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Non-nutritive sweeteners may aid sugar reduction without affecting weight or health
The review, led by Eva Marija Čad of the University of Ljubljana and Wageningen University & Research, alongside Professor Graham Finlayson of the University of Leeds and colleagues from other institutions in the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Belgium, was developed in connection with a 2025 webinar series hosted by the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS).
Faculty Focus: Chris Erickson, College of Business
Chris Erickson has spent 40 years at NMSU as an economics professor, researcher and mentor. Erickson, a professor in the Department of Economics, Applied Statistics and International Business in...
Sports law professor explains the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard’s NBA punishments
Ken Jacobsen, director of Temple Law’s sports law program, discusses the recent Kawhi Leonard scandal and the heavy punishments being administered by the NBA.
Sports law professor explains the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard’s NBA punishments
Ken Jacobsen, director of Temple Law’s sports law program, discusses the recent Kawhi Leonard scandal and the heavy punishments being administered by the NBA.
Environmentalist photographer kicks off A.D. White Professors-at-Large series
James Balog will discuss his work documenting the world-wide rapid retreat of glaciers on Sept. 17 as part of the visiting professors program.
Alex Filippenko named 2026 Dorothea Klumpke-Roberts Awardee
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific announced that Distinguished Professor of Astronomy Alex Filippenko will receive its 2026 Dorothea Klumpke-Roberts Award. The award recognizes noteworthy
Xiaohong Chen named the Koopmans Professor of Economics
Chen, who has made fundamental contributions to econometric methods, joined the Yale faculty in 2007.
It’s harmful for professors to preach their political beliefs
Senior staff writer Abby Breidenbach discusses the need for political discourse in the classroom and why that is harmed when a professor preaches their own beliefs.
It’s harmful for professors to preach their political beliefs
Senior staff writer Abby Breidenbach discusses the need for political discourse in the classroom and why that is harmed when a professor preaches their own beliefs.
A university professor spent 100 days living in a 100-square-foot habitat 22 feet beneath a Key Largo lagoon — and when he finally surfaced, he measured half an inch shorter after spending the entire mission under elevated pressure
Joseph Dituri went into the water at 73 inches tall. He came out, 100 days later, at just over 72. The final measurement came on a Key Largo dock in June
CSU biology professor delivers talk on extremophilic microorganisms, research advancements
Thomas Santangelo began the department of biology’s fall semester seminar series at Colorado State University strong, presenting the progressive research behind microorganisms in extreme environments and how those observations can inform future research about biological resilience and adaptation. Santangelo, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at CSU, was the main speaker of the “Surprises...
DORAY Science and Technology Award Goes to KAIST, Gyeongsang National University Professors
DORAY Science and Technology Award Goes to KAIST, Gyeongsang National University Professors Five Young Scientists Receive 150 Million Won Fellowships Each for Three Years
Duke professor Dan Ariely seeks political office in Israel with Pirate Party
After having an article retracted due to allegations of research fraud, Dan Ariely is taking his efforts elsewhere: Israel. He is running on the Pirate Party slate in the Israeli legislative elections Oct. 27.
Does Medication Abortion Cause An Increase In Mental Health Problems?
A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry looked at medication and procedural abortion and the risk of psychotropic medication use. “We examined whether medication or procedural abortion increased risk of mental health medication use,” study author Julia Steinberg told us. Steinberg is Associate Professor in the Department of Family Science School of Public Health at the University of Maryland. "Based on previous research we have conducted, we did not think medication or procedural abortion would increase risk of mental health medication use.”
The bioinformatics escape room where guests become genetic detectives
A Northeastern professor created a bioinformatics escape room to introduce newcomers to a growing career field.
Seedy K’s GameCap: Ole Miss
Last night’s was the first Cardinal football game since The Professor passed away. He loved college football. He loved the U of L Cards. His spirit force was strong with me during last night’s opener, a self inflicted 38-41 L to Ole Miss in the Music City Something or Another in NashVegas. Specifically felt his […]
The science behind the perfect pole vault | News | Budapest 26
Mondo Duplantis can often make the pole vault look easy as he clears world-record heights. But as Athanassios Bissas explains, there is so much more complexity to it. The Greek professor unpicks the science behind the perfect pole vault.
The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers
Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??
How to have healthier political dialogue with others
As the midterms get closer, pollical conversations -- and disagreements are picking up. We are joined by Rachel Wahl, a professor at the University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development. Wahl breaks down how to disagree in a healthy way with the people we love while having productive and important conversations.
KAIST identifies cause of artifacts in battery nanoscale analysis, paving the way for more reliable measurements
- A research team led by Professors Seungbum Hong and Jong Min Yuk from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Nam-Soon Choi from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has identified the cause of a measurement artifact in nanoscale battery analysis that can make surface topography appear to represent ion movement. - The team has developed a method to reduce these artificial signals by smoothing rough battery-material surfaces, potentially improving the accuracy of analyses for next-generation batteries, including conventional lithium-ion batteries and emerging technologies such as sodium-ion and solid-state batteries.
Get free personal training while helping Exercise Science students build skills
Key takeaways: For Exercise and Sport Sciences students, working with someone they don’t already know provides an important opportunity to translate classroom learning into practical experience. All Exercise Science students have the opportunity to serve as student trainers during their senior year, said Jason Casey, Ph.D., associate professor of Exercise Science. “We greatly value these […]
Iowa State names Lonergan inaugural Topel Endowed Chair in Meat Science
Steven Lonergan, a Morrill Professor of animal science, was named the inaugural holder of the endowed chair during the Topel Medallion Ceremony on Monday, Aug. 31, on the Iowa State campus.
Chebolu to offer Arts and Sciences Lecture September 22
Dr. Sunil Chebolu, professor of Mathematics, will deliver the biannual Arts and Sciences Lecture on Tuesday, September 22, at 6 p.m., in the Bone Student Center’s Old Main Room.
