SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " select " 1,645 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
2026 Mets Draft profile: Shane Sdao
With their fourth-round pick in the 2026 Draft, the Mets selected Shane Sdao, a left-handed pitcher from the Texas A&M.
Phillies select Tyler Spangler, a “total package” shortstop, in MLB draft
The Phillies selected high school shortstop Tyler Spangler with pick No. 36 overall in the MLB draft.
Armor Health selected as new medical provider for Blair County Prison
HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Florida-based company is expected to take over inmate medical care at the Blair County Prison as of Aug. 1, after the county’s longtime contract with PrimeCare Medical, a Harrisburg-based company, expires as of July 31. Commissioners voted Thursday to award a three-year contract to Armor Health, with a first-year price of $3.73 […]
Yankees Draft: Sean Duncan selected with 2026 second-round pick
The Yankees went north of the border with their second pick of the day.
Virginia's Eric Becker drafted No. 58 overall by Cincinnati Reds
Following AJ Gracia, shortstop Eric Becker became the second Virginia Cavalier to be selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. Becker is heading to the Cincinnati Reds with the No. 58 overall pick
Tracking Tennessee baseball players, signees picked in 2026 MLB Draft
Here are the Tennessee baseball players and signees selected in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Five Organizations, Small Business Join Inaugural Cohort of the Birmingham Workforce Partner Accelerator
birminghamal.gov The City of Birmingham’s Department of Innovation & Economic Opportunity and Battle Plan Strategic Consulting have selected its inaugural cohort of the Birmingham Workforce Par…
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited Stock 12‑Month Price Target Raised to $8.44, Implies 60% Upside
Explore more price target data and ratings for Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited on the Forecasts tab, and track all previous and future analyst recommendations for Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited in the dedicated News Flow.Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2026 FactS…
UCF Sport Business Students Stand Out in Competitive U.S. Golf Internship Program
UCF landed three spots — more than any other university — in a 25-member cohort selected from nearly 800 candidates representing 44 states and nine countries.
PS Plus Members Have Early Access to Select PS5, PS4 Games in PS Store's Summer Sale
Coming soon
Rays Roundtable: All-Star Snubs and MLB Draft Predictions
This week's Rays Roundtable breaks down Tampa Bay's All-Star selections, the biggest snubs, and who the Rays should target with the No. 2 pick in the MLB Draft. With the AL East lead growing, the future looks bright for Tampa Bay.
Rockies Reacts Results: Let the draft speculation begin!
Will the Rockies select Liam Peterson or someone else 10th overall?
2026 UA Sports Hall of Honor Class Announced
Seven former University of Arkansas student-athletes and late longtime Razorback athletic trainer Dave England have been selected as members of the 2026 class of the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.
Who will replace Graham Platner on the ballot? 7 Democrats to watch
Whoever is selected will have less than four months before facing longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election.
Fort Bend County Fair Announces 2026 Entertainment Lineup Featuring Sawyer Brown, Pat Green
ROSENBERG, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The Fort Bend County Fair has announced its entertainment lineup for its 90th annual celebration, featuring a mix of Texas country stars, Tejano favorites and nationally recognized performers during Championship BBQ Weekend and the fair's 10-day run. The 2026 Fort Bend County Fair begins with Championship BBQ Weekend on Sept. 18-19, followed by the fair Sept. 25 through Oct. 4. The entertainment schedule opens Friday, Sept. 18, with Tejano group Los Morales, followed by Texas country artist Cole Phillips on Saturday, Sept. 19. Phillips has gained attention for his traditional country sound influenced by classic honky-tonk music. The fair officially opens Friday, Sept. 25, with Tyce Delk, a New Mexico native whose touring schedule has expanded across the country. Country music veterans Sawyer Brown will headline Saturday, Sept. 26. The band, whose career spans more than four decades, remains known for hits including "Some Girls Do," "The Race Is On" and "Thank God for You." Go Tejano Day on Sunday, Sept. 27, will feature Prófugos de Nuevo León, along with performances by Los Rinches and Grupo Zenio. The second week of the fair begins Wednesday, Sept. 30, with Bellville singer-songwriter David Lewis, a recent Texas Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year nominee. Oklahoma Red Dirt artist Josh Meloy will perform Thursday, Oct. 1. Texas country star Pat Green returns to the Fort Bend County Fair stage Friday, Oct. 2. Green, whose career includes three Grammy Award nominations, has sold more than 2 million albums and amassed more than 200 million career streams. He is best known for songs including "Wave on Wave" and "Carry On." Country newcomer Vincent Mason will perform Saturday, Oct. 3. Mason has accumulated more than 500 million career streams and was recently nominated for Academy of Country Music New Male Artist of the Year. The fair concludes Sunday, Oct. 4, with Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn, whose "London Homesick Blues" remains one of the state's most recognizable songs. Weekend visitors also can enjoy performances on Music Row by J Paul Jr. & the Zydeco Nubreeds, Southern County Line, Los Rangerz and Horizon. The Fort Bend County Fair Association, a nonprofit organization, supports youth, agriculture and education. According to the association, it has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships during the past decade and generated $1.4 million through its 2025 youth auctions. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, July 10. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance and select the specific day they plan to attend, as tickets are valid only for the date purchased. Admission includes entry to the fairgrounds, access to the carnival, shopping, exhibits, food vendors and, when scheduled, admission to the rodeo and that day's concert. Season passes and single-day tickets will be available. For tickets and additional information, visit fortbendcountyfair.com or call the Fair Office at 281-342-6171. The address of the Fairgrounds is 4310 Texas 36 S in Rosenberg. 2026 Fort Bend County Fair Entertainment Schedule Championship BBQ Weekend Friday, Sept. 18: Los Morales Saturday, Sept. 19: Cole Phillips Fair Entertainment Friday, Sept. 25: Tyce Delk Saturday, Sept. 26: Sawyer Brown Sunday, Sept. 27 (Go Tejano Day): Prófugos de Nuevo León, Los Rinches and Grupo Zenio Wednesday, Sept. 30: David Lewis Thursday, Oct. 1: Josh Meloy Friday, Oct. 2: Pat Green Saturday, Oct. 3: Vincent Mason Sunday, Oct. 4: Gary P. Nunn × Expand FBCF Fort Bend County Fair 2026 Artist Lineup
Graduate of Doctor of Health Sciences Graduate Program has Research Published, Selected for National Presentation
University of New Haven DHSc graduate Nevila Bardhi ’26 DHSc, MPH achieved two major milestones as her doctoral research on mercury-exposure screening was published in Public Health Reports, and it was selected for presentation at the 2026 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.
