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After success in Ascension with steel plant, Iberville Parish proposes its own industrial zone
Proposed industrial area would abut the RiverPlex MegaPark in Ascension, which has drawn billions in investment and pollution concerns
Louisiana is capturing carbon emissions with Exxon's help -- but shipping them to other states
Louisiana's petrochemical plants that export products are under increasing pressure in overseas markets to reduce their carbon footprint.
Africa’s Ghost Plants: Why Scientists Are Digitizing Centuries of Botanical History
Scientists in biodiversity-rich countries are using digitized plant records to identify rare species and inform what gets protected.
China develops plant to extract hydrogen, fresh water and uranium from the sea
Scientists improve on existing technology, plugging an overlooked energy leak to achieve a potentially profitable green solution.
Inside Iowa Politics: the five-day flurry that led to $1.5 billion taxpayer commitment for proposed $15 billion Iowa steel plant
The five days that led to $1.5 billion commitment by Iowa taxpayers for new steel plant in Lee County.
Coffee-Rich Diet May Be Linked to Better Breast Cancer Outcomes, But Experts Urge Caution
A new study is again drawing attention to a popular morning beverage: coffee. Researchers found that women with breast cancer who consumed higher amounts of polyphenols, naturally occurring plant compounds abundant in coffee and many plant-based foods, experienced lower rates of breast cancer-related death over a long-term follow-up period.
Health records from 68 adults link plant-based grocery support to lower blood pressure and weight
Providing people with nutritious foods can improve the management of chronic metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. However, most studies of "Food Is Medicine" programs have only ...
I’ve built hundreds of Lego sets. These early October Prime Day deals are actually worth buying
As an avid Lego builder, I found the best early October Prime Day deals on Lego Star Wars sets, brick-built plants and even F1 cars that you’ll find at Amazon.
Petra Eyes Potential Sale of Business Amid Financial Struggles
Petra Diamonds is considering selling its assets to secure enough funding to pay creditors as it struggles with the industry downturn.
Is It Healthy to Eat Nuts Every Day? Yes, If You Avoid These 3 Things, Dietitians Say
Nuts are rich in healthy fats and plant protein. Here’s the healthiest way to enjoy nuts every day, according to dietitians.
An evening of acoustic folk and bluegrass
Aitkin County Friends of the Arts will present an evening of acoustic folk, bluegrass and ambient music featuring LaPlant Road, Kelley Smith and Everybird from 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.
Sunland Park residents raise health concerns over proposed concrete plant near homes
Residents living near the intersection of Pete Domenici Hwy and McNutt Rd in Sunland Park are concerned about a proposed concrete batch plant near neighborhood.
Miami Dolphins Academy Fall Donation Presented by Baptist Health Delivers Equipment to Plantation High School Tackle Football Program
Community service projects across South Florida will bring together volunteers, partners and community leaders throughout October, culminating on Jenkins’ birthday.
'Super' El Niño could overwhelm LA's aging Hyperion sewage treatment plant
LOS ANGELES — On the shores of Playa del Rey sits L.A.'s last line of defense against sewage streaming into the Santa Monica Bay — and a jacked El Niño
Made in Iowa recap: Sukup Manufacturing innovating for the next generation
For Sukup Manufacturing Co., innovation has never been limited to the products rolling off the manufacturing floor. It can mean a robot installed decades before automation became a manufacturing buzzword. It can mean building a childcare center across the street from the plant, opening an on-site health clinic or establishing an engineering presence in Ames…
A Hidden Compound in 'Healthy' Plant-Based Foods May Be Fueling Gut Inflammation
You may have never heard of it.
A Hidden Compound in 'Healthy' Plant-Based Foods May Be Fueling Gut Inflammation
You may have never heard of it.
A Hidden Compound in 'Healthy' Plant-Based Foods May Be Fueling Gut Inflammation
You may have never heard of it.
Young RWJBarnabas Health Patients Celebrate Disease-Free Milestone Following Advanced Sickle Cell Treatments
Pediatric patients treated for sickle cell disease through the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital gathered with their families and care teams to celebrate a milestone once out of reach for many people living with the disease.
Pi Alpha Xi: Student Plant Sales Paying It Forward
Pi Alpha Xi’s biannual plant sales at NC State University unite horticulture students and the community to raise essential funds that support student scholarships, academic opportunities and impactful outreach initiatives.
New “plant armor” more than triples strawberry yields
A new protective fabric boosted strawberry yields by as much as 3.56 times while blocking insects and still allowing sunlight, rain, and airflow to reach the plants. Originally inspired by research on military clothing, Plant Armor could also help farms reduce pesticide and water use.
