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Wild Wonderful Weather: Breaking down the science behind fall colors
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – In this episode of Wild Wonderful Weather, Spencer Adkins and Reagan Burke get into the science of how the leaves will change colors plus we talk to an expert who shares …
UMD researchers explain the science behind why leaves change color
Scientists say tracking pigment levels can show how trees respond to weather patterns
'Like Science Fiction': Resident Votes and Virtual Reality Drive NYCHA Campus Transformation
Maria Guzman, 71, said she couldn’t believe that a man who helped her garden for a few minutes one afternoon would, within weeks, donate millions of dollars to redesign 33,000 square feet of outdoor space at her public housing development.
FSU computer scientist earns NSF CAREER Award for data compression research
A Florida State University computer scientist has earned one of the most prestigious awards available to early career faculty for developing
The ‘Sacred Science’ has another way to deal with death
The next time someone asks why you’re on your phone so much, tell them you’re just working on your Immortality Project. It’s a concept from cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker’s 1973 book “The Denial of Death,” which posits that most of what humans spend our time on is meant to pretend the inevitable isn’t waiting for […]
ACC Latin America 2026 brings together experts to examine the latest cardiovascular science
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the Colombian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery will host the ACC Latin America 2026 conference on September 17-19 in Medellín, Colombia.
Taylor Swift becomes bugs
She’s a Grammy Award-winning international superstar, and now, Taylor Swift is also a genus of plant-feeding insects from Australia that were previously unknown to science.
Orlando Science Center brings back Cosmic Concerts laser shows
Cosmic Concerts returns to the Orlando Science Center in September, October, November, and December, and will feature music by Taylor Swift, U2, and Metallica. Here's what to know about tickets and schedule.
Peter Katzenstein receives triennial James Madison Award
The APSA James Madison Award recognizes professor Peter Katzenstein for distinguished contributions to political science.
USC Dornsife professor Moh El-Naggar named director at Carnegie
Biophysicist and microbiologist will lead Carnegie’s Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, maintains appointment and research at USC Dornsife
“Spooky Science Fun Bash” Set for Oct. 9 at Benedictine College
Are your kids looking for a fun way to enter into the Halloween spirit? Look no further than Benedictine College’s Spooky Science Fun Bash! This free, annual event at Benedictine College brings fun, festive science displays to area youth. The event will take place on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, from
Google DeepMind’s AlphaGenome Takes Aim at One of Genetics’ Biggest Problems
Google DeepMind has released a huge new dataset that could make it easier for scientists to study how changes in our DNA affect the way the body works. Called AlphaGenome Atlas, it contains predictions for more than 9 billion possible single-letter changes in the human genome. The dataset is about one petabyte in size and […]
Paleontologists discover first adult 'T. rex' footpath
The Cretaceous dinosaur moseyed with a 13-foot-stride.
Preserving the Academy of Natural Sciences
Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences is slatted to close at the end of the month. But can the the 200-year-old museum to be saved?
Spectacular Jersey Shore science project lets you track monarch butterflies from your phone
The project relies on tiny tracking devices weighing about 60 milligram, that are attached to monarch butterflies.
NCAA says Michigan football win over Western Michigan will stand
The NCAA says Michigan's victory over Western Michigan will not be rescinded.
Many viral DIY home science experiments don't work, but tjos Alka Seltzer lava lamp does
Do you think Al could ever become self-aware?
A new study looks at "consciousness steering" in AI, but could this technology actually achieve this level of self-awareness in the first place?
INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS: NOAA Fisheries takes a ‘sharp turn away from science’
The agency’s focus on commercial interests threatens fisheries science and over one million miles of protected marine habitats. By Johnny Sturgeon, Inside Climate News This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. In July, the Trump administration relegated endangered leatherback turtles, sea lions and whales to mere collateral damage in its race to profit from the oceans. Now, fisheries science is in […]
Academy Sports + Outdoors raises annual profit forecast on cost discipline, e-commerce growth
Academy Sports + Outdoors (NASDAQ:ASO) on Wednesday raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast after posting second-quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates, sending shares up 9%. The sporting goods retailer reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.31 for the quarter, topping...
Museum of Discovery and Science, Broward libraries bring hands-on learning to communities
The Museum of Discovery and Science and Broward County Library are bringing hands-on learning and character development to communities across Broward County through Character Corners, an initiative inspired by MODS’ Build a Better World: The Future Begins with You exhibit.
