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NASA X-59 explainer: Science of sonic booms
The most common misconception about sonic booms is that they’re just the sound created at the moment when an aircraft “breaks the sound barrier.”
Archimedes Science Award 2026
Detlef Günther, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland, honored
A (temporary) win for science and sanity
Congress rejects rule that would give Trump control over all research and academic grants—for now
Scientists Had People Eat Tomato Paste For 3 Months. Their Brain Scans Looked Different.
It contains a powerful antioxidant.
Scientists in Chicago remotely controlled a wireless brain implant in South Korea over the internet
"The biggest challenge is demonstrating long-term safety and reliability in the human brain."
One Area Trail Blazers Must Win On-Court This Season
High-flying highlights won't save Portland if transition defense lags. The Blazers must match their offensive electricity with disciplined back-pedaling to transform from a highlight reel into contenders.
A beginner’s guide to open science
Open science may seem impenetrable for early career researchers. Sarahanne Field explains what it is and how to get started
Have we found alien life? Hundreds of scientists weigh in
Two major alien-life announcements in 2025 generated enormous excitement, but most astrobiologists remained unconvinced. Only 6.6% of surveyed experts thought possible biological molecules on K2-18b probably represented extraterrestrial life, while 15.1% said the same about intriguing mineral patterns in a Martian rock.
“Parachute science” is failing the tropics, home to more than 80% of insect species
Insects quietly hold much of the natural world together, yet conservation efforts are overlooking the tropical regions where more than 80 percent of insect species live. Monash University researchers have developed a global framework to close this gap by combining scientific studies with museum collections, local expertise, citizen science, social media records, and new technologies.
Chinese scientists find a hidden atomic structure that unlocks methane
Scientists found that a tiny atomic structure that forms on nickel oxide during methane conversion is more effective than the metallic nickel long believed to drive the reaction. The discovery allowed a low-nickel catalyst to rival one containing 10 times more metal, potentially opening the door to cheaper and more efficient industrial catalysts.
What Will Life Science Orgs Do When The AI Bill Comes Through?
AI is transforming clinical development, but what happens when usage costs spike? Jon Newton explains how to govern it before the bill lands.
Geologists reveal the Americas collided millions of years earlier than thought
Volcanic rocks in Colombia are rewriting the timeline of the collision between Central and South America. Their magnetic signatures show that major tectonic deformation had already weakened by the late Miocene, suggesting the most intense collision occurred earlier than previously believed.
The Nonlinear Science Behind Large Language Models
LLMs are black boxes, but the principles that govern them are not. Read this article for a detailed introduction to chaos and complexity theory applied to LLMs.
Why General AI Coding Assistants Fall Short in Science
Generic AI coding assistants struggle with scientific workflows. Rolv v3 adds reproducibility, biomedical intelligence, HPC execution, and visual DAGs.
Helping Children Unlock the Science of Reading
For children who struggle to read, even a single page can feel like a puzzle everyone else already knows how to solve. Certified reading specialist and author Christie Welsby is helping families na…
Hundreds protest plans to close Philly's Academy of Natural Sciences: "We're going to make our voices heard"
The trail of clues that our planet might be heating faster than we realised
A curious online row over this summer's heatwaves points to a wider - and worrying - shift in climate science.
The trail of clues that our planet might be heating faster than we realised
A curious online row over this summer's heatwaves points to a wider - and worrying - shift in climate science.
Ohio cannabis store voluntarily closes as state investigates ‘serious health events’
Arizona-based Vext Science said late last week it had voluntarily shuttered a cannabis store in Jackson, Ohio amid a health investigation.
The science of sleep trackers on smart watches
In this segment, scientists are issuing a caution about sleep trackers featured on devices like Apple Watch.
Glendale Actress Finds Love of Science
A few years ago, Marilyn Heidecker was more likely to portray a criminalist on TV, film, or stage rather than work as an actual scientist who analyzes physical evidence in
STEAM Minute | The science behind developing and restoring film
While digital photography is the most common way to take pictures now, many people still use film photography for its unique look and nostalgic feel.
From Backyard Ziplines to Self-Driving Cars: UCLA Computer Science Student Develops Tools to Help Autonomous Vehicles Safely Share Information
One of the fondest childhood memories of Alexandra Markova was a weekend spent running around Home Depot with her father and three siblings.