Here’s the newest faculty members of LSU’s College of Science
Three assistant professors have joined LSU’s College of Science this semester. Carl Procko, Ping Wang and Keegan Kirk brought their research expertise, including plant responses, adaptations and numerical analysis. Procko, assistant professor of biological sciences, works with the adaptations of plants in relation to their environments. He mentioned his interest in unusual plants, including carnivorous...
SANY Nutrition Group opens snack food plant in Jonesboro
SANY Nutrition Group, a family-owned and family-operated food manufacturer headquartered in Jonesboro announced Wednesday (Sept. 30) that the company’s Jonesboro plant is now fully operational and it has launched its...
Alexandria's business community gathers as AEDP tallies first results of ALX Forward
The economic development group announced a $200,000 state grant at its annual meeting, where the developer of the Old Town North power plant site said it expects to break ground next year
What Does Your Office Say About Your Business? by Jennifer Kraner
What does your space say about you and your business? More importantly, does it give you the best possible first impression? The minute a client, customer or patient walks through your door, they’re forming an opinion about your business – sometimes consciously, sometimes without even realizing it. Your space is communicating something about you, whether you intend it to or not. At Big Sky Design, we work with all kinds of commercial businesses, including many medical practices, law firms and other corporate offices, and I’ve seen first hand how much thoughtful design can influence that first impression. For businesses in medical, legal, and financial fields, three things are particularly important: trust, privacy and professionalism. Your space should communicate all three while also reflecting who you are as a business. That can be challenging, especially in a new construction project. Often, so much of the budget goes toward the actual construction that things like lighting, comfortable seating, artwork and finishing touches get pushed to the side. But those are often the elements that make a space feel complete – and memorable. Think about your waiting room. Is it comfortable? Is the lighting welcoming? Does the layout make sense? When someone walks through the door, do they immediately know where to go and whom to speak with? In a medical office, there’s another important consideration: privacy. Reception areas can become surprisingly noisy places, with phone calls, conversations between staff and patients, and people discussing personal information. Hard surfaces throughout a space allow sound to bounce around, making it difficult to maintain privacy. We recently worked with an eye doctor's office that had exactly this problem. The reception desk had a large opening, and staff were making and taking phone calls right next to patients who were waiting. We designed an acoustic treatment that acted as a divider between the staff and waiting areas. It absorbed sound, but it also became a branded design element. It was a visual reminder to everyone in the space to be mindful of their voices and what others might be able to hear. Those kinds of thoughtful details can make a tremendous difference. And good commercial design doesn't have to mean making your space flashy. Sometimes it’s as simple as a calming color palette, beautiful artwork, plants, carefully selected lighting or comfortable upholstered furniture. In a medical setting, those touches can help soften what might otherwise feel clinical and reduce anxiety for patients who are already nervous about an appointment. I’ve been in waiting rooms where everyone feels packed together, and you can hear every conversation – even what’s happening in the restroom next door. That’s not the experience you want to create. Your office should also feel like your business. Are you telling people that you’re clean and modern? Sophisticated and unique? Warm and welcoming? Or, unintentionally, are you telling them that your business is outdated? You don’t necessarily need a complete renovation to change that message. Fresh paint, updated lighting, new artwork, better seating or a few branded design elements can make a space feel current and intentional. At Big Sky Design, we’ve worked with radiology, dermatology, and dental practices, among many others. Every practice is different, but the goal is always the same: creating a space that reflects the business behind it and gives every person who walks through the door a positive first impression. Because your office is part of your brand. Make sure it’s telling the story you want people to hear. Read more at bigskydesignonline.com.
Court orders Dairy Farmers of America to keep paying its share of union employees’ health insurance after shuttering the St. Albans Creamery
The Monday decision requires payments to continue as a dispute between the union and the co-op over the reasons for the plant's closure plays out.
Experts say a heart-healthy diet is more about consistency than chasing trends
A new ACC scientific statement looks at how eating well can help with the prevention and management of CVD. Plant-based foods as well as healthy fats and proteins are recommended over foods high in refined starches, added sugars and unhealthy fats.
Scientists built implants that talk to each other through body tissue
It's possible to send electrical signals right through human tissues.
SCIENCE-BUTTERFLY/
A Camberwell beauty butterfly rests on flowering plants July 30 in Le Planay, Areches-Beaufort, France.
SCIENCE-BUTTERFLY/
A Camberwell beauty butterfly rests on flowering plants July 30 in Le Planay, Areches-Beaufort, France.
