Search headlines

SecureFood School: Transforming Food System Risk Science into Real-World Education

Strengthening food system resilience requires not only technological innovation, but also an improved societal understanding of food system dynamics and risks.

May 5 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • food-safety.com

24 Scholars Awarded Research Fellowships to Understand and Reduce Political Polarization

Carnegie Corporation of New York announces nearly $5 million in grants to the 2026 Class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows

May 5 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • carnegie.org

Leschi business owners frustrated with Seattle Parks construction project

“We understand construction projects have to happen. But it’s about timing. And the timing is the worst possible time for the businesses in this area.”

May 5 • 7:12 AM EDT • Business • kiro7.com

Engineering the Future: How Horacio Espinosa is Revolutionizing Medicine and Material Science

Horacio Espinosa '89 Sc.M., '90 Sc.M., '92 Ph.D. has spent his career finding answers that are reshaping how we understand materials, medicine, and the microscopic world. A three-time Brown graduate and world-leading researcher, Espinosa is the 2026 recipient of the Horace Mann Medal, the Brown Graduate School's highest honor for alumni who have made significant contributions in their field.

May 4 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • engineering.brown.edu

Defying Planetary Science Expectations, Trans-Neptunian Object 2002 XV93 Somehow Has An Atmosphere

Future observations are necessary to understand how this is possible.

May 4 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • iflscience.com

Mobile-health Network Solutions Enters into Non-Binding US$119 Million Strategic Framework with Hector Capital to Acquire BIMA and M&M Helix, Accelerating AI-powered Healthcare Expansion across Asia and Africa

Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - May 4, 2026) - Mobile-health Network Solutions (NASDAQ: MNDR) ("MNDR" or the "Company"), a leading AI-powered digital health platform, today announced the signing of a non-binding Strategic Cooperation Framework Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Hector Capital Holdings Pte. Ltd. ("Hector Capital"). Under the framework, Hector Capital will invest up to US$119 million into MNDR to support the acquisition of majority shareholdings in MILVIK Singapore..

May 4 • 9:16 AM EDT • Health • finance.yahoo.com

SBA Small Business Person of the Year: Derek Ezovski

ORMS helps lenders and commercial real estate professionals understand a property’s environmental risks. When a business applies for a loan, lenders must be sure the property is free from any […]

May 4 • 4:00 AM EDT • Business • hartfordbusiness.com

Record-Setting Retreat of Hektoria Glacier

Scientists relied on satellite data to understand how the Antarctic glacier lost so much ice so rapidly.

May 4 • 12:01 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov

Understanding environmental exposures in early life for lifelong health

Nature Health - Understanding early-life environmental exposures is crucial for protecting lifelong health and should be prioritized in developing exposomics studies and infrastructures worldwide.

May 3 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • nature.com

Meet The Fossa — The Apex Predator That Baffled Scientists For Decades

The fossa is Madagascar’s ultimate misdirection. Here’s why this predator that looks familiar, acts unexpected and took decades for science to understand.

May 3 • 2:30 PM EDT • Science • forbes.com

Healthcare is getting more expensive. Texas lawmakers want to understand why

More Texans are struggling to afford healthcare, and state lawmakers want to understand what’s prompting costs to increase.

May 3 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • dentonrc.com

‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field

‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta

May 2 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • columbiaspectator.com

Report raises alarm about widespread tanning myths ahead of summer

That “healthy-looking glow” might actually be skin damage. A new report highlights common misunderstandings about tanning and skin cancer.

May 2 • 1:49 PM EDT • Health • usatoday.com

Underwater robot tracks sperm whale conversations in real time

Understanding how they communicate remained difficult because these marine mammals dive to depths of more than a mile for around 50 minutes each hour.

May 1 • 8:41 AM EDT • Science • detroitnews.com

AI method tackles one of science's hardest math problems

Penn Engineers have developed a new way to use AI to solve inverse partial differential equations (PDEs), a particularly challenging class of mathematical problems with broad implications for understanding the natural world. The advance, which the researchers call “Mollifier Layers,” could benefit fields as varied as genetics and weather forecasting, because inverse PDEs help scientists work backward from observable patterns to infer the hidden dynamics that produced them.

May 1 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org

Health care is getting more expensive. Texas lawmakers want to understand why

Health care costs are increasing faster than the rate of inflation. A Texas House committee is holding a two-day hearing this week to learn more about what drives lack of affordable healthcare before working on policy recommendations later this year.

May 1 • 6:04 AM EDT • Health • keranews.org

How Prediction Markets are Colliding With California and National Politics

Prediction markets have exploded in recent years, with platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi allowing people to put real money on everything from sports outcomes to election results to armed conflicts overseas. Marisa, Scott and Guy discuss how these markets are influencing state and national politics. Then, they’re joined by Kate Knibbs, senior writer at WIRED, to understand who’s governing these platforms and how they’ve managed to flourish even in states where gambling is illegal. Check out ⁠⁠

Apr 30 • 7:35 PM EDT • Politics • kqed.org

Unlocking SAP Business Context in Databricks with Semantic Metadata Delta Sharing

SAP Business Data Cloud integration with Databricks made it easy to Delta Share your SAP data sets natively into Databricks. But it is difficult to make use of this data without its rich semantic context. Now, SAP Business Data Cloud Delta Shares automatically sync semantic metadata into Unity Catalog — including column and table descriptions, primary/foreign key relationships, and data governance tags. This enables the Databricks Genie to immediately understand your SAP data, making it ready for natural language discovery and secure analytics.