Marker Lectures in Physics set for Sept. 30, Oct. 1
Jun Ye, professor of physics and JILA Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder, will present the 2026 Russell E. Marker Lectures in Physics on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 on the Penn State University Park campus. These free public lectures are sponsored by the Penn State Eberly College of Science.
Get to know business professor, ‘Accomplished Under 40’ winner Goede
Leah Goede, adjunct professor in the Boise State Professional MBA program and Director of National...
Xianfeng Gu Named Fellow of the Solid Modeling Association
Xianfeng Gu, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Computer Science, has been named a Fellow of the Solid Modeling Association (SMA) in recognition of his fundamental contributions to the theory and practice of solid modeling. The recognition was announced at the 2026 Symposium on Solid and Physical Modeling and honors Gu’s work bridging
Cancer drug tames atherosclerosis inflammation and plaque in animal models
A new Yale study has identified a promising therapeutic avenue for atherosclerosis, a condition caused by inflammation and plaque buildup in arteries. Martin Schwartz, Ph.D., Robert W. Berliner Professor ...
Penn Nursing Professor Awarded Two Grants for Parent Mental Health Screening
Amy Jo Lisanti, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAHA, Research Assistant Professor in Penn Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health and at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, has secured two national research awards to study the implementation of the mental health screening of parents of children born with congenital heart disease (CHD).
New website bridges science and community to help Chicagoans understand air quality
A new platform developed by Illinois GGIS professor Marynia Kolak is making it easier for Chicago residents to explore and understand one of the nation's largest urban air-quality monitoring networks by connecting air-quality data with information about where people live, work, and learn.
Science behind lightning strikes
Following two people hospitalized for a lightning strike in Winter Garden, FOX35's Garrett Wymer spoke with Henry Fuelberg, FSU Professor of Meteorology on the science behind the strikes.
Assistant Professor Thomas Rose, an expert in archaeometallurgy, dies at 37
Assistant Professor Thomas Rose, an expert in ancient metallurgy, has died of injuries from a bicycle accident. He was 37.
UW pays $600K to settle lawsuit with computer science professor over parody land acknowledgment
Stuart Reges was disciplined by the University of Washington after including a parody land acknowledgment in a course syllabus. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found university officials violated Reges' academic freedom rights.
UWM helps student grow her love of science
In high school, a research project into a type of virus helped stir Ally Ruffino’s love for science. In college, she discovered a professor who worked with that same virus, and it spurred her into an academic path she loves.
Dr. Zachary Grinspan Awarded CDC Grant for Epilepsy Research
Dr. Zachary Grinspan, associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a four-year, $1.6 million CDC grant to undertake wide-reaching research aiming to produce a new, more detailed picture of childhood epilepsy.
More frequent cannabis use linked to poorer mental health
More frequent cannabis use is associated with fewer days of good mental health among adults, particularly men, according to a study co-authored by a University of Miami Business School professor.
As SU enrollment drops, international students say U.S. politics spark concern
Law, a political science professor, said it’s difficult to secure admission to a U.S. university as students worry about federal visa changes.
Science Association Selects UToledo Geophysicist Among Distinguished Lecturers
Dr. Kennedy Doro, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, will share his expertise through the American Geophysical Union College of Fellows’ Distinguished Lecture Series.
Northwestern professor talks study linking extreme heat to unusual health conditions
Camp BHC Sees Magic and Science
Professor Mike’s Science and Magic Show came to Camp BHC a few weeks ago. Who doesn’t like juggling?
Scientists observe Einstein's gravity in the quantum world
An international team including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Professor Sir Roger Penrose has observed a long-predicted effect of gravity on a falling quantum object for the first time. The result shows ...
Neuropsychologist finds gaps between treatment and science of ALS, dementia in her own family
For A. Campbell Sullivan, PsyD, this time it's personal. As a neuropsychologist and clinical associate professor of neurology at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases ...
‘Harry Potter’ trailer reveals Quirrell first look, Sorting Hat, and more book moments
HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ television adaptation has released a new teaser trailer filled to the brim with book moments, including the first look at Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
UT Health San Antonio neuropsychologist finds gaps between treatment and science of ALS, dementia in her own family
As a neuropsychologist and clinical associate professor of neurology at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio, A. Campbell Sullivan, PsyD, is on the front lines daily of groundbreaking research and patient care in frontotemporal dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Junior Livestock Show hosts meat science webinar series
The Junior Livestock Show of Spokane will host a webinar series about meat science and beef industry opportunities, led by Texas Tech University professors. Blake Foraker will speak about meat […]
UT Health San Antonio neuropsychologist finds gaps between treatment and science of ALS, dementia in her own family
Her journal article urges more support for those facing inherited neurodegenerative diseases Contact for media: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 2, 2026 – For A. Campbell Sullivan, PsyD, this time it’s personal. As a neuropsychologist and clinical associate professor of neurology at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health […]
UT Health San Antonio neuropsychologist finds gaps between treatment and science of ALS, dementia in her own family
Her journal article urges more support for those facing inherited neurodegenerative diseases Contact for media: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 2, 2026 – For A. Campbell Sullivan, PsyD, this time it’s personal. As a neuropsychologist and clinical associate professor of neurology at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health […]
Ask the expert: Building a journal on workplace science
Frederick Morgeson, Eli Broad Professor of Management in MSU's Broad College of Business, explains the impact of an academic journal he established.
Science behind Grand Canyon floods
The Grand Canyon is one of the nation’s most visited natural wonders, but this week’s disaster is a stark reminder that extreme weather can transform its landscape in a matter of minutes. Victor Baker, regents' professor of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, at University of Arizona, gives insight.