Florida Poly partners with Detroit Tigers to enhance student access to sport science and data analytics
'This partnership strengthens our ability to translate research into real decisions for our players.'
‘Birds Supporting Birds’ connects the Philadelphia Eagles with migrating seabirds
Football fans and avian enthusiasts can follow four great shearwaters named Phil, Franklin, Hoagie, and Liberty.
How 'parachute science' is failing the world's tropical insects
Monash University scientists have developed a global framework to tackle a major blind spot in biodiversity conservation: Insects underpin ecosystems and food production but remain largely invisible to ...
Climate NGOs clash over the role of science in UN negotiations
Disagreements within Climate Action Network International have intensified over the IPCC's role in UN climate negotiations and the fairness of its models.
In 1971, researchers moved 10 wall lizards onto a small Croatian island — 36 years later, their descendants had stronger bites and a plant-heavy diet, with valves in their intestines that the scientists could not find in the population on their original island.
Ten transplanted wall lizards founded a population with a different diet, stronger bites and distinctive gut anatomy. Follow-up studies examine the roles of plasticity and genetic change.
The moon may have formed in just 5 hours, new simulations suggest
Novel simulations, which reassessed the ancient collision between Earth and the protoplanet Theia, suggest that the moon could have emerged from the aftermath of this impact much more quickly than scientists previously thought.
Classic sitcom ‘Friends’ helps grad student endure 104 brain scans
‘All times [are] a good time to watch ‘Friends,’ right?’
Buffalo Museum of Science Unveils $3 Million Science Stadium Permanent Exhibit in Partnership with the Bills, Sabres, and Bandits
Transformative, interactive exhibit merges Western New York’s deep passion for sports with STEM learning; Ribbon-cutting ceremony set for September 24 before September 26 public opening.
Buffalo Museum of Science Unveils $3 Million Science Stadium Permanent Exhibit in Partnership with the Bills, Sabres, and Bandits
Transformative, interactive exhibit merges Western New York’s deep passion for sports with STEM learning; Ribbon-cutting ceremony set for September 24 before September 26 public opening.
Buffalo Museum of Science unveils $3 million Science Stadium permanent exhibit in partnership with the Bills, Sabres, and Bandits
Transformative, interactive exhibit merges Western New York’s deep passion for sports with STEM learning; Ribbon-cutting ceremony set for Sept. 24 before Sept. 26 public opening.
Buffalo Museum of Science unveils $3 million Science Stadium permanent exhibit in partnership with the Bills, Sabres, and Bandits
Transformative, interactive exhibit merges Western New York’s deep passion for sports with STEM learning; Ribbon-cutting ceremony set for Sept. 24 before Sept. 26 public opening.
NOAA is putting commercial fishing ahead of conservation
Critics say the new agenda could weaken science-based rules and marine protections.
Lava-Covered Planets Are Defying a Key Rule of Planetary Science
Researchers developed a model showing how lava-covered planets close to their stars can hold onto their atmospheres, which could help guide the search for life beyond our solar system. Some planets orbit so close to their stars that intense radiation should strip away their atmospheres. Yet several of these scorching, lava-covered worlds still retain thick
Why Don’t People Trust Scientists? Turns Out, It’s Not About Expertise
A new U.K. study finds trust in scientists is driven less by expertise and more by shared values and political identity, echoing seen in science in the US.
Will it kill off humanity? Computer scientists and politicians wrestle with risks of AI
Alarming warnings from industry insiders increase pressure for curbs on artificial superintelligence
Will it kill off humanity? Computer scientists and politicians wrestle with risks of AI
Alarming warnings from industry insiders increase pressure for curbs on artificial superintelligence
Luma locks down 15-year, $410M fund for life science investments
Luma Group today announced the final close of its inaugural life sciences venture capital fund, totaling $410 million. The New York-based investment firm has had a grip on life sciences since its founding in 2023. The funds unveiled today, dubbed LumaBio Fund I, include investments that have already been made into more than 10 biotechs. They include the likes of eye disease-focused Character Biosciences, rebranded Belgian biotech Coultreon Biopharma and cellular rejuvenation company Altos Labs. The fund saw early success when one of the companies it co-founded, called Vaccine Company, was picked up by Eli Lilly earlier this year for up to $1.55 billion. The acquisition of the in vivo nanoparticle technology-focused biotech formed part of a trio of vaccine buys for the Big Pharma, which has itself been on a prolonged spending spree in 2026. Luma's fund is structured as a 15-year investment with plans to support groundbreaking science and support companies through key milestones from discovery to commercialization, Luma explained in the release. "We founded Luma Group on the belief that extraordinary science, supported by patient, long-term capital, has the power to improve millions of lives," Joshua Fink, founder and managing member of Luma Group, said in the release. "This fund represents more than capital—it is a commitment to partnering with extraordinary innovators as they translate visionary science into life-changing medicines."
