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Steam's New Cozy Van Life Sim Gets Engulfed In Review Drama
Outbound is off to a disappointing start and now it's compounded by an unusual bit of Steam review drama
Baton Rouge entrepreneur rebuilds life one loaf at a time
After surviving three heart attacks and open-heart surgery, Baton Rouge entrepreneur Matt Bolton traded the industrial construction business for a slower—but no less demanding—second act in artisan breadmaking, 225 writes. What began as a sourdough hobby in retirement has grown into BlueRabbit Bakehouse, a Jefferson Highway bakery drawing weekend lines for its small-batch loaves, spreads […]
Trump says he’s not thinking about Americans’ finances ‘even a little bit’ in Iran talks
Trump said the “only thing” that matters is Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
Almost half of everything orbiting Earth is space junk
Abandoned rocket parts, dead satellites, and more circle the planet.
Distracted and Bogged Down, Trump and Xi Enter a Summit of Reduced Ambitions
The war in Iran has cast a shadow of uncertainty on both superpowers, dimming early hopes that they could begin to address the larger issues that have frayed their relationship.
How 'Seabird Sue' Blends Art and Science to Attract Birds Back to Lost Habitat
For the past decade, Sue Schubel has been making detailed decoys of terns, puffins and other seabirds to entice real ones to restored or new homes
Anthropic expands legal AI tools, boosting Claude Cowork
Anthropic's new release of legal AI tools for Claude Cowork is an ambitious effort to become the law industry's new hub.
Android adds a feature to stop you from doomscrolling
Google’s new Android feature, Pause Point, forces you to wait before opening distracting apps in an effort to curb addictive scrolling habits.
‘Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet’ becomes Seattle musical
Ten years in the making, a musical adaptation of Jamie Ford’s 2009 novel shares a sneak preview with the city the story calls home.
College Sports Commission Wins NIL Arb Case Against Nebraska Football Players
An arbitrator ruled in favor of the College Sports Commission in a key case brought on behalf of Nebraska football players.
Galaxy Entertainment Prioritize Non-Gaming Amid Strong Q1 Results
Galaxy Entertainment Group posted a robust adjusted EBITDA of HKD$3.576 billion (US$458 million) for Q1 2026, marking an 8% year-on-year increase.
Eye test: Science center hosts optical-illusions exhibit
“Phenomena” presents 20 mind-benders, scientific explanations.
IBL isn’t chasing cricket, it's eyeing 'sporting entertainment' for next generation of fans
More sports News: New Delhi: Indian sport has seen this script before. A new league arrives with ambition, big money, overseas faces, big promises, a multi-city approac.
Louisiana Republican Julia Letlow Is Trump’s Big Midterms Gamble
She is locked in a bitter primary that is testing the president’s power to shape MAGA’s next generation.
Galaxy Entertainment Group Selected Unaudited Q1 2026 Financial Data
Leading Macau’s Non-Gaming Diversification Through Mice, Entertainment and Sporting Events Q1 2026 Group Normalised EBITDA of $3.6 Billion, Up 21% Year-on-Year, Flat Quarter-on-Quarter Continued to Ramp Up Capella at Galaxy Macau Business A Final Dividend of $0.80 Per Share Payable in June 2026 HONG KONG, May 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galaxy Entertainment Group (“GEG”, “Company” or the “Group”) (HKEx stock code: 27) today reported results for the three-month period ended 31 March 2026. (All a
Risky business: College sports' new enforcement entity remains on shaky ground despite a costly arbitration victory
The College Sports Commission got a sweeping victory in its first serious challenge in this new era of college athletics.
Risky business: College sports' new enforcement entity remains on shaky ground despite a costly arbitration victory
The College Sports Commission got a sweeping victory in its first serious challenge in this new era of college athletics.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Mineru Construct amiibo release date finally revealed
We’ve been waiting a long time for this one, but Nintendo just provided the release date for the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Mineru Construct amiibo. It’s slated for September 17, 2026. The Mineru Construct amiibo has articulated arms that can be moved around. Nintendo says that it has “a fair bit of freedom to its movement”, allowing for different...
College Sports Commission wins key NIL arbitration in case brought by Nebraska football players
An arbitrator ruled in favor of the College Sports Commission on Monday in a case brought on behalf of Nebraska football players that is viewed as a key test for the new entity in charge of approving third-party name-image-likeness deals in college sports.
