measuring and describing the neurotoxicity of airborne nanoplastics.
Scientists just unveiled “cyborg” cockroaches that can breathe underwater for hours
The bionic bugs could be called up for aquatic search and rescue missions, according to the researchers
Anthropic launches Claude Science AI workbench for researchers
Claude Science connects more than 60 databases and tools in one environment, running on existing Claude models with no specialized biology training
Professor, Mentor, Researcher, and Data Pioneer: Celebrating Lynn Blewett’s Retirement
I first met Lynn Blewett as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, where her courses on the U.S. health care system fundamentally shaped how I understand policy and evidence. What struck me most was her ability to translate complex health systems into their human dimensions and to remind us […]
Scientists reveal what really happens when water is trapped in tiny spaces
A decades-old puzzle about water has finally been unraveled. Researchers found that water trapped in tiny nanoscale spaces is not inherently more reactive. Instead, the intense pressures created inside these microscopic gaps explain most of the effect, while the surrounding material can further enhance water's chemistry if it interacts with the reaction products.
Scientists recreated a dinosaur nest and solved a 70-million-year-old mystery
A team of researchers recreated a life-size oviraptor nest to investigate how these bird-like dinosaurs incubated their eggs millions of years ago. By combining physical experiments with heat transfer simulations, they discovered that oviraptors likely relied on both their own body heat and warmth from the sun.
Critical flaw in Oracle E-Business Suite is under immediate threat
Researchers warn that successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to compromise Oracle Payments.
Claude Helped a Hacker Find a Way to Issue Tickets to Almost Every US Music Festival
A researcher found that using Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.7, he could break into the website of Front Gate—used by every festival from Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo—and freely issue any ticket he chose.
Anthropic launches Claude Science for pharma researchers
Anthropic had made a big life sciences play with the launch of Claude Science, an AI 'workbench' for researchers involved in drug discovery.
Nearly 100% of patients surveyed say they’d want to know when AI is used in imaging
Researchers recently sought to better understand how patients perceive rapidly evolving advancements in AI, sharing their findings in RSNA’s Radiology.
Scrolling for science: How a Twitter post discovered a new wasp in Fukuoka, Japan
Researchers at Kyushu University recently identified a wasp species, Eupelmus curvator, in Japan for the first time after citizen scientists posted photos of it on Twitter (now X), marking both a new national record and the first formal description of the male of the species. The discovery highlights the growing role of social media in biodiversity research, allowing scientists to tap into observations from the public that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Researchers say Anthropic’s Claude Science will boost drug discovery
Anthropic's Claude Science aims to speed up drug discovery. Northeastern scientists weigh in on what it could mean for their research.
Generative AI chest X-ray models offer new approach to radiology reporting and quality improvement
While the technology remains investigational in many practices, researchers say it has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy, streamline AI development and strengthen radiology quality assurance.
Scientists teach human cells to compute like tiny computers
Researchers have developed a way to program human cells to perform calculations and make autonomous decisions, similar to how computer chips work.