Protesters rally against Academy of Natural Sciences closure
Protesters rallied outside the Academy of Natural Sciences Tuesday as the 198-year-old Philly museum prepares to close at the end of September.
Unlocking Forest Diversity from Above: Fieldwork at Smithsonian’s BiodiversiTREE
Laying groundwork for using airborne remote sensing to better understand the characteristics of forest species diversity.
3 Takeaways From the Latest PISA Test of Reading, Math, and Science
The results show reading performance dropping across the world—and one uniquely troubling U.S. trend.
UNC Charlotte's Truman Lab awarded new $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health
UNC Charlotte’s Truman Lab has secured a new $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance fundamental research on how cells maintain protein health, a process central to diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. The five-year Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences will support the […]
UNC Charlotte's Truman Lab awarded new $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health
UNC Charlotte’s Truman Lab has secured a new $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance fundamental research on how cells maintain protein health, a process central to diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. The five-year Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences will support the […]
TRUE Community Credit Union Highlights Business Services
Airdate: September 8th, 2026 TRUE Community Credit Union Highlights Business ServicesSeptember 8, 2026Purple Rose Theatre to Present World Premiere by Devin ScillianSeptember 8, 2026Dr. Grant Brown on Autumn Vaccine RecommendationsSeptember 8, 2026Silver Maples of Chelsea Hosting Jackson Art Association Member ShowcaseSeptember 8, 2026Jackson County Genealogical Society Hosting Cemetery TourSeptember 8, 2026Otterbein SeniorLife Jackson Dedication &…
Southern Union names Pike dean of health sciences
CONTRIBUTED BY SUSCC OPELIKA — Southern Union State Community College has named Dr. Richard Pike as dean of health sciences. Pike assumed the position Sept. 1 following the retirement of Dean Rhonda Davis. A graduate of Southern Union, Pike earned an associate in science degree and his emergency medical technician certification from the college. He […]
Scientists engineer ready-to-use cancer-fighting T cells for solid tumors
T-cell receptor, or TCR, therapy is a cancer treatment that genetically reprograms immune cells, called T cells, to hunt down cancer with precision. It's similar to another treatment, CAR T-cell therapy, ...
Joint Observations with Swift removed from IXPE GO Cycle 4
The IXPE Guest Observer (GO) Program solicits proposals for investigations in any area of astrophysics (not constrained to IXPE’s prime science areas).
National Park Service’s WWII series highlights Washington State nature reserve
Olympic National Park had strategic 13 Aircraft Warning Service stations.
Pittsburgh entrepreneur donates storage systems to Seton Hill business, technology school
The founder of a Pittsburgh-based digital storage solutions company donated $35,000 worth of equipment to Seton Hill’s cybersecurity and computer science programs. Gene Leyzarovich, former Jetstor CEO, founded the Bloomfield company more than 30 years ago while studying at the University of Pittsburgh and working night shifts at UPMC. The
Celo to Participate in Merkle Science Meet in Washington, D.C. on September 8th
Celo will participate in Merkle Science Meet in Washington, D.C. on September 8th at 18:00 UTC. Markus will join a panel on the GENIUS Act and the future of U.S. stablecoin regulation.Refer to the official tweet by CELO:Kicking off @thestablecon week today, @MarkusMento speaks at @MerkleScience Mee…
Congratulations to Our New CRUK Funded Researchers - Cancer Research UK Science and Innovation
Congratulations to Our New CRUK Funded Researchers - Cancer Research UK Science and Innovation / Amy Case, Andy Scarsbrook, cancer, Cancer Research UK Science
Years before Nepal floods, scientists pitched a seismic warning system
The scientists, who are based in Europe, say the system could have triggered lifesaving alerts before floodwaters hit in Nepal. But the concept is unproven in the field.
Pamplin+ transforms undergraduate business curriculum into four-year experiential internship
Launching in fall 2026, Pamplin+ transforms the Pamplin College of Business undergraduate experience through hands-on learning, required internships, mandatory agentic AI coursework, and cross-disciplinary corporate projects.
Moment of Science: Abundant oxygen not enough to explain massive ancient insects, new study suggests
Unlocking answers about giant ancient insects! Here's why an abundance of oxygen 300 million years ago may not explain why some animals got so gigantic after all.
At rally to save Academy of Natural Sciences museum, protesters urge Drexel to 'act like it's an emergency'
Local lawmakers and scientists outlined several options to preserve the museum, which is due to close Sept. 30.