CSC wins arbitration denying NIL deals to Nebraska players, but bigger fight looms in court
An arbitrator upheld the rejection of Nebraska football NIL contracts, but a looming California court date threatens to unravel the enforcement system
CSC wins NIL arbitration case brought by Nebraska football players
The College Sports Commission won the first major test of its authority to enforce a salary cap in college sports Monday when an arbitrator upheld the fledging agency's decision to deny a set of deals involving Nebraska football players.
CSC wins NIL arbitration case brought by Nebraska football players
The College Sports Commission won the first major test of its authority to enforce a salary cap in college sports Monday when an arbitrator upheld the fledging agency's decision to deny a set of deals involving Nebraska football players.
Arbitrator upholds ruling denying NIL deals of 18 Nebraska football players
Nebraska case is the first major test of an NIL enforcement process via the College Sports Commission.
Scientists learn how mosquitoes are able to track and bite humans
Researchers found that infrared radiation from a source at roughly the temperature of human skin doubles mosquitoes’ host-seeking behavior.
Linux bitten by second severe vulnerability in as many weeks
Production-version patches are coming online and should be installed pronto.
Spike in tick bites raises health concerns
MADISON, Wis. — The CDC has reported a spike in emergency department visits for tick bites and tick-related illnesses across much of the country, especially in the northern states.
THE WEEK OF MAY 11, 2026
- Agencies propose DEI prohibitions for contractors - Academies members call for NSB reinstatement - House to reveal DOE budget proposal
A Look At AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Valuation After Strong Q1 2026 Results And Concert Partnership Progress
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) just released first quarter 2026 results, reporting revenue of US$1,045.4 million, a narrower net loss of US$117.1 million, and its strongest first quarter adjusted EBITDA since 2019. See our latest analysis for AMC Entertainment Holdings. AMC's recent Q1 update, new concert partnership and high profile film slate have coincided with a 12.78% 90 day share price return, yet the 1 year total shareholder return is still down 45.05%. This suggests that momentum is...
6 unique Google Fitbit Air features that could make us switch
The upcoming Fitbit Air has some features that should make smartwatches and Whoop sweat.
Why coffee tastes bitter, according to molecular biology
Researchers imaged taste receptors responding to coffee compounds for the first time.
Obit Cardenas Baseball
FILE - Longtime Spanish radio broadcaster René Cárdenas waves to the crowd as he is inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Houston. (AP
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes review - an iffy take on the sci-fi series that had me contending with Cylons, sabotage, and STDs
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is an engaging roguelike that quickly shows itself to be a bit robotic
Science Museum Oklahoma to host ocean-themed adults night
Science Museum Oklahoma presents SMO21+: SEAS The Night, an ocean science event for adults featuring exhibits, live programming, and planetarium shows.
Live Science crossword puzzle #42: First American to orbit Earth
Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
Fitbit Air vs. WHOOP Size Comparison
The Fitbit Air went up for pre-order last week and we're now all waiting to get one on the wrist as soon as possible. For some lucky folks who live near a physical Google Store, that can actually...
Ketchup Entertainment Secures $100 Million P&A Financing Facility
The agreement with Capstone Point Holdings signals the upstart indie distributor has bigger ambitions with wide theatrical releases.
A live two-toed sloth is coming to Richmond's Science Museum
It's part of a touring exhibition running from May 23 to Sept. 7 called "Survival of the Slowest."
Germany's businesses frustrated by economic decline
No one had higher hopes for Friedrich Merz's chancellorship than the German business community. Meanwhile, however, early euphoria has given way to bitter disappointment.
Germany's business community is frustrated and disillusioned
No one had higher hopes for Friedrich Merz's chancellorship than the German business community. Meanwhile, however, early euphoria has given way to bitter disappointment.
Jackrabbits close home slate with comeback win
BROOKINGS, S.D. (SDSU) — South Dakota State scored six times in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally for a 7-3, series-clinching victory over St. Thomas in the finale of a three-game Summit League baseball series Sunday afternoon at Erv Huether Field. The Jackrabbits improved to 20-27 overall and 11-12 in league play. St. […]
Elon Musk's SpaceX Could See Orbital Datacenter Business 'Dwarf' Starlink, Says Cathie Wood
Investor Cathie Wood, the founder of investment firm ARK Invest, thinks Elon Musk-led SpaceX could stand to benefit highly from orbital datacenters. Orbital Datacenters Could ‘Dwarf’ Starlink On Thursday, ARK posted a video on the social media platform X, in...