Surprising Mental Health Effects of GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs
GLP-1 medications may be used to treat select psychiatric disorders.
Graham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace him
His decision comes within days of a key deadline, allowing Maine’s Democratic Party to select a new candidate to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a critical contest for Senate control.
Graham Platner drops Maine Senate bid, clearing way for Democrats to pick new nominee
Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner said Wednesday he was ending his campaign, clearing the way for Democrats to select a new candidate to take on Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the most important contests of November’s midterm elections.
Delta rolls out cheaper first-class, business fares with fewer perks: 'More ways to choose'
Delta Air Lines is expanding its stripped-down fare model to premium cabins, offering lower-cost access to Delta First, Delta Premium Select and Delta One seats.
Eight Health Professionals Selected for RWJF Health Policy Fellows Program at the National Academy of Medicine
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today named the 2026-2027 class of RWJF Health Policy Fellows. Beginning
Football Hauls in 14 Selections to Athlon Sports Preseason All-CUSA Team
MIAMI — FIU's football program received a total of 14 student-athletes named to the 2026 Preseason All-CUSA Team, as released by Athlon Sports.
Delta launches 'basic business' fares without lounge access, seat selection
Delta is launching basic business and other stripped-down premium classes that come with fewer perks.
Marshall Football Has 12 Players Honored By Athlon Sports
Marshall Football had 12 players recognized by Athlon Sports as 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selections, the magazine released recently. The Thunde...
What to know about Delta’s expanded Basic fare options, available now
Starting today, Delta is offering Basic fares in premium products (Delta First, Delta Premium Select and Delta One — known as Basic Business) alongside Classic and Extra fares in select markets. This expansion of the Basic experience allows customers to access premium products at a lower price point, giving them more choice and the ability to tailor their travel based on what matters most.
Payton Bullard Joins NCBA Antitrust & Complex Business Disputes Law Section Council
Ward and Smith is pleased to announce that attorney Payton Bullard has been selected to serve on the North Carolina Bar Association’s (NCBA) Antitrust &am
Jesús Luzardo's full-circle rise leads to first career All-Star nod
Jesús Luzardo earned his first All-Star selection after a rise that took him from struggling under Don Mattingly in Miami to thriving with him in Philadelphia.
16 Owls Selected to Athlon Sports’ Preseason All-CUSA
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State football continued to receive preseason honors as Athlon Sports announced a whopping 16 preseason all-Conference USA selections for the Owls this week.
UGA Josh Brooks on alternative revenue options: Georgia will be 'very selective'
Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks says never say never, but no definitive plans are in place for UGA to build entertainment district.
Why Paramount is keeping Conor McGregor’s UFC return off CBS
Conor McGregor’s marquee return to the UFC is the latest UFC event to stay behind the Paramount+ paywall. In August 2025, UFC reached an exclusive seven-year, $7.7 billion rights deal with Paramount in the United States. The agreement ended UFC’s pay-per-view model, moving all events to the Paramount+ streaming service, with select simulcasts on CBS.…
Boston Celtics officially announce Jaylen Brown
Per the team, they have "acquired 9-time NBA All-Star and 6-time All-NBA selection Paul George as well as future draft pick compensation from the ... 76ers".
Xbox cuts 3,200 jobs as gaming business struggles
As Microsoft continues to invest majorly into AI, it's gaming division, Xbox, is making major cuts to its workforce and selling several of its studios.
Apple Seeds Third iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 Betas to Developers
Apple today seeded the third betas of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after Apple released the second betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. iOS 27 introduces Apple's smarter version of Siri, Siri AI.
Pirates Paul Skenes selected to All-Star Game
Skenes was the lone Bucco selected to the Midsummer Classic.
Detroit Tigers Land Three American League All-Stars
Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene have been selected to represent the Detroit Tigers in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.
5,000-year-old wolves found on remote island rewrite what we know about domestication
Scientists discovered ancient wolves on a tiny Baltic island where they could only have been brought by humans, suggesting an unexpectedly close relationship between people and wolves thousands of years ago. Evidence indicates the wolves were fed, possibly cared for, and may even have been managed or selectively bred long before modern ideas of domestication.
Beat the Apple Price Hikes: These MacBook Pro Deals Won't Last Long
Apple recently introduced major price hikes across a number of products, including Macs, iPads, and more. This week, Apple's newly increased prices have begun to hit third-party retailers like Amazon, but there are a few select MacBook Pro models that are retaining original prices, which now represent solid discounts on each device. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon.
The Selective Frontier: The State of the American Experiment After 250 Years
Since its inception, America has revolutionized scientific research and technological advancements. Yet, in its shift away from federal research grants and “basic research,” science may find itself in an increasingly privatized and profit-driven setting.
