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Disinformation Course Draws on Area Studies Expertise
What is disinformation, and how does it spread? A spring 2025 IU course, “Disinformation and the State in East Europe,” deals with these timely and important questions.
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New Centrifuge Spins Lasting Partnership
Sandia’s Weapons Evaluation Test Laboratory (WETL) is DOE’s only laboratory with two centrifuges that support full system-level testing. WETL is responsible for performing nonnuclear testing and evaluation of every weapon system in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
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The Apocalypse That Wasn’t: AI Was Everywhere in 2024’s Elections, but Deepfakes and Misinformation Were Only Part of the Picture
2024 is a “super-cycle” year in which 3.7 billion eligible voters in 72 countries had the chance to go the polls. The vast majority of various surveys’ respondents expected AI to be used for mostly bad purposes in these elections, but the dreaded “death of truth” has not materialized – at least, not due to AI.
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U.S. Should Build Capacity to Rapidly Detect and Respond to AI Developments
It is imperative to improve near real-time observation and tracking of progress in artificial intelligence (AI), its adoption, and its impacts on the workforce, and to widely share this information to better inform and equip workers and policymakers.
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Model Reveals Supply Chain Risks Pose Major Threat to Financial Stability
Supply chain disruptions can magnify financial risks. A new model shows how risks spread from the real economy to the financial sector.
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How Mining and Renewable Energy Go Hand in Hand on the Road to Net Zero
More, not less, mining will be needed in the future to help achieve the goal of net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. A UNSW expert explains why mining will be vital to help renewable energy technologies flourish and to achieve greenhouse gas emission targets.
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Calls Grow for Sustainable Governance as Groundwater Resources Become Scarce
The depletion of groundwater resources, driven by unsustainable agricultural practices and increasing demands for food production, is a pressing issue, and it underscores the urgent need for sustainable groundwater governance.
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Mathematical Models Tackle Covid Infection Dynamics
Even years after the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the workings of SARS-CoV-2 infection inside the human body, including the early activity of the virus and the role of the body’s immune response, has proved difficult to precisely ascertain.
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The Energy Transition Is Affecting Attitudes Towards Mining
A survey finds the growing demand for critical minerals to support renewable energy is increasing public acceptance of mining in Australia. It also highlights that trust is a precious commodity.
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Building a Fellowship that Empowers Policymakers to Leverage Science
As all of us just saw with hurricanes Helene and Milton, extreme weather and other impacts of climate change are already affecting the fabric of our society. As evident by these recent tragedies, U.S. leaders are navigating a complex and interconnected policy landscape as they wrestle with how to confront climate change.
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Delay and Pay: Tipping Point Costs Quadruple After Waiting
There’s more to weigh than catastrophic environmental change as tipping points draw near. Another point to consider, a new study reveals, is the cost of undoing the damage.
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China’s Critical Mineral Strategy Goes Beyond Geopolitics
China dominates critical mineral refining but faces its own supply vulnerabilities, highlighting the complexity of global dependencies. A national strategy seeks to balance a focus of robust industrial policy on critical minerals while fostering international cooperation. A balanced approach involving China in global frameworks can reduce geopolitical tensions and foster sustainable supply chain solutions.
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Americans Face an Insurability Crisis as Climate Change Worsens Disasters – a Look at How Insurance Companies Set Rates and Coverage
When home insurance averages $2,377 a year nationally, and $11,000 per year in Florida, this is a blow to many people. If affordability and relevance of insurance continue to degrade, real estate prices will start to decline in exposed locations. This will be the most tangible sign that climate change is driving an insurability crisis that disrupts wider financial stability.
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Nuclear Is Here ... and Here and Here
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) helped start the nuclear age more than 80 years ago, and it remains at the forefront of nuclear research. The lab is also actively involved in promoting east Tennessee’s nuclear industry and consulting with nuclear businesses that move into the area.
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What a Second Trump Presidency Will Mean for Energy and Climate
The 2024 election has put a new administration in the White House, but the nation remains deeply divided on a large number of issues, including many policy proposals that implicate energy and climate change.
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The long view
Nuclear Has Changed. Will the U.S. Change with It?
Fueled by artificial intelligence, cloud service providers, and ambitious new climate regulations, U.S. demand for carbon-free electricity is on the rise. In response, analysts and lawmakers are taking a fresh look at a controversial energy source: nuclear power.
Huge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
Exploring the New Nuclear Energy Landscape
In the last few years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of interest in nuclear energy and its potential for helping meet the nation’s growing demands for clean electricity and energy security. Meanwhile, nuclear energy technologies themselves have advanced, opening up new possibilities for their use.