LZ Sees Surprising Result in Search for Dark Matter
Key Takeaways Dark matter is the mysterious substance that accounts for the vast majority of matter in our universe. LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) is a world-leading dark matter detector and specializes in searching for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. A new LZ study found one particle interaction that is difficult to explain with known background processes and could potentially have been caused by a WIMP. LZ continues to run to see if additional data strengthens or weakens the hint of a dark matter interaction. For the better part of a century, people have been trying to understand dark matter. This invisible substance makes up roughly 85% of the mass in the universe but has never been directly detected. Determining exactly what it is remains one of the biggest questions about our world. Now, a new analysis from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment has recorded a single particle interaction that researchers have great difficulty explaining with known background signals from normal matter. The result does not yet meet the statistical threshold required to claim a discovery, but is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date. LZ is an international collaboration of 250 scientists and engineers from 39 institutions. The detector is managed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and operates nearly one mile below ground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. The experiment uses 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to search for dark matter and is optimized to look for WIMPs, or weakly interacting massive particles. The results were presented in a scientific talk at the 2026 TeV Particle Astrophysics conference in Japan. The paper will be released on the online repository arXiv and submitted to the journal Physical Review Letters. “We’re very intrigued to see this event in the data, in the region where we expect dark matter to show up and the competing backgrounds are very low,” said Rick Gaitskell, a professor at Brown University and the spokesperson for LZ. “With only one event, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We are not claiming to have seen dark matter. But we have seen something interesting that we want to share with the scientific community for their input.” The LZ collaboration studies experimental data in batches. In the new result, researchers analyzed 220 live days of data collected between March 2023 and April 2024. The collaboration had previously searched this dataset for faint signals from the simplest kinds of WIMP interactions. The new analysis searched for a broader range of possible WIMP interactions that could deposit more energy in the detector. LZ is particularly sensitive to such signals while also minimizing false positives. “This was a detailed study in a region we hadn’t explored within this dataset, and we spent months of additional effort to understand all the possible causes of background events,” said Sam Eriksen, a senior research associate at the University of Bristol in the U.K. and lead author of the study. “We understand our detector and the backgrounds so well that even a single outstanding event, like the one we found, is important. We expect dark matter events to be extremely rare, so only a handful could mark the first detection of WIMP dark matter.” If the anomalous event was caused by dark matter, the WIMP that generated it would likely have a mass of at least 200 GeV/c2 (gigaelectronvolts), or more than 200 times the mass of a proton. It would also suggest a specific type of interaction between WIMPs and ordinary matter beyond the simplest model. The LZ results have not reached “5-sigma” significance, the statistical threshold considered a discovery in physics. The new analysis is 2.6 sigma, meaning there is approximately a 0.5% chance that the event could be explained by known backgrounds. With additional data, researchers can test whether the finding continues to grow in significance or fades away. LZ has already accumulated the world’s largest dark matter dataset and will continue to accrue WIMP search data at SURF, substantially improving their search statistics. LZ searches for dark matter by looking for signature flashes of light from energy deposited in the detector. The collaboration leverages multiple methods to prevent or account for particle interactions caused by normal matter. This includes the mile of rock that shields the detector from cosmic rays from space, a water tank and outer detectors that protect the central detector from background neutrons, and a suite of computational tools that disentangle particle interactions and reject dark matter mimics. “Outlier events in the data are not unexpected, but they usually stand out as a background of some kind when you look at them deeper,” said Aaron Manalaysay, a physicist at Berkeley Lab and the chair of LZ’s Institutional Board. “This is the first example in any experiment I’ve worked on of an outlier that appears valid in every way. Of course, we’re still twisting our brains trying to think if there’s a rare background mechanism we could’ve missed, but it’s thrilling to wonder if this could be the first hint of a dark-matter observation.” LZ is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics, and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science user facility. LZ is also supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom; the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology; the Swiss National Science Foundation; the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics; and the Institute for Basic Science, Korea. Thirty-nine institutions of higher education and advanced research provided support to LZ. The LZ collaboration acknowledges the assistance of the Sanford Underground Research Facility. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
The Epicycles of Identity Politics
One of the more revealing moments in what we now call “Woke 1” was the firestorm around the philosophy professor Rebecca Tuvel’s paper “In Defense of Transracialism.”
Q&A: building a radiology team for small-town Tennessee
Behind every scan at a Regional Hospital is a radiologist who also holds a professorship at Main Campus. Eric Wallace, MD, explains why that matters.
Marshall Health Network adds five pediatricians to its care team
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Health Network recently welcomed five pediatricians to its team of providers. Rita M. Ryan, M.D., professor and chair of pediatrics at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, is a board-certified neonatologist and nationally recognized neonatal lung specialist. She brings extensive experience as a clinician and pediatric leader, including previous service as pediatrician-in-chief at the Medical […]
Justin Parent on unlocking the science of resilience in kids
Penn GSE associate professor Justin Parent investigates how childhood adversity becomes biologically embedded, with the goal of identifying opportunities to intervene early and help children thrive.
Professor Murder Rides the Subway is a forgotten slice of dance punk perfection
It’s basically mid-aughts Brooklyn in audio form.
What makes a great beach: Environmental science professor breaks it down
Professor Stephen Leatherman — also known as “Dr. Beach” — joins “Morning in America” to explain how beaches are ranked according to cleanliness and safety. The 2026 top 3 B…
A Chicago physicist proposed a way to create quantum images 20 years ago; after two decades waiting for experimental proof, superconductors have finally produced the effect he predicted
Dirk Morr, a physics professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), has developed a quantum imaging strategy that uses superconductors as tiny projectors. The research, published in Nature Physics, provides experimental support for an idea Morr first proposed two decades ago.
A fifth-grader in Kansas City clicked ball-and-stick atoms together in science class and asked her teacher if she'd made a real molecule — he photographed it, sent it to a chemistry professor, and at ten years old she became co-author of a published paper on a structure nobody had ever described
A ten-year-old's casual question about her chemistry model kit led to a published paper describing a molecular structure that had eluded professional scientists for decades.
Retired political science professor discusses Michigan primary and the road to the November Election
Kulisheck expects the U.S. Senate and Michigan Gubernatorial race to be close.
