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AI and the Future of the U.S. Electric Grid
Despite its age, the U.S. electric grid remains one of the great workhorses of modern life. Whether it can maintain that performance over the next few years may determine how well the U.S. competes in an AI-driven world.
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Encryption Breakthrough Lays Groundwork for Privacy-Preserving AI Models
In an era where data privacy concerns loom large, a new approach in artificial intelligence (AI) could reshape how sensitive information is processed. New AI framework enables secure neural network computation without sacrificing accuracy.
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Israeli Startup Raises $50m to Stop App-Based Cyberattacks
Oligo Security’s platform allows for quick identification of vulnerabilities in cloud-native software before they are exploited by third parties.
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Squeezing More Out of Used Nuclear Fuel and Rare Earth Materials
Rotating packed bed contactor technology may be safe, scalable solution that helps the U.S. expand the potential of nuclear energy. The impact of the research may extend beyond nuclear fuel recycling to applications in other metal recovery processes such as rare earth recovery.
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Web Search Formulas Offer a First Step for Protecting Critical Infrastructure
The technology behind web search engines is useful for more than tracking down your long-lost buddy or discovering a delicious new recipe – it might also help keep the lights on, the water running and the trains moving during an emergency.
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On the Horizon: The Ukraine War and the Evolving Threat of Drone Terrorism
The Russo-Ukrainian war has become a critical “innovation hub” for drone warfare, accelerating advancements in the scale, speed, and range of drone operations. These developments are not only transforming the modern battlefield but also creating new opportunities for violent extremist organizations to enhance their operational impact and engage in surprise.
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A Flexible Robot Can Help Emergency Responders Search Through Rubble
SPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structuresSPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structures.
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AI Tools Can Enhance U.S. Biosecurity; Monitoring and Mitigation Will Be Needed to Protect Against Misuse
A new report recommends ways for the U.S. to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence in biotechnology while minimizing risks that AI may be misused to develop harmful biological agents.
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“America Can’t Be Great Without Great Science. That Is Where the Academies Can Help.”
Recent actions by the federal government affecting agencies that fund science in the United States have sent shock waves through the research community. “My biggest concern is for the pipeline of talent: We might not have the educated students to meet the needs of the greater STEMM workforce…. I’m concerned that with the cuts in science budgets and the federal workforce, we will not see the same number of students being trained,” says the president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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“Wholesale Assault on U.S. Science”: Scientists Say Administration’s Policies Pose Serious Threats to U.S. Science
More than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter warning Americans that the administration is engaging in a “wholesale assault on U.S. science” that could set back research by decades and that threatens the health and safety of Americans.
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US Earthquake Safety Relies on Federal Employees’ Expertise
Earthquakes and the damage they cause are apolitical. Collectively, we either prepare for future earthquakes or the population eventually pays the price. In the U.S., this preparation hinges in large part on the expertise of scientists and engineers in federal agencies who develop earthquake hazard models and contribute to the creation of building codes designed to ensure homes, high-rises and other structures won’t collapse when the ground shakes.
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Climate Disasters Are on the Rise. These States Want to Make Oil Companies Pay.
State “climate Superfund” laws have sparked a legal brawl with fossil fuel groups.
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Foreign Influence in Higher Ed Addressed in Expanded Oversight Bill
The DETERRENT Act is billed –and its acronym derived from –as “defending education transparency and ending rogue regimes engaging in nefarious transactions.” It aims to increase transparency and tighten foreign gift reporting requirements for higher education institutions. The top three countries in giving in 2024 were Qatar ($342.8 million), China ($176.6 million) and Saudi Arabia ($175.2 million).
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Debate Over H-1B Visas Shines Spotlight on U.S. Tech Worker Shortages
The debate over H-1B overlooks some important questions: Why does the U.S. rely so heavily on foreign workers for the tech industry, and why is it not able to develop a homegrown tech workforce?
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Bolt from the Blue: What We Know (and Don’t Know) About the U.S. Powerful F-47 Fighter
When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. The design will have much more range than earlier fighters, both at supersonic and subsonic speed. But it is not even a fighter as it is generally understood. It will be more stealthy. It will be larger, trading dogfight maneuverability for reach, and it will be designed to work within a family of systems, many of them unmanned.
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The long view
A Shining Star in a Contentious Legacy: Could Marty Makary Be the Saving Grace of a Divisive Presidency?
While much of the Trump administration has sparked controversy, the FDA’s consumer-first reforms may be remembered as its brightest legacy. From AI-driven drug reviews to bans on artificial dyes, the FDA’s agenda resonates with the public in ways few Trump-era policies have.
Risk Assessment with Machine Learning
Researchers utilize geological survey data and machine learning algorithms for accurately predicting liquefaction risk in earthquake-prone areas.
Foundation for U.S. Breakthroughs Feels Shakier to Researchers
With each dollar of its grants, the National Institutes of Health —the world’s largest funder of biomedical research —generates, on average, $2.56 worth of economic activity across all 50 states. NIH grants also support more than 400,000 U.S. jobs, and have been a central force in establishing the country’s dominance in medical research. Waves of funding cuts and grant terminations under the second Trump administration are a threat to the U.S. status as driver of scientific progress, and to the nation’s economy.
The True Cost of Abandoning Science
“We now face a choice: to remain at the vanguard of scientific inquiry through sound investment, or to cede our leadership and watch others answer the big questions that have confounded humanity for millennia —and reap the rewards.”
Bookshelf: Smartphones Shape War in Hyperconnected World
The smartphone is helping to shape the conduct and representation of contemporary war. A new book argues that as an operative device, the smartphone is now “being used as a central weapon of war.”
New Approach Detects Adversarial Attacks in Multimodal AI Systems
New vulnerabilities have emerged with the rapid advancement and adoption of multimodal foundational AI models, significantly expanding the potential for cybersecurity attacks. Topological signatures key to revealing attacks, identifying origins of threats.