LHC to end 2022 data-taking season two weeks early to save on electricity, among other measures. As energy prices spike as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, possibly causing a global economic downturn and stoking fears of rolling blackouts — especially in Europe — science laboratories are not being spared. The situation has raised […]
Nature
Turning city planning into a game
Ursula Eicker lets people play around while designing the cities of the future. Ursula Eicker builds ‘digital twins’ of cities, and she hopes to someday build one for yours. Her research team creates sophisticated computer models to explore how building materials, energy sources and people’s mobility patterns affect the energy use and carbon emissions of […]
The scientists who switched focus to fight climate change
Four researchers describe how they found different ways of responding to the planet’s biggest threat — from quitting tenure to overhauling their academic programme. It was during a car journey to California in temperatures sometimes exceeding 40 °C that Sophie Gilbert decided she needed to make a major career change. Driving to visit family from […]
Canada announces new innovation agency — and it’s not modelled on DARPA
The unit will instead mimic Finnish and Israeli agencies. But some researchers worry Canada might be too big and regionalized for the scheme to succeed. The Canadian government has announced that it will invest Can$1 billion (about US$780 million) over the next five years to create a funding agency focused on innovation in science and […]
Beauty and wonder of science boosts researchers’ well-being
Appreciating the phenomena they study helps scientists to persevere in the face of setbacks. Scientists’ ability to experience wonder, awe and beauty in their work is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and better mental health, finds an international survey of researchers. Read more in Nature.
Sci-Hub downloads show countries where pirate paper site is most used
Researchers worldwide are accessing papers using the site — but China tops the chart, with more than 25 million downloads over the past month. Download figures for Sci-Hub, the popular but controversial website that hosts pirated copies of scientific papers, reveal where people are using the site most. The statistics show that users accessing Sci-Hub […]
Social-media platforms failing to tackle abuse of scientists
A report by activists found that half of debunked online disinformation targeting three prominent scientists remains live and unlabelled. Social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are not doing enough to tackle online abuse and disinformation targeted at scientists, suggests a study by international campaign group Avaaz. Read more in Nature.
First Nations communities bring expertise to Canada’s scientific research
Researchers working with Indigenous partners are benefiting from traditional knowledge of the natural world. Investigating how an extract of the traditional medicinal plant, Sooyaiaiitsi, interacts with cancer cells helped Haley Shade to “walk in both worlds”, bridging her education within Canada’s system with her Indigenous identity. Shade, a Blackfoot woman from the Kainai First Nation […]
Canada