Fernando Alvarez Jr., D.O., Joins Baptist Health Primary Care as a Family Medicine Physician
September 9, 2026 – Board-certified family medicine physician Fernando Alvarez Jr., D.O., has joined Baptist Health Primary Care. Dr. Alvarez provides comprehensive care for patients of all ages, with an emphasis on preventive care and long-term health and wellness. He also performs a variety of office-based procedures, including Pap smears, contraceptive implant and intrauterine device […]
How Are Corn Growers Protecting Their Yields From Bird Damage?
Every spring, corn growers face a threat that rarely shows up in a budget until it’s too late: flocks of birds pulling freshly planted seed out of the ground before it can sprout. The resulting stand loss can quietly erase thousands of dollars in expected revenue per field, which raises a practical question for growers […]
Debt service and the Pentagon. Private equity and the politics of the US housing market. The return of black lung disease & the Franco-Prussian War in color.
Thank you for opening your Chartbook email. RALPH BALSON. 1890—1964. Oil and enamel, signed. Source: Gavekal This going to hurt - the two 7s in the US: diesel and mortgage rates Source: Gavekal In the US housing market, costs are soaring and the role of corporate, private equity-backed buyers is high on the mid-term election agenda. HEY READERS, THANK YOU for opening the Chartbook email. I hope it brightens your day. I enjoy putting out the newsletter, but tbh, what keeps this flow going is the generosity of those readers who clicked the subscription button. If you are persuaded to click, please consider the annual subscription of $60. It is both better value for you and a much better deal for me, as it involves only one credit card charge. Why feed the payments companies if we don’t have to. Subscribe It is striking how, since 2020, big banks have dropped out of the political spotlight in the US. For contributing subscribers only. Subscribe Rates of the lung disease pneumoconiosis among working US coal miners have risen to levels not seen in nearly 40 years Source: Bloomberg Chinese Clean Technology Exports For contributing subscribers only. Subscribe Ralph Balson (1939) Portrait of Grace Crowley Cole, G. O. & Haseman, S. M., (2023) “‘The Substance of Paint’: Class and Materiality in the Work of Ralph Balson”, Open Library of Humanities 9(2). Ralph Balson (1890–1964) was an English plumber and house painter who emigrated to Australia in 1913 and subsequently became a key member of Sydney’s artistic avant-garde. He is credited with having the first solo exhibition of purely abstract painting in Australia in 1941. Despite his role in developing Australian non-objective painting, Balson remained principally a house painter, working on his art practice at weekends. In 1955 he retired on a state pension and became a full-time artist. Balson’s artistic education and methods were critically shaped by his working-class background. He did not travel abroad until 1960 and was an avid auto-didact. His materials, palette, techniques and compositional strategies were likewise informed by his trade. Balson’s profession as a painter-decorator made him conspicuous within the predominantly middle-class Sydney art scene, though his painting partner Grace Crowley considered it an advantage in their pursuit of constructive painting. This paper explores the impact of Balson’s trade on his trajectory towards pure abstraction. While his art was at odds with the predominantly figurative mode of class-conscious art in Australian Modernism, we argue that it is embedded in the experience of class through its creative adaptation of labour into aesthetics. Source: OLH Svetlana Alexievich, The Art of Oral History No. 1 Paris Review Issue 257, Fall 2026 Interviewed by Elena Kostyuchenko INTERVIEWER How were you able to go to Chernobyl? Did you need special papers? ALEXIEVICH It was a time of chaos. They let me right into the zone. … More than anything, there was confusion. Adamovich [Ales Adamovich, the Soviet Belarusian writer], I remember, persuaded Gorbachev to send in the scientists, who showed up without even bringing their shaving kits. They were told that there had been an explosion at a nuclear power plant, but for some reason they thought that they’d be there for only a day or two. The first time I went was several months later, and people kept telling me about things they didn’t understand—how the fishermen couldn’t find worms, because they’d burrowed deep into the earth, how the milk wouldn’t curdle at the cheese factories. The honeybees wouldn’t come out of their hives. The evacuations started, I think, in the first month. The old women hid, they wouldn’t leave. I mentioned radiation to one of them and she said, “I’ve seen that radiation, all right! It’s yellow with green in it. I saw puddles of it in my garden, and I told the other women, and we ran and looked, and she had it in her garden, and the other one, too!” God, it was wild, the way the mind made sense of it. There was a story going around about Gorbachev telling the scientists to show him the radiation. “We can’t, it’s invisible.” “But I want to see it!” I also ran into the soldiers who’d been flown in on helicopters from Afghanistan. I asked them, “What are you doing here with your machine guns?” They said, “We’re collecting the radiation, that’s what.” So you had some of them running around with their guns, others out in the village washing off firewood or burying soil in the soil. These were the kinds of