Cannibalism returned to the menu multiple times in Neolithic Europe
Bones collected from three caves in Spain reveal how cannibalism came back over thousands of years.
An AI Formalized and Verified Fermat’s Last Theorem in 11 Days, a Task Expected to Take Years
Claude did not rediscover the proof. It made the existing one machine-checkable.
Mysterious elk deaths in Nevada could offer clues about health of herds across the West
An unusual pattern of springtime elk deaths for more than a decade in northern Nevada has scientists searching for answers. What they find could shed light on broader questions about wildlife health across the West.
Mysterious elk deaths in Nevada could offer clues about health of herds across the West
An unusual pattern of springtime elk deaths for more than a decade in northern Nevada has scientists searching for answers. What they find could shed light on broader questions about wildlife health across the West.
This cosmic particle was never meant to reach Earth. Now, scientists think they finally know why it did
In 2022, researchers detected a very odd photon from an enormous gamma ray burst that should have been destroyed on its way to Earth
Scientists Keep Finding the Same Mysterious Beat Across the Animal Kingdom, From Fireflies to Sea Lions
From fireflies to mammals, evolution may have tuned communication to the rhythm of neurons.
Scientists Discover Bacteria That Can Make Testosterone Near the Prostate, With Potential Implications for Cancer
A newly discovered bacterial pathway turns a common steroid precursor into testosterone.
OECD: Heavy AI Use Linked to Lower Science Scores
New PISA data shows students who use AI daily score 28 points lower in science; OECD urges using AI to support, not replace, learning.
The best gadgets and gear that debuted at IFA 2026
Why wait for the future of technology to arrive when you can see it now? Here are the most exciting gadgets from Europe's biggest tech expo.
Meet Rachel Chen, the 18-year-old Los Angeles student who expanded a 1997 quantum-math idea to describe entire particle systems with simple diagrams; she won $100,000
At just 18, Rachel Chen has taken a decades-old mathematical idea and expanded it into a visual framework for understanding complex quantum systems, earning her a $100,000 award in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search.
If AI thinks it's conscious, it's more likely to believe in vampires, karma and ghosts, new study shows. What does it mean for how we use it?
A new study shows that measures to stop AI's claims of consciousness have unintended consequences for non-human entities
Scientists Are Still Trying To Understand How the Moon Formed
The Earth and the Moon have nearly identical isotopic compositions, and the Giant Impact Hypothesis strives to explain this. New research into the ancient impact shows how the temperature of both worlds, and how it affects the strength of the materials involved in the collision, shaped the outcome, including the isotopic compositions.
From science to screen time: 4 key takeaways from the latest PISA results
Amid reading declines that included a 14-point drop for the U.S., researchers are looking at the role digital learning and AI may have played.
Stand Up for Science Demands Congress Stop Transfer of National Institutes of Health Research Funds to
New petition urges Congress to stop an interagency agreement that would allow health research money to fund War Department’s unspecified priorities.
Stand Up for Science Demands Congress Stop Transfer of National Institutes of Health Research Funds to
New petition urges Congress to stop an interagency agreement that would allow health research money to fund War Department’s unspecified priorities.
Hundreds rally to protest the planned closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences museum
The crowd was decidedly intergenerational.
OpenAI Says It Has Cracked One of Math’s ‘Millennium Problems’
The company’s announcement is the most dramatic sign yet that artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming the field of higher mathematics.
Bentley Awarded $235,000 to Strengthen Life Sciences Talent Pipeline
Bentley University will use $235,000 grant to prepare students for business roles in life sciences to meet Massachusetts workforce need.
From California to the Moon: Daniel Rivers and Sally Ashton Explore the Intersections of Art and Science NewsCenter | SJSU
Two new books from San José State faculty take on that question through explorations of environmental justice, space, California history and the possibilities of more just futures.
In 2018, scientists seeded clouds over China's Muz Taw Glacier to make snow; the brighter surface was followed by 14% to 17% less ice loss in a preliminary experiment
Researchers in China have tried to make artificial snow over China’s Muz Taw Glacier to slow its melting. The experiment conducted in 2018 involved seeding clouds with silver iodide, which helped trigger snowfall over the glacier.
Rally held to keep Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences museum open
Protesters held a rally Tuesday calling for officials to save the Academy of of Natural Sciences museum in Center City Philadelphia.
