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National Academies Announce Inaugural Recipients of Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications

The 24 inaugural recipients of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication have been announced. Given by the National Academies in partnership with Schmidt Futures, the awards recognize science journalists and research scientists who have developed creative, original work about issues and advances in science, engineering, and medicine.




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VA Should Focus its Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry on Communications and Improving Health Care

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry should be optimized to be a user-friendly resource and focus on improving health care quality and access for veterans and providing two-way communication between veterans who participate and the VA.




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Current EPA Framework Effective for Evaluating Scientific Evidence Used in Setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Says New Report

The EPA’s current framework for evaluating the scientific evidence used to set national air quality standards is effective, reliable, and scientifically defensible, according to a new National Academies report.




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Gulf Research Program Awards $3.4 Million To Reduce the Burden of Disaster-Related Mental Health Consequences

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine today announced awards totaling $3.4 million to support four projects that reduce the burden of disaster-related mental health consequences with a focus on acute disasters.




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Victoria Sheehan Named New Executive Director of Transportation Research Board at National Academies

Following a national search, Victoria Sheehan will join the National Academies on Dec. 5 as the new executive director of the Transportation Research Board. Sheehan comes to the organization from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, which she has led as its commissioner for the past seven years.




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Gulf Research Program Awards $1M in Planning Grants to Support Nature-Based Solutions

The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced awards totaling $997,523 to support 10 projects that will engage communities in co-developing full proposals to advance nature-based solutions to mitigate climate-related hazards.




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Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing to Take Place in London March 6-8, 2023

Registration is now open for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, to be held March 6-8, 2023, in London. The three-day summit is being organized by the Royal Society and U.K. Academy of Medical Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, and the World Academy of Sciences.




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Eight Winners Selected for the TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program Graduate Research Awards

The Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) has announced the winners of its annual Graduate Research Awards. The prestigious awards focus on applied research on airport and related aviation system issues to help the public sector continue to improve the quality, reliability, safety, and security of the U.S. civil aviation system.




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Toward a More Just U.S. Energy System

Shalanda Baker, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, delivered a lecture in December on racial injustice in the U.S. energy system and opportunities for change during the transition away from fossil fuels.




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Deficient Facilities Adversely Affect National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Mission, With Economic, National Security, and Safety Impacts, Says New Report

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s facilities should be modernized to ensure that the agency can continue to deliver measurement science and standards that advance U.S. innovation and competitiveness on national technology priorities. Substandard facilities brought about through lack of investment have created ongoing problems that affect research.




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Agenda for Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, March 6-8

The final agenda is now available for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing, to be held March 6-8 in London and virtually. The National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine are among the international partners hosting the summit.




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Gutierrez-Scaccetti to Lead Transportation Research Board Executive Committee in 2023

Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti has been appointed as chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee by Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences. Her term begins March 4, 2023.




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Submissions for the 2023 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications Are Now Open

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2023 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications, which honor top science communicators, journalists, and research scientists who have developed creative, original work to communicate issues and advances in science, engineering, and medicine for the general public.




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Statement on New York Times Article Regarding Sackler Family Donations to NAS

The news article suggests that the donations from the Sacklers presented a conflict of interest for the National Academies’ studies on chronic pain, opioid use, and ways to combat the opioid epidemic. The Sackler funds were never used to support an advisory study on these issues.




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The murky world of password leaks – and how to check if you’ve been hit

Password leaks are increasingly common and figuring out whether the keys to your own kingdom have been exposed might be tricky – unless you know where to look




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WeLiveSecurity wins Best Cybersecurity Vendor Blog award!

The results of the 2024 European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards are in and the winner of the Best Cybersecurity Vendor Blog is... drumroll, please... WeLiveSecurity!