things that exploded our worldview. They made you realize that culture was just a chest filled with old manuscripts. There were no books in there that could help me. Our philosophers turned out to be useless when faced with the unprecedented. Derrida, Baudrillard—philosophy fell silent. What was happening? How would we live with it? That’s when I decided it simply needed to be witnessed. Which is what I did. INTERVIEWER I wanted to ask about how you talk to people. … ALEXIEVICH Yes, we sit and we talk—about what interests me and about life in general. About love, about everything in the world. That way, what comes out is three-dimensional. If you cut straight to the part you need, which is what journalists do, it won’t be interesting, and it won’t be the truth, either. Not the whole truth. INTERVIEWER Do people always open up when you ask questions, or can questions get in the way? ALEXIEVICH You have to ask questions, of course. Your job is to scour away the banality and return people to their true selves, to make them face what they rarely tap into. With every new person, you have to find a new way to do it. When you ask an interesting question or you share what happened to you, you help people really think about what they’re saying and not just repeat whatever they’ve picked up from the newspaper. But not everybody is capable of it, not everyone wants to put themselves through that. Either the chemistry starts to kick in or it doesn’t. A person might be wonderful, but you can tell that the conversation just isn’t going to happen. You can try to push it, but it will be a product of your own intellect, rather than of that mysterious connection. Life doesn’t come from the mind. Some people I can call two years after our last conversation, and they’ll say, “Oh, Svetochka! I think of you all the time,” and we’ll start talking again. With others, that won’t happen. That doesn’t mean they’re not extraordinary people, just that you can’t connect with them. They might have some insight, but you don’t have the right antenna to pick up their signal. Source: The Paris Review Colorized Franco-Prussian war … the ruins of Strasbourg with a French photographer and his mobile dark room. Ralph Balson (1961) Matter Painting If you’ve scrolled this far, you know you want to click: Subscribe
Judge orders DFA to maintain health insurance for St. Albans Creamery workers
St. Albans Creamery workers will continue to receive employer-provided health insurance while a legal battle plays out over the plant’s closure, according to a new court ruling this week.
Catching the Light: Taking the Pulse of Puerto Rico’s Forests
Our team from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Biospheric Sciences Laboratory is working to improve how satellites monitor plant health.
9 Best Fruits to Help Reduce Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Heart Disease Risk
The soluble fiber in fruit can improve cholesterol, a cardiologist says. Certain fruits show “potent cardiovascular protective action” thanks to their beneficial plant compounds.
Plant lovers wanted: Study highlights demand for citizen science
Over the last several years, invasive plant and insect species have found their way into more and more social media feeds. From the tree of heaven to Bradford pear trees and the ubiquitous spotted lanternfly, ...
East Islip Students Take Science Class Into The Wild At Sunken Meadow
AP Environmental Science students got a hands-on look at the plants, animals and ecological role of Sunken Meadow's salt marsh.
Environmental and public health groups sue EPA over power plant regulation rollback
The organizations say eliminating carbon emissions limits threatens Americans’ health.
Plant Lovers Wanted: Study Highlights Demand for Citizen Science
Developing a more coordinated approach to training citizen scientists could help protect ecosystems from invasive species that don't stop at state borders
Caribbean Diet: Traditional Foods, Nutrition, and Cardiometabolic Health
Traditional and neo-traditional Caribbean food patterns emphasize locally produced plant foods, roots, legumes, fruits, and seafood, with observational evidence linking these patterns to more favorable cardiometabolic profiles. Nutrition transition, import dependence, changing food practices, and structural pressures are reshaping these diets, highlighting the potential value of culturally relevant and locally resilient food systems.
Trump announces $15B investment by India-based firm to build Iowa steel plant
India-based Essar Group is building the plant, which will use iron ore mined in Minnesota
‘Surprisingly sophisticated’: Experts discover a common houseplant can count
Can plants count? Maybe not exactly like humans do, but scientists agree that they're capable of some very clever things.
Clemson researchers will use AI to explore how plant cells respond to stress
The scientists will study how individual plant cells control their genes. The answers could eventually help researchers and breeders develop more resilient crops.
President Trump to announce $15 billion steel plant in eastern Iowa
Republican President Donald Trump will announce that Mesabi Metallics will invest $15 billion into building a steel plant in eastern Iowa.
Massimo Iorizzo Named Director of NC State’s Plants for Human Health Institute
Horticultural Science Professor Massimo Iorizzo, whose research has delved into the genetics of a veritable rainbow of small fruit and vegetable crops, will lead NC State University's Plants for Human Health Institute.