Pomona to Host Symposium Examining African Politics and Global Relationships | Pomona College in Claremont, California
Through an early Center for Global Engagement (CGE) initiative, Professor Pierre Englebert’s “Africa After the End of History” symposium and course will examine how the rest of the world now interacts with African nations.
Emory’s Jane Chung receives American Nurses Foundation award for work with older adults in tech-supported health management
Associate professor Jane Chung the recipient of the 2026-28 Collaborative Alliance Nursing Outcomes Research Fund, supporting her work helping older adults with mild cognitive impairment and multiple chronic conditions manage their health at home.
Dolly’s generosity to Vanderbilt Health highlighted; reading test results before your doctor has a chance; staying healthy this fall; plus other stories with Vanderbilt Health sources
Dolly Parton’s generosity to Vanderbilt Health was mentioned in many of her obituaries. A sampling: The New York Times, the BBC, NPR, NBC News, The Guardian, and Scripps News. Vanderbilt Health News posted a tribute to her, as well, and Mark Denison, MD, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and former director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, spoke to NewsNation for a story about her impact on his research. Everyday Health interviewed Trent Rosenbloom, MD, MPH, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, for a story about a new JAMA study that found two-thirds of patients read test results before connecting with a doctor. Comprehension of test results varied: 6.6 percent said they had a poor understanding, 26.8 percent understood the results fairly well, 31.7 percent understood them well, and 34.9 percent understood the results very well. William Schaffner, MD, Professor of Preventive Medicine, was quoted by several news outlets about public health issues, including: Healthline (cyclosporiasis cases now in 47 states); “The Naked Scientists” podcast (salmonella outbreak sickens hundreds); Medscape (the lighter-than-usual just-completed Australian flu season); and People (how to stay healthy this fall). Scripps News interviewed Jessica Young, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, about Vanderbilt researchers launching a study to determine if GLP-1 drugs can help people with opioid use disorder. WSMV Channel 4 News reporter Diana Rocco interviewed Kashish Goel, MBBS, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Transcatheter Heart Valve Interventions, for a story about patient Dixie Watt and her minimally invasive valve replacement with the M3 device, the first Food and Drug Administration-approved transseptal transcatheter mitral valve replacement. Fogarty International Center writer/editor Susan Scutti interviewed John Koethe, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, for a profile article for their newsletter, Global Health Matters. The article presents him as an example of a Fogarty Fellow success story and focus on his past and present research, including the HIV/AIDS research he conducted for his Fogarty project at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia in 2008 and 2009.
International body honors UC Santa Cruz physicist with Frontiers of Science Award
Assistant Professor Edgar Shaghoulian was honored by the International Congress of Basic Science at an August 9 ceremony in Beijing with a Frontiers of Science Award in the category of formal quantum field theory
Anthony Dotson creates a foundation for students to soar in imaging sciences
As an associate professor of imaging sciences at Morehead State University, Anthony Dotson provides students with personal instruction that not only helps them become certified medical professionals but also enables them to make an impactful contribution to the field of imaging sciences. Between his teaching and previous work as an imaging sciences technician and hospital administrator, Dotson has gained a great deal of knowledge, experience and passion that he is intent on passing on to every student he teaches. Anthony Dotson can be reached at a.dotson@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2646. For more information about imaging sciences programs at Morehead State, contact the Department of Health, Kinesiology, Imaging & Psychological Sciences, email kh@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2180.
An NYU Drama Therapy Professor Celebrates Surge in Arts-and-Health Research with a Major Publication—and Performance by Jon Batiste
The renowned musician joins professor and advocate Nisha Sajnani’s September conference, timed for the United Nations Healing Arts Week and a new medical journal series
Beyond the Ballot Ep 62: Retired political science professor discusses November election outlook
Bob Kulisheck joins Brady again to recap the primary elections.
Male fertility a priority for Nicholas Sellke
Nicholas Sellke, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology and Director of Men's Health, is new to Vanderbilt Health with a focus on male fertility.
Is Germany benefitting yet from the crisis in US research?
Science|Business - Table.Media partnershipScience|Business has partnered with Table.Media, a leading source of news about higher education and research in Germany. Each week, we are publishing one of each other’s stories to give readers an even broader range of insight into R&D policy across Europe.Drawing over 500 participants, the German Academic International Network conference in San Francisco brings together researchers, universities, scientific organisations and policymakers in the US as part of an attempt to recruit international talent for Germany. It also serves as an annual barometer for the uncertainty triggered by the Trump administration’s science policies. As was the case last year, Germany’s political presence was unusually strong: federal lawmakers, nine state ministers of science and research, and federal research state secretary Marcus Pleyer all attended. Joybrato Mukherjee, president of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has observed a marked shift at US universities a year after the Trump administration began sweeping interventions: the initial state of "shock and paralysis" has given way to a strategic approach to the situation. Universities are seeking new funding sources, mounting legal challenges against interventions and opening themselves up more to international collaborations, including with Germany, he said. Early-career international researchers with expiring visas are considered particularly vulnerable. Germany is benefiting from increased demand among this pool of young talent; the country’s 1,000 Minds Plus programme, designed in part to lure German academics back home, has already filled up around one-third of its capacity. Meanwhile, Markus Blume, Bavaria’s science minister and current chair of the federal Conference of Science Ministers, sees an "enormous outflow of talent from the US." An increasing number of international researchers want to leave. Applications to Canada have risen by 42% January, and those to Europe by 32%. Meanwhile, the number of people drawn to the US is plummeting. "In this context, Germany must position itself as a prime destination offering reliable conditions, institutional stability and academic freedom, including through smart collaborations," Blume told Table.Briefings.