Fitbit Air has status light & double-tap gesture, gets Whoop size comparison
The hardware design of the Fitbit Air is quite straightforward, but there are two features that aren’t particularly obvious...
Google Health kills the Fitbit we knew, but maybe that’s not a bad thing
Alongside its new Fitbit Air, Google this week announced that the Fitbit app is dead, to be replaced by “Google...
'The Hunt for Gollum': All About the Upcoming 'Lord of the Rings' Movie
'The Hunt for Gollum' is the upcoming 'Lord of the Rings' movie. Here's everything to know about 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum', including the timeline, plot, cast, release date and more news.
A Political End for an Unusually Political FDA Commissioner
Marty Makary has made a habit of letting political preference color decisions at the agency.
A Political End for an Unusually Political FDA Commissioner
Marty Makary has made a habit of letting political preference color decisions at the agency.
Iran war could make Trump's trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit
President Donald Trump’s trip to China may not come with the same fanfare that accompanied his first-term visit
Iran war could make Trump's trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit
President Donald Trump's trip to China may not come with the same fanfare that accompanied his first-term visit.
Iran war could make Trump's trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit
President Donald Trump's trip to China may not come with the same fanfare that accompanied his first-term visit.
Hapless Tigers Drop Another One In Kansas City
I’m almost at a loss for words. It’s truly shocking just how awful they look right now. Michael Wacha is a fine pitcher; in fact, he said he's had a bit of a career resurgence over the last several seasons. I gotta give him a lot of credit because he was one of those guys that really seemed like he was going through it for a while after starting his career off hot. He’s a very well-respected veteran presence, but he’s not a Cy Young caliber guy, except for when he pitches against Detroit.
Turning passion into business: Tennessee community rallies behind a 15-year-old baker
Teenager Grace Nirmaier turned a hobby into Baked by Grace, a thriving bakery in Maynardville, Tennessee, inspiring locals with her ambition and sweet treats.
A nutritionist's 12 kitchen staples for quick, nutrient-dense meals
Rob Hobson, a nutritionist, shared 12 convenient foods that provide a big dose of nutrition per bite.
Manchester City 3-0 Brentford: What Guardiola and Doku said
Man City's Jeremy Doku, speaking to BBC's Match of the day on his goal: "Looks a bit like the one against Everton, we wanted to take short, the corner, I go past my man and then I look for the pass in between, the ball comes back and I'm inside the box and I feel I have space to shoot and I do it without thinking and I'm happy that it went in." Did you know?
Bobby Cox, who guided the Braves' 1990s dynasty, dies at 84
The folksy manager helped Atlanta win 14 consecutive division titles and the 1995 World Series.
Billy Bob Thornton reveals the lifelong health battle behind his extreme diet
Billy Bob Thornton opens up about his restricted diet, rare blood type and food allergies that have influenced his unusual eating habits for decades.
Business Lookahead: Trump on Tour
STORY: From Trump's trip to China, to a slew of new U.S. data releases, these are the stories to watch in business and finance in the coming week. :: Trump goes to Beijing U.S. President Donald Trump visits Beijing on Thursday and Friday.It will be his first visit to China in eight years.He'll try to lock in the trade truce agreed to in October in South Korea, and avoid a rerun of the tit-for-tat tariff battle that he set off a year ago.Fresh trade data should offer a reality check on whether a protectionist White House has managed to dent Americans' appetite for Chinese-made goods.:: Saudi Aramco posts resultsThe world's biggest exporter of crude oil, Saudi Aramco, reports first-quarter results on Sunday.The numbers are expected to show the pain from the more than two-month-old Iran war.This comes as efforts to end the conflict appeared to stall after the U.S. and Iran traded fire in recent days, with some of the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the Strait of Hormuz since a ceasefire began a month ago.:: U.S. economic dataA bunch of new data should give a clearer view of inflation in the U.S.Tuesday's April consumer price index is expected to rise 0.6% according to a Reuters poll.Prices at the pump are likely to loom large in the numbers.Producer price data for April on Wednesday is another inflation checkpoint after the Fed’s last meeting exposed a more hawkish tilt among some policymakers who are increasingly uneasy about price pressures.And retail sales figures on Thursday should show whether higher gas prices and other costs are starting to bite into household spending.