Apr 30 • 2:40 PM EDT • Business • databricks.com

Framing Health Equity Through Community Voices and Partnership

Hofstra University brought community voices to the forefront during National Public Health Week with “Framing Long Island Health Equity: A Journey Toward Strengthening Community-University Engagement,” a culminating event that highlighted a yearlong effort to better understand and address health dis

Apr 30 • 2:37 PM EDT • Health • news.hofstra.edu

Museum of Science and Mystic River Watershed Association Honored with 2026 Boston Climate Leader Award for Research and Innovation

BOSTON, April 30, 2026--The Museum of Science, in partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Boston Climate Leader Awards in the Community Organization category for Research and Innovation. The award recognizes the organizations’ groundbreaking work engaging communities in climate research and advancing understanding of extreme heat as an environmental justice issue.

Apr 30 • 10:29 AM EDT • Science • finance.yahoo.com

12 million images later, Mars starts to make sense

Mars has been photographed to death. Orbiters have mapped it in high resolution, low resolution and even infrared. Scientists are drowning in data, and the problem isn’t seeing Mars anymore. It’s understanding it.That’s where Mirali Purohit comes in.

Apr 30 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • news.asu.edu

This AI knew the answers but didn’t understand the questions

For decades, psychologists have debated whether the human mind can be explained by one unified theory or must be broken into separate parts like memory and attention. A recent AI model called Centaur seemed to offer a breakthrough, claiming it could mimic human thinking across 160 different cognitive tasks. But new research is challenging that bold claim, suggesting the model isn’t truly “thinking” at all—it’s just memorizing patterns.

Apr 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Sony clarifies recent PlayStation DRM update

PlayStation fans and gaming preservations have been alarmed since late last week that a new 30-day timer attached attached to newly-purchased digital games for PlayStation 4 and 5 might render those games unplayable if the system they’re on is offline for longer than a month. But a rep from Sony told Game File today that new system will require only a single online check before it functions as a perpetual license for the digitally purchased game. That is consistent with a newer theory that emerged by gamers testing the 30-day timer over the last two days. “Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual,” a rep for PlayStation told me over email. “A one-time online check is required after purchase to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are needed.” The rep’s explanation squares with the current understanding among players about what’s happening. A multi-day mystery A post last Friday by YouTuber Lance MacDonald spread awareness over the 30-day timer. Quickly, players began stress-testing the system, removing a battery within their PlayStations and checking what would happen if their systems were offline past the timer window. They noticed that setting a PS4 or PS5 to be the “primary” console—a common Sony-authorized method to retain rights to a digital game—wasn’t overriding the 30-day limit. On Tuesday came the breakthrough: A gamer called Andshrew on the Resetera forums posted the results of some tasting. They found that digital games purchased on PS4/PS5 after some time in mid-April would get a 30-day timer that could then be removed and replaced with a perpetual license that would allow the game to be played offline. The transition to the perpetual license occurred some number of days after the digital game was purchased and the system was connected to the internet. They believed that a PlayStation’s online check-in would trigger the license change no sooner than 15 days after the user had purchased the game. This synced with the theory that Sony’s new system is related to the 14-day window that PlayStation users have to request a refund for digitally purchased games. The new timer/check-in system could be a way to defeat some exploit in that refund system, some users theorized. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe In a follow-up, I asked the Sony rep if the 15-day timeline is accurate or if the perpetual license can be activated sooner after purchase. If they share more, I’ll update this post. Sony has not said why they’ve introduced the timer and whether it is designed to stop people from exploiting the refund system. But their explanation suggests that this new DRM method should not result in long-term loss of access to digitally purchased games, just because a PlayStation is offline for a month or Sony’s servers are down. Xbox flashback For many some gamers, the initial reporting of the 30-day timer conjured memories of Microsoft’s disastrous May 2013 announcement of the Xbox One, which was going to require an internet-connected check-in once a day, lest your games become unplayable.1 After widespread backlash, Microsoft abandoned that plan, ahead of the Xbox One’s launch. 1 Fun fact: That 24-hour check-in detail was my scoop from an interview I had that day with then-Xbox exec Phil Harrison. I was EiC of Kotaku at the time and rushing from one Xbox One preview appointment on Microsoft’s campus to another. I phoned the news in to reporter Jason Schreier, who wrote it up for the site.

Apr 29 • 7:24 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

2 UVA scientists elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

The UVA researchers were elected for their work advancing understanding of disease and environmental challenges.

Apr 29 • 2:11 PM EDT • Science • news.virginia.edu

Can NASA and SpaceX really build a moon base in the next 10 years?

Experts say building a lunar colony within the next decade, as NASA and Elon Musk want to, will require finding solutions to problems we don't yet fully understand.

