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Saving the planet: Plan B
Top U.K. science organization calls for coordinated geoengineering efforts as Plan B for protecting the planet from the negative consequences of climate change
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Protecting DNA privacy
New mathematical tool protects genetic privacy while giving genomic data to researchers
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Understanding nuclear ignition better
The U.S. nuclear warheads are aging; researchers looking for new ways to figure out safe and reliable ways to estimate their longevity and to understand the physics of thermonuclear reactions in the absence of underground testing currently prohibited under law
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Handwriting analysis offers alternate lie detection method
Israeli researchers discover that with the aid of a computerized tool, handwriting characteristics can be measured more effectively; they have found that these handwriting characteristics differ when an individual is in the process of writing deceptive sentences as opposed to truthful sentences
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New disappearing ink developed
Nanoparticle inks that fade away in hours could be ideal for secure communications, top-secret maps, and other sensitive documents
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Stockton College to offer homeland security certificate
Joining a growing number of colleges and universities, and responding to the growing demand for certifications in various homeland security fields, New Jersey’s Stockton College is offering a blended online and classroom-based certification program
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NRC awards $20 million to 70 colleges for nuclear education
It has been nearly 30 years since the last nuclear power plant was built in the United States; the United States has also been cutting, rather than increasing, its arsenal of nuclear weapons; with many things nuclear falling out of favor, fewer and fewer engineering students have been choosing nuclear engineering for their career; the NRC wants to change that
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Throwable robots for U.S. Navy SEALs
The U.S. military has ordered 150 Recon Scout devices (at a cost of $9,000 each) for the special forces; the beer can-sized robot is equipped with infrared night sight video; the robot is tough enough to be thrown through a door or window, dropped down a chimney, etc. before being driven about to see what it can see
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Space technology to benefit defense, health care markets
Technology developed for the Mars lander could prove useful in defense and health care applications
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More swine flu cases at U.S. colleges as students return
CDC spokesperson: “I don’t think we’re surprised by the fact influenza is returning to these campuses. What is concerning to us is people becoming complacent about this and not taking the steps we know can protect them”
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U.K. assessing two nuclear reactors designs
The United Kingdom wants to build more nuclear reactors, and the government is assessing two different reactor types — the U.K.-EPR designed by Areva and EDF, and the AP1000 designed by Westinghouse — for their suitability to meet U.K. regulatory standards
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New Orleans storm pumps do not protect city
The Army Corps of Engineers quickly installed new storm control pumps in New Orleans in the months after Katrina; trouble is, these pumps do not protect the city, the the Corps could have saved $430 million in replacement costs by buying proven equipment
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DARPA looking for "Precision Electronic Warfare"
“Surgical jamming” bubble would follow enemy soldiers; the system would be able to lock onto the other side’s soldiers’ cellphones and hold these soldiers within a bubble of jamming no matter how they moved about, denying them any communications or navigation services
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Simulation to help in preparing for wildfires
Increasingly complex systems which combine simulation and monitoring tools could help emergency services prevent future ecological disasters on the scale witnessed in Greece this week
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Cloud computing, social network to help software security
The difference between Immunet’s offering and other companies’ products, say its founders, is the software’s ability to protect digital communities — those users connected together via social networks such as instant messaging, Facebook, or Twitter
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More headlines
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
By Max Larkin
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
By Steven R. Furlanetto
“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
By Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox
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.