news

Send us a link

Subscribe to our newsletter

How Does a US President Settle On His Science Policy?

How Does a US President Settle On His Science Policy?

Innovation is a huge part of economic growth – and the White House needs to be well-informed on science and tech issues when setting goals and budgets. Here's how presidents get up to speed.

To Spark Medical Innovation, Canada Should Embrace Open Science

To Spark Medical Innovation, Canada Should Embrace Open Science

The Canadian government is again in the midst of its annual consultations on innovation. It seems our efforts to find the magic key to an “innovative economy” just never go away. By Aled Edwards, CEO of the Structural Genomics Consortium and professor at the University of Toronto.

Academia in 3 Nations Boycotts Elsevier for High Journal Prices

Academia in 3 Nations Boycotts Elsevier for High Journal Prices

Scientists in Taiwan, Germany, and Peru will lose access to more than 12,000 scientific journals after institutions boycott the publishing giant for high prices and minimal open-access options.

A Plan for UK Science After the EU Referendum

A Plan for UK Science After the EU Referendum

The 2016 vote to leave the European Union (EU) shocked British scientists. We propose an eight-point plan to limit the immediate damage and to put U.K. science on the front foot in the wake of the Brexit vote.

German Researchers Start 2017 Without Elsevier Journals

German Researchers Start 2017 Without Elsevier Journals

In Germany, negotiations between scientific publishing company Elsevier and a consortium of hundreds of universities, technical schools, research institutes, and public libraries stalled in December 2016. As a result, more than 60 institutions have lost their online access to Elsevier's journals effective 1 January, although some can still access archived articles published before that date. The price of the journals is only part of the problem.

Mapped Out: Negative Perceptions of Science

Mapped Out: Negative Perceptions of Science

This map shows that across Africa, India, Central America and parts of the Middle East, people are more likely to believe that one of the “bad effects” of science is that it “breaks down ideas of right and wrong”.

It's Not Just Politics: 2016 Was an Epidemic Year for Fake News in Science, too

It's Not Just Politics: 2016 Was an Epidemic Year for Fake News in Science, too

One of the watchwords of politics in 2016 was the epidemic of “fake news” — a catch-all term encompassing propaganda, misinformation, disinformation and hoaxing — impinging on the presidential campaign. But let’s not overlook its spread in the spheres of science and medicine.

Science News That Stuck With Us in 2016

Science News That Stuck With Us in 2016

As the year ends, the Science desk of The New York Times asked its reporters to look back at the news they reported on that was the most memorable. These are their selections, with a focus on archaeology, biology, physics and space.

Vera Rubin, Who Confirmed Existence Of Dark Matter, Dies At 88

Vera Rubin, Who Confirmed Existence Of Dark Matter, Dies At 88

The astrophysicist's groundbreaking research on spiral galaxies provided evidence of invisible dark matter. She was a pioneer in an era when women were excluded from many astronomy programs.

Newt Gingrich: Trump Administration Will Be Committed to Science

Newt Gingrich: Trump Administration Will Be Committed to Science

Gingrich, the former House speaker and adviser to the president-elect, said "this is going to be a very science- and technology-oriented administration."

US Postdocs Grapple with Salary Changes

US Postdocs Grapple with Salary Changes

Postdocs nationwide were set to have an increased minimum salary or become eligible for overtime pay until a court injunction halted new Department of Labor regulations.

Obama’s Outgoing Science Advisor Will Keep Watch in 2017

Obama’s Outgoing Science Advisor Will Keep Watch in 2017

Having a science-minded voice in the new president’s ear could potentially mediate some of Trump’s anti-science attitudes.

Scientists in Germany, Peru and Taiwan to Lose Access to Elsevier Journals

Scientists in Germany, Peru and Taiwan to Lose Access to Elsevier Journals

Libraries pursue alternative delivery routes after licence negotiations break down.

This Young Scientist Retracted a Paper. And It Didn't Hurt His Career

This Young Scientist Retracted a Paper. And It Didn't Hurt His Career

Despite the typical stigma of retracting a scientific paper, Nathan Georgette is doing just fine — serving as a model to those many decades his senior.

Trump's Budget Director Pick: "Do We Really Need Government-Funded Research at All"

Trump's Budget Director Pick: "Do We Really Need Government-Funded Research at All"

Mick Mulvaney suggested Zika science is uncertain, so we shouldn’t bother to fund it.

Swiss Scientists to Regain Full Access to EU Research Programmes

Swiss Scientists to Regain Full Access to EU Research Programmes

Political compromise settles immigration row that could have severed Swiss–EU research agreements.