“Darkest hour”At the get-together in San Francisco, the former president of the US National Academy of Sciences, Marcia McNutt, highlighted the gravity of the situation on the ground in a keynote address. She described the present moment as the "darkest hour for the US scientific system." At the same time, she said that cooperation should be maintained, especially during a crisis. Established researchers in the US are less likely to leave. Ulrike Malmendier, a former member of the German Council of Economic Experts and an economist at Berkeley, explained why established researchers are not packing their bags and leaving the US in droves: working conditions and the concentration of talent at places like Berkeley and Stanford remain unparalleled. According to Peter-André Alt, managing director of the Wübben Foundation, which helps Germany attract international academics, political restrictions are not the only grievance voiced by US-based researchers. "There are evidently still many areas where, fortunately, unfettered research is possible," Alt told Table.Briefings. Instead, the primary complaint concerns the cost of living, which has "skyrocketed” to absurd levels. "Runaway inflation, like that currently seen in the US, is certainly no draw for young scientific talent,” he said. Return homeA growing number of early-career researchers from Germany appear to be considering a return home. Jörn Benzinger, who is responsible for recruiting early-career researchers from abroad at Ruhr University Bochum, reports numerous conversations with researchers who are taking a closer look at the German academic landscape."Germany has definitely moved more into the spotlight,” he said. States, university alliances and research organisations joined forces to recruit talent. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia were prominently represented, as were alliances such as the Berlin University Alliance and the University Alliance Ruhr. Benzinger sums up Germany’s approach with a new formula: "collaboration is the new competition." He notes that it is becoming increasingly difficult for individual universities to gain international visibility, while regional research ecosystems and collaborations are growing in importance. Afraid to leaveThe crisis in the US academic sector is also straining transatlantic research relations. Benzinger reports that some US-based researchers had to decline brief invitations to Germany because they could not be certain of being allowed to re-enter the US afterward.He considers the simple poaching of researchers to be the wrong approach; what is needed, he says, are "reliable offers and long-term partnerships."However, Green Party politician Ayşe Asar, who also attended the conference, sees a significant need for improvement, particularly regarding career paths in Germany.While lifetime professorships and academic freedom certainly make Germany attractive, young researchers also require predictable career paths, tenure-track positions and flatter hierarchies.
Climate change on tap at Siberia as part of science series
Siberia’s ‘Science Time’ series blends nightlife and discussions with scientific experts and researchers. The upcoming edition of the series will feature a lecture on hurricanes and climate change and Q&A with LSU Health New Orleans professor and former state climatologist Barry Keim.
Professor says West Point pushed him out over climate science teaching
Outstanding reviews, a $750k grant, then a cut - he says the timing wasn’t random
University of Miami names new interventional radiology chair
Stephen Solomon, MD, joins the institution after previously serving as IR chief at the New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a professor with Weill Cornell.
VCU’s Daniel Gutierrez receives $3 million grant to train mental healt
The School of Education professor and his team are working on two initiatives that will prepare clinicians globally.
A Business School Professor's Lessons From Teaching AI To MBAs
After a semester teaching MBAs to manage AI agents, Ayse Ozturk came away convinced judgment is the skill B-schools are failing to teach.
Out of the Lab: Business Course Gives Scientists Opportunity to Explore Entrepreneurship - Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Entrepreneurship for Science and Medicine course gives University of Chicago graduate students, postdocs, and faculty the opportunity to explore the intersection of science and business. Taught by Chicago Booth School of Business Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship Robert Altman, MBA ‘88, and offered in partnership with the Polsky Center, the course examines how scientists can
Out of the Lab: Business Course Gives Scientists Opportunity to Explore Entrepreneurship - Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The Entrepreneurship for Science and Medicine course gives University of Chicago graduate students, postdocs, and faculty the opportunity to explore the intersection of science and business. Taught by Chicago Booth School of Business Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship Robert Altman, MBA ‘88, and offered in partnership with the Polsky Center, the course examines how scientists can
Pittsburgh professor achieves Guinness World Record for longest career as male science instructor
At the time of the official designation, Francis Maxin had served 59 years and 245 days at CCAC’s Main Campus in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh professor achieves Guinness World Record for longest career as male science instructor
A biology professor at the Community College of Allegheny County has achieved the Guinness World Record as the longest-career science instructor (male).
Two UNLV Computer Scientists Earn Prestigious Early Career Research Awards
UNLV College of Engineering professors Chuck Tessler and John Businge each received highly coveted CAREER awards from the National Science Foundation to bolster their research programs.
Elmhurst U. School of Business Receives Significant Gift
Elmhurst University has announced a significant philanthropic gift that will establish an endowed professorship and a scholarship benefiting the University’s innovative School of Business and its students.
Creatine: is there truth behind the hype?
Creatine has become the go-to supplement for anyone wanting to give their fitness a boost and build muscle. It’s even made it out of the gym, with influencers touting its cognitive benefits. But what’s the science behind creatine, and does the evidence stack up? Madeleine Finlay hears from science editor Ian Sample and Dr Justin Roberts, professor of nutritional physiology at Anglia Ruskin University
A look inside Iran: Professor outlines sentiment, cost pressures & politics
Seyed Emamian from Tehran Polytechnic University and co-founder of Iran's Governance & Policy Think Tank discusses daily life in Tehran amid the war, and why he thinks Iranians now see no chance of a peaceful deal with President Trump.
Seehra Lecture to focus on work-life balance
Faculty members are invited to reflect on ways to balance a meaningful life with work as Elaine Howard, a professor of sociology from Rice University, presents “A Career and a Life: Reimagining Academic Culture to Support Flourishing Faculty” from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 31 in the Mountainlair, Rhododendron Room.
The crisis facing Aussie science
Homegrown research can lead the world if we fix what’s holding it back, writes Academy President Professor Sam Berkovic AC.