‘My ambition is to change the country,’ AOC says when asked about seeking higher office in 2028
New York’s Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brushed off question about run for presidency
Actor known for ‘Shawshank Redemption’ role dies at 87
He passed away peacefully on April 26, according to his online obituary.
Nebraska’s ‘blue dot’ becomes the center of a closely watched Democratic primary fight
Omaha may be a blue dot in a sea of Nebraska red, but that point of political pride has sparked a bitter divide among Democrats in one of the nation’s most closely watched congressional races.
Manufacturing qubits that can move
It's hard to mix electronic manufacturing and flexible geometry.
Google Finally Launched the Fitness Tracker Apple and Whoop Wouldn't
The Fitbit Air looks like a Whoop rival on paper, but its bigger significance may be what it says about growing consumer fatigue with smartwatches.
2026 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Award
First year Materials and Nanoscience graduate student Stéphane Miaule (Tolbert group) has been awarded the 2026 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship, one of the country’s most prestigious honors for graduate students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The program, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, supports doctoral students across a broad range of scientific and technological fields of strategic importance. This highly competitive fellowship provides full tuition, fees, and a monthly stipend for three years. In 2026, only 102 fellowships were awarded nationwide, and Stéphane is the sole recipient from UCLA. Before transferring from Santa Monica College to UCLA, Stéphane interned at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center, where he researched the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of lunar regolith, as well as radiation shielding materials for lunar habitation development. At UCLA, he joined the Soft Materials Research Laboratory under Professor Qibing Pei, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of hafnium oxide nanocomposite scintillators. After earning his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, he remained in the Soft Materials Research Laboratory as a post-baccalaureate researcher for one year before joining Professor Sarah Tolbert’s group as a Ph.D. student. Stéphane’s Ph.D. research is focused on improving the properties of conjugated polymers, which are a family of plastic materials that can conduct electricity. Stéphane is specifically looking at self-assembling polymers that can be processed in water to create light-weight, flexible, high-conductivity polymer devices without the need for toxic or volatile organic solvents. After completing his Ph.D., Stéphane hopes to work in a national laboratory, researching semiconducting polymers for applications in new electronic devices. “The Graduate (1967) featured a memorable scene in which the protagonist was told that ‘there’s a great future in plastics.’ We know this still holds true today, as polymer research has expanded rapidly due to the wide variety of applications these materials enable. Through my work on semiconducting polymers, I hope to contribute to the continued development of plastic electronics,” Stéphane said. Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
Opinion | How Barney Frank helped reinvent Boston
He and other ambitious, outsider-minded aides steered the city away from parochial politics and toward lasting change.
Joni Lamb, who started of one of the largest Christian TV networks, has died
Joni Lamb, who cofounded one of the world's largest Christian TV networks with her late husband, has died | KMBZ
Scientists split gentoo penguins into four species, one totally new to science. Three of them are already threatened.
Biologists argue that gentoo penguins should be divided into four separate species, including a newly recognized “cryptic” species. The habitats of three of them are imperiled by climate change.
Google Fitbit Air preorders come with a second band for free
An easy way to save on an accessory you might otherwise buy.
Deals: Fitbit Air pre-order offers, Pixel 10 Pro/XL up to $500 off, Legion Go 2 Windows handheld $482 off, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by Best Buy offering FREE extra band with Google Fitbit Air pre-order deals (or...
The Material Science Behind A Spacecraft's Impact Armor
Aerospace engineers have to consider numerous factors when designing a spacecraft, but one that comes up more and more often is the need to design against Micro-Meteoroids and Orbital Debris (MMOD). While most designers understand the threat, designing structural solutions capable of withstanding the hypervelocity impacts these undercontrolled pieces of material can cause can take a significant bite out of a mission’s mass budget. A new paper from Binkal Kumar Sharma of the University of Bremen and Harshitha Baskar, an independent researcher, provides a detailed review of cutting-edge options for defending against those deadly particles.