Apr 29 • 12:51 PM EDT • Science • livescience.com

Economic Development to Host “Borrowing for Small Businesses” Workshop

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Wednesday, April 29, 2026) – Berkeley County Economic Development will host a free, virtual workshop to help small business owners understand financing options to support their needs. The workshop, Borrowing for Small Businesses, will be held Thursday, May 7, at noon via Microsoft Teams. Small business owners interested in learning how the …

Apr 29 • 12:14 PM EDT • Business • berkeleycountysc.gov

Earth is splitting open beneath the Pacific Northwest, scientists say

For the first time, scientists have watched a subduction zone literally fall apart beneath the ocean floor. Using advanced seismic imaging, they found the Juan de Fuca plate splitting into fragments as it sinks beneath North America. Rather than collapsing all at once, the plate is tearing piece by piece, like a train slowly derailing. The finding helps explain ancient plate fragments and could refine how scientists understand earthquake behavior.

Apr 29 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Neuroinfectious Diseases Research Workshop: Advancing Translational Science and Clinical Innovation

The Neuroinfectious Diseases Research Workshop will be a two-day scientific meeting designed to accelerate research, foster collaboration, and build capacity in the field of neurological infections. Hosted at the NIH Neuroscience Center (NSC, Executive Boulevard), this meeting will bring together clinician-scientists, laboratory investigators, translational researchers, government partners, and trainees committed to advancing understanding of neuroinfectious

Apr 28 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • ninds.nih.gov

Formula 1 fan survey: Your thoughts on the new regulations, and the sport’s future

We want your take on the 2026 cars, the quality of racing so far, how well you understand the new rules and where we go from here.

Apr 28 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

City Council discusses entertainment district, street maintenance project

DeKALB – The City Council presented a rough list of interested businesses for the recently passed entertainment district to better understand the limits of where patrons could carry their alcohol on the open streets. Patrons will be allowed to carry open containers on sidewalks and crossways within the limits of the district. Future discussions will...

Apr 27 • 11:32 PM EDT • Entertainment • northernstar.info

How much history should there be in science education?

Understanding how previous shifts in scientific understanding occurred affects how we view current theories

Apr 27 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • chemistryworld.com

Do you follow Maine high school sports? We want to hear from you.

Help us understand what our audience cares about and what we could be doing better.

Apr 27 • 2:59 PM EDT • Sports • pressherald.com

Thanks to GLP-1s, Obesity Experts Are Trying to Understand ‘Food Noise’

Before the rise of GLP-1s, obesity experts didn’t study the internal buzz that compels people to eat. Now that food noise is being switched off, they want to understand it.

Apr 27 • 9:59 AM EDT • Health • nytimes.com

The Science Behind the Headlines: Understanding Attribution Science

When devastating weather events make headlines, a question increasingly follows: Did climate change play a role? Where did the emissions driving that risk come from? And what harms result when those risks materialize? This isn't just casual curiosity. Communities facing floods, families displace

Apr 27 • 9:30 AM EDT • Science • blog.ucs.org

Pokémon Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino says the game has to deal with more "limitations" when it comes to graphics

Pokémon veteran and Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino says he understands criticism of graphics, but points out devs had to deal with "limitations".

Apr 27 • 8:07 AM EDT • Technology • eurogamer.net

Puff, pass and publish: the science behind cannabis

As cannabis becomes more accepted across the United States, public conversations are changing quickly. But according to Rebecca Cooney, a professor of Strategic Communication at WSU, many people still misunderstand what cannabis research is actually about. Cooney works in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and is also a co-investigator with the Resource Center...

Apr 26 • 10:37 PM EDT • Science • dailyevergreen.com

The 'Oscars of Science': Breakthrough Prize 2026 awards over $18 million for discoveries across space, physics and more

"This year's laureates show what great science can do — deepen our understanding of the world and lead to discoveries that improve millions of lives."

Apr 26 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • space.com

Youtility Decision Science: $4.2 Million Raised To Build Behavioral AI Platform For Predicting Customer Decisions

Youtility Decision Science, a behavioral AI company focused on understanding and predicting consumer decision-making, announced that it has completed the second close of its seed funding round, bringing total capital raised to $4.2 million. The round was backed by a consortium of strategic investors, including Silver Falcon Capital, Fyllo, and National Media, along with additional industry investors and family offices.

Apr 26 • 8:55 AM EDT • Science • pulse2.com

10 misconceptions about kids sports: How parents can push against them

Understanding what’s behind our misconceptions about youth sports could be the key to unlocking a happy sports journey for our kids.

Apr 26 • 6:05 AM EDT • Sports • usatoday.com

WORLD IP DAY 2026: "Ready, Set, Innovate" - Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council

Small Businesses, Innovators, Creators Drive Innovation and Growth SBE Council is proud to join our small business allies and fellow organizations – all dedicated to fueling innovation and protecting intellectual property (IP) – in celebrating WORLD IP DAY 2026. The goal of the day is to increase the general understanding of the importance of IP. […]

Apr 25 • 11:16 PM EDT • Business • sbecouncil.org

How did humanity end up underground in 'Silo'? Apple TV digs deep in new Season 3 teaser (video)

"Before we know how it all will end, we need to understand how it all began."

Apr 24 • 6:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • space.com

Business owners reflect on long-planned street upgrades in downtown Noblesville

Embrace Downtown is underway, the plan that envisions a pedestrian-friendly plaza, wider sidewalks, places to sit, and parking rules that are more consistent and easier to understand.

