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The Latest Breaking News from the National Science Foundation

Trees don’t like to breathe wildfire smoke, either – and they’ll hold their breath to avoid it

When wildfire smoke is in the air, doctors urge people to stay indoors to avoid breathing in harmful particles and gases. But what happens to trees and other plants that can’t escape from the smoke?

The Conversation

Unequal access to quantum information education may limit progress in this emerging field − now is the time to improve

Quantum information science uses the physics that describes the smallest particles – such as electrons or photons – to potentially revolutionize computing and related technologies. This new field can be used for a wide range of applications, from developing new devices to data encryption.

The Conversation

America faces a power disconnection crisis amid dangerous heat: In 27 states, utilities can shut off electricity for nonpayment even in a heat wave

Coast to coast, millions of Americans are experiencing sweltering temperatures this summer, with seemingly little relief in sight. For people who struggle to access or afford air conditioning, the rising need for cooling is a growing crisis.

The Conversation

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What do storm chasers really do? Two tornado scientists take us inside the chase and tools for studying twisters

Storm-chasing for science can be exciting and stressful – we know, because we do it. It has also been essential for developing today’s understanding of how tornadoes form and how they behave.

The Conversation

Federal science funding at record lows

Support for science has traditionally been bipartisan, but fights over spending have affected research funding

Salon

Loss of Supreme Court legitimacy can lead to political violence

Americans are gearing up to celebrate the Fourth of July, and their thoughts are most likely on how many hot dogs to buy for the cookout and whether a family member needs to go stake out a good spot to watch the parade and fireworks.

The Conversation

Federal funding for major science agencies is at a 25-year low

Government funding for science is usually immune from political gridlock and polarization in Congress. But, federal funding for science is slated to drop for 2025.

The Conversation

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At least 35 of America’s billionaires are Ph.D.s. As academic jobs become scarce, doctorates should get down to business

It is estimated that the private sector now employs about as many Ph.D. graduates as educational institutions.

Fortune

Pregnancy is an engineering challenge − diagnosing and treating preterm birth requires understanding its mechanics

Why are babies born prematurely? Researchers still don’t really know.

The Conversation

We mapped a lost branch of the Nile River – which may be the key to a longstanding mystery of the pyramids

The largest field of pyramids in Egypt – consisting of 31 pyramids built over a millennium, including the famous Great Pyramid at Giza – lies along a narrow strip of land in the desert several kilometres west of the Nile River.

The Conversation

AI is here – and everywhere: 3 AI researchers look to the challenges ahead in 2024

2023 was an inflection point in the evolution of artificial intelligence and its role in society. The year saw the emergence of generative AI, which moved the technology from the shadows to center stage in the public imagination. It also saw boardroom drama in an AI startup dominate the news…

The Conversation

Citizen science projects tend to attract white, affluent, well-educated volunteers − here's how we recruited a more diverse group to identify lead pipes in homes

Recruiting participants for a citizen science project produced a more diverse group when people were signed up through partner organizations, such as schools and faith-based organizations, than when they joined on their own. We used this approach to recruit volunteers for Crowd the Tap, a citizen science initiative that crowdsources…

The Conversation

How effective are public service announcements? Three scholars weigh in

When Erek L. Barron, U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, premiered a 60-second video that seeks to show how gun violence devastates families, he said his goal was to create an innovative public service announcement that would help “turn around violent crime and improve safety in our neighborhoods.”

The Conversation

Man accused of assault at Antarctic research centre was then sent to remote icefield with young students

The National Science Foundation declined to answer questions about why Bieneman was sent out into the field in a critical safety role while under investigation

The Independent UK

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The Conversation

The world's boreal forests may be shrinking as climate change pushes them northward

Earth’s boreal forests circle our planet’s far northern reaches, just south of the Arctic’s treeless tundra. If the planet wears an Arctic ice cap, then the boreal forests are a loose-knit headband wrapped around its ears, covering large portions of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia.

The Independent UK

Investigators are being sent to US research base on Antarctica to look into sexual violence concerns

The watchdog office overseeing the National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica’s McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual violence at the U.S. research base

The Conversation

What the extreme fire seasons of 1910 and 2020 – and 2,500 years of forest history – tell us about the future of wildfires in the West

Strong winds blew across mountain slopes after a record-setting warm, dry summer. Small fires began to blow up into huge conflagrations. Towns in crisis scrambled to escape as fires bore down.

The Conversation

Horseshoe crab blood is vital for testing intravenous drugs, but new synthetic alternatives could mean pharma won't bleed this unique species dry

If you have ever gotten a vaccine or received an intravenous drug and did not come down with a potentially life-threatening fever, you can thank a horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus).

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The Independent UK

Bars to stop selling alcohol on US base in Antartica after rampant sexual harassment revealed

The policy shift comes after sexual misconduct claims at McMurdo Station surfaced

The Conversation

4 reasons teens take part in social media challenges

Social media challenges are wide-ranging – both in the stunts they involve and the reasons why people do them.

WEKU

Biden wants federal workforce to come to the office more. Some ask why?

As employers including the federal government cut back on remote work, employees who never had any intention of working from an office push back and threaten to retire or resign.

The Conversation

Waves of strikes rippling across the US seem big, but the total number of Americans walking off the job remains historically low

More than 323,000 workers – including nurses, actors, screenwriters, hotel cleaners and restaurant servers – walked off their jobs during the first eight months of 2023. Hundreds of thousands of the employees of delivery giant UPS would have gone on strike, too, had they not reached a last-minute agreement. And…

The Conversation

A changing climate, growing human populations and widespread fires contributed to the last major extinction event − can we prevent another?

Over the past decade, deadly wildfires have become increasingly common because of both human-caused climate change and disruptive land management practices. Southern California, where the three of us live and work, has been hit especially hard.

The Conversation

A brief illustrated guide to 'scissors congruence' − an ancient geometric idea that’s still fueling cutting-edge mathematical research

In math class, you probably learned how to compute the area of lots of different shapes by memorizing algebraic formulas. Remember “base x height” for rectangles and “½ base x height” for triangles? Or “𝜋 x radius²” for circles?

The Conversation

Computer science can help farmers explore alternative crops and sustainable farming methods

Humans have physically reconfigured half of the world’s land to grow just eight staple crops: maize (corn), soy, wheat, rice, cassava, sorghum, sweet potato and potato. They account for the vast majority of calories that people around the world consume. As global population rises, there’s pressure to expand production even…

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