Massimo Iorizzo Named Director of NC State’s Plants for Human Health Institute
Horticultural Science Professor Massimo Iorizzo, whose research has delved into the genetics of a veritable rainbow of small fruit and vegetable crops, will lead NC State University's Plants for Human Health Institute.
SunOpta opens $35 million beverage line
The Texas plant expansion is expected to increase capacity by 10%.
Scientists develop solar tech that turns seawater to clean water
What if turning ocean water into fresh drinking water didn’t require massive amounts of energy or leave behind a trail of toxic environmental waste? Well, researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics recently achieved this with a monumental breakthrough. The groundbreaking discovery While traditional desalination plants rely on high-energy heat or heavy pressure […] Read the original article here: Scientists develop solar tech that turns seawater to clean water
Nuclear reactors, data center campuses, gas-powered plants proposed in Iberville, Ascension
If completed, the project would add an extra 20% to Louisiana's electricity generation capacity.
From pickups to idle plants: automakers seek lifeline from defence boom
Western automakers are chasing a defence spending boom as a way to sell more vehicles and make use of underemployed factories, though executives say military work will not make up for slowing car sales and growing Chinese competition.
I-5 southbound project on track as pressure builds for local businesses
Portland’s southbound I-5 Rose Quarter shutdown hits the halfway point, with ODOT saying repairs remain on track for Oct. 16. But delays are worsening and nearby businesses report steep losses as traffic patterns shift.
Giant, feathered dinosaur with massive claws and tons of teeth found in China
But don't worry, this Cretaceous behemoth probably ate plants.
Giant, feathered dinosaur with massive claws and tons of teeth found in China
But don't worry, this Cretaceous behemoth probably ate plants.
New soil test could reveal how soil microbes help feed plants
Scientists have streamlined a method for measuring DNA-bound phosphorus in soil, making it cheaper and easier while preserving its accuracy. The technique could reveal how soil microbes help recycle phosphorus and ultimately support more sustainable fertilizer and nutrient management.
A 9-Million-Year-Old Tooth Just Challenged What Scientists Thought They Knew About the Atacama Desert
Scientists were surprised to discover a fossilized tooth from a capybara that lived almost 9 million years ago in what is now northern Chile’s Atacama Desert. Chile’s Atacama Desert is an unlikely place to find traces of capybaras, the world’s largest living rodents, whose lives revolve around water and wetland plants. Yet a fossilized tooth
Scientists Turned the Human Body Itself Into a Wireless Network for Tiny Medical Implants
What if your body became a part of the system?
Democratic lawmakers oppose state dollars for nuclear
They argue that taxpayers and ratepayers should not be asked to subsidize new nuclear projects.
Democratic lawmakers oppose state dollars for nuclear
They argue that taxpayers and ratepayers should not be asked to subsidize new nuclear projects.
Scientists supercharge plant immunity to boost its natural defense response
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) scientists have developed a way to "supercharge" a plant's natural immune response.
Shelby County Health Department Seeks Permit Program Funding as Air Pollution Falls
"By emissions going down, so [is] our revenue."
Scientists clone Southern Africa’s wild fruit trees as forests disappear
Plant geneticist Alice Muchugi recalls meeting a group of furious fruit sellers on the side of a dusty road not far from Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, in 2024. They told her that a group of men armed with chainsaws had felled some of the district’s most prolific fruit trees, robbing the women of a steady source […]
Iron helped scientists trace Earth’s oxygen. Now it’s telling a bigger story
New research shows the same geological record also bears the fingerprints of mountain building and the rise of land plants
CRISPR could help doctors attack blood cancer without destroying healthy cells
Researchers used CRISPR to remove CD33 from donor stem cells, potentially giving doctors a way to attack aggressive blood cancers without destroying the healthy cells patients need after a transplant. In a 30-patient trial, the edited cells successfully took hold and appeared to shield blood cells from a CD33-targeted cancer treatment.
I fear for my family's health, says dad with high levels of PFOA in blood
Mario Panteli, who lives near a Thornton-Cleveleys chemical plant, says he is shocked by the "bombshell".
I fear for my family's health, says dad with high levels of PFOA near chemical plant
Mario Panteli, who lives near a Thornton-Cleveleys chemical plant, says he is shocked by the "bombshell".
Engineers connect health wearables and implants using the body as the network
Using the human body to transmit signals, Georgia Tech engineers have created a wireless networking system that allows tiny implantable sensors and actuators to communicate with each other and with wearable ...
Fall plant sale, 'Monty Python,' 'Jersey Boys' and more events: Around Baton Rouge
Looking for something to do?
Is metascience being co-opted?
