• Illinois DARPA Quantum Proving Ground

    A new federal- and state-funded Quantum Proving Ground (QPG) promises to combine scientific rigor with industry and academic expertise to design the future of quantum computing

  • States Strike Out on Their Own on AI, Privacy Regulation

    By Paige Gross

    There’s been no shortage of AI tech regulation bills in Congress, but none has passed. In the absence of congressional action, states have stepped up their own regulatory action. States have been legislating about AI since at least 2019, but bills relating to AI have increased significantly in the last two years.

  • Not Just Beijing’s Doing: Market Factors Are Also Hitting Rare Earths Prices

    By David Uren

    Have depressed rare earths prices been engineered by the Chinese state to snuff out non-Chinese rivals before they get going? Or do they simply reflect a weak market, with demand rising more slowly than was expected by the promotors of a slew of new projects?

  • Why the Experts Should Answer to the Amateurs

    By Sara Harrison

    Tension between experts and non-experts is an inevitable part of modern organizations and societies. Highly trained experts are necessary to keep things functioning smoothly —but accountability matters. We need specialists to solve hard problems, but they need to be accountable to non-experts.

  • S&T Deploys DETER at the Indy 500

    The DHS S&T, CISA, and ERDC teamed up to deploy a new vehicle barrier at this year’s race. S&T is evaluating DETER in real-world environments like the Indy 500 and last year’s NFL Draft to identify operational requirements for law enforcement.

  • Quantifying Global Earthquake Risk to Mineral Supplies

    Earthquakes could impact the supplies of mineral commodities like copper and rhenium around the world. A new scientific mechanism for assessing the potential risk to worldwide mineral commodity supplies from seismic activity has been developed by USGS scientists.

  • Climate Change Has Forced America’s Oldest Black Town to Higher Ground

    By Jake Bittle

    Princeville, North Carolina, is relocating with help from a new federal grant. Hurricane Matthew, which submerged the town under more than 10 feet of water, was the final straw. The town has just received millions of dollars in new funding from FEMA to build a new site on higher ground.

  • How AI Can Aid Decision Making in Mass-Casualty Events

    By Yulia Karra

    EMTs and paramedics are sometimes confronted with a series of life-and-death questions and dilemmas at the scene. Researcher Omer Perry says his team’s study on paramedic behavior during high-stress situations helped them develop a potentially lifesaving algorithm.

  • A $40B Critical Mineral Supply Chain Could Start in Pennsylvania

    By Anthony Hennen, The Center Square

    Pennsylvania has a mine pollution problem. America has a critical mineral shortage. And both problems may get solved as researchers find these critical and strategic elements in the polluted waters that come from acid mine drainage.

  • Nature-Based Solutions to Disaster Risk from Climate Change Are Cost Effective

    Nature-based solutions (NbS) are an economically effective method to mitigate risks from a range of disasters—from floods and hurricanes to heatwaves and landslides—which are only expected to intensify as Earth continues to warm.

  • Detroit Takes Important Step in Curbing the Harms of Face Recognition Technology

    By Tori Noble

    In a first-of-its-kind agreement, the Detroit Police Department recently agreed to adopt strict limits on its officers’ use of face recognition technology as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a victim of this faulty technology.

  • How 'Islamic State' Uses AI to Spread Extremist Propaganda

    By Cathrin Schaer

    Groups like the “Islamic State” and al-Qaeda are urging followers to use the latest digital tools to spread their extremist message, avoid censorship and recruit.

  • Get Ready for AI-supercharged Hacking

    By Niusha Shafiabady and Mamoun Alazab

    Artificial intelligence can supercharge the effect of hacking attacks. As use of AI widens, people and organizations will have to become much more careful in guarding against its malicious use. So far, the only answer to all this is increased vigilance, by individuals and their employers. Governments can help by publicizing the problem. They should.

  • The New Fintech That Knows Whether Your Voice Matches Your Face

    By John Jeffay

    Your face is no longer your own. Nor is your voice. Fraudsters can steal them both from the Internet. And, using the power of AI, they can create a deepfake version of you that’s so convincing it’ll beat bank security. Banks and financial institutions increasingly use voice biometrics these days to confirm a caller’s identity.

  • Uranium Science Researchers Investigate Feasibility of Intentional Nuclear Forensics

    Despite strong regulations and robust international safeguards, authorities routinely interdict nuclear materials outside of regulatory control. Researchers are exploring a new method that would give authorities the ability to analyze intercepted nuclear material and determine where it originated.