The Marvel of a Seed
Growth of the ID movement has occurred through “sowing the seeds” of evidential support for the theory.
Fotini Markopoulou and C. L. Max Nikias Lead September’s Greek Science and Technology News
Terry Poulos examines Fotini Markopoulou’s journey from quantum gravity to wearable technology, Max Nikias in Cyprus, AI advances, cybersecurity rankings
Natural Field expands NF TriSolve platform into sleep wellness with science-driven solutions
Natural Field announces the expansion of its NF TriSolve branded nutraceutical solution platform into the sleep wellness category with the introduction of NF TriSolve SleepRestore Complex
Science says we're not special. But here's why that could be wrong – and why we should be thankful we've not been swallowed by the Sun | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Time and place explain the Sun’s odd chemistry. Analysis of 79 ‘solar twins’ suggests we’re different – but not special.
Science Applications International (SAIC) On Raised 2027 Guidance And Whether The Valuation Is Priced In
Why Science Applications International just moved into focus Science Applications International (SAIC) has landed on investor radars after reporting second quarter and six month results with higher sales and earnings guidance raised for fiscal 2027, shifting expectations for the business. Against that backdrop, Science Applications International has been in a steady uptrend, with the share price returning 26.01% year to date and 11.66% over the past 90 days. The 1 year total shareholder...
ASL Environmental Sciences Brings ADCP Training To PRODIGY Field School
ASL Environmental Sciences equipped graduate students with hands-on ADCP mooring experience at the 2026 PRODIGY field school in Bamfield, British Columbia, covering the full cycle from mooring design and deployment to data analysis. The company plans continued involvement through 2028.
Scientists Recreated Chirps of Jurassic Insects, Simulating a 165 Million-yo Soundscape (Listen)
It wasn't just the roars of the dinosaurs that made up the soundscape of the animal world during the Jurassic period.
Scientists Turned Off Consciousness in Rats. Then Their Brains Started Going Wild.
Electrical activity that was fine-tuned in waking brains grew more chaotic under anesthesia.
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
The Cost of Cutting American Science: How Federal Cuts Diminish Public Health Capacity
Among the federal government’s many responsibilities is the work it does to protect public health. Federal agencies monitor our food supply to ensure safety, conduct research to better understand emerging health threats, provide funding for public health programs in communities and work to detect and respond to disease outbreaks. Americans rely on these efforts every day—in a 2024 online survey, 74% of respondents said that “if the federal government issued safety guidance about food you eat regularly,” they would follow it. Changes to Federal Public Health Capacity The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the federal government have resulted in significant impacts on our nation’s public health capacity over the past 20 months, affecting the response to health concerns such as measles, Ebola and cyclosporiasis. Agencies with core public health, food safety and disease prevention responsibilities experienced large workforce decreases during the first year of the administration. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for instance, the workforce in February 2026 was 26.7% smaller than in September 2024 before the start of the Trump administration. The Food and Drug Administration saw a similarly steep decline of 21.6%. Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service also experienced large workforce decreases. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); Changes can also be seen in crucial public health occupations. The number of federal food inspectors, for example, decreased by more than half between September 2024 and February 2026, going from 1,035 to 473. This is the lowest number of food inspectors employed by the federal government since at least 2005. By February 2026, there were also 33.3% fewer federal public health program specialists, whose work includes advising federal funding recipients on public health activities and analyzing the effectiveness of public health programs. Government’s capacity is diminished as employees with specialized knowledge and experience in protecting the public and responding to health risks depart, leaving agencies less prepared to carry out their public health missions. There also have been vacancies in critical high-level leadership positions at public health agencies, most notably at the CDC, which had a permanent Senate-confirmed director for less than a month between January 2025 and early August 2026. Although the CDC has previously been led by acting directors at the start of an administration, the nearly yearlong gap since the departure of the administration’s first permanent director in August 2025 is without precedent. As of August 2026, the FDA is also currently without a Senate-confirmed commissioner following the previous commissioner’s resignation in May 2026. Additionally, public health agencies are experiencing increased politicization of their leadership ranks. In agencies such as the CDC and Food Safety and Inspection Service, the number of individuals in the Senior Executive Service—the most senior career leaders in government—has declined significantly, while at the same time the number of political appointees has reached record levels. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); At the CDC, for example, the number of career SES decreased 42.9% between December 2024 and February 2026, while the number of non-Senate confirmed political appointees at the agency was six times larger than the agency’s historical average from 2009 and 2024. Knowledgeable career leaders are integral to the ability of public health agencies to carry out their work with scientific integrity and professional judgment, and rapid leadership turnover and increased politicization threaten agencies’ ability to make evidence-based decisions to protect our health. The upheaval and politicization in public health agencies have also negatively affected employee engagement. Strong employee engagement is crucial to the ability of agencies to carry out their mission and successfully provide essential services to the public. In the 2025 Public Service Viewpoint Survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service, the Department of Health and Human Services—which encompasses major public health agencies such as the CDC and FDA—had an employee engagement and satisfaction score of 20.4 out of 100, one of the lowest among large agencies. Only 2.8% of HHS employees indicated trust in their political leaders and only 8.7% reported confidence that they could report a suspected violation of law or regulation without retaliation. Employees at HHS also reported that the agency’s ability to provide services to the public had suffered. Nearly half of employees at HHS, 47.5%, said their work unit was worse at delivering quality services compared to its performance in 2024. In addition, 57.8% said their work unit was performing worse at fulfilling stakeholder needs. In addition to the work done within federal agencies, the federal government also distributes significant funding for public health and disease prevention work to state and local governments, nonprofits and small businesses—funding which has been significantly disrupted. At the CDC, for example, there was a 71.9% decrease in the amount of project grant funding issued in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024. The FDA also issued far less funding in fiscal year 2025—a 21.3% decrease from its fiscal year 2024 funding. Changes in federal funding include the ending of grants to community organizations that worked on HIV prevention and the cancellation of funding for research into improvements to patient safety and healthcare quality. These changes go beyond federal agencies to impact the broader public health ecosystem, including the state and local health departments responsible for much of the on-the-ground public health work in their communities. About 80% of the CDC’s domestic funding is directed towards state and local partners—meaning that cuts to CDC funding can ultimately result in cuts to state and local public health capacity. Federal agencies also provide expertise and assistance to state and local health agencies as they deal with particular health challenges, but workforce cuts have resulted in fewer federal employees available to help. The Impact of Changes to Public Health Capacity These changes to federal public health capacity are not abstract concerns. Disrupted programs, reduced funding and lost expertise at public health agencies across all levels of government threaten the public’s physical well-being and safety. In some cases, this has already led to harm. The most immediate impacts of federal cuts were seen in interruptions to ongoing public health programs and crisis responses. In one instance, when CDC grants were canceled during the 2025 Texas measles outbreak—the most severe measles outbreak in 25 years—public health officials in Lubbock, Texas were forced to pause parts of their measles response work supported by the frozen funding. Lubbock’s director of public health further said that a lack of available CDC experts to reach out to for advice “definitely” impacted the department’s response to the measles crisis. Cuts to federal funding also forced Dallas County Health and Human Services to cut staff and cancel 50 community vaccination clinics during the outbreak. Public health work outside of major outbreak responses was also disrupted. For example, in April 2025, the Milwaukee Public Health Department was unexpectedly unable to reach experts on lead poisoning due to firings at the CDC when responding to concerns about lead contamination in Milwaukee public schools. Due to federal workforce cuts, several programs at the CDC, including Alzheimer’s and epilepsy programs, have also become trapped in limbo—existing on paper, but without the staff necessary to operate. More recent crises reveal how federal cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure needed to prevent and respond to dangerous new outbreaks. Internationally, cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated funding for disease testing and contact tracing abroad, which delayed detection of and responses to the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. While international outbreaks may seem far removed, the unchecked spread of disease in any country can quickly