Science center adds laser-light showings in Dome
Musical presentations available on a la carte basis on select evenings
Are rich people really worse behaved? Here’s the science
Who’s more likely to steal sweets from a child? According to science, it’s the rich. A study seemingly confirming our suspicions about the moral behaviour of the wealthy was one of the winners of the 2026 Ig Nobel prizes, which honour research that makes you laugh and then think. Science editor Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what the researchers think could be behind the phenomenon, and they explore some of the other awards, including one for a surprising quality we look for in our friends and another for a biomechanical definition of kissing
Scientists Discover the 7 Stages a Meteoroid Goes Through Before Hitting Earth
An analysis of 75 meteorite falls identified seven distinct processes that occur as space rocks melt, break apart, and slow down before reaching the ground. A space rock entering Earth’s atmosphere does far more than simply “burn up.” By examining 75 meteorite falls recorded in videos and photographs, researchers identified seven distinct stages that shape
Kansas City psychiatrist explores the science behind high emotional sensitivity
Dr. Sasha Hamdani's new book, "Too Sensitive," aims to provide a science-backed, empathetic framework for understanding why some people experience high emotional sensitivity. The Kansas City psychiatrist joined KCUR's Up To Date on Tuesday.
Why September 9 is the most common birthday
Holiday cheer can lead to a baby boom nine months later.
How Can Behavioral Science Help Increase HPV Vaccination Uptake? - ACS Global
How Can Behavioral Science Help Increase HPV Vaccination Uptake? - ACS Global / ACS Global, Ali Maryam Jamila, American Cancer Society, cancer, CCAE, Cervical
How UC Davis Strengthens the Forensic Science Workforce
Meet UC Davis students and alumni using a forensic science degree to build careers analyzing DNA evidence and chemicals in crime labs.
Scientists find a huge 10-sided pattern in the clouds over Saturn's south pole
Scientists have discovered an enormous 10-sided wave pattern in the icy ammonia clouds over Saturn's south pole
Politics Threaten Medical Innovation at NIH
Santa Monica rheumatologist warns that political interference in NIH funding threatens scientific breakthroughs and patient care. Taxpayer dollars should support rigorous peer review, not politics.
Humann Names Dr. Harold Schmitz Science Advisory Chair and Announces Nutrition Research Partnership with the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health
/PRNewswire/ -- Humann, the Austin-based cardiovascular health supplement company, continued its legacy of engaging with leading academic institutions by...
New-to-science Amazon frog stands out for its slow ‘lazy’ song
Scientists recently described a new species of a tiny brown frog found in the Amazonian floodplain forests of Ecuador and northwestern Brazil. It looks nearly identical to related species but its slow, widely spaced out call sets it apart, researchers note in a study. “I’ve had to get into arguments because people said the frog […]
Scientists call for joint efforts to preserve nomadic heritage
At the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Cultural Heritage of the World’s Nomadic Peoples: Preservation, Study, and Development”, scholars and experts from 23 countries urged unified action to safeguard the cultural diversity of nomadic peoples and ensure traditions remain alive for future generations, Qazinform News Agency cites Kabar.
Current events: Scientists keep close eye on Atlantic Ocean changes
The year is 2060. London shudders through months of Nordic winter freezes. Across northern Europe, oak and beech forests wither under severe frost and drought, while cereal yields collapse from temperatures ...
Global report shows where US kids rank in reading, math and science
ABC News' Elizabeth Schulze has the results of a new report released this morning showing where U.S. students rank compared with students around the world.
Moment of Science: Abundant oxygen not enough to explain massive ancient insects, new study suggests
Unlocking answers about giant ancient insects! Here's why an abundance of oxygen 300 million years ago may not explain why some animals got so gigantic after all.
Penn State Dairy Barns Made Animal Science Student ‘Feel at Home'
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three years of working in Penn State’s Dairy Barns have been impactful for Hannah Mansfield, a spring 2026 College of Agricultural Sciences graduate who is...
‘Science at the Fifty-Third Degree’ humanizes research advancements through conversation
Episodes highlight the collaborative nature of science, and expand accessibility of discoveries happening at the university.
How the lowly egg could help protect future spacecraft
Bioinspired designs could be sturdy astronaut allies.
Kamin Science Center and Science of Speed shut down for four-day refresh in Pittsburgh
Planning a trip to the Kamin Science Center this week? The museum will be closed through Friday for exhibit maintenance and updates.