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The cyberthreat that drives businesses towards cyber risk insurance

Many smaller organizations are turning to cyber risk insurance, both to protect against the cost of a cyber incident and to use the extensive post-incident services that insurers provide




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How regulatory standards and cyber insurance inform each other

Should the payment of a ransomware demand be illegal? Should it be regulated in some way? These questions are some examples of the legal minefield that cybersecurity teams must deal with




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Why system resilience should mainly be the job of the OS, not just third-party applications

Building efficient recovery options will drive ecosystem resilience




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Mind the (air) gap: GoldenJackal gooses government guardrails

ESET Research analyzed two separate toolsets for breaching air-gapped systems, used by a cyberespionage threat actor known as GoldenJackal




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BSNL issues purchase order to TCS, ITI for 1 lakh 4G sites: Report

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved the third revival package for the telecom PSU worth Rs 89,047 crores which also includes the allotment of 4G/5G spectrum through equity infusion.




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Stanford engineers develop a plastic clothing material that cools the skin

Stanford engineers have developed a low-cost, plastic-based textile that, if woven into clothing, could cool your body far more efficiently than is possible with the natural or synthetic fabrics in clothes we wear today.

read more



  • Physics & Chemistry

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OU study demonstrates seasonality of bird migration in response to environmental cues

A University of Oklahoma study demonstrates for the first time that remote sensing data from weather surveillance radar and on-the-ground data from the eBird citizen science database both yield robust indices of migration timing, also known as migration phenology. These indices can now be used to address the critical gap in our knowledge regarding the cues that migrants use for fine tuning their migration timing in response to climate.

read more



  • Earth & Climate

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How Karza Technologies makes due diligence and onboarding simpler for banks & NBFCs

One of the key pillars of growth for the Indian economy are small and medium-sized businesses, which generate roughly 30 percent of the countrys GDP and provide jobs to over 110 million people.




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Garden Closed, Jan. 1, 2025

The Garden is closed today. 




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Garden Closed, Dec. 31

The Garden is closed today. 




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Garden Closed, Dec. 25

The Garden is closed today. 




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Garden Closed, Dec. 24

The Garden will be closed today. 




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Member Event: Horticulturist Walking Tour of Garden Conifers, Dec. 20

To celebrate the winter solstice, please join Andrew Doran, Director of Collections, for a behind-the scenes walking tour of conifer (cone-bearing) plants in the Garden. You will explore the diversity of conifers including pines, spruces, firs, hemlocks, redwoods and cypresses to name a few. We will have light refreshments and introductions before heading into the Garden.Learn more and register here




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Member Event: Birds of the Garden, Dec. 11

Join Chris Carmichael and Garden volunteer Susan Greef in search of both resident and migrant birds in the Garden’s many bird-friendly micro habitats. Both beginning and experienced bird watchers are welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them. Learn more and register here




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Thanksgiving Day: Garden Closed, Nov. 28

The Garden is closed today for the Thanksgiving holiday.




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FULL: Fall Bird Walk, Nov. 20

This program is full. To be notified of openings, please email gardenprograms@berkeley.edu. Thank you!  Join Chris Carmichael in search of both resident and migrant birds in the Garden’s many bird friendly micro habitats. Chris will be joined by Susan Greef, Garden Member and avid birder. Beginning and experienced bird watchers are welcome. Limited to 15 participants. This walk follows uneven terrain, with areas of paved and unpaved trail. For accessibility inquiries, please email gardenprograms@berkeley.edu. We suggest bringing binoculars if you have them. Wear layers in case it is a chilly morning. Walk is rain or shine, though heavy rain cancels.




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Rise of AI agents is imminent: Godard Abel, Global CEO, G2.com

Organizations can tap into $200 billion AI infrastructure built by Amazon, Microsoft, Google




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Light tames lethal heart disorders in mice and virtual humans

Using high-tech human heart models and mouse experiments, scientists at Johns Hopkins and Germany's University of Bonn have shown that beams of light could replace electric shocks in patients reeling from a deadly heart rhythm disorder.