pose a danger to economic well-being, security and health around the world. Within the United States, public health cuts inhibited responses to the summer 2026 outbreak of the food-borne parasite cyclospora. At the federal level, cuts to funding for lab equipment and for CDC staff with expertise in parasitic infections—including 9 out of 11 staff members at the lab responsible for identifying parasitic outbreaks in 2025— contributed to the largest reporting delay in outbreak cases at the CDC in 15 years. Conflicting communications from the FDA about the source of the outbreak, which followed cuts to the agency’s communications department, additionally led to confusion among the public about how to best avoid infection. At the same time, cuts to HHS funding and support for local and state public health slowed some health departments’ responses to the crisis. The exact costs of these delays, constraints and confusion in public health responses are difficult to estimate. However, their message is clear: federal cuts have already made containing threats to public health even more of a challenge. Conclusion Protecting public health—from food safety to disease prevention—is one of the federal government’s most important missions. Dramatic and haphazard cuts to federal agencies and funding have already disrupted the public health system, impacting the response to challenges such as measles, lead poisoning and cyclosporiasis. The U.S. public health system needed improvement before these disruptions. Since 2022, federal leadership and coordination in response to public health outbreaks has been on the Government Accountability Office’s High-Risk List of areas in need of attention to improve government effectiveness and efficiency. Recent cuts only compound these concerns. The chaotic dismantling of government and resulting disruptions to crucial functions like public health and disease prevention highlight the need for meaningful reform and concrete policy proposals to reimagine how government can better serve the public and be more effective, responsive and accountable. To learn more about the impact of federal cuts to public health and science more broadly, visit The Cost of Cutting American Science. Learn more For more information on the Partnership for Public Service’s government reform initiative, visit Government for a New Era. View here In line with The Cost of Cutting American Science, federal workforce data in this brief is as of February 2026
A photon from the biggest cosmic explosion since the Big Bang appears to have defied Einstein. Scientists may finally know how
"We started from a very simple question: how did this photon survive a journey that, according to known physics, should have destroyed it?"
Beneath a field of loose rubble on Utah’s Mount Timpanogos, scientists mapped a hidden mass of ice up to 150 feet thick — enough frozen water to fill 600 Olympic swimming pools
Massive ice deposits hidden beneath Utah mountain rubble could reshape understanding of water resources and climate patterns in the American West.
Elysium Health™ Officially Opens The Elysium Longevity Institute™ (TELI), Establishing a New Standard for Longevity Medicine
/PRNewswire/ -- Elysium Health, Inc.™, the leading longevity science company, today announced the opening of The Elysium Longevity Institute™ (TELI), marking...
The Science Behind Big Mistakes and 4 Things You Can Do to Avoid Them
Researcher shows many big mistakes can be avoided or minimized if people pay more attention to early factors. Here's what you need to know.
Scientists Say They Can Now Pinpoint Where Big Quakes Might Hit
A GPS-based algorithm is used to identify where stress has been building up.
Plastics treaty: Cordano presents “Aid to negotiations” but disappoints science
The document released by the INC Chair ahead of the meeting of heads of delegation in Bangkok is an even weaker version of the text already rejected at INC-5.2 a year ago
Kazakhstan records long-term gains in science as math scores fall in PISA 2025
The OECD’s newly released PISA 2025 results show that Kazakhstan achieved one of the largest estimated decade-long improvements in science among participating education systems, although math performance declined since 2022, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Scientists Who Study Sleep and Narcolepsy Win Prestigious Lasker Award
The two researchers have won a prestigious Lasker Award. Their findings laid the groundwork for a new drug that addresses the sleep disorder’s root cause.
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A new strategy enables precise fabrication of nanoporous carbon structures
Nanoporous carbon materials have attracted significant interest for applications in lightweight structural materials, microdevices, and bio-integrated systems due to their low density, chemical stability, electrical conductivity, and tunable mechanical properties. However, existing fabrication approaches often struggle to simultaneously achieve precise patterning, controllable porosity, and desirable mechanical performance. A research team led by Professor Min Qiu at Westlake University has developed a new fabrication strategy, termed Mix-ice lithography (Mix-IL), that enables direct construction of nanoporous carbon structures with tunable pore architectures and complex geometries. The study has been published in Science Bulletin.
