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Will AI Ruin the Social Sciences - or Revolutionize Them?
The technology can whip up spurious findings and pollute survey responses, but it could also make research more rigorous.
Researching While Chinese
The U.S. government has recently convicted multiple postdocs from China for improper shipments of biological materials. Some see a replay of the 2018 China Initiative
EU Governments Miss Target for FP10 Agreement
Research sector urges Council to consider Parliament’s ideas for future research and innovation instruments as agreement is delayed.
Robots Run This Laboratory in Japan - And Are Changing How Scientists Work
Robots Run This Laboratory in Japan - And Are Changing How Scientists Work
Researchers hope to build a facility with thousands of robots capable of performing experiments independently by 2040.
When Scientific Arguments Obscure Moral Ones, Democracy Suffers
When Scientific Arguments Obscure Moral Ones, Democracy Suffers
The Pentagon's new flu vaccine policy revives a debate over whether to prioritize individual choice or public health.
APC Caps and Bans - Why Funder Policies Aimed at Curbing the Publishing Industry Don't Work
APC Caps and Bans - Why Funder Policies Aimed at Curbing the Publishing Industry Don't Work
A new report suggests the NIH's promised APC caps will reduce global OA spending. But so far, funder efforts to control publisher and author behavior have largely been ineffective. Here's why.
Is It Really Bad That Only 50% of Social Science Papers Are Reproducible?
Is It Really Bad That Only 50% of Social Science Papers Are Reproducible?
Three new papers in Nature from the SCORE project find that around half of social science studies hold up under replication, reproducibility, and robustness tests. Many commentators have read this as failure. Might there be a more optimistic reading, and one that points to where social science needs to go next?
Science Under Threat Around the World
Politicians have reduced public funding for science and dismantled scientific institutions for ideological reasons in Argentina and the United States; how should the scientific community respond to such crises?
Artificial Intelligence Won't Solve Climate Change
This UCS blog post challenges the narrative that AI will be a climate savior, cautioning that focusing on hypothetical future tech could distract from proven climate solutions.
The Costs of Limiting Academic Freedom
Following the UK High Court's decision on academic freedom, Chirantan Chatterjee explains how narrowing academic debate negatively impacts the wider economy.
Medicine's Move Toward Race-Neutral Risk Assessments
New guidelines for predicting a patient's risk for heart disease are rooted in science and health equity.
A Successful Open Access Book Mandate Requires Infrastructure Not Compliance
A Successful Open Access Book Mandate Requires Infrastructure Not Compliance
An open access book mandate is one Research Excellence Framework (REF) cycle away. If implemented, research funders should focus on enabling infrastructure rather than compliance.
Vibe Coding for Qualitative Researchers - Can AI Really Build Our Research Tools?
Vibe Coding for Qualitative Researchers - Can AI Really Build Our Research Tools?
As proponents of AI claim it will soon replace software engineers, what does this mean for qualitative researchers and research software development?
To Lead in Global Innovation, Canada Must Prioritize Basic Science
To Lead in Global Innovation, Canada Must Prioritize Basic Science
Canada must decide what kind of country it wants to be: One that generates new scientific knowledge, or one that waits for other nations' discoveries.
Could Agentic AI Topple Grant-Funding Systems?
Funders must take action before an increase in submission of high-quality proposals written using AI models makes it impossible to sort the wheat from the chaff.
China Surpasses US in Research Spending - the Consequences Extend Far Beyond Scientific Ranking and Clout
China Surpasses US in Research Spending - the Consequences Extend Far Beyond Scientific Ranking and Clout
Scientific innovation has been driving US economic growth for decades. Losing that edge means losing access to the technologies and brainpower that come with it.
AI Doom Warnings Are Getting Louder. Are They Realistic?
Researchers are increasingly sounding the alarm that artificial intelligence could end humanity. But such doomsday warnings carry their own risks.
The Myth of STEM Only Growth Holds Back the UK
The view that STEM subjects on their own drive growth is misguided and presents a lopsided view of the value of the social sciences and humanities.
From Open Access to Preprints: Are We Repeating the Same Mistakes in Scholarly Publishing?
From Open Access to Preprints: Are We Repeating the Same Mistakes in Scholarly Publishing?
The preprint movement, once seen as a pragmatic, low-cost, researcher-driven route to openness, now faces its own moment of uncertainty.
Viewpoint: It's Time to Experiment with How Europe Funds Science
An experimental metascience unit would allow the Commission to test innovative ways of awarding research funds with immediate impact.
FP10 Should Remain Open, Excellent and Secure
Applying an ‘EU preference’ to advanced science and technology will only increase Europe’s strategic vulnerabilities.
The Time Has Come for Big Changes to Improve Research Funding
The competitive research funding system is at breaking point. This Perspective argues that innovations to address ongoing problems are needed on a grander scale than ever before, but this will not suffice. What we need is whole system transformation.
What AI Asks of Open Access
As AI systems increasingly reason from the scientific literature, the integrity signals that make research trustworthy - open data, structured metadata, robust retraction processes - matter more than ever.
Panicking Scientists, Canceled Experiments - Federal Funding Cuts Turned My Work As a Research Dean into Crisis Management
Panicking Scientists, Canceled Experiments - Federal Funding Cuts Turned My Work As a Research Dean into Crisis Management
When the Trump administration took aim at higher education and the scientific research enterprise, a university dean had to figure out on the fly how to support scientists and their work at his school.
The Real Threat to Trust in Science Isn't Outright Fraud, but the Pervasive Tweaking of Research Designs and Models
The Real Threat to Trust in Science Isn't Outright Fraud, but the Pervasive Tweaking of Research Designs and Models
Science's credibility issues stem from the deliberate manipulation of research designs and model specifications.
How to Revive Science in America
To remain cutting edge and competitive, the United States need to take tactical steps to foster better, more supportive science policy - including a strategic reset that seeks out global talent, diversifies funding sources, and clearly defines strategic priorities.
Science Communication Is Central to the Practice of Science
Explaining and defending knowledge is as essential to the scientific enterprise as publishing research.
Horizon Europe Is Now Truly Global. But What Comes Next?
As Australia agrees to associate, questions remain over whether the programme will be genuinely international, or EU-first.
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