Apr 24 • 2:00 PM EDT • Business • ibj.com

New fellowship program for senior, experienced tech and scientific innovators

The Belfer Center is seeking applicants from experienced, senior technology and scientific innovators from the private sector to pursue policy-relevant work aimed at expanding the understanding, potential, use, impact, and governance of emerging technologies.

Apr 24 • 12:36 PM EDT • Science • news.harvard.edu

No. 4 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Ed Hooper

'With decades of experience and a deep understanding of the process, Ed Hooper quietly drives results where it matters most.'

Apr 24 • 12:00 PM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com

Honeybees understand basic math

Counting petals may help the insects remember the most rewarding flowers.

Apr 24 • 11:12 AM EDT • Science • popsci.com

Lincoln Public School students practice running a business at student farmers market

One of the 3rd grade teachers said its all about giving the kids an understanding of what it’s like to be producers and consumers and seeing where their money actually goes.

Apr 23 • 11:35 PM EDT • Business • 1011now.com

U.S. Forging a Healthier Oceania Through Trump Administration's America First Global Health Strategy Through Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China

United States Forging a Healthier Oceania Through Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy Through Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea Press Statement Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson April 23, 2026 Yesterday the United States and Papua New Guinea signed a five-year bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. The landmark health MOU focuses on effectively addressing emerging infectious diseases and ongoing outbreaks, building and maintaining surge-response capacities, and enabling Papua New Guinea’s government to independently manage new health threats before they spread internationally. Working with Congress, the United States intends to provide $15 million through December 2030 through the jointly decided health MOU, building on decades of progress in reducing HIV infections and transmissions in Papua New Guinea. The government of Papua New Guinea intends to allocate up to $3 million to disease control programs and strengthen health systems at the national and provincial levels. Up to $5 million under the health MOU will directly support global health security funding, advancing our shared commitment to health security in the region. Through the signing of this $18 million MOU, we are bolstering infectious disease prevention and response by leveraging cost-effective, nationally-driven approaches, with the goal of increasing Papua New Guinea’s health system self-sufficiency. America First Global Health Strategy Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed so far represent more than $20.6 billion in new health funding, including more than $12.8 billion in U.S. assistance alongside $7.8 billion in co-investment from recipient countries, building on decades of progress fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases around the world. As of April 22, the State Department has signed 32 bilateral global health MOUs with Angola, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Uganda.

Apr 23 • 10:36 PM EDT • Health • china.usembassy-china.org.cn

Amendment 55: Step-2 Due Date for B.3 Living With a Star Science

B.3 Living With a Star Science (LWS) emphasizes the science necessary to understand those aspects of the coupled Sun-Earth system that affect life and

Apr 23 • 11:45 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov

Youtility Decision Science Raises Seed Funding for Decision Science Platform That Predicts Customer Behavior

Strategic investment from a consortium including Silver Falcon Capital, Fyllo and National Media supports development of behavioral AI technology designed to help companies understand and predict customer decisionsRICHMOND, Va. and LONDON, April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Youtility, a pioneer in behavioral AI for consumer engagement focused on why consumers make decisions, today announced the second close of its seed round, bringing total funding to $4.2M. The round was supported by a consorti

Apr 23 • 8:30 AM EDT • Science • finance.yahoo.com

Scientists discover hidden forces are warping Earth deep beneath the surface

Scientists have mapped how Earth’s deepest mantle is being deformed—and the results point to long-lost tectonic plates buried thousands of kilometers underground. Using a massive global dataset of seismic waves, they found that most deformation happens in regions where these ancient slabs are thought to reside. The findings confirm long-standing theories but, for the first time, show the pattern on a global scale. It’s a major step toward understanding how the planet’s interior slowly churns over time.

Apr 22 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Achieving Health Equity Demands Shift to Structural Change

Advancing health equity in medicine requires a clear-eyed understanding of history, a rejection of race-based clinical assumptions and a commitment to transform research into practice, said Dr. Joseph L. Wright, senior vice president and chief health equity officer of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in his keynote address for Weill Cornell Medicine’s eight annual Diversity Week.

Apr 22 • 4:35 PM EDT • Health • news.weill.cornell.edu

Unique door helps kids learn science and engineering

The so-called “STEM Door” at McAuliffe Elementary School in the Cimarron Hills area does more than separate the library from the STEM Lab. Educators described it as a way to help students understand a range of scientific concepts.

Apr 22 • 2:20 PM EDT • Science • kktv.com

Medical school launches first data science-focused center on immunology

The new center is the first in the Jeffrey Modell Foundation's international network focused specifically on informatics and data science. Its designation signals a shift in how researchers approach immunology, using large-scale data to better understand immune disorders and improve patient care.

Apr 22 • 1:43 PM EDT • Science • news.vt.edu

Integrated Modeling Virtual Institute (IMVI)

A framework for NASA's state-of-the-art Earth system models to advance Earth understanding and deliver actionable insights for societal benefit

Apr 22 • 1:05 PM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov

Our unsung hero of science: Friedrich Miescher, the man who discovered DNA

Working on human pus in a medieval castle, Miescher discovered a substance that would eventually unlock our understanding of how life works.