A deep dive into climate change
Some policymakers continue to question the science of climate change, despite the growing evidence of significant damage to life on land and in the ocean.Katja Matthes, director of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany, believes the ongoing attempts to politicise climate science and discredit researchers are hindering international cooperation and public understanding. The ocean provides clear evidence of the extent to which changes are occurring, she says.“We are seeing severe, unprecedented and accelerating changes in the ocean — warming ocean temperatures, acidification and oxygen depletion — that are destabilising the most important system that makes life on this planet possible,” Matthes explains. Visible signs of these changes include the melting of ice sheets in the Arctic and Greenland. Deeper down, the growing frequency of hypoxia — or oxygen-deprived “dead zones”, where marine life can no longer survive — in the Baltic and record-high Mediterranean surface temperatures are indicators of the “dramatic warming” of the ocean, she adds.The ocean, which covers around 70% of the Earth’s surface, acts as a vital carbon sink, absorbing around 30% of the planet’s carbon dioxide (CO2) and 90% of the excess heat. However, the global ocean surface temperature has risen by an average of half a degree Celsius since 1982, according to the EU Copernicus observatory. More significant rises have been recorded in the Mediterranean, Black, Baltic and other shallower seas.Some ocean temperature increases do occur naturally, such as during El Niño events. But sustained rises can trigger extreme weather on land — including droughts, floods and catastrophic storms — while also harming marine ecosystems. Only 10% of marine species have been studied, Matthes notes, “so the consequences might be even more severe than we know.”Fostering European cooperation amid uncertaintyMatthes, who holds a doctorate in meteorology, is a professor of atmospheric physics as well as director of GEOMAR. She serves as one of Kiel’s ambassadors to Science Comes to Town (SCTT), an EU-funded programme that aims to promote science’s role in society and strengthen cross-border collaboration in research, innovation and sustainability. SCTT is hosted by the coastal cities of Kiel, Brest (in France) and Split (in Croatia).The SCTT project also provides a platform for raising awareness and understanding between scientists and the public about major issues, such as climate change. Having worked on both sides of the Atlantic, Matthes is frustrated by recent attempts to erode decades of international climate collaboration and question the credibility of research. Earlier this year, the US administration delivered a major blow to global cooperation by withdrawing from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other global climate organisations, claiming they were “contrary to the interests of the United States.”In addition, a US Department of Energy (DOE) report cast doubt on the latest IPCC climate assessment, which was published in 2024. As a contributing author to the IPCC study, Matthes says the DOE sought to discredit scientists like herself. “Climate change is not a matter of opinion, it really exists and we are witnessing dramatic changes,” she notes. “It’s not climate change as a whole that is being targeted, but scientists and their research.”Other US actions have also hit home for Matthes, who spent three years at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. The White House has announced plans to close the facility, a move that was “pretty tough” due to the German scientist’s personal connections with the staff and their reputation for excellence.Changing the narrative on climate changeEurope’s scientific community remains a driving force on climate research and collaboration. As one of the world’s leading marine research institutions, GEOMAR attracts students from more than 50 countries and plays an important role in global observation initiatives that contribute to understanding and protecting the ocean basins. At a European level, GEOMAR works closely with other top marine research facilities, including France’s Ifremer, an SCTT partner in Brest. GEOMAR has also developed innovative and safe strategies for removing unexploded wartime munitions from the seabed, which release toxic substances that pose a danger to humans and the marine environment. Through the Horizon Europe MMinE-SwEEPER project, this knowledge has been transferred to the European level.These initiatives are examples of how local action can have a global impact, Matthes says, and how Europe can strengthen climate research and partnerships. “This is a chance for Europe to step up and work on climate cooperation and agreements,” she notes. “Climate change is an international problem and a real threat, and we need more speed on climate action than we have now.”Matthes believes her fellow scientists need to communicate that climate change is not only a threat, but an opportunity to find solutions. “We need to change our narrative and expand our strategic alliances with those who are willing,” she says, “and luckily there are a lot of willing people and countries.”Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
A deep dive into climate change
Some policymakers continue to question the science of climate change, despite the growing evidence of significant damage to life on land and in the ocean.Katja Matthes, director of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany, believes the ongoing attempts to politicise climate science and discredit researchers are hindering international cooperation and public understanding. The ocean provides clear evidence of the extent to which changes are occurring, she says.“We are seeing severe, unprecedented and accelerating changes in the ocean — warming ocean temperatures, acidification and oxygen depletion — that are destabilising the most important system that makes life on this planet possible,” Matthes explains. Visible signs of these changes include the melting of ice sheets in the Arctic and Greenland. Deeper down, the growing frequency of hypoxia — or oxygen-deprived “dead zones”, where marine life can no longer survive — in the Baltic and record-high Mediterranean surface temperatures are indicators of the “dramatic warming” of the ocean, she adds.The ocean, which covers around 70% of the Earth’s surface, acts as a vital carbon sink, absorbing around 30% of the planet’s carbon dioxide (CO2) and 90% of the excess heat. However, the global ocean surface temperature has risen by an average of half a degree Celsius since 1982, according to the EU Copernicus observatory. More significant rises have been recorded in the Mediterranean, Black, Baltic and other shallower seas.Some ocean temperature increases do occur naturally, such as during El Niño events. But sustained rises can trigger extreme weather on land — including droughts, floods and catastrophic storms — while also harming marine ecosystems. Only 10% of marine species have been studied, Matthes notes, “so the consequences might be even more severe than we know.”Fostering European cooperation amid uncertaintyMatthes, who holds a doctorate in meteorology, is a professor of atmospheric physics as well as director of GEOMAR. She serves as one of Kiel’s ambassadors to Science Comes to Town (SCTT), an EU-funded programme that aims to promote science’s role in society and strengthen cross-border collaboration in research, innovation and sustainability. SCTT is hosted by the coastal cities of Kiel, Brest (in France) and Split (in Croatia).The SCTT project also provides a platform for raising awareness and understanding between scientists and the public about major issues, such as climate change. Having worked on both sides of the Atlantic, Matthes is frustrated by recent attempts to erode decades of international climate collaboration and question the credibility of research. Earlier this year, the US administration delivered