AZ's R&D chief Barr touts internal 'science success story' after IL-33 antibody's stellar showing in COPD
With a detailed data drop that AstraZeneca’s R&D chief described as an internal “science success story,” the British Big Pharma has secured an FDA priority review for what it believes could become a flagship biologic in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In detailed results from the late-stage Oberon and Titania trials—first teased in March and detailed in full at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona this week—the drugmaker laid out the extent of its IL-33 inhibitor’s potential to reduce moderate and severe exacerbations in a wide range of COPD patients still struggling with those “lung attacks,” as AstraZeneca’s Sharon Barr, Ph.D., called them, despite using standard-care inhaled therapy. In the headline results, a 300 mg dose of tozorakimab given once every four weeks curbed those moderate and severe exacerbations in the studies’ primary population of former smokers by 29% in the Oberon study and 34% in Titania. In the overall population of both current and former smokers, these reductions were 30% and 29%, respectively, versus placebo and inhaled standard of care. The benefits also extended to clinically meaningful exacerbation reductions in all prespecified patient subgroups and specifically turned up promising signals in patients across a range of blood eosinophil counts, with Barr telling Fierce that “it’s the details that make this even more exciting than the high-level results that we’ve already shared.” In fact, during AZ’s tozorakimab poster presentation at the ERS 2026 Congress this past weekend, attendees were so enamored by the data that event organizers had to encourage people to clear the room and look at the other presentations on offer, Barr said in an interview. “I think it really speaks to the fact that there is a lot of buzz around these data because the entire respiratory community has been so desperate for new therapies for these patients,” she explained. The respiratory disease continues to represent a “staggering unmet medical need,” Barr said, highlighting the COPD exacerbations that the Oberon and Titania studies homed in on, which she added carry a greater mortality risk than a heart attack. “When a patient has a severe exacerbation, only about half of them are still alive within three and a half years,” she pointed out. As for tozorakimab specifically, Barr christened the molecule “an AstraZeneca science success story,” harkening several years back to the point at which researchers began to explore IL-33 as a driver of respiratory disease, and COPD in particular. At the same time, “there was still so much that wasn’t understood,” she admitted, highlighting the insight that IL-33 signals through both ST2 and EGFR through the RAGE pathway, a discovery Barr attributed to AstraZeneca's own scientists. Understanding the need to tackle both pathways in COPD—and aware of competitor candidates in the hopper, including one that bound ST2—the company ultimately had to make some “courageous decisions,” Barr said. These included taking a prior COPD molecule offline and going back to the drawing board to reinvent its potential IL-33 label “to make sure that we had a molecule that could block signaling through both arms of the pathway, through both the reduced form and the oxidized form, knowing that we wouldn’t be first, but striving to be best.” “When we put [tozorakimab] into the clinic, we firmly believed that we had a differentiated molecule, and we saw the other molecules blocking just ST2 or partially blocking IL-33, unable to deliver two positive pivotal studies in COPD,” Barr explained. “We kept marching forward because we believed our molecule was differentiated, and now I think we have the clinical validation that supports that.” Ultimately, AstraZeneca finds itself on much better footing these days when it comes to potential biologic rivals to tozorakimab in COPD. Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent, for instance, is approved to treat COPD exacerbations in patients with high eosinophil counts, but not low ones. Meanwhile, the future has become cloudier for other next-gen IL-33 candidates from Sanofi and Regeneron, as well as Roche, which have suffered trial flops in recent years. One other potential ingredient for AstraZeneca’s success in its duo of studies was that the company was “ambitious in the trial design, willing to look at an all-comers population,” Barr said, “and willing to enroll the most severe patients.” Prior studies for would-be biologics rivals in COPD “avoided enrolling” those patients, she pointed out. She also highlighted the Big Pharma’s painstaking design of exacerbations in its trial, which “gave us a very rigorous readout,” and pointed to “the extra effort and investment” the company put in to understand the effect of mucus plugs in patients. Barr described mucus production as a “key feature in disease diversity,” noting that mucus plugs—obstructing clumps of mucus that block patients’ airways—are associated with worse outcomes in COPD. In its data announcement, AstraZeneca noted that an integrated analysis of Oberon and Titania found tozorakimab “demonstrated a reduction in patients’ mucus plug score,” with the pharma claiming its biologic is the first to deliver such results in a broad COPD population. “So being able to reduce those mucus plugs, we expect, is an important part of driving benefit for