Science researchers honoured by RSC
New fellows are leading experts on sustainable agriculture, fish adaption and plant immune response.
Scientists find a bone-building switch that could fight osteoporosis
An experimental compound called AP503 significantly strengthened bones in mice by activating GPR133, a receptor that boosts bone formation while slowing bone loss. Because the same treatment has also been linked to stronger muscles, researchers see intriguing potential for combating age-related decline and osteoporosis.
Montreal-Based Proteus Labs Partners with Avantis Education to Bring Immersive Virtual Science Labs to Classrooms Worldwide
Proteus Labs, a Montreal-based developer of immersive mixed reality science lab applications for K–12 education, today announced that its unique mixed reality science lab application has been selected to be part of Avantis Education's ClassVR Xcelerate headset and new EduverseSTEM platform, extending hands-on virtual science experiments to schools in 90 countries.
As science comes under attack at UN talks, climate movement splits over how to respond
A rift over how IPCC messages are produced and turned into policy is creating tensions in the world's most influential coalition of climate NGOs
Scientists in Switzerland made a sponge from cheesemaking waste that captures gold from discarded electronics — after dissolving metal parts from 20 old computer motherboards, they recovered enough to melt into a 22-carat gold nugget
A Swiss lab transformed dairy waste into a gold-recovery tool, extracting precious metal from e-waste that most recyclers leave behind.
Recent Stanton graduate wins Humane Science Award from National Anti-Vivisection Society
/PRNewswire/ -- Alan Alwakeel, a recent graduate of Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Florida, was one of just five recipients of the...
Recent Stanton graduate wins Humane Science Award from National Anti-Vivisection Society
Alan Alwakeel, a recent graduate of Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Florida, was one of just five recipients of the prestigious Humane Science Award at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The award is presented by the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS), a nonprofit devoted to the advancement of science without harming animals and the only animal advocacy group invited to award a prize at the ISEF. Each recipient received a $3,000 prize
Zhongzhong Science & Tech Tianjin's Shareholders To Unload Stake
Zhongzhong Science & Technology Tianjin Co Ltd SSE:603135:
14 of Science’s Biggest Mysteries We’re Still Trying to Figure Out
There’s a lot we know today that humanity didn’t know hundreds of years ago, and there will likely be a lot people will learn in the coming years that we can’t possibly know right now. Among these que...
Dutch scientists pipe office urine into bacteria-filled cells that generate electricity and recover nitrogen and phosphorus, while a related system can produce hydrogen
Pee breaks are one of the most relaxing times in the office when you finally get to have some sane moments to yourself. Which is why most employees take numerous such breaks within a day.
Guelph meat science faculty went from five to zero
Federal funding flowed to Protein Industries Canada and plant proteins after 2018 while a $32-billion meat industry went without its share.
Pentagon Deploys SCIFs to Encourage Small Business Participation – Association of Defense Communities (ADC)
The Pentagon recently announced a plan to deploy around 50 Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities across the country
Mayoral candidates must improve public engagement; Prop 134’s flawed science (Letters)
Currently, there is little effort by the City of Boulder to bring opposing groups together to seek common ground. Public input is only solicited after a department has made a decision, so that “engagement” feels like a sales pitch. Boa…
Cats want to talk to us. Scientists are trying to decipher the meow
Cats are conversationalists. Researchers suggest the meow has evolved over centuries as a tool to better communicate with humans.
The science of friendship and loneliness
Assistant professor of psychology Jessica Ayers’s new research challenges assumptions about the kind of friendships we need
Gilead opens new research centre bringing together oncology, inflammation and research data science teams
The centre in California supports the company’s $32bn US investment
Germany must relearn the language of power-politics
To protect Europe from Russian aggression, Germans must resolve a tension that lies the heart of their modern national identity: a clash between the ideals of ‘Never Again Fascism’ and ‘Never Again Germany’.
Slime mould has no brain, no neurons and no central control, yet when scientists placed food at 36 locations matching cities around Tokyo, it grew a network strikingly similar to the rail system — with comparable efficiency, cost and resilience
A single-celled organism with no brain solved a transportation puzzle that took human engineers decades to perfect.