a major blow to global cooperation by withdrawing from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other global climate organisations, claiming they were “contrary to the interests of the United States.”In addition, a US Department of Energy (DOE) report cast doubt on the latest IPCC climate assessment, which was published in 2024. As a contributing author to the IPCC study, Matthes says the DOE sought to discredit scientists like herself. “Climate change is not a matter of opinion, it really exists and we are witnessing dramatic changes,” she notes. “It’s not climate change as a whole that is being targeted, but scientists and their research.”Other US actions have also hit home for Matthes, who spent three years at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. The White House has announced plans to close the facility, a move that was “pretty tough” due to the German scientist’s personal connections with the staff and their reputation for excellence.Changing the narrative on climate changeEurope’s scientific community remains a driving force on climate research and collaboration. As one of the world’s leading marine research institutions, GEOMAR attracts students from more than 50 countries and plays an important role in global observation initiatives that contribute to understanding and protecting the ocean basins. At a European level, GEOMAR works closely with other top marine research facilities, including France’s Ifremer, an SCTT partner in Brest. GEOMAR has also developed innovative and safe strategies for removing unexploded wartime munitions from the seabed, which release toxic substances that pose a danger to humans and the marine environment. Through the Horizon Europe MMinE-SwEEPER project, this knowledge has been transferred to the European level.These initiatives are examples of how local action can have a global impact, Matthes says, and how Europe can strengthen climate research and partnerships. “This is a chance for Europe to step up and work on climate cooperation and agreements,” she notes. “Climate change is an international problem and a real threat, and we need more speed on climate action than we have now.”Matthes believes her fellow scientists need to communicate that climate change is not only a threat, but an opportunity to find solutions. “We need to change our narrative and expand our strategic alliances with those who are willing,” she says, “and luckily there are a lot of willing people and countries.”Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
Harvard Cloned Professors to Coach Startups. Founders Love It
Harvard Business School Foundry gives entrepreneurs 24/7 access to AI versions of faculty members to refine business ideas, practice investor pitches, and build companies—all for $699.
British professor Jason Arday and higher education's new politics of plagiarism
The controversy over Arday’s work reflects an ongoing trend of ideological opponents levying plagiarism accusations to undermine one another.
Lionel Martellini (EDHEC Quantum Institute): Why business leaders need quantum awareness, not quantum washing
Yuval Boger interviews Lionel Martellini, finance professor at the EDHEC and founding director of the EDHEC Quantum Institute.
Reimagining how scientists study the chemistry of the air
Professor Victoria Barber and doctoral student Cooper Crabtree are spearheading Keck Foundation-funded project charting a path toward better understanding atmospheric oxidation. by Álvaro Castillo, UCLA College of Letters and Science From the vantage point of Victoria Barber, a UCLA assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, understanding the chemical reactions that shape air quality and climate are among the most pressing scientific challenges of our time. And thanks to a recent grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, she and doctoral student Cooper Crabtree will spearhead a new research project exploring exactly how pollutants form in the atmosphere. Specifically, the project will examine how volatile organic compounds transform through atmospheric oxidation and explore how pollutants, like smog, form in the atmosphere. VOCs are released by sources ranging from trees and wildfires to vehicle exhaust pipes and consumer products such as cologne and perfume. As they undergo atmospheric oxidation, they can transform into a wide range of other compounds. Anyone in Southern California can attest to the urgency of this area of research — for example, in late July of this year, Los Angeles County was under an active ozone pollution advisory for almost a full week. While many people associate ozone with the protective ozone layer high in the stratosphere, ground-level or tropospheric ozone is a harmful secondary pollutant formed through atmospheric oxidation. Understanding how VOCs transform into pollutants like ozone is therefore critical to improving air-quality forecasts and informing strategies to reduce exposure. “My group is focused on trying accelerate our understanding of these networks of reactions so that we can do a better job of predicting how those pollutants form,” Barber said. “When we make decisions about how we might alter emissions, we can understand how that’s going to influence the production of these downstream pollutants.” With support from the W. M. Keck Foundation, Barber and Crabtree are developing new experimental approaches that will combine — and improve — techniques to study hundreds of chemical systems more efficiently than traditional methods allow. Instead of spending years decoding a single VOC, the project seeks to dramatically expand the pace and scale of discovery. The grant comes at a particularly important moment for environmental research. Barber, who joined UCLA in 2023, says funding for climate and air-quality research, especially for early career scientists, has become increasingly difficult to secure, a challenge compounded for ambitious projects that require building entirely new research infrastructure. The Keck Foundation’s support, Barber said, provides the flexibility to pursue bold early-stage, high-risk ideas that may be more difficult to fund using conventional federal funding sources. “It’s really, really hard to do environmental research under the current federal paradigm,” Barber said. “By stepping in and providing stable and flexible funding to explore this new idea, the Keck Foundation is making a huge difference to my research program.” In addition to funding early-career faculty, the Keck Foundation’s support is also focused on empowering graduate students like Crabtree in their scientific growth. The project gives Crabtree the opportunity to help develop an entirely new experimental approach to studying atmospheric chemistry — an experience that will provide him with valuable technical skills, scientific training and preparation for the next stage of his career. Stable funding also allows doctoral students like Crabtree to devote themselves more fully to research rather than balancing their scientific work with additional teaching responsibilities needed to cover funding gaps. “Getting to devote more of my time to research this past school year has greatly improved the pace and quality of our experiments, data analysis and planning for our future work,” said Crabtree, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry. “I feel very lucky — especially amid the current uncertainty surrounding scientific funding — to be able to continue exploring exciting knowledge gaps in our field and growing as a scientific researcher.” For Barber, mentorship is among the most rewarding and important aspects of her role as a faculty member. “Our jobs as faculty are to do good science and make good scientists,” she said. “I believe the Keck Foundation shares this belief and sees the potential positive impact this project can have.”
Turning Research Into Purpose
In Professor Destynie Sewell’s legal studies research course, UNO students tackle complex questions at the intersection of law, technology, and policy.
