news

Send us a link

Subscribe to our newsletter

Federal Partners Release Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research

Federal Partners Release Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research

A group of 23 U.S. government agencies, including the NSF, have joined to produce the Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research, which outlines the objectives, structure and principles for coordinated research in this important field of study.

Thousands of Academics Spurn Nature’s New Paid-Access Machine Learning Journal

Thousands of Academics Spurn Nature’s New Paid-Access Machine Learning Journal

Nature has just announce plans to create a Machine Intelligence imprint, and researchers in this normally open access field are not happy. Over two thousand have signed a statement saying they won’t publish in it.

The Most-Cited Authors on Wikipedia Had No Idea

The Most-Cited Authors on Wikipedia Had No Idea

A single academic paper, published by three Australian researchers in 2007, has been cited by Wikipedia editors over 2.8 million times - the next most popular work only shows up a little more than 21,000. And the researchers behind it didn't have a clue.

Science in North Korea: How Easing the Nuclear Stand-Off Might Bolster Research

Science in North Korea: How Easing the Nuclear Stand-Off Might Bolster Research

The isolated nation publishes fewer than 100 scholarly articles a year - but as political tensions thaw, researchers hope for greater collaboration.

US Government Considers Charging for Popular Earth-Observing Data

US Government Considers Charging for Popular Earth-Observing Data

Images from Landsat satellites and agricultural-survey programme are freely available to scientists - but for how long?

With €1.5 Billion for Artificial Intelligence Research, Europe Pins Hopes on Ethics

With €1.5 Billion for Artificial Intelligence Research, Europe Pins Hopes on Ethics

Europe aims to catch up to China and United States in global artificial intelligence “arms race”

Elite Colleges Pledge More Access for Low-Income Students

Elite Colleges Pledge More Access for Low-Income Students

One hundred institutions have signed on to create more opportunities for these students, but will the initiative limit growth opportunities for smaller colleges?

EU Urged to Strengthen Gender Objectives

EU Urged to Strengthen Gender Objectives

The Research Council of Norway and the Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research have written a letter to the Ministry of Education and Research. Their message is clear: Don’t forget gender equality.

E.P.A. Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking

E.P.A. Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking

The agency plans to publish a new regulation Tuesday that would restrict the kinds of scientific studies the agency can use when it develops policies.

Making a home for the Physical Sciences and Engineering in PLOS ONE

Making a home for the Physical Sciences and Engineering in PLOS ONE

PLOS ONE has created a Physical Sciences and Engineering team as part of a wider effort to better serve our communities through subject-specific in-house editorial groups.

Scientists' Early Grant Success Fuels Further Funding

Scientists' Early Grant Success Fuels Further Funding

A new paper suggests that positive feedback in funding may be a key mechanism through which money is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few extremely successful scholars, but also that the origins of emergent distinction in scientists' careers may be of an arbitrary nature.

Decades-Old Graph Problem Yields to Amateur Mathematician

Decades-Old Graph Problem Yields to Amateur Mathematician

By making the first progress on the "chromatic number of the plane" problem in over 60 years, an anti-aging pundit has achieved mathematical immortality.

Springer Nature and ResearchGate Announce New Cooperation to Make It Easier to Navigate the Sharing of Academic Journal Articles

Springer Nature and ResearchGate Announce New Cooperation to Make It Easier to Navigate the Sharing of Academic Journal Articles

Springer Nature and ResearchGate, along with Cambridge University Press and Thieme, will work together on the sharing of articles on the scholarly collaboration platform in a way that protects the rights of authors and publishers.

A Remedy for Broken Science, or an Attempt to Undercut It?

A Remedy for Broken Science, or an Attempt to Undercut It?

Reproducibility issues pose serious challenges for scientific communities. But what happens when those issues get picked up by political activists? A report from the National Association of Scholars takes on the reproducibility crisis in science. Not everyone views the group’s motives as pure.

Science Publisher Springer Nature Anoounces €1.2 Billion IPO

Science Publisher Springer Nature Anoounces €1.2 Billion IPO

Despite a mixed record for German stock market flotations in 2018, Springer Nature, the world's largest publisher of English-language research journals, has announced it is taking the plunge.

Panel Calls for a Postdoc Tax and Other Measures to Help Biomedical Scientists Find Jobs

Panel Calls for a Postdoc Tax and Other Measures to Help Biomedical Scientists Find Jobs

By limiting how long postdocs can be federally funded and by making it more expensive to keep them designated as trainees, research institutions will have an incentive to employ more permanent staff scientists, providing a much-needed additional career option for young scientist.

Study Explores Challenges to Black Graduate Engineering Students

Study Explores Challenges to Black Graduate Engineering Students

A new study that follows 21 Black men pursuing graduate degrees in engineering explores themes of structural racism, unfair treatment, unwelcoming environments and feelings of isolation.

New Awards Aim to Celebrate Women in Science

New Awards Aim to Celebrate Women in Science

Prizes will reward outstanding scientific discovery and exceptional efforts to engage girls and young women in science.