Film and TV Portrayals of A.I. Go Beyond Science Fiction
Plots involving some kind of artificial intelligence are even part of soap operas. Here’s how they’ve evolved over the decades.
NOAA Fisheries Takes A ‘Sharp Turn Away From Science’
The agency’s focus on commercial interests threatens fisheries science and over one million miles of protected marine habitats.
A little stardust, a little magic: Hyla senior takes science to the stage
There are plenty of reasons to spend a Saturday night looking up. On Sept. 12, Bainbridge Island has another one: a local high school senior who thinks quantum mechanics might go down a little easier with a dose of magic.
Scientists and algorithms: Finding the right balance in modern drug development
The future of drug development is not scientists versus algorithms. It is scientists and algorithms working together.
Tiandi Science & Technology's Shareholder Plans To Raise Holding
Tiandi Science & Technology Co Ltd SSE:600582:($1 = 6.7075 Chinese yuan renminbi)
China-Nepal floods; ‘Asian water tower’ wobbling: 7 science highlights
From Beijing’s bid to stop US AI dominance to impact of China-Nepal floods, here are some highlights from SCMP’s recent science reporting.
Slime Molds and a double Ig Nobel Prize winner and a big, great science adventure
” ‘This is dangerous’: slime moulds and the bitter debate over the nature of intelligence — Scientists are battling over whether supposedly simple organisms should be considered ‘intelligent’…
The five deep-sea arrays of the Ocean Observatories Initiative had been streaming continuous readings from the Atlantic and Pacific since 2016, and in May 2026 the National Science Foundation said four would be pulled out of the water before reversing course on June 18
The five deep-sea arrays of the Ocean Observatories Initiative streamed continuous readings from the Atlantic and Pacific for a decade. In May 2026 the National Science Foundation moved to pull four of them out. A bipartisan Senate revolt reversed the plan — but the data gap and the deeper funding cliff remain.
Can Innovative Fabric Science Solve the Workplace Safety Crisis? "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" Explores Breakthroughs with Portwest
/PRNewswire/ -- Filmed on August 25, 2026, a new segment of "All Access hosted by Andy Garcia" highlights how modern material science is tackling...
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).
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4995-5001: 5,000 (Martian) Days on Mars
Written by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute
Signs of US-style polarisation in Britons’ trust in science
Sense of shared identity makes Greens’ faith in scientists stronger than Reform voters’, study finds
America’s New National Security Science & Technology Strategy
America’s New National Security Science & Technology Strategy Should Test Authority, Not Just Capability The White House is right to make AI, autonomy, resilient PNT, advanced sensing, cyber
America’s New National Security Science & Technology Strategy
America’s New National Security Science & Technology Strategy Should Test Authority, Not Just Capability
Legislators receive science education center proposal
Legislators on the Interim Joint Committee on Education recently expressed interest about boosting Kentucky’s science education while hearing a proposal for the creation of the Kentucky Center for Science Education.
A Marine Science Michelangelo?
Angelique Allen merges ocean art and octopus neuroscience at Santa Barbara Sea Glass & Ocean Arts Festival.
Study Findings Conflict with Body of Science Linking Pesticides to Attention Deficits and Autism - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog
A recent study finds no connection between levels of urinary biomarkers of organophosphates and autism-related traits, conflicting with a wide body of research.
Anak Krakatau Rumbles Again
A powerful eruption from the Indonesian volcano lofted ash into the atmosphere, disrupting thousands of flights and degrading air quality.
Cleveland Clinic, RIKEN and IBM Team Advance to Finals for 2026 ACM Gordon Bell Prize
Joint research team modeled a 12,635-atom protein, the largest-known to be simulated using quantum computers. Breakthrough was achieved through quantum and classical methods working together, expanding quantum-centric supercomputing’s potential in life sciences research.
US Research Cuts Drive Scientists to Germany
US-based researchers are seeking academic asylum in Germany following the Trump administration’s funding cuts—a loss to American science.
The public's trust in science and medicine
A recent survey of the public about their trust in science and medicine was reassuring: scientists and physicians are well-respected. But it also raised some concerns. The 2026 Edelman Trust
Mack Cleveland: Using computational materials science to engineer higher burnup fuels
Propelled by a love of mathematics and materials science, the MIT doctoral student models granular chemical reactions in uranium dioxide, work that might lead to less fissile nuclear waste and improved plant performance.