Apr 22 • 11:27 AM EDT • Science • theconversation.com

America 250: How preventive care became a cornerstone of American health

Awareness of the importance of preventive care has grown dramatically in the United States, reshaping the nation’s understanding of health.

Apr 22 • 9:43 AM EDT • Health • wtop.com

Advancing Earth Observation at NASA since Release of Earthrise Photo

From cameras pressed against spacecraft windows to the most powerful radar ever flown, imaging technology has taken giant leaps since 1968, but the drive to understand our home in the cosmos has remained.

Apr 22 • 9:38 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov

Focusing in on human health research at annual space meeting

Long-duration spaceflight can chip away at an astronaut’s health, prompting scientists to find new ways to make living in space easier on the body. The journey to outer space is incredibly dangerous, but crews must also face day-to-day hazards, such as exposure to cancer-causing radiation, microgravity and extreme isolation. Understanding and ...

Apr 22 • 9:02 AM EDT • Health • news.osu.edu

iSchool Doctoral Students and Faculty Team Explore AI Use in Healthcare at KCHC

How does artificial intelligence (AI) impact how people take care of their health? On April 2-4, Florida State University (FSU) School of Information (iSchool) Ph.D. candidate Yuanying Pang addressed this question, representing her research team at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC) in Lexington, Kentucky. Their poster presentation, “Understanding How People Use Generative AI…

Apr 22 • 8:50 AM EDT • Health • news.cci.fsu.edu

The Universe Is Expanding Too Fast and Scientists Can’t Explain Why

The most precise measurement yet shows the Universe is expanding faster than expected, deepening the Hubble tension. The result hints that something may be missing from our current understanding of the cosmos.

Apr 22 • 6:46 AM EDT • Science • scitechdaily.com

Drought restrictions 'a bit of a nightmare,' business owner says

The City of Raleigh says inspectors are out in neighborhoods making sure people understand and follow the new watering rules.

Apr 21 • 6:39 PM EDT • Business • abc11.com

Analysis: Fans have turned on Rosenior

It marked radical new low point in a bleak run of five consecutive league defeats without a goal for Chelsea - their worst such sequence in more than a century and one that few supporters have witnessed in their lifetime. Given the club's success over the past 25 years, it is perhaps understandable that patience is thin for a head coach appointed just three months ago from Chelsea's partner club, Strasbourg. There were early signs that the night might not unfold as Rosenior had hoped.

Apr 21 • 5:56 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Visiting Fulbright scholar from Poland joins INL researcher to study actinide physics, unlock atomic secrets

For Adam Piotr Pikul of the Polish Academy of Sciences, there is always more to understand about the basic physics of uranium atoms. That’s why Pikul, a professor at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research in Wrocław, is studying actinide quantum materials at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on a Fulbright Senior Award. Actinides are a group of 15 radioactive elements, including uranium.

Apr 21 • 1:13 PM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org

Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections

[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe

Apr 21 • 9:31 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com

Mechanohealth: Where life science meets physical forces for health innovation

Integrating mechanobiological principles into disease pathogenesis, therapeutic development, and tissue engineering is reshaping our understanding of biological systems and accelerating the advancement of mechanotherapy and mechanohealth. This field reveals how mechanical cues regulate cellular behavior, such as force transmission along integrin-nucleus pathways and collective cell migration, and tissue functions. In doing so, mechanobiology connects fundamental research with clinical applications, from limiting cancer metastasis and fibrosis to promoting bone regeneration and maintaining vascular homeostasis. Building on discussion from the Inaugural International Conference on Mechanobiology (ICM) 2025, integrating mechanobiological research with clinical strategies offers new opportunities to address unmet needs, including personalized anti-fibrotic interventions or precision bone regenerative therapies. At the same time, it supports the broader concept of mechanohealth -- a paradigm focused on preserving the physiological mechanical balance within tissues.

Apr 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org

Scientists just captured trees glowing with electricity during storms

Scientists chasing thunderstorms in a retrofitted minivan finally captured something never seen before in nature: faint electrical glows shimmering from treetops during a storm. These “corona discharges,” long suspected but never observed outside a lab, appeared as tiny UV flashes at the tips of leaves. The discovery could reshape how we understand forests, since these bursts may help clean the air by breaking down pollutants.

Apr 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer – and we're starting to understand why

The 4,000-year-old drug, most commonly used to treat pain, prevents certain tumours from forming and spreading across the body – findings that are already changing health policies.

Apr 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com

Apple's new CEO is a product perfectionist taking on the AI age

To understand how Apple's new CEO John Ternus will run the company, pay attention to what he refuses to sell.

Apr 20 • 10:08 PM EDT • Business • reuters.com

A giant 'shadow' has been creeping across Mars for 50 years — and scientists aren't sure why

A dark patch in Mars' Utopia Planitia region has grown significantly since it was first photographed in 1976. Scientists have a loose understanding of what it is, but they can't properly explain its gradual growth.