In July, the White House released a report that argued academia is deeply dysfunctional and in need of radical reform.Science: A New Golden Age sets out a litany of problems many academics will recognise: interminable waits for grants; short-term funding rather than support for longer, more ambitious projects; ballooning administrative requirements; pressure to publish, and many more. “The scientific machine is getting bogged down,” it says. At least on the face of it, Science: A New Golden Age is a triumph for the metascience movement, a loose-knit, global group of academics, philanthropists and think tankers that want far more testing and experimentation in how we fund public research and innovation. The report tells US research funders to set up internal metascience units to do just this. But it has also set alarm bells ringing that metascience is being conveniently deployed to help justify the defunding of US universities, which US vice president JD Vance has openly labelled “the enemy.” “Just because you have an issue with your plumbing in your house doesn't mean you light the entire house on fire and burn it to the ground,” said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, a group campaigning against what it says are attacks on scientists by the Trump administration. No one is arguing that academia doesn’t need reform, but there’s debate over how far and how fast the system should be shaken up. Does public R&D need slow and steady evidence-based adjustment, or radical new experiments?One of the key arguments in Science: A New Golden Age is that there’s not enough funding for what it calls “mid-level” science: engineering-heavy projects that require tens of millions of dollars, involve ten to a hundred people, and last around five years. Such a project might develop a brain-computer interface for people with Alzheimer's disease, for example. As such, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already announced $1.5 billion to set up so-called X-Labs, effectively new research organisations to pursue breakthroughs in areas such as quantum sensing and new scientific instruments. Funding divertedBut there’s a catch: this money has squeezed NSF budgets for more traditional, fundamental research grants, Science reported in June, likely meaning less cash for university-based scientists. Science: A New Golden Age also makes various swipes at universities, accusing them of extracting overheads from scientists to fund administrative bloat. “We have become dependent on a narrow set of legacy institutions,” it says. The report doesn’t mention it, but the US government is simultaneously seeking greater powers over federal funding, which would allow political appointees at funding agencies to screen or cancel research grants mid-project. The White House is also seeking to slash the NSF’s budget by more than half in 2027, although similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by Congress. Convenient hookThis has worried some that the metascience agenda could be misused as a kind of smokescreen to further weaken universities. James Wilsdon, executive director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, said that the report contains lots of “interesting ideas” and agrees that in places, academia is a “pretty broken system.” But the risk is that metascience is being deployed as a “convenient hook” to support cuts and a “political land grab” to transfer grant power from scientists to political appointees in US funding agencies.So far, the metascience agenda hasn’t been seized on by radical right parties in Europe. But Wilsdon worries it will cross the Atlantic, politicising research reform efforts and making them more difficult to carry out. The report is already making some in Europe sceptical of the entire idea. “The system is not without flaws, but the metascience discussion is not likely to improve the system but rather to generate munition to undermine it,” said Claes de Vreese, a professor of AI and society at the University of Amsterdam. Peter Thiel protégéOfficially, Science: A New Golden Age has just one named author: Michael Kratsios, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former chief of staff to Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel. He also served as chief financial officer of Thiel’s Clarium Capital Management. Since the 1990s, Thiel has criticised US universities for moving away from teaching what he views as the classic works of western civilisation, and drifting towards “anti-Western zealotry.” And since 2011, he has offered two-year fellowships of $250,000 to young people to skip or drop out of university, and instead start companies or pursue scientific research. “College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new,” according to the Thiel Fellowships website. In other areas, the Trump administration has promoted academics with a longstanding interest in metascience. For example, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, in 2020 co-authored a study arguing the funder backs overly conservative proposals, although he achieved wider prominence as a critic of pandemic lockdowns. Careless talk costs fundingEven before the Trump administration embraced the metascience agenda, some metascientists privately wondered whether they should be careful not to overstate dysfunctions in academia, in case this gets used as ammunition against universities. But others think being cautious with criticism is pointless. After all, last year, the Trump administration sought to cut funding from US universities on an entirely different premise: supposed antisemitism on campus. “I don't think these governments need a technical metascientific excuse to attack the universities, they will want to do so anyway,” said Will Stone, a researcher at Science Works, a new think tank advocating for a “metascience revolution” in the UK. “I think researchers should report what they find, even when the findings may be used to advance policies they disagree with,” echoed Russell Funk, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who