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  • Health & Medicine

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Land-based food not nutritionally sufficient for wild polar bears, according to new study

A study, by San Diego Zoo Global conservationists, released this week (Sept. 12, 2016) is shedding new light on how scientists evaluate polar bear diet and weight loss during their fasting season. On average, a polar bear loses up to 30 percent of its total body mass while fasting during the open-water season. Although some scientists previously believed land-based foods could supplement the bears' nutritional needs until the sea ice returns, a new study published in the scientific journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology has revealed that access to terrestrial food is not sufficient to reduce the rate of body mass loss for fasting polar bears.

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  • Earth & Climate

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EU to take one giant leap towards digital euro

Digital euro enthusiasts say it will complement cash and ensure the ECB does not leave a gap that could be filled by private, usually non-European, players and other central banks. Critics question the need for a digital euro and banks warn of major risks, while the ECB's own study found the public was concerned over payment privacy.




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Role of IT distributors in safeguarding India's digital infrastructure

By adjusting global cybersecurity tools and strategies to fit Indian requirements, distributors help companies of all sizes -- small businesses to large corporations -- adopt security solutions that are practical, effective, and scaled appropriately for their environments.




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Tesla charging technology put on fast track to become US standard

Tesla's charging technology has been gathering momentum for weeks. Volvo Car on Tuesday joined General Motors, Ford and Rivian in embracing Tesla's charging design, shunning earlier efforts by the Biden administration to make the Combined Charging System (CCS) the dominant charging standard in the United States.




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Google training Bard on scraped web data: Here's what the company has to say

“Our privacy policy has long been transparent that Google uses publicly available information from the open web to train language models for services like Google Translate,” The Verge quoted Google spokesperson Christa Muldoon as saying. This publically available data includes data available on the internet, device type and settings, operating system, mobile network information including carrier name and phone number, and application version number.




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Global IT hardware companies bat for lifting of import restrictions

In a meeting with IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, held earlier this week, the companies said the import licensing requirement puts "unnecessary pressure" since there is no ecosystem in place in India at present to manufacture these products such as laptops, tablets and servers, executives present at the meeting told ET.




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IT hardware makers push for faster BIS certification to boost local production under PLI scheme

Industry executives have informed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) about the extended timelines for acquiring BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification. This is due to the mandatory separate tests for battery packs installed on laptops, after running viability tests for making the products with local contract manufacturers.




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Stanford scientists combine satellite data and machine learning to map poverty

One of the biggest challenges in providing relief to people living in poverty is locating them. The availability of accurate and reliable information on the location of impoverished zones is surprisingly lacking for much of the world, particularly on the African continent. Aid groups and other international organizations often fill in the gaps with door-to-door surveys, but these can be expensive and time-consuming to conduct.

read more



  • Mathematics & Economics

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IT hardware companies may require global certification

The Indian government is considering asking importers of IT hardware to provide an international certification, attesting that their products are from trusted sources. This move is in response to concerns raised by countries such as China, the US, South Korea, and Taiwan about India's restrictions on the import of these products.




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IT industry needs guardrails to weed out graft: Staffing experts

This comes after the country’s largest IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services found senior executives breaching corporate code of conduct to give preferential treatment to some recruiters. The incident was discovered following a whistle-blower complaint. Initial reports suggested that TCS had blacklisted three staffing firms identified during an investigation.




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141: State of the Hardware 2023

Myke and Grey talk about the devices they've chosen to get things done in their lives. From their office set ups, to their everyday carry items, to their entertainment devices, fitness products, and more.




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144: Absurd Temperature Management

Grey has had to vacate his garage office, Myke wants to thank Cortexans, Cortex joins the Notion Nation, and Myke has hired a personal assistant. Also, a lightning round of exciting Beta features.




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155: State of the Hardware 2024




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Hardy launches HIBSD Bench Scale with display

Bright, integrated backlit display enables easy operation for weighing applications.




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Eastern Standard Provisions expands its retail reach across the U.S.

The producer, specializing in soft pretzels and waffles, now sells at 2,700+ stores.




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Dunkin' Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich

One of the simplest ways to create joy, connect with others, and celebrate special moments is the universal act of offering cheers.