patients who are living with COPD,” Barr said. Again touching on the breadth of the study populations, Barr added that tozorakimab “worked across all eosinophil levels in both current and former smokers across all levels of lung function,” which she suggested “really simplifies decision-making for clinicians, and it allows them to offer therapy to the broadest possible patient population.” In the highest patient eosinophil count group, tozorakimab helped chart a 43% reduction in exacerbation risk, which Barr stressed were “unprecedented data.” In the mid-level group, AZ’s drug delivered a 23% reduction and, in the lowest group, a 34% reduction in eosinophils, which Barr said suggests efficacy “in all patient subgroups.” As for AZ’s recent guidance upgrade on the medicine’s sales opportunity, the lift from a $3 billion to $5 billion range to $5 billion plus was informed by multiple factors, Barr said, including the fact that “in 2024, there were multiple competitors, and there aren’t anymore.” Additionally, “we know that this is a massive unmet medical need, and this is a really incredible set of data that we think will be very convincing to the clinical community,” Barr said. Looking ahead to a potential evolution of the COPD treatment landscape, Barr noted that most patients start treatment in the community with an option like a triple therapy, and for them, having an option like AstraZeneca’s inhaler Breztri will remain a “really important part” of that journey. But of the patients uncontrolled on triple therapy, which Barr described as “about half of them today,” just a “small fraction” are currently eligible for biologic therapy, which she emphasized AstraZeneca is working to change. Understanding that COPD is not a “one-size-fits-all” disease, AstraZeneca is also looking at its antibody drug Tezspire for patients with T2-driven disease, and the company continues to think about new mechanisms for tackling COPD through both systemic and inhaled drugs, Barr said.
UC Berkeley Law event targets Trump science policies as ‘censorship’
The University of California, Berkeley School of Law organized an Aug. 25 discussion focused on resisting censorship and protecting academic freedom in scientific research.
Hong Kong students drop in global rankings for maths, science and literacy
City’s students drop out of global 10 in Pisa’s science section – the first time since Hong Kong joined international assessment.
NASA Sea Level Science Makes Waves on World Ocean Day
Explore This SectionScienceScience Activation1,000 Museum Visitors Dive… OverviewResourcesOpportunitiesCitizen ScienceHighlightsAbout Science
SC's Emerging Biotech Industry Receives National Recognition
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) recently named the Palmetto State among its “Regional and State Clusters to Watch” in its first-ever Next 10 U.S. Biopharma Clusters report, highlighting emerging life sciences ecosystems beyond...
NIH awards Penn State CTSI $28.2M to improve rural health
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at Penn State College of Medicine recently received a seven-year, $28.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Ministry of Science and ICT and NST unveil post-PBS missions for government research institutes by 2026
New mission-oriented R&D roadmap, portfolio, and governance reforms to be finalized and announced within the year
Kamin Science Center using multi-day closure to refresh exhibits on all floors
Officials say the museum is using the mid-week closure to refresh and maintain exhibits and visitor experience across all five floors.
Seiche Launches Marine Science And Technology Department With Three New Leaders
Seiche has established a Marine Science & Technology Department uniting marine mammal specialists, acousticians, and engineers under three new department heads. The move expands the company's scientific and technical capabilities across offshore wind, renewable energy, and broader marine environmental monitoring.
Technology Science Corporation and Integration Technologies Group Awarded NASA SEWP VI Contract in Category C
TSC and ITG continue their multi year partnership and win SEWP VI
Technology Science Corporation and Integration Technologies Group Awarded NASA SEWP VI Contract in Category C
Technology Science Corporation and Integration Technologies Group Awarded NASA SEWP VI Contract in Category C
1,000 Museum Visitors Dive Into NASA Sea Level Science on World Ocean Day
More than 1,000 visitors explored NASA sea level science firsthand during World Ocean Day at the University of Georgia Aquarium on Skidaway Island on June 6, 2026.
Sulphur Springs ISD Announces Annual Science Fair for Grades 4–5
SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX — Sulphur Springs Independent School District (SSISD) has officially announced its 2026–2027 Science Fair, inviting young minds in
UT Researchers in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Receive NSF CAREER Awards
Two researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have received 2026 National Science Foundation CAREER awards.
Why Life’s Origin Can Only Be Explained by Design
The reagents of the feedstock are never produced by processes as on the early Earth. Production requires substantial energy and controlled industrial procedures
Out at sea: York County teacher back at school after science mission with NOAA
Amber LaMonte spent 10 days at sea working as a scientist as part of NOAA’s Teacher at Sea program.