Lidstrom: Red Wings Expect Arvidsson to Play in Top Six
The post Lidstrom: Red Wings Expect Arvidsson to Play in Top Six appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now. For the first time since 2015, the Detroit Red Wings didn’t select a Swede in the NHL Entry Draft. They […] The post Lidstrom: Red Wings Expect Arvidsson to Play in Top Six appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
All of the best 4th of July deals on Samsung Galaxy gear, Google, LG OLED TVs, Copilot+ PCs, e-bikes, more
The 4th of July long weekend has arrived and we are tracking a giant selection of notable deals. This includes...
‘Check Your Political Identities at the Door’: Lawmakers Come to UVA Darden to Practice Leadership
A select group of state legislators will gather at UVA Darden for a nonpartisan leadership program focused on productive disagreement, values-based decision-making and leading across political differences.
Who Are the Best Draft Picks in Denver Nuggets’ History?
The NBA Draft is where franchises, like the Denver Nuggets, are built. Few organizations have found greater value in the later stages of the draft than Denver. The team famously selected three-time MVP Nikola Jokić with the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Now, the choice is regarded as the greatest second-round pick in […] The post Who Are the Best Draft Picks in Denver Nuggets’ History? appeared first on The Lead.
iPhone Photography Awards Highlight Best Images of 2026
For the last 19 years, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) has selected the best photographs captured with an iPhone, and the 2026 award winners were announced today. The IPPA 2026 Grand Prize image features a volcano dramatically erupting in the Cayman Islands, with the photo shot by Robyn Jensen on an iPhone 15 Pro. The Gold Prize image by Gellért Gombai features two children napping on grass in the shadow of a badminton racket, with the photo shot in black and white using an iPhone X.
Telling themes to take away from Tuesday’s primary elections
Let’s be clear about how Colorado’s primaries arrived at these unexpected results. The most significant voting cohorts on both the Democratic and Republican sides were women from 65 to 75-plus. These senior women voters selected Phil Weiser and have given Barb Kirkmeyer a chance. They may be on the farther side of their lives, but […]
Priced out: The growing cost of live entertainment
Summer tours are trying to fill seats while keeping up with growing ticket prices. Tickets for the Ed Sheeran concert at U.S. Bank stadium are BOGO through the 4th of July, and the Mystic Lake Amphitheater is doing an offer of four tickets for $99 for select concerts. Meanwhile shows like Noah Kahan are having no problem selling tickets with high ticket prices. Music critic for the Star Tribune Chris Riemenschneider joins All Day to talk about the drama around concert tickets.
Cavs sign rookie Meleek Thomas to a four-year deal
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Meleek Thomas to a four-year, $9.3 million deal. Thomas was selected 34th overall by the Cavs last week in the 2026 NBA Draft. Thomas played 37 games with Arkansas last year as a freshman. He averaged 15.7 points and 3.8 rebounds as a 6’3” sharpshooting combo-guard. The Cavs are excited […]
Indie Selects for July 2026: Gameplay That Will Make Summer Pop
The ID@XBOX team has handpicked five Indie Selects for July that are ready to light up your night like a sky full of summer fireworks.
Thomas, Hurst Headline Athlon Sports Preseason Awards
Wide receiver Amare Thomas and offensive lineman Shadre Hurst were Houston Football's two Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Third-Team selections announced...
Sony is closing the PS3 and Vita digital stores
The virtual PS3 store will close in select markets this year, with global closures for PS3 and PS Vita following in 2027.
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
LG LIGHTS UP FOURTH OF JULY SAVINGS ACROSS HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND APPLIANCES
Limited-Time Fourth of July Deals Available on Select LG OLED TVs, Gaming Monitors, Refrigerators, Dishwashers, Vacuums, Laptops and Audio Products News...
Steelers film study: Eli Heidenreich's playmaking skills need more seasoning
It wasn’t just a good story that led to Eli Heidenreich being a seventh-round selection in his hometown by his hometown team. The Pittsburgh native...
Wilmington Small Business Coalition: Building Momentum in 2026 by Heather McWhorter
This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager. North Carolina continues to be one of the best states to start a business and in 2025, Wilmington, North Carolina earned a spot on the GoDaddy list of the top 10 most entrepreneurial cities in the U.S. While many know Wilmington as small beach town with exceptional food, lots of coffee shops, and fun, vibrant summer activities, a closer look reveals a thriving innovation economy. You’ll find startups emerging across industries including software, healthtech, bluetech, and fintech. At the core of this entrepreneurial ecosystem is the Wilmington Small Business Coalition, with small business advocates and entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) dedicated to helping founders grow, thrive, and succeed. “No Wrong Door” Established in 2016, the Coalition was designed to make it easier for individuals and small businesses to access resources most suited to their particular needs. The Coalition is designed to have a “no wrong door” entryway into the regional startup ecosystem. Whether you are exploring a new idea sketched on the back of a napkin or leading a more established, growth-stage company, Coalition members can help connect you with the programs, funding opportunities, mentors, and resources best suited to your needs. No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, any Coalition organization can help point you in the right direction. Coalition Members and Leadership Coalition members include the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UNCW CIE), AARP, Brunswick Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, Cape Fear Region SCORE, Genesis Block Foundation, Network for Entrepreneurs in Wilmington (NEW), Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC), Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, YWCA Living the Dream Center for Entrepreneurship, Carolina Community Impact Fund (CCI Fund), Partner Community Capital, 717mkt Office Collaborative, NC Biotech, and Institute NC. In May 2026, the Coalition held its leadership elections, resulting in the selection of a new executive team. The following officers were elected to serve two-year terms: Chair: Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Vice Chair: Diane Lantz, CCI Fund Secretary: Aariene Hansley, Genesis Block Foundation Treasurer: Gloria Monroe, SBTDC Vision for the Wilmington Small Business Coalition In 2026, the Wilmington Small Business Coalition continues its work as a collaborative network of organizations. By connecting programs, expertise, and services across partner organizations, entrepreneurs can more easily find the right support at the right time. Rather than operating in silos, the Coalition aims to function as a unified, cohesive system of support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, ensuring that resources and expertise across partner organizations are visible and accessible. Through stronger collaboration and shared pathways, entrepreneurs can move more seamlessly from idea to startup to growth. Looking to dive into the Wilmington entrepreneurial ecosystem? Connect with any of the Coalition partners to get started! Connect with CIE To learn more about CIE and our services, programs, and events, join the CIE newsletter. You can also follow us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube. CIE’s website is uncw.edu/cie. Heather McWhorter is the director of the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). CIE supports innovation-forward start-ups and helps to build a vibrant innovation economy for all in southeast NC.