Apr 20 • 12:23 PM EDT • Science • livescience.com

U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold today provided critical maternal and newborn health equipment that will reach healthcare facilities across Madagascar, demonstrating how U.S. foreign assistance builds a safer, healthier world by helping recipient countries build self-reliant health systems in line with the America First Global Health Strategy. Under President Trump’s America First foreign assistance policy and the America First Global Health Policy, U.S. support serves as a tool of strategic engagement – not global charity. Every U.S. taxpayer dollar is subject to rigorous oversight to ensure measurable results, maximum efficiency, and accountability, with zero tolerance for fraud, waste, or abuse. Through the bilateral Global Health Memorandum of Understanding with Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health, both governments agreed on shared priorities and responsibilities, including a strong focus on maternal and newborn health and Madagascar’s increasing co-investment in its own health system. Madagascar continues to face major challenges in maternal and newborn health, including high maternal mortality rates and significant gaps in access to quality delivery care. In rural regions, many women still give birth at home or in facilities without adequate infection-prevention supplies. Through the U.S.-funded Momentum Country and Global Leadership Project, the United States is providing essential equipment to healthcare facilities nationwide: calibrated reusable drapes for infection prevention in approximately 1,000 community health centers (CSBs), single-use calibrated drapes for 35 hospitals, and management tools for health workers to improve data collection and care coordination. “U.S. foreign assistance makes America safer by preventing instability and strengthening health systems that can detect and contain infectious diseases before they cross borders,” said Chargé d’Affaires Arnold during the handover ceremony. “Our support is temporary and targeted, designed to help Madagascar build greater self-reliance and reduce long-term dependence on U.S. taxpayer resources.” This U.S. support will help standardize safe delivery practices, strengthen infection prevention, and improve data management systems. Used effectively, these materials will contribute directly to reducing maternal and newborn deaths, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to quality delivery care remains limited. From major hospitals to remote health centers, U.S.-funded equipment is already delivering results. The nationwide scope of this support ensures that women and newborns across Madagascar benefit from improved infection prevention and safer delivery practices. This targeted assistance helps save lives today while supporting Madagascar’s transition toward a self-sufficient health system, ensuring that today’s U.S. support leads to Madagascar’s future independence from foreign assistance.

Apr 20 • 8:57 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov

NRL Celebrates 60 Years of Plasma Physics Innovation

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Plasma Physics Division, marking six decades of scientific discovery that has advanced the understanding of plasma,

Apr 20 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • navy.mil

Ecommerce Views Launches as the Go-To Resource for Practical, Research-Backed Ecommerce Intelligence

The new digital publication fills the gap between surface-level news and real-world understanding for merchants, operators, and builders of e-co...

Apr 20 • 2:25 AM EDT • Business • markets.businessinsider.com

Editorial

Whether we're learning about our neighbors on the prairie, or what it's like on moon and beyond; remember that science is critical to understanding our world.

Apr 19 • 5:00 PM EDT • Science • ketv.com

Curing U.S. Health Care, Part I

In 2008, much to their own surprise, leading Democrats unified around a program of major health care reform. Policy wonks had spent years developing the concepts behind what eventually became Obamacare; big Democratic victories in the 2006 midterms and the prospect of controlling both Congress and the presidency made it possible to imagine turning those ideas into reality. During the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama advocated similar plans, based on those ideas, for expanding insurance coverage. And it happened! The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010. When it was fully implemented in 2014, millions of Americans got health insurance: Impressive as the raw numbers are, they don’t tell the whole story. Before the ACA, even upper-middle-class Americans often found it impossible to get health insurance if they had pre-existing medical conditions. Many Americans were trapped in jobs they wanted to leave but couldn’t for fear of losing their employment-based coverage. Meanwhile, dire predictions from the usual suspects about runaway costs proved wrong. In fact, overall U.S. medical spending has grown much more slowly since the ACA was enacted than before. But the U.S., alone among advanced nations, still falls far short of providing universal health care. As you can see from the chart above, 8 percent of the population was still uninsured in 2024, a number that is set to rise over the next two years as a result of Republican policies. True, many of the uninsured in 2024 were undocumented immigrants, who we don’t try to cover. But there are still a lot of uninsured. Moreover, a significant number of Americans who have health insurance are in fact underinsured. As a result, they are at risk of incurring devastating healthcare costs and are sometimes forced to forgo needed care. This number is set to rise sharply in the next two years as a result of Republican policies adopted under Donald Trump. And not only is the U.S. unique among advanced countries in its under-provision of health care coverage, it also incurs by far the world’s highest healthcare costs per capita. So now may well be a good time to get behind a new push for major health reform — an effort, if you like, to finish the job begun under Obama. Today’s primer is devoted to the economics of health reform. During his failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Donald Trump famously complained, “Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.” Actually, we did know — and it’s not that complicated. Health economists understand the principles very well. And because health policy varies greatly among advanced nations, we know a lot about what works and what doesn’t. This will be the first in a series about health reform. Beyond the paywall I’ll address the following: 1. Why markets can’t be trusted to deliver healthcare 2. Routes to universal healthcare 3. What works? In a follow-up post I’ll discuss the pros and cons of different approaches, and possible paths forward for the United States.

Apr 19 • 6:31 AM EDT • Health • paulkrugman.substack.com

'Atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge growing quieter with each game'

There were chants of "we want our Chelsea back" during a protest march before kick-off - then the chorus spread to the stands during the second half of the defeat by Manchester United. The frustration from supporters is understandable, given Chelsea have now lost their past four Premier League games without scoring - their joint-longest run since November 1912. Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior admitted his side face a "mountain to climb" in their pursuit of Champions League qualification, after the latest 1-0 loss to United left them four points off the top five, having played a game more.