What Washington’s new Science & Technology strategy asks of Italy
Washington’s new technology strategy is asking allies to align more closely on supply chains, research, defense and China — creating both opportunities and costs for Italy. That is the assessment of Alberto Pagani, professor at the University of Bologna, in an analysis published by our sister news site Formiche.net
Iowa Writers’ Workshop professor explores forgotten history
Matthew Neill Null, an Iowa Writers' Workshop professor, has a new novel, “Floodgate,” which centers on the 1960s construction of West Virginia's Summersville Dam and explores themes of labor unions, resource extraction, and the lives of working-class people left behind by progress.
Jason Arday and the new politics of plagiarism
The resignation and death of the Cambridge professor is the latest chapter in a centuries-old struggle over originality and intellectual ownership – one intensified by the rise of generative AI.
Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier awarded Ohio State’s Pierre Agostini Prize
Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Distinguished University Professor and Vernal Riffe Professor of Political Science at The Ohio State University, has been named the 2026 recipient of Ohio State’s Pierre Agostini Prize.The Pierre Agostini Prize is the university’s most prestigious award for scholarly and artistic achievement and is presented annua...
Brenda and Robert Gullett Jr. Gift Supports UAMS Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Facility
LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a $1 million gift from Brenda Gullett and Robert R. Gullett Jr., M.D., associate professor and orthopaedic surgeon at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, to benefit the UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Springdale. “A lifetime…
Why governments need science advice: Lessons from UK’s chief science adviser
Professor Dame Angela McLean, the U.K. government’s chief science adviser, discussed the role of science advice in government during an armchair discussion at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, hosted by the Science and Technology Policy Program as part of its Civic Scientist Lecture Series.
Three Binghamton University professors win prestigious NSF CAREER Awards
More than $1.8 million in grant funding will be used to pursue groundbreaking research in robotics, materials science, and urban planning.
Sea Aggie Researchers Make Evening Fun with Science on the Beach
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it’s the one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird JohnsonOn Galveston Island, beaches rank among the favorite environments to share and study, and, as Texas A&M University at Galveston faculty emphasized last week, are “More Than Just Sand.”A program subtitled “The Secret Life & Value of Sandy Beaches” drew more than 40 people to the Aug. 13 meeting of Surfrider Foundation Galveston, a local chapter of a nonprofit focused on the protection and enjoyment of oceans and beaches.The evening began barefoot with ecology lessons on the sand before moving across Seawall Boulevard for beverages, bites, and more beach talk at an area establishment. Drs. Guilherme Corte and Yasmina Shah Esmaeili show how a mesh bag is used as a sieve to separate organisms from samples of the sand. Credit: TAMUG Divisions of Marketing and CommunicationsNot far from where others were enjoying the attractions at Pleasure Pier, Drs. Guilherme Corte and Yasmina Shah Esmaeili introduced the ecologically curious to species living within the sediments.“When people hear ‘coral reefs,’ they immediately think of fish, live ecosystems, but when they think of sandy beaches, they think party, recreation, vacations – not coastal ecosystems,” said Corte, an assistant professor of marine biology in the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at TAMUG.Shah Esmaeili co-founded the Gulf eDNA Network and works with Corte in TAMUG’s Benthic Ecology Lab.“Sandy beaches are indeed great places for leisure and recreation,” Corte said. “Let’s keep enjoying them, because they are awesome. But they are also full of life that we most of the time don’t realize is there.”The married couple soon had the beachcombers measuring the slope with PVC poles, searching for ghost shrimp with a stainless-steel pump, sifting for marine worms and sand fleas, and guessing which species would burrow fastest back into the sand once released.Away from the sand, the focus turned to research from Drs. Ashley Ross ’03, ’10, and Virgie Greb, ’25 and those words from Lady Bird Johnson reminding people that the environment isn’t separate from their daily lives.“It’s about things that we value, mostly our communities, strong local economies, outdoor recreation, cultural connections, and our overall quality of life,” said Greb, a proud BOI – born on the island – Galvestonian, who now works in Austin as a project manager for the Texas General Land Office. “Along our coast, these benefits are deeply interconnected.”Greb and Ross, an associate professor in marine and coastal environmental science with the College of Marine Sciences & Maritime Studies, have studied a variety of ways beaches and the sea are important to Galveston and those who live there. Drs. Ashley Ross (left) and Virgie Greb (standing at right) field questions after their presentation. Credit: TAMUG Division of Marketing and CommunicationsIn 2023, using three survey methods – online for Galveston County residents, in-person at beaches, and paper distributed via city water bills – they collected 732 complete responses, 53 percent from residents and 47 percent from visitors.Most were frequent beachgoers who gave the recreation value of Galveston beaches a “B” and rated amenities such as restaurants, lodging, shopping, and beach access highly. Lower rated were water clarity and restroom facilities.“It’s noticeable that primary residents actually rate water quality higher; they’re more tolerant of hard, turbid water,” Ross said, crediting them with better understanding the natural conditions with the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers bringing sediments and rich nutrients to the area around Galveston.Island residents also were more likely to understand that “clear” isn’t the same as clean beach water and to know that water quality is regularly tested. Clean means absent of disease-causing pathogens.“We need more education and outreach focused on water quality and the benefits of Galveston beaches and shores and water,” Greb said. “And it’s not just for tourism. There are a lot of people who are very lucky to live on an island with beaches and the bay.”
Pictures: Sentinel 150 — Politics in Orlando panel discussion
Former Orange County mayors Linda Chapin and Teresa Jacobs; University of Central Florida Political Science Associate Professor Aubrey Jewett, and AdventHealth Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy Michael Griffin answer…
The business model of social media is at stake in Meta trial: Vanderbilt's Rebecca Haw Allensworth
Rebecca Haw Allensworth, Vanderbilt Law School professor, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest developments in Meta's social media addiction trial, what's at stake in the legal fight, and more.
Father-son computer science professors lead Mercer On Mission program
This summer, a father-son duo was at the helm of one of the University’s Mercer On Mission programs abroad.