NASA Awards More Moon Base Science, Previews New Opportunities
NASA announced Tuesday the selection of three companies to land four new missions on the Moon in late 2028 as part of the agency’s Moon Base Program.
MAC Football 2026 All-Conference Team
Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan selects the best players in the MAC for the 2026 college football season.
Congratulations to the 2026-2027 APSA-Sponsored Congressional Fellows -
APSA is pleased to announce the members of the 2026-2027 Class of the APSA-Sponsored Congressional Fellows! The American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellowship Program is a highly selective, nonpartisan program devoted to expanding knowledge and awareness [...]
Computer scientists develop a new AI tool that rivals AlphaFold 3 in mapping RNA
The method, called RNAbpFlow, was described in a study published on June 30 in Nature Methods, among the most selective journals in computational life sciences.
Six Terps Earn Preseason All-Big Ten Recognition from Athlon Sports
Six Maryland football student-athletes have been recognized on the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Big Ten Team, led by first-team selections Daniel Wingate and ...
Meet a PhD student selected for a national Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship | CWRU Newsroom
Jenna Jaklich is nearly three years away from completing her PhD program in materials science and engineering at Case Western Reserve University, but...
Carnell Tate's impressive performance during Titans' OTAs draws praise
Tennessee Titans rookie Carnell Tate is turning heads at OTAs after the team surprised analysts with his high draft selection.
Meitav Investment House Announces Immediate Report Concerning Selected Business Data for May 2026
/PRNewswire/ -- Meitav Investment House (TASE: MTAV) announced today that further to the Company's immediate report dated March 2, 2026 (Reference No....
‘Grateful and humbled’
MARSHALL — Two individuals who played important roles in building the Marshall baseball program into one of the state’s best were honored Sunday evening with induction into the Marshall Baseball Hall of Fame. Steve Fleck and Blaine Schnaible became the 20th and 21st members of this select group during a pre-game ceremony prior to the […]
Mountain West Football 2026 All-Conference Team
Athlon Sports' Steven Lassan selects the best players in the Mountain West for the 2026 college football season.
5 takeaways from STAT’s investigation into microhospital operator Nutex Health
Read the takeaways from STAT's investigation into Nutex, which used the No Surprises Act to fuel a stunning financial turnaround.
WhatsApp Opens Username Reservations to 3 Billion Users
WhatsApp will let the messaging service’s 3 billion global users select a username for their account, a change meant to increase privacy by letting people connect on the platform without having to share their phone number.
Select Square Enix Games Have Received Big Discounts at Best Buy – Save on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Octopath Traveler 0, and More
Best Buy has dropped the prices of select Square Enix games. Score big discounts on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Octopath Traveler 0, and more.
Dayton Business Journal: Former Ohio State, Arizona State administrator named Wright State athletic director
Following the university’s first-ever national search for a Division I athletics director, Wright State University has selected a new leader for its athletic program. Wright State has named Brad Chandler as the next director of athletics. “I am incredibly grateful … Continue reading →
Wa-Hi junior Lars Sandven selected for prestigious national science camp
The residential summer camp provides academic and leadership experience in STEAM fields.
Liverpool transfer news: Bradley Barcola among alternative targets with PSG in talks to sign Yan Diomande
Liverpool target Yan Diomande has indicated his desire to join Paris Saint-Germain; PSG winger Bradley Barcola features highly among options Reds are considering as an alternative; Barcolas PSG future is uncertain due to frustrations about being overlooked for selection in big games
The ERs that can turn patients away
The hospital operator Nutex enriched itself by exploiting loopholes in laws meant to protect patients, STAT found.
3 Michigan Hockey players selected during 2026 NHL Draft
Michigan Hockey maintained its pipeline to the pros with 3 Wolverines hearing their names called during the 2026 NHL Draft, including a first-rounder by the Detroit Red Wings:
Fifty-Three Named To CSC Academic All-District® Women’s At-Large Team
MADISON, Wis.--Fifty-three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2025-26 NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Women’s At-Large Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators
Efzimfotase alfa demonstrated improvements in bone health in treatment-naïve pediatric patients with hypophosphatasia achieving median difference of 1.67 vs placebo in RGI-C Score at week 25 in MULBERRY Phase III trial
Positive results from the MULBERRY Phase III trial showed that efzimfotase alfa (ALXN1850), an investigational enzyme replacement therapy, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in bone health in children (2 to
Twenty-Four Named To CSC Academic All-District® Men’s At-Large Team
MADISON, Wis.--Twenty-four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2025-26 NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Men’s At-Large Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators
Penguins organizational outlook heading into free agency
It ended up being a mostly uneventful draft weekend for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They acquired Hendrix Lapierre for draft picks, used some of their stockpile future of picks to get extra 2026 mid-round selections and went about their business of drafting players without many fireworks going down with massive moves. The big landmark for the […]
Steelers Insider Reveals Drew Allar's Likely Role In Rookie Season
Pittsburgh selected Allar in the third round.