Apr 19 • 6:14 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

How to love someone of the opposite party

A progressive Gen Z woman shares her experience dating a Republican, emphasizing dialogue and understanding without compromising core values.

Apr 19 • 6:07 AM EDT • Politics • tennessean.com

Volunteers Discover Rare Space Weather Events Using Their Ears

Scientists are working to understand exactly how these waves behave, and the team behind NASA’s Heliophysics Audified: Resonances in Plasmas (HARP) citizen science project approaches this in a unique way: they compare the Earth’s magnetic field to a giant harp in space.

Apr 17 • 11:04 AM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov

This Scientist Looked for Ways to Stop Mass Violence

David Eisenman sought to better understand how to prevent school shootings and other targeted violence, until the Department of Homeland Security halted the research.

Apr 17 • 10:00 AM EDT • Science • nytimes.com

Engineering, game design faculty turn nuclear science into interactive learning experience

At Kennesaw State University, learning about nuclear energy isn’t limited to textbooks and lectures. Researchers are developing a video game that helps users understand how reactors operate through hands-on experience. At the center of the project titled “Simulating the AP1000: An Educational Game to Promote Understanding of Nuclear Energy Safety and Sustainability” is a collaboration between engineering and game design faculty. The initiative focuses on turning complex nuclear concepts into an interactive learning experience.

Apr 17 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • kennesaw.edu

KUSTOM ENTERTAINMENT AND CYCURION ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT ON TERMS FOR SALE OF LEGACY VIDEO SOLUTIONS SEGMENT

TARGET JUNE 30, 2026 CLOSING DATE OVERLAND PARK, KS and MCLEAN, VA, April 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kustom Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: KUST) (“Kustom” or the “Company”), and Cycurion, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYCU) today announced they have entered into a revised, non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) that establishes revised terms for the sale of Kustom’s legacy video solutions segment (the “Business”) to Cycurion from the previously announced MOU on January 22, 2026. The parties have moved

Apr 17 • 7:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com

Lowcountry small business turns tide on drowning risk for children with autism

April marks Autism Acceptance Month, a time focused on inclusion, understanding and highlighting critical safety issues.

Apr 17 • 4:55 AM EDT • Business • live5news.com

Can we trust the science shaping our lives?

Improved methods for social and behavioral sciences research could help enhance public trust in science, says a new study that investigated the robustness of data analysis to understand whether it reliably ...

Apr 16 • 6:40 PM EDT • Science • phys.org

WATCH: Trump says the pope has to understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon

Apr 16 • 4:53 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

How our surroundings shape health: A conversation between environmental scientists | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

For more than 50 years, Jack Spengler has advanced our understanding of how environment shapes health through pioneering research on the importance of air quality, healthy buildings, and climate resilience.

Apr 16 • 2:00 PM EDT • Health • hsph.harvard.edu

Connecting to Community Business Leaders through Storytelling

As a part of Montclair State University’s mission, deepening our understanding of shared experiences is an important part of our work. This Spring Session, Bloomfield Campus Library provided the space for an open discussion about leadership for Black and Latina women. Bloomfield Campus Library invited a panel of speakers to reflect on their journeys as […]

Apr 16 • 10:15 AM EDT • Business • montclair.edu

Chargé Arnold Speech - Implementation Plan of Five-Year Health MOU - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

Chargée d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold's Speech Discussion on the implementation plan for the five-year health Memorandum of Understanding (…) Colleagues, and honored guests, Good morning, and welcome to the United States Embassy. It is a pleasure to host you today for the second day of this important workshop to discuss the implementation of our bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding on U.S. Government health activities in Madagascar, made possible through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. Today’s focus— discussing a shared vision and developing a preliminary draft for the health MOU Implementation Plan and the terms of reference for the two committees that will steer its implementation—is a decisive step in moving from commitments on paper to concrete action over the next five years. On December 22, 2025, the Governments of Madagascar and the United States signed a five-year bilateral health MOU, with a financial intention of approximately 554 billion Ariary from the United States and This jointly decided MOU intends to strengthen Madagascar’s health system, support lifesaving services, and improve disease prevention and response that matter to both our countries’ health security. For the United States, this means detecting and containing infectious disease outbreaks including malaria, polio, and emerging health threats before they can reach American shores through international travel and trade, protecting American families while reducing the need for costly domestic emergency responses Yesterday, technical experts from the Ministry of Public Health and the U.S. Government worked in thematic groups to draft a preliminary Implementation Plan. Today, your task is to review the shared vision and preliminary draft MOU implementation plan, and the proposed terms of reference for the Joint Steering Committee and the Operational Committee that will guide its implementation. These committees are not just administrative structures. They are the mechanisms that will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, regular dialogue between our two governments, consistent monitoring of progress, and real accountability for the results that will directly benefit the lives of Malagasy citizens. They will also track performance against the benchmarks we have jointly established, which will guide the continuation of U.S. support over the five-year period . Continued U.S. support will be contingent on meeting these performance benchmarks. This ensures accountability to both American and Malagasy taxpayers and guarantees that our partnership delivers measurable results. America First Foreign Assistance means that U.S. support must be strategic, results-driven, and accountable to our taxpayers. It also means we aim to support greater self-reliance and reduced long-term dependence on foreign assistance, with systems that are increasingly financed and led by Madagascar itself. This approach benefits both our nations: Madagascar gains sustainable health capacity, while the United States advances our health security interests and creates opportunities for American health innovations and companies to support Madagascar’s development. In that spirit, I want to recognize the presence of the Ministry’s leadership and the technical directors and program heads responsible for surveillance, basic health services, family health, immunization, countering malaria, laboratories, medicines, and health information systems. Your leadership and technical expertise are essential if this bilateral health MOU is to translate into real and lasting improvements for people in need across the country. Let me emphasize how important collaboration is to the United States in this effort. We can bring American resources, technical expertise, and tools. But this bilateral health MOU can only succeed if it reflects Madagascar’s priorities and if Malagasy institutions lead and maintain its implementation. We see this not as a U.S. project, but as a joint framework under Malagasy leadership, with U.S. support. That is why we are genuinely pleased to host this event here at the Embassy. Opening our doors to you today symbolizes our commitment to work side by side and to remain transparent about how we use U.S. resources in support of Madagascar’s health system. In closing, thank you for your time and your partnership. We are very happy to welcome you here and proud to accompany Madagascar in this next step of implementation planning for our bilateral health MOU. I wish you a productive and focused session. The work you do today will shape how our two governments cooperate on health in the years ahead; it will influence the quality and reliability of health services that Malagasy communities receive; and, most importantly, it will help protect both our nations from infectious disease threats while building Madagascar’s capacity for long-term health system sustainability. Thank you.

