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NIH researchers vote to form a union for the first time
Hundreds of early-career researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have voted overwhelmingly to form a union, nearly completing the official process required to do so. They plan to call on the agency — the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research — to improve pay and working conditions, and to bolster its…
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Quantum-computing approach uses single molecules as qubits for first time
Quantum entanglement (illustration) is one of the effects that underpins quantum-computing technology.Credit: Peter Jurik/Alamy Physicists have taken the first step towards building quantum computers out of individual molecules trapped with laser devices called optical tweezers. Two teams report their results in Science on 7 December1,2, in both cases making pairs of calcium monofluoride molecules interact…
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Machine-learning-accelerated simulations to enable automatic surface reconstruction
Abstract Understanding material surfaces and interfaces is vital in applications such as catalysis or electronics. By combining energies from electronic structure with statistical mechanics, ab initio simulations can, in principle, predict the structure of material surfaces as a function of thermodynamic variables. However, accurate energy simulations are prohibitive when coupled to the vast phase space…
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COP28 Roundup: Global Coalitions & Key Commitments on Climate
Images: UNFCCC Flickr Kiara Worth, Christophe Viseux, Andrea DiCenzo, Mahmoud Khaled Buildings and Transport are two of the main contributing sectors in terms of global emissions. Wednesday 6 December marked the day in the COP calendar that nations would focus on breakthrough agendas aimed at dramatically curbing emissions from these sectors. While key commitments on…
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SBTN’s Science-Based Targets for Cities Aiming to Tackle Climate Crisis
The new Cities’ Science-Based Targets for Nature programme was unveiled during Buildings Day at COP28 (6 December). It aims to create science-based indicators and frameworks that allow cities to set targets to cover nature and climate. “This initiative comes as a crucial addition to ongoing efforts in understanding the intricate relationship between cities, climate goals,…
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Self-copying RNA vaccine wins first full approval: what’s next?
Self-amplifying RNA vaccines will add to the arsenal of conventional messenger RNA jabs.Credit: Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP via Getty The approval of yet another RNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 might not seem momentous. But the endorsement last week by Japanese authorities of a jab against SARS-CoV-2 constructed using a form of RNA that can make copies of itself…
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Catastrophic change looms as Earth nears climate ‘tipping points’, report says
Climate change has placed the world in danger of breaching numerous planetary “tipping points”, according to a scientific assessment compiled by more than 200 scientists. Crossing those points could lead to irreversible effects on natural systems that are crucial to human livelihoods, write the authors, who add that it’s time to confront these dangers head-on…
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US agency launches experiments to find innovative ways to fund research
Economic and social experiments will assess the processes for receiving, reviewing and funding research and innovation.Credit: sanjeri/Getty The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced plans to explore creative ways of funding research, emphasizing the need to make decisions more quickly and to support more proposals that are innovative. The agency has partnered with the…
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Magic Mushrooms: Where Nature Meets Nurture Within Us
Last year I wrote a two-part series about a powerful psychedelic plant called ayahuasca. Today I add to the psychedelic zeitgeist by discussing ayahuasca’s chemical cousin, “magic” mushrooms. And magical they are. I believe these wise little fungi are medicinal marvels that can change the world of mental health, and each of us, for the…
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National Science Foundation: Additional Steps Would Improve Cost Estimate for Antarctic Research Infrastructure Project
National Science Foundation: Additional Steps Would Improve Cost Estimate for Antarctic Research Infrastructure Project | U.S. GAO Skip to main content Breadcrumb Home Reports & Testimonies National Science Foundation: Additional Steps Would Improve Cost Estimate for Antarctic Research Infrastructure Project Fast Facts The National Science Foundation funds and oversees the design, construction, and operations of…