Anaheim Ducks help Wisconsin Badgers extend major NHL draft milestone
This weekend's NHL Draft marks 29 straight where the Wisconsin Badgers have had a player selected.
Jimmie Johnson joins TNT Sports as NASCAR analyst in 2026
Jimmie Johnson is joining TNT Sports as a NASCAR analyst in select races during the 2026 Cup Series season.
Private Selection chicken breast product target of health alert
The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants people who may have purchased a variety of Private Selection raw boneless chicken breasts to check their freezers or refrigerators in case they still have them.
Private Selection chicken breast product target of health alert
The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants people who may have purchased a variety of Private Selection raw boneless chicken breasts to check their freezers or refrigerators in case they still have them.
Bruins draft Russian forward with 104th overall pick
The Bruins have selected multiple Russians in a draft for the first time in almost 25 years following their fourth-round selection Saturday.
Flyers continue to add on defense with first of two second-round picks
With their first of two second-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft, the Flyers selected Brek Liske.
NHL Rumors: 3 Red Wings Who Could Be Traded Next
The Detroit Red Wings made a notable trade on Friday, as they traded top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for the 23rd overall pick of the NHL Entry Draft. The Red Wings then used that pick to select forward J.P. Hurlbert.Seeing Cossa get traded by the Red Wings is not […] The post NHL Rumors: 3 Red Wings Who Could Be Traded Next appeared first on HEAVY.
Cameron Carr discusses joining the Lakers
NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting selected between 15 and 20 in the first round. Ending up with the Lakers was more than he could have asked for.
Ducks move into first round, select skill in Klepov, Nordmark
Anaheim jumped back into the first-round with two picks acquired in the Mason McTavish deal, and the Ducks went for scoring punch in Nikita Klepov and Marcus Nordmark.
National Science Foundation finds no violations in Texas A&M research security contract
U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House of Representatives' select committee on China, had urged the NSF to pause funding for a project known as SECURE.
US government allows Anthropic limited release of AI model that sparked cybersecurity concerns
The US government has allowed Anthropic to release its powerful Mythos AI model to select companies and organizations, revising license requirements after ordering an export block earlier this month in the wake of national security fears.
Sabres select defenseman Daxon Rudolph in first round of NHL draft
Rudolph played in 68 games with the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League last season, scoring 78 points.
Nintendo’s Summer Sale Is Now Live and Not Only Includes Discounts on Digital Titles, but Also the Switch 2 Upgrade Pack for Breath of the Wild
Nintendo has launched a new Summer Sale until July 8. Save on select digital titles across Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, alongside a Switch 2 upgrade pack for Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Scientists infected a 'vagina on a chip' with gonorrhea — then cured it with a new antibiotic found by AI
To sift through 6 million molecules in pursuit of new gonorrhea treatments, researchers trained AI to select the best drug candidate and then tested it in a "vagina on a chip."
Penguins Mocked To Select 81-Point Defenseman
Pittsburgh has the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
David Glew to Lead Cameron School of Business as Interim Dean
The University of North Carolina Wilmington has selected David Glew to serve as interim dean of the Cameron School of Business, effective July 1.
Making Our Own Luck
We are cross-posting a piece that former NIH official Kris Willis wrote for Macroscience. Kris is now the President and Founder of the Woodley Park Institute, for which I’m a board member. Picking winners or hedging bets? Federal science agencies have long wrestled with the question of how to ensure their billions of dollars of grants and contracts result in maximum benefits for Americans. On the surface, it might seem that a goal-oriented, interventionist style of management would be the best policy: prioritize our most pressing problems and distribute funding accordingly.This top-down strategy creates a unique hazard, though: bad choices can send resources in the wrong direction, resulting in slow progress that impedes the delivery of tangible benefits to citizens. Moreover, if decision makers pursue an applied advance when the underlying scientific principles remain poorly understood, they risk costly failures and a loss of support for the research enterprise at large. Examples include Nixon’s 1971 War on Cancer, undertaken on the premise that a cure could be achieved in less than a decade, the drive to build an operational commercial fusion plant by the mid-1990s, and the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which failed to produce the effective treatments and prevention strategies promised by 2025. The contrasting laissez-faire approach is to hedge your bets. If the path to an advance is impossible to predict, then the wisest choice might be to distribute funding to as widely as possible. The main risk of this strategy is that spreading funding thinly may limit the resources available to the most promising research, resulting in the same negative outcomes as the interventionist approach: limited support for the most promising topics, slow progress, and delayed returns. In reality, at science agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, program managers navigate between these two extremes, setting some funds aside to target high-priority areas and using the rest to cover the widest possible range of meritorious proposals. This middle path seems like the most rational way to proceed, but it still requires making choices. How much should be set aside for high priority topics? What should those topics be? How should we define merit? Expert opinion can provide a helpful guide, but leading experts can have remarkably different opinions about what matters and what should be prioritized. Moreover, experts and administrators alike can be risk averse, giving an edge to high-profile, well-established concepts. What’s really needed is a data-driven framework to help guide decision-making, one that doesn’t simply repackage prestige or incumbency. Recognizing breakthroughs years in advance Many breakthroughs fail to attract funding or recognition at the earliest stages of development. Katalin Karikó, for example, spent years struggling to win grants for work on mRNA that would eventually win her and Drew Weissman a