Six decades of politics (but little government)
The first aired episode of “Star Trek,” entitled “The Man Trap,” premiered on September 8, 1966 — 60 years ago today. I’m actually editing a political science fiction issue of The Forum right now, and it’s prompted to me think a lot about the ways that Trek deals with politics and government and what it’s offered us as commentary. The @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe The original TV series ran from 1966 to 1969. It had a loyal but modest following, but the audience grew substantially with the series in syndication for years after that. The franchise developed its first motion picture in 1979, followed by five sequels, and then a whole other series of films built around the “Next Generation” series that first aired in 1987. In recent decades, several more TV series have built up around it, including the current “Strange New Worlds,” now in its fourth season. Throughout the past six decades, the franchise has offered us a good many insights into US politics and international relations, although often disguised as science fiction yarns. The original series was largely a Cold War fable, with the United Federation of Planets (a stand-in for the US) perpetually at odds with the Klingon Empire (a stand-in for the USSR). The “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” episode (1969) posited a planet divided into two races, largely indistinguishable to outsiders, but nonetheless constituting a brutal racial hierarchy. “Patterns of Force” (1968) showed a struggling planet where the leader had attempted to construct a benevolent dictatorship — literally Nazism without bigotry — and found that authoritarianism could not exist apart from hierarchy and oppression. (Relatedly, I’d put “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” high on a list of dad films about the end of the Cold War, near “The Hunt for Red October.”) Get 20% off for 1 year Indeed, the original series itself was something of a political statement, with a multi-racial crew running the Enterprise, a diverse and largely peaceful Federation mostly free from want and oppression, and protected by Starfleet, an armed force whose scientific mission was at least as important as its military one. Famously, when Nichelle Nichols wanted to walk away from the role of Uhura on the original series, none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. met with her and urged her to remain on the show, discussing the importance of viewers seeing an intelligent Black woman as part of the command team three centuries hence. Later series in the Trek franchise offered a good deal of political commentary on their own, but probably none as explicitly and incisively as “Deep Space Nine,” which ran from 1993 to 1999. The episodes surrounding the Dominion War, especially the “In The Pale Moonlight” (1998), showed the compromises, sacrifices, and moral rot associated with winning even a just war — probably better than any series would until “Andor” (2022-25). In “Far Beyond The Stars” (1998), Captain Benjamin Sisko is somehow transplanted to the role of a science fiction writer in 1950s New York. The writer is frequently sidelined and his ideas stolen because publishers don’t want to credit a Black writer. Several series have depicted the secretive Section 31 — an unacknowledged black ops security force operating within Starfleet. These episodes often end up using Section 31 as a foil to show the dangers of a lawless group within a lawful society, even (especially) when that group posits itself as essential for everyone else’s freedom to continue. The current “Strange New Worlds” has played with a few political themes. I found the first two seasons of this show among the best that the Trek franchise has produced in decades, but this season and the last have really been struggling for ideas. Yet one interesting thread is the idea that the diplomatic and enlightened leadership style of Captain Christopher Pike will not work in all situations. “A Quality of Mercy” (2022), which I wrote about here, puts Pike in the middle of a battle with a Romulan vessel in an alternate timeline, and finds that Pike’s conciliatory style would actually make a lengthy and deadly war more likely, while a quick and more violent approach might have prevented the war. This season’s opener, “Valles Marineris,” shows a pre-lightspeed civilization locked in a war to the death with a neighboring planet. The idea of an alliance or a federation hasn’t even occurred to them — their ship’s commander is curious but doesn’t see it as an option. For a franchise as political as “Star Trek,” one thing we almost never see is the government. We get occasional glimpses of Starfleet’s council — mostly uniformed people at a rectangular table — but almost no sense of how the Federation is governed. Are there elections? Who is in the legislature? How much power does the president have? What kind of factional divisions do they wrestle with and how? The shows and films are pretty silent on this. We’ve seen a few military tribunals within Starfleet, but little about how civilians deal with crime and injustice. With recent years seeing some of the franchise’s more interesting plot lines and casts, it seems clear that Star Trek is still full of energy and ideas. Given the erosion of American democracy and the reshuffling of the international order, there’s no shortage of material for future shows to comment on. I’m not sure we should toast to 60 more years, but cheers to a show that continues to teach us about ourselves. Share