in 2023 co-authored a highly influential paper that argued scientific papers were becoming less disruptive over time. No justificationThat said, Funk thinks that metascientific research certainly doesn’t justify a weakening of universities. Instead, scientists need “time, resources and stability to pursue unfamiliar ideas,” he said. “Taking away those conditions works against the very goal the reforms are supposed to achieve.”The Institute for Progress, a Washington DC-based innovation policy think tank that has championed X-Labs and metascience units, also says that reforms should complement, not supplant, universities. “Unpredictable, unreliable, and reduced federal funding to researchers is destabilising to the very foundations of research and development and is bad,” said Jenn Gustetic, the institute’s director of metascience and R&D policy.Evolution or revolution?This points to a much bigger divide in the metascience community: how far and how fast should public R&D be shaken up? Does it need evolution or revolution? For example, Science: A New Golden Age says the science system relies too heavily on traditional “workhorse” project grants, the type that pay out around $250,000 a year to fund “hypothesis-driven science by small teams on tractable questions.” However, in criticising project grants, the report “decisively picks one side of a debate that is far from settled,” David Hilmer Rex, a metascientist based in Denmark, has written. In June, Pierre Azoulay, a metascientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defended project grants, saying that the alternative of X-Labs “merits scepticism.”A-B testingOne challenge in metascience is that it’s easier to generate evidence for some types of change than others. Most straightforwardly, research funders can run A-B tests on different ways of awarding money. For example, Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation recently trialled distributed peer review, where applicants rate each other’s proposals, and measured its results against traditional review panels. Distributed peer review made quicker decisions, although awarded money to largely different ideas. However, much of the focus of the metascience movement has been on founding fast-moving and free-acting new research organisations and funders, in contrast to the alleged stodginess of mainstream academia or public innovation grants. A culture of speed and freedom are the animating principles behind Germany’s Sprind or the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).Related articlesViewpoint: it's time to experiment with how Europe funds science European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationHowever, while it’s possible to closely study previously successful bodies, such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), for historical clues to their secret sauce, it’s impossible to guarantee in advance that the likes of Sprind or Aria will actually work as hoped. But advocates of new organisations say this inherent uncertainly shouldn’t stop us trying. “If we wait for definitive proof that something will work before we try it, I don't know where your proof is coming from,” said Stone. Trade-offsUp until now, experiments in metascience haven’t generally come with hard trade-offs over money. In the US, new ideas such as focused research organisations have often been funded by billionaire philanthropists. In Europe, new innovation agencies such as Sprind and Aria, or the Netherland’s new National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, haven’t needed explicit cuts elsewhere in the research system. But with the $1.5 billion establishment of X-Labs by the NSF, the trade-offs are becoming clearer. Some metascientists privately wonder whether a smaller pilot would have been more appropriate, given that the idea is untested. The Institute for Progress counters that the $1.5 billion X-Labs budget is spread out over a decade, so will account for less than 2% of the NSF’s annual budget. “It’s important to remember that [Darpa] was once an institutional experiment as well. Now it’s one of the most cited innovative funding models in the world,” said Gustetic.As for Europe?The US isn’t the only country placing metascience at the heart of its research strategy. Science: A New Golden Age looks admiringly at the UK, which in 2024 set up a Metascience Unit to scrutinise how it funds research. In Brussels, it’s more of a mixed picture. In 2018, the EU set up the European Innovation Council to funnel grants and equity to start-ups, although it’s sometimes criticised for awarding money too slowly. Recently, the council has started experimenting with challenges, where teams of inventors compete to overcome a technological challenge. The European Commission also wants to experiment with partially randomising grant winners, to cut down on bureaucracy. However, the Commission’s own advisers have said the EU’s own research schemes are too conventional. They want the Commission to establish a new dedicated unit to scrutinise and experiment with funding. But there’s no sign of a such unit emerging in Brussels’ plans for the next Horizon Europe programme, which from 2028 is set to distribute more than €160 billion over seven years. Sam Bogerd, director of breakthrough innovation at the Brussels-based Arq Foundation, an AI-focused think tank that also looks at metascience, says that Europe might have the opposite problem to the US: universities and basic research funding are still reasonably well supported, but there’s not enough experimentation. “We're not taking a close enough look at where this money can achieve the most, and I am worried that the good ideas around metascience will be tainted politically by their association with the Trump administration,” he said. He’s still lobbying for the Commission to set up an experimental unit. But in the meantime, the Arq Foundation plans to do its own research, and is currently hiring two metascience researchers to run the rule over how Brussels spends research funding.