Nobel Prize. Similar stories can be told about Jim Allison’s groundbreaking studies leading to the development of cancer immunotherapy, Stan Pruisner’s demonstration that prions can self-replicate without DNA, or Robin Warren and Barry Marshall’s proof that Helicobacter pylori, not stress, causes ulcers. Yet at some point, the scientific community recognizes and responds to transformative breakthroughs like these. How does that change happen? And what if science funders could identify the areas that are on the cusp of a breakthrough? Those questions led my collaborators and me to study how scientists responded to past breakthroughs. Based on patterns in that data, we developed a means of predicting future breakthroughs, using biomedicine as a proof of concept. It’s worth taking a moment to describe how our approach works. Briefly, our prediction process begins by grouping the 18 million or so peer-reviewed papers in PubMed, the authoritative database of biomedical research, into roughly 50,000 unique topics. A small subset of these topics are so widely acclaimed as breakthroughs that they have been recognized with a major prize like a Nobel or a Lasker Award. We theorized that studying the development of these outliers over time, especially before they gained acclaim, was the key to identifying future instances of them. After defining topics, we chose 21 representative breakthroughs and asked what they looked like before they won prestigious prizes. To answer that question, we re-ran our topic-mapping algorithm repeatedly, winding back the clock one year each time, stringing together the years to follow the progress of each field as it grew and advanced. We found that in each case, the years leading up to a discovery followed a pattern: a burst of papers on a new, rapidly evolving topic, many of which quickly became influential. These characteristics—the percent of papers that are new, the percentage of papers that are brought in from other topics, and the influence of each individual paper—can all be measured separately for any given topic. Together, they act as a predictive signal that is detectable an average of five years before a transformative discovery is made, and up to thirty years before the discovery receives a major prize. Scanning the current research landscape for topics that display this signal allows us to predict what work will likely produce a future breakthrough. Each year we analyzed includes four or five signals, a number that appears to have remained constant across a twenty year time frame. In their classic work on the sociology of science, Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar established that the desire to participate in a major discovery is an important motivator for scientists as they consider whether they should take up (or abandon) a research problem. Although further work is needed, the simplest explanation for our results is that this behavior is widespread enough to detect at scale. A foundational advance, or something like it, draws the attention of scientists and causes them to change the direction of their research. They vote with their feet, staking their own reputation and careers by publishing on and citing the new idea. That upswell of interest is the foundation of our breakthrough signal. What kind of research does our model identify as a breakthrough? After building a model based on the patterns in our 21 preselected breakthroughs, we tested it by identifying all early signals of discovery from 1994 through 1997. Of the 18 signals we found in that time period, 17 can be traced forward in time to a breakthrough. Examples include super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see the image above), the directed evolution of proteins and enzymes (Chemistry Nobel, 2018), and sequencing the human genome (National Medal of Science, 2008). The discovery of the role of leptin signaling in obesity is a particularly interesting case study. Around 1950, scientists noticed the existence of a type of lab mouse that suffered from a unique inherited form of obesity. When given the freedom to choose their own diet, these mice ate more than normal and preferred food that was high in fat. Researchers had few clues as to why the animals overate; early experiments pointed to the existence of a soluble ob factor found circulating in the bloodstream that regulated appetite, but its identity was unknown. In 1994, Jeffrey Friedman and colleagues identified and sequenced the ob gene, noting that the protein it encoded appeared to fit the profile of a circulating factor. A year later, a trio of high-profile publications demonstrated that ob was a hormone that regulated body weight and fat deposition by regulating appetite. One of these was co-authored by Friedman, who christened it leptin from the ancient Greek word for thin. Using our model, the data from 1996 make it clear this advance would become a breakthrough. Scientists had flocked to study the biology of the new hormone, generating the flurry of new papers and citations required to produce a signal. One of these demonstrated that serum leptin concentrations reflected the amount of adipose tissue in the human body, providing clinical validation of the earlier mouse studies. Before the identification of leptin, scientists were unable to point to a specific molecule that controlled appetite and adiposity, so that it was impossible to rule out non-physiological causes of obesity; its characterization fundamentally changed our concept of weight gain. In 2010, Friedman and fellow pioneer Douglas Coleman were awarded a Lasker for the discovery. Our work also identifies breakthroughs in clinical practice and behavioral and social sciences, even though these areas are less likely to draw the attention of major prize committees. One example that falls into this category is the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, a leading cause of death among Americans over the age of 65. Relative to the previous standard of care, it reduces in-hospital mortality by almost four-fold. In 2017, Timothy Chuter received the American College of Surgeons’ prestigious Jacobsen Innovation award for his multiple refinements to the technique. Another under-recognized breakthrough identified by our model is the development of standardized survey instruments to assess the quality of life for HIV+ patients. The antiretroviral cocktails introduced in the mid-1990s reduced AIDS mortality, but treatment came with serious side effects. The new evaluations showed that patients whose disease progressed had worse physical functioning than Americans with other chronic diseases, while those who were asymptomatic maintained a health-related quality of life on par with the overall US population. This evidence made it possible for patients and activists to argue that even in the absence of a total cure, and in spite of the side effects, alleviation of