Steph Curry Gets a Special Edition Fitbit Air
As a part of yesterday's Fitbit Air release, Google also began selling a special edition version made in partnership with Steph Curry. This specific model is the version that Curry has been...
What’s the role of a simple fitness band in the AI health era?
AI health coaches complicate everything.
PlayStation Boss Embraces AI To 'Unleash Creativity" In Gaming
CEO Hideaki Nishino outlined the company's ambitious vision for AI in gaming
The shaky policy foundations of California’s overambitious science bond
“Research is best treated as a public good — supported through sustained public investment, not borrowing tied to uncertain returns.”
David Attenborough’s 4 Longevity Habits At Age 100 For A Healthy Life
The acclaimed nature documentary filmmaker has adopted lifestyle habits that can boost health and longevity.
‘Wheeee!': A giant slide is now an exhibit at Chicago's Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
“It’s huge, huge, huge — what is there to say? I mean, it’s incredible,” said Patricia Ward, the museum’s head scientist.
Protecting the integrity of Colorado’s legal profession
By Jason Wesoky and Loren Furman Private-equity profits should not influence legal decisions between Coloradans and their attorneys. This principle is the driving force behind House Bill 1421, a piece of bipartisan legislation designed to protect Coloradans and maintain trust in our justice system. Colorado has long prohibited non-lawyer ownership of law firms and fee-sharing […]
Thunder pull away from Lakers to 2-0 lead, despite another limited night for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Let the record show the Oklahoma City Thunder were in a brief bit of trouble in Game 2 on Thursday.
Summer of STEM adventures awaits at the Saint Louis Science Center
Visit the Saint Louis Science Center this summer and never stop learning! From special exhibition experiences to major upgrades of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, guests of all ages will have ample opportunities to engage in STEM and spark their curiosity. This season is jam-packed with events, OMNIMAX® Theater films, and much more. The Blue […]
Anthropic introduces "dreaming," a system that lets AI agents learn from their own mistakes
Anthropic has launched “dreaming” for AI agents, giving Claude new self-improving tools designed to boost enterprise automation, reliability, and scale.
Museum of Life and Science Unveils Shaping Our Future Exhibit
The Museum of Life and Science in Durham, N.C., has announced the opening of its newest exhibit, “From Here On: Shaping Our Future”, an immersive and interactive experience that invites visitors to explore the possibilities of a world we might build together. With both indoor and outdoor activations, this exhibit aims to encourage conversation and collaboration with guests of all ages.
Quantum topology emerges at near field
Light: Science & Applications - Near-field nanophotonics platform with spin-orbital coupling enables single-photon skyrmions with robust topological structures for high-dimensional quantum...
Maha clears Rs 3 crore for NASA trip for 51 science expo winners
Nagpur: The Maharashtra govt has approved over Rs3crore to send 51 school science exhibition awardees on an eight-day educational trip to NASA in the .
Nature’s giant vacuum cleaner: Scientists reveal how the Sun is secretly cleaning Earth’s space junk
Science News: As Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded with decommissioned satellites and fragments from the 1960s, however, researchers have identified a natu.
‘Bit challenging’: Bindi Irwin’s family gives health update after she misses gala
A beloved member of the family was notably absent at the annual Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Free science festival in Redding celebrates 101st anniversary of planetariums
Residents of Redding can explore space- and science-themed exhibits during a free festival at the Schreder Planetarium.
Google unveils Whoop-like screenless Fitbit Air
The device comes with health and fitness tracking like 24/7 heart rate, heart rhythm monitoring with Afib alerts, SpO2, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep stages and duration, and more.
Olivia Rodrigo expands tour in Europe, Boston, LA and NYC
Olivia Rodrigo's upcoming Unraveled Tour originally had 65 dates, but has now expanded quite a bit.As Billboard notes, Liv has added seven more shows in London, two more in Amsterdam and Barcelona, an...
CEC ENTERTAINMENT NAMES CHRIS MONROE AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
A seasoned finance executive with deep roots in restaurant and large-scale enterprise operations, Monroe brings a 30-year track record of capital markets leadership, transformational growth, and financial discipline. CEC Entertainment names Chris Monroe as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Monroe brings more than 30 years of financial leadership experience across the restaurant, aviation, and defense sectors, and joins CEC at a moment of continued momentum and ambitious forward g
NASA’s Prithvi Becomes First AI Geospatial Foundation Model In Orbit
A team of researchers demonstrated NASA and IBM’s open-source Prithvi Geospatial artificial intelligence foundation model aboard two in-orbit platforms.