Apr 16 • 8:34 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov

United States and Madagascar Discuss Five-Year Health MOU Implementation Plan  - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

United States and Madagascar Discuss Five-Year Health MOU Implementation Plan The United States and Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health are in the process of developing a plan for implementing the U.S.-Madagascar five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on health cooperation, signed under the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. The two-day workshop, at the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, brought together technical experts and senior leadership from the Malagasy and U.S. governments to discuss a shared vision through a preliminary draft MOU Implementation Plan and to establish the joint governance structures that will guide U.S. foreign assistance in health over the next five years. The jointly decided bilateral health MOU, signed on December 22, 2025, builds on decades of U.S. global health assistance to Madagascar. The health MOU involves the U.S.’s plans, working with Congress, to provide approximately $134 million (over 554 billion Ariary) and a Malagasy commitment of $41 million (over 169 billion Ariary). It aims to strengthen Madagascar’s health system, improve disease prevention and response, and support services that address health security concerns for both countries, including malaria, maternal and child health, polio, and global health security issues that could reach U.S. shores if not contained at their source. During the recent workshop, technical staff from the Ministry of Public Health and the U.S. Government health team worked in thematic groups to draft detailed implementation plans for the five-year MOU period. On the second day, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold and Ministry of Public Health and Economic and Finance Ministry leadership joined the technical teams to discuss plans and proposed terms of reference for two committees: a Joint Steering Committee and an Operational Committee. These structures will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, regular dialogue between the two governments, consistent monitoring of progress, and accountability for results. The framework includes performance benchmarks that will guide continued U.S. support and track Madagascar’s progress toward self-reliance. “We see this not as a U.S. project, but as a joint framework under Malagasy leadership, with U.S. support,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold during the workshop’s opening session. The approach reflects U.S. foreign assistance principles that emphasize strategic, results-driven support that advances American interests while helping recipient countries build sustainable health systems. The framework is designed to build systems that Madagascar will increasingly finance and lead itself, reducing long-term dependence on foreign assistance.

Apr 16 • 7:39 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov

Safe2Eat in 2026 – Science-backed guidance for all Europeans!

Now in its sixth year, Safe2Eat remains a flagship EU-wide initiative designed to make food safety science accessible and relevant to everyday life. By translating complex scientific knowledge into practical guidance, the campaign helps consumers better understand how food safety works and how it supports their health and wellbeing.Growing reach across Europe and neighbouring countriesSince its launch, Safe2Eat has steadily expanded its geographical scope. From an initial group of 9 participating countries, the campaign reaches 23 countries across Europe and beyond in 2026. This year’s edition...

Apr 15 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • efsa.europa.eu

Scientists Use AI to Map Ocean Currents in Incredible Detail

Understanding ocean currents is important for work such as weather forecasting, climate research, search-and-rescue operations and oil spill response.

Apr 15 • 5:27 PM EDT • Science • cnet.com

Springing into science

When people understand science, the whole community benefits. A scientifically literate community is a stronger community – one where people can navigate new technologies, evaluate information and participate in conversations that shape our future. Scientific literacy isn’t about memorizing facts. It’s about understanding how the world works well enough to make thoughtful choices within it. […]

Apr 15 • 12:25 PM EDT • Science • illinoistimes.com

Can Europe create artificial intelligence that we actually understand?

Artificial intelligence is currently controlled by a number of tech giants in the United States and China. One professor believes Europe can choose to take a smarter and more democratic path.

Apr 15 • 9:32 AM EDT • Science • eurekalert.org