symptoms was a worthwhile priority for clinicians. My colleagues and I have failed to identify any significant recognition for the physicians and health policy experts who pioneered this advance, although in 2016, researchers called for the World Health Organization to set targets for good health-related quality of life as part of its framework to end the AIDS pandemic. From forecasting to funding How should science funders use our predictions? Any serious discussion of what we should do with this new capability needs to begin with an understanding of its limitations. We can’t (and shouldn’t) invest all of our resources in the small number of topics predicted to produce breakthroughs. Innovative new fields are born from existing ones; they rarely arise de novo. If funders don’t maintain a diverse portfolio, the breakthroughs of tomorrow will have no antecedents. Think of this as eating the seed corn, or killing the goose that lays the golden egg. There are also multiple goals of funding beyond basic scientific discovery, including translating discoveries into clinical practice, developing new technologies, supporting economic development, and training new scientists. The investments needed to accomplish these goals are likely different from those required to support emerging breakthroughs. Finally, we must be aware that we may not capture every instance of a breakthrough. The concept is fuzzy, and not every significant discovery is recognized with a major award. Further, breakthroughs are rare, meaning that our dataset is, by necessity, small. This makes formal estimates of accuracy challenging. Although our overall success rate appears to be high, any one signal may turn out to be a false positive. We found one apparent example: the development of the third generation COX-2 inhibitors, Vioxx and Celebrex, which were much celebrated in the early 2000s as effective but non-addictive pain relievers, meets all the algorithmic criteria of a breakthrough. Five years after it received FDA approval, researchers demonstrated that Vioxx was associated with serious cardiovascular complications, and the manufacturer voluntarily pulled the drug from the market. Celebrex remains available, although like other NSAIDs, it carries an FDA warning for increased cardiovascular risk. Decision makers who were overly focused on the breakthrough potential of this research might have wasted substantial resources nurturing an area that ultimately proved to be a failure—but so would those who relied on expert opinion at the time. That said, the potential benefits of funding the next mRNA vaccine or cancer immunotherapy years earlier than we might have are large. When we can’t assume the outcome of an action, it’s worth conducting an experiment. Can targeted support for areas that are poised to produce a breakthrough increase the return on scientific investment without cannibalizing future advances? With the necessary administrative infrastructure in place, conducting this experiment would be straightforward. First, identify all the breakthrough signals between 2018 and 2023, select half at random, and commit to a decade of investment. For biomedicine, a six year window should yield about 30 topics with the potential to produce a breakthrough. Providing strong support to half of these might be accomplished for $300 million a year. That’s roughly half of the recent annual budget of the NIH Common Fund or around 20% of the fiscal year 2025 budget for ARPA-H. After five years, then again at ten, compare to see which group — the one that was actively managed, or the control — produced more breakthroughs, and on what timescale. Although we used biomedicine as an example, the same experiment could just as well be run for physics, materials science, or any other discipline. Any attempt to undertake such an experiment should keep three points top of mind. First, we can predict the topic of future breakthroughs, but the people and vision for how to move the work forward are still important. In practice, this means success requires active program managers with the expertise to develop the science and the authority to do so, including by recruiting investigators. Second, we would be wise to learn from the failures of past attempts to fund transformative research. High among these are funding modestly repackaged work, confusing the genuinely novel with the merely unfamiliar, and relying too much on incumbent investigators. All of these risks can be mitigated by thoroughly and intelligently integrating high quality data into portfolio management. Finally, we need to have patience. Even with strong funding support, producing a breakthrough takes time. If supporting breakthroughs is the best way to nurture the birth of new fields, we also need to accurately describe and properly manage the other two stages, so that we invest wisely throughout the productive lifetime of ideas and divest once they reach the point of diminishing returns. We would benefit from more study of all of these phases, especially the transition from one to another. More research could answer questions like: When does a breakthrough become an established field? How do the availability of funding, the size and characteristics of the available workforce, and the accumulation of evidence that disagrees with prevailing models affect a field’s decline? Exactly how do old ideas give birth to new ones, and can we speed up the process? The more we understand about the dynamics of scientific progress, the better we can maximize the odds that our curiosity leads to results. I’d call that finding a way to make our own luck.
NASA Selects Rocket Lab to Launch Sun, Earth Science Missions
NASA has selected Rocket Lab to provide the launch service for both the agency’s PolSIR (Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer) and Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-2 (TSIS-2) missions.
Adidas’ NIL pipeline is producing NBA rookies who already know the business
Mikel Brown Jr. reached the NBA with a head start few rookies have. Long before being selected sixth overall by the Brooklyn Nets at Tuesday’s NBA Draft, the 20-year-old guard had been embedded in Adidas’ ecosystem through a name, image and likeness deal that began in high school. “By the time our athletes walk across […]
Sofia Elverdin Selected as Co-Recipient of the Best Dissertation Prize From the American Political Science Association’s Women, Gender and Politics Section
Sofia Elverdin, assistant professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, was recently selected as a co-recipient of the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Best Dissertation Pr…
New Health Sciences Provost Named
Wake Tech Community College is pleased to announce that Dr. Jennifer Bray has been selected as the next Provost of the Perry Health Sciences Campus.
How should European scientists respond to the US AI kill switch?
Earlier in June, Europe’s worst fears of technological dependence were confirmed when the White House ordered the AI firm Anthropic to stop non-US citizens using its leading models. This kill-switch moment crystalised anxieties in Brussels that the continent, lagging the US on the creation of leading-edge AI models, is now a technological of vassal of Washington. The shock has specific implications for European scientists and universities. Some governments are now worried that with AI being integrated into labs, Donald Trump now has his finger hovering over an off switch for European science. “Having restrictions on this tool, it can have an impact on our own research,” said France’s research minister, Philippe Baptiste, at the VivaTech conference in Paris on June 18.Baptiste, himself a former academic, said that colleagues in mathematics had recently warned him they were now cut off from leading-edge US models, risking their work. “This model is not available anymore now because of the US restriction, and for the first time this had an impact on mathematics,” a field where large language models (LLMs) are making a significant contribution, said Baptiste. So, should European scientists avoid relying on US models in the future? Or would this be a self-harming overreaction? And how is AI being used in science, anyway? What happened?On June 12, it emerged that Washington, citing cybersecurity concerns, had ordered Anthropic to stop non-US citizens using two models: Claude Mythos 5, and Claude Fable 5, a version of Mythos but with guardrails to prevent abuse. Anthropic said Washington’s concerns were overblown. But forced to follow the order, yet with no way to check who was using the models, the company suddenly shut down access for everyone, US citizens included. There’s still no agreement on how to restore broad access. But last week, Bloomberg reported that select US companies, and the US government, still had access to Mythos despite the ban, but the EU’s cybersecurity agency Enisa had been shut out. Class division of researchersIn the longer term, access outside the US should be restored, said Marcel Salathé, co-director of the AI centre at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL), because a permanent restriction would be financially ruinous to US AI firms. “Even Trump will eventually budge to economic pressure,” he said.However, US AI firms might end up operating rather like banks, doing due diligence on users of their leading-edge AI models, he went on.European scientists are unlikely to fall foul of such checks, he said. But having a Chinese postgraduate in their lab, or doing a type of research the US disapproved of, could potentially result in access being denied. “It will create a sort of class division of researchers,” he said. More than frontier modelsHowever, successfully deploying AI in science is about far more than just having access to leading LLMs such as Mythos.Instead, many science-specific tools, most famously Alphafold, which predicts protein folding structures, require “far less” computing power to train than frontier models, well within the capabilities of European supercomputers, according to a recent analysis by the Arq Foundation, a Brussel-based AI think tank. Instead, tools such as Alphafold are possible because certain fields, like protein folding, weather prediction or astronomy, have large, clean, standardised datasets that can be used to train predictive models. Rather than compute, “data is the central constraint for AI for science,” the report says. For example, a less powerful physics model trained on CERN’s data “will be more valuable than the best model without certain data,” said Bengüsu Özcan, author of the report. European advantage?Europe could therefore steal a march by using its scientific data and infrastructure to create models US digital giants cannot. “They might actually match or go even beyond what these big [US] companies are doing,” said Özcan.Indeed, some European start-ups hope to create automated testing labs to create the kind of standardised data that could speed up the discovery of new materials. Materials scientists say there’s currently too little data to train models. AI scientistsHowever, even if the bottleneck for AI in science is often data, rather than compute, being at the mercy of the US for LLM access could still become a problem for European scientists. A new class of “AI scientists” based on leading LLMs is also emerging, Özcan’s report says.Unlike domain-specific tools like Alphafold, these try to automate day-to-day scientific work, by providing an overarching tool that coordinates specific models to synthesise existing literature, generate hypotheses or run analysis of data. The problem for Europe, however, is that these tools are sometimes based on US leading models. Google Deepmind’s AI Co-Scientist, for example, is built on Google’s Gemini LLM. Systematic failureThese scientific automation tools are still in their early stages, and still exhibit “systematic failures on scientific tasks,” Özcan’s report says. One of the problems is that the messy, day-to-day process of scientific discovery is largely not documented, meaning LLMs don’t have a good source of data to learn how scientists actually work. Meanwhile, some tasks, such as literature synthesis, don’t typically require access to leading edge models.However, the performance of AI scientific assistants could improve as companies such as Google pour resources into developing them. Rely on US“Unfortunately, for scientific assistants, there is not much we can do right now except rely on US frontier AI,” said Antoine Bosselut, a natural language processing expert based at EPFL. Chinese-built open models, which can run on local computers, lessening the risk of a shutdown, are touted as one alternative to US dependence. There’s also Mistral, once seen as Europe’s main AI hope, but the Paris-based company has seen its recent models fall behind in performance. But the Chinese alternatives are generally not as capable as US frontier AI models, said Bosselut, unless paired with fiddly, custom tools that allows them to act as independent agents. “Most scientists do not have the time,” he said. Don’t jump ship yetAlthough the kill switch moment is seen a warning shot for European scientists, it doesn’t mean labs should abandon US AI tools immediately. “I do not think the right response is simply to abandon US-based models and systems under the banner of sovereignty or independence,” said Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer university association. “That would be an overreaction.”Related articlesEuropean sovereignty in AI requires ‘ugly trade-offs,’ say experts Robotic lab start-up makes case for €500M EU-funded materials testing facilityAI in science: is it useful? Instead, European researchers need to ask themselves whether they’re becoming dependent on technology that could be turned off in Washington, said Özcan. “They might not see this today, but they should really start asking this question,” she said. European researchers need a plan B, said Salathé. “I would recommend to every researcher, very proactively explore alternatives.”Own toolsIn addition, Björnmalm and others want European research institutions to develop their own scientific AI tools.Instead of signing AI deals with US digital giants, European universities should be using this money to create their own models, which may end up being superior for research, said Sabine Leonelli, an expert on the use of AI in science at the Technical University of Munich. “Universities in Europe seem to be happy to sign commercial contracts with US companies on the assumption [their AI tools] are better,” she said. But US frontier LLMs are typically opaque, and have been developed without independent scientific input, she said. “This is not good enough for science.”Last year, Swiss researchers released Apertus, an LLM designed to be completely transparent, from its development methods to its training data. The idea is that this makes scientific tools built on top of the model far more reproducible than with closed, commercial alternatives.“Europe needs more of this: serious capacity-building that gives researchers, universities and companies credible options,” said Björnmalm.
UT San Antonio College of Sciences invests in new multidisciplinary research through inaugural Seed Grant Initiative
Three research projects were selected to receive up to $50,000 in seed funding.
Travis Kelce's Journey: From Rookie to NFL Superstar and His Life with Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce is entering his 14th season in the NFL, all of which have been with the Kansas City Chiefs. After being selected No. 63 overall in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by Kansas City, Kelce played only a single special teams snap as a rookie, in a Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys. The seven-time All-Pro has set all-time marks for the Chiefs, such as surpassing Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez's 10,940 career receiving yards (13,002) and passing three-time first-team All-Pro Priest Holmes' 83 total career touchdowns (85).