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Hands-on science can be cool
After spending many long days conducting experiments to find a new way to combat bacterial infections in crops, Misha Hegde and Mia Soleil Maurer have been rewarded with international recognition and access to top research facilities. But these are not typical scientists. They are 16-year-old German high school students.“Our supervisor told us that in order to start a project, you need to begin with either a question or a problem,” says Misha, adding that she and Mia had read about antibiotic resistance in certain plants being treated for bacterial infections. “We found out that antibiotics overuse is very common in agriculture,” explains Mia. “Our aim was to create an alternative to antibiotics and to try to raise awareness of the problem of overusing antibiotics.”Their subsequent research has focused on harnessing bacteriophages, the natural predators of bacteria, to eliminate pathogens threatening food crops treated with antibiotics. At the Schuldorf Bergstraße Jugend forscht MakerLab in Seeheim-Jugenheim, located in the German state of Hesse, they discovered a novel phage that infects the Rhizobium rhizogenes bacterium, which causes the hairy root disease that can reduce yields of tomatoes, carrots, soya beans and other food staples.The students believe their method could curb antibiotic use, while protecting plants from infections without disturbing the natural soil microbiome. “The application of phages is host-specific, so they would only kill the targeted pathogen or disease-causing bacteria,” explains Mia. It may also offer environmental benefits, since applying antibiotics can contaminate groundwater.Getting to this point has not been easy. The childhood friends admit to feeling frustrated when their trials did not yield the expected results. “We spent six months on our first experiment, just doing the same thing over and over and over again, to the point where we thought, is it even worth it? Why are we doing this?” Misha says. “You just need to be brave enough to take that first step and keep going.”The benefits of inquiry-based learningTheir determination has paid off. In 2025, the pair won first prize in biology at Jugend forscht, Germany’s national competition for young people interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They were also among the winners of the German Research Foundation Europa-Preis, which is awarded to selected national winners at Jugend forscht, and took third place in the 2025 European Union Contest for Young Scientists.The Jugend forscht Foundation opens doors for young people to connect with scientists as well as industry professionals. Jessica Bönsch, executive director of the Foundation, sees Misha and Mia as prime examples of how young people can develop a deeper understanding of science through their own research projects. “The experience of working on your own research question is very important,” she explains, adding that “inquiry-based learning engages with real-life problems in a way that can be more motivating than traditional classroom teaching.”The Jugend forscht Foundation offers financial support through sponsor pools in Germany’s federal states. Some projects are developed in cooperation with student research centres, university labs or informal collaborative learning areas called makerspaces. Other activities start as hands-on “garage projects” and can grow within the Jugend forscht network and infrastructure.The Jugend forscht Foundation is also a partner of Science Comes to Town, an EU initiative to strengthen public awareness about science and create bridges between researchers and communities. The EU-financed project involves universities, research institutions and other stakeholders in three host cities — Brest (France), Kiel (Germany) and Split (Croatia).“It's so important for people not to live in a bubble, because I think science can be very scary if you misunderstand it,” Mia says of SCTT. The initiative’s aim of raising awareness about science is “absolutely amazing,” Misha adds. “I think it's the best way to kind of make science digestible for the public. In a world where misinformation in science is getting more radical, more dangerous, becoming more of a threat to the trust in scientific infrastructure and foundations, we need such programmes.”Misha and Mia also believe that SCTT can help break down gender stereotypes in science by encouraging young women to study and pursue careers in scientific fields. Both students have benefited from female mentors and encouragement they had when they were much younger. Mia’s love of science began with a class trip to a lab, while Misha — with a smile on her face — says she wanted to study history until “a teacher kind of coerced me into joining a school science club.”Recognition beyond EuropeIn May, Misha and Mia were among the finalists at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held in Phoenix, Arizona, and involving nearly 1,700 pre-university students from over 60 countries. “It was very crazy because there were so many people and so many teenagers interested in science,” Mia recalls. The event was also challenging. “It was eight hours of continuously presenting your project,” adds Misha.Attending the fair was a chance for the young women to see first-hand the value of international collaboration as well as how research cultures differ. “America is a bit more willing to take risks, and I think that's something we can learn about here in Europe,” Misha explains. However, she continues, “I think Europe has the talent, has the innovation and has the resources” to be competitive.Misha and Mia plan to continue their phage experiments in the new school year, inspired by the project’s hands-on nature and the support they receive from their supervisors. They have also attracted the interest of professional scientists and received invitations to leading research facilities, including the Centre for Synthetic Microbiology, jointly run by the University of Marburg and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany. “It is so cool that we can do something to try to move the world in our school and at this age,” Mia says.After completing secondary school, Mia plans to study microbiology and pursue a career in medical research, focusing on Ebola and other infectious diseases. “This has been my dream for so long,” she says. Her friend Misha is interested in biological research with a focus on medicine. “I've gotten addicted to the process of going to the lab, planning out experiments, then failing, trying again,” Misha says. “I think there's just so much to be discovered, so much to be done.”The students' names and photos were published with the permission of their parents.Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
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UW Health celebrates 60 years of organ transplants
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UW Health Transplant Center marks 60 years and 21,000 organs transplanted in Madison
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