Google unveils screenless Fitbit Air and Google Health app to replace Fitbit
The $100 Fitbit Air is available for preorder today.
Google's Screenless Fitbit Air Relies on Gemini to Be Your Personal Health Coach
Google using AI to understand your fitness and health data, and then offer guidance? Who could have predicted that?!
Google Is Rebranding the Fitbit App to ‘Google Health’
Google is sunsetting Google Fit by year’s end. While Fitbit remains very much alive, the rebranded Google Health app is your one-stop shop for all things health and fitness.
‘Google Health’ replaces Fitbit app as new ‘Premium’ plan joins AI Pro
After months of Public Preview testing, Google is replacing the Fitbit app and launching “Google Health" as its new...
Google announces $99 Fitbit Air for screen-less, all-day tracking
Google today announced the Fitbit Air as a screen-less fitness tracker that has a low profile and affordable $99.99 price.
Google’s taking a big swing at AI health with the Fitbit Air
RIP Fitbit, long live Google Health?
Google Is Rebranding the Fitbit App to ‘Google Health’
Google is sunsetting Google Fit by year’s end. While Fitbit remains very much alive, the rebranded Google Health app is your one-stop shop for all things health and fitness.
Great Lakes Science Center maritime events planned for May
The downtown Cleveland attraction celebrates the opening of the historic Steamship William G Mather and the debut of TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition with family-friendly activities throughout the month.
Science diplomacy lessons from a North Korean volcano
Mount Paektu, a mythic, active volcano on the border between North Korea and China, is almost the epitome of a scientific challenge that crosses political lines. In 946 CE, it erupted in one of the five biggest volcanic events of the past 10,000 years, kicking up huge quantities of ash and sending destructive mud flows down river channels for hundreds of kilometres. Should this happen again, the entire region, including easternmost Russia, South Korea and even Japan could be hit. “It’s definitely got the potential to be big,” said James Hammond, a professor of geophysics at Birkbeck, University of London. An eruption on the scale of 946 would have “huge regional impact.” For the past 15 years, Hammond has helped lead a groundbreaking collaboration with North Korean scientists to study the volcano, navigating scientific sanctions, tough export controls on scientific equipment and a long, pandemic-enforced exodus from the country. Although he seems more at home on far-flung research expeditions – before speaking to Science|Business, Hammond was camping out on a Greenland ice sheet – he has also advised the European Commission on its changing science diplomacy strategy. His long experience with North Korea has made Hammond sceptical of blanket bans on science collaboration, no matter the country.This is a live question in Europe, where in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, institutional ties with Russian universities were almost entirely severed, although some scientists fear this could undermine our understanding of climate change’s impact on the Arctic. Here, Hammond tells the story of the Mount Paektu mission and the policy lessons he takes from it. Ominous rumblingsThe genesis of Hammond’s collaboration came in 2002, when Mount Paektu began to rumble ominously. Earthquake activity picked up and the volcano began to emit unusual gases. North Korean scientists took notice. “People felt we need to know more about this volcano,” said Hammond. In 2011, North Korean vulcanologists put out a request for international expertise to help them learn more. At the time, Hammond and his collaborator, Clive Oppenheimer, were working on a vulcanology project in another sanctioned country, Eritrea, and so decided to answer the call. Within a month, they had flown into Pyongyang. “It was pretty incredible,” recalls Hammond (left). “We were made to feel like honoured guests, and invited to official celebrations.” The scientific opportunity was huge. Paektu is unusually positioned, a thousand kilometres from where tectonic plates rub against each other in the Pacific. “It was an incredibly interesting volcano, but not much research had been done, at least not in the international community,” he said. “There was so much we felt we could do. And we had these partners that were super keen to engage.”The mission received an unusual visitor in the form of volcano-obsessed filmmaker Werner Herzog, who accompanied Hammond and Oppenheimer while directing his 2016 film Into the Inferno about volcanos across the world. Four days into the trip, the German director delivered a long speech about reunification to his North Korean hosts, recalls Hammond. “He got to the heart of the Koreans and how they felt, and how they thought, in a way that I'm not sure I ever will,” he said. UN sanctionsHowever, Hammond realised he’d been “naïve” about how difficult it would be to collaborate with North Korea, which was sanctioned far more heavily than Eritrea. “We didn’t fully appreciate the all-encompassing nature of restrictions,” he said. In 2016, as tensions escalated over Pyongyang’s nuclear tests, a United Nations resolution banned all joint scientific work with North Korea. However, the UN sanctions did allow countries to request carve outs, and the UK successfully requested an exemption for Hammond’s work. Related articlesEU pushes for joint science diplomacy, but care needed to avoid gridlock, experts sayRussia severs its last ties with German scienceAnchor Greenlanders in Arctic climate research, experts tell EU ahead of policy updateExport controls have also delayed Hammond’s work. In one case, it took 18 months to get approval from the UK government to take seismometers, which measure earthquakes, to North Korea. “It was frustrating,” he said. “But they didn’t just say no.” However, one instrument, called an induction coil, used to measure how the earth conducts electricity, was blocked entirely because it can in theory be used to detect submarines. Karaoke bondingSince the collaboration started in 2011, Hammond has visited the country around 15 times, although the pandemic closed off North Korea for more than five years. A trip last November was Hammond’s first since the outbreak. Despite this lengthy interlude, Hammond has deep bonds in the country. The North Korean scientists Hammond works with are somewhat isolated, as they struggle to access the latest research papers and travel to international conferences. That said, they are “excellent geophysicists” and are “very well trained in the field,” he said. Over karaoke and chats about their families, “we’ve made friendships, for sure,” he said. The authorities have to sign-off things like the placement of seismometers, for example, but Hammond said these requests have been approved. “Everything that we've asked for within a scientific context has been delivered.”Scientific backchannels? These kind of personal links between scientists across political lines are one purported benefit of science diplomacy. During the Cold War, some historians argue, scientific contact between the US and Soviet Union laid a groundwork of trust for other cooperation, such as on arms control. Hammond agrees that backchannel contacts to North Korean geophysicists are hardly likely to defuse a military crisis on the Korean peninsula, but the simple fact of the scientific collaboration makes contacts between diplomats that little bit easier. “It creates opportunities to understand each other a little bit better,” he said. “When maybe you have those more difficult discussions as diplomats, it's coming from a slightly better place.” Cutting tiesDrawing lessons from the Mount Paektu mission for today’s links with Russian science isn’t simple. The analogy is far from exact, Hammond said, “because one is essentially a Cold War, versus a pretty hot war in the case of Russia.” But Hammond’s broader argument is that the challenges we face, such as climate change, pandemics, biodiversity loss, pollution and so on, have globalised in an unprecedented way, making blanket shutdowns in collaboration with any country unwise.He’s somewhat critical of the UN scientific sanctions imposed on North Korea in 2016, even though they did allow for exceptions. “I think a blanket halt to some of these things, when we face big global challenges [. . .] that’s quite a risky thing to do,” he said.Institutional endorsement?European academics are still by and large free to work individually with Russian counterparts. However, official, institutional partnerships have largely ended. Shortly following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian university rectors wrote a public letter endorsing the war, meaning European universities fear official collaboration could also be seen as a kind of endorsement. Hammond acknowledges there is a risk of legitimising regimes, and state-controlled universities, through scientific cooperation. “That’s the trade off you have to make,” he said. Strategic projectsWith Russia, instead of giving a green light to restart all Arctic science, a middle ground might be firing up a few carefully selected “strategic” projects, said Hammond. After all, European countries are still collaborating with Russia on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, an experimental nuclear fusion plant in the south of France. However, even if Europe did try to revive Arctic science with Russia, there’s no guarantee Russian scientists would play ball. A series of high-profile arrests of physicists in Russia accused of sharing their findings with the outside world has made collaboration fraught. Even before the invasion of 2022, “the Russian regime made it increasingly difficult, and this sort of discouraged people,” Dag Rune Olsen, rector of the Arctic University of Norway, told Science|Business last year.
A new era for your health and wellness
Introducing the lightweight, screenless Fitbit Air, and the brand-new Google Health app.