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In Defence of the Objective World
Postmodern ideas have gained the status of absolute truths. Relativism, selectively appropriated into the language of both left and right politics, has metamorphosed into dogma. As oversimplification distorts communication, public trust in scientific fact has eroded. Could renewed ideas of objectivity be a way out?
Spain Votes Through Overhaul of Research Careers
Spain is about to overhaul its research career structures, after the Congress of Deputies approved the final version of a reform to the country's 2011 science, technology and innovation law last week.
The Society for Scholarly Publishing Humanities Community Network Lifts Off
A Humanities and Social Sciences Publishing Professionals Community of Interest Network is launching! An interview with facilitators Laura Ansley and Dawn Durante about the group and its focus --and how it's meeting a clear need.
Washington Gives a Big Boost to Drive for Open-access Scientific Publishing
Washington Gives a Big Boost to Drive for Open-access Scientific Publishing
The movement towards open-access scientific publishing got an historic boost this month, with the White House ordering an end to publishers putting most federally funded research behind paywalls.
Australia's Catastrophic Rabbit Invasion Sparked by a Few Dozen British Bunnies
Australia's Catastrophic Rabbit Invasion Sparked by a Few Dozen British Bunnies
Genome analysis shows that most Australian rabbits are descendants of wild rabbits shipped to near Melbourne in 1859.
Historic Monuments Resurface As Severe Drought Shrinks Spain's Reservoirs
Prehistoric stone circle and 11th-century church uncovered as country's reservoirs hit 36% of normal capacity
Why Four Scientists Spent a Year Saying No
Saying no is a skill - and practising it improved our science.
How Do Policymakers Decide Whom to Help?
The article analyzes what happens when governments use predictive modeling to allocate critical resources.
Sustainable Use of Wild Species is Critical for the Well-being of People and Nature
Sustainable Use of Wild Species is Critical for the Well-being of People and Nature
Sustainable use is when biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are maintained while contributing to human wellbeing.
The Research and Innovation Stories to Follow This Autumn
As everyone shifts back into gear after the summer break, we have put together a list of research and innovation topics coming up over the next weeks and months, to help you sift through the deluge of announcements due in September and beyond.
White House Pushes Journals to Drop Paywalls on Publicly Funded Research
White House Pushes Journals to Drop Paywalls on Publicly Funded Research
The policy, hailed by researchers as “transformational,” will be fully in place by 2026 and make publicly financed research available immediately at no cost.
Voyager 1: Earth's Farthest Spacecraft
Voyager 1 continues to explore the cosmos along with its twin probe, Voyager 2.
Archaeological Mystery: Ancient Elamite Script from Iran Deciphered?
For almost 120 years, the writing system known as "Linear Elamite" was considered illegible. Now a team of archaeologists claims to have partially deciphered the writing system. But other researchers are more hesitant.
'Never Seen Jupiter Like This': James Webb Telescope Shows Incredible View of Planet
The infrared images, taken in July, capture unprecedented views of the biggest planet's storms, moon and surrounding rings
A Moment That Changed Me: a Maths Puzzle Taught Me to Use My Brain - and Helped Me Cope with Losing My Daughter
A Moment That Changed Me: a Maths Puzzle Taught Me to Use My Brain - and Helped Me Cope with Losing My Daughter
As a schoolboy, I put little effort into my homework. But a long night wrestling with Euclidean geometry led to a career in nuclear physics - and a more resilient personality
Climate Change Likely to Raise Wheat Prices in Food-insecure Regions and Exacerbate Economic Inequality
Climate Change Likely to Raise Wheat Prices in Food-insecure Regions and Exacerbate Economic Inequality
Climate change is projected to significantly alter the yield and price of wheat in the coming years. Prices for the grain are likely to change unevenly and increase in much of the Global South, enhancing existing inequalities.
Agreement Reached on Research Assessment Reforms
The document, which was facilitated by the European Commission, establishes new benchmarks regarding how research assessments should be performed.
UK Launches Legal Case Against EU over Horizon Europe Association
The UK government, raising the political heat over Brexit, began legal proceedings against the European Union for blocking its membership in the €95.5 billion research programme, Horizon Europe.
Machine Translation Could Make English-only Science Accessible to All
UC Berkeley scientists and students looked at current artificial intelligence translation systems and found that, though flawed, they have become good enough for researchers to broadly translate their work into other languages, at least the languages of the coauthors and the country in which the research was conducted. One problem: how to get permissions to translate and share, and where will these translations live online.
Will War in Ukraine Mark a New Era for European Defence Research?
After Russia's invasion, politicians promised to boost military research funding - but policy specialists aren't convinced that a rapid change lies ahead.
CHIPS and Science Act Will Provide Billions for STEM Programs
The recently passed CHIPS and Science Act promises billions of dollars in funding to support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) research and production at government agencies, private companies, and colleges and universities across the U.S. It also includes provisions to increase diversity in STEM education and the workforce and to promote socioeconomic development for underserved communities.
Smoking Weed and Driving: What We Know
Here's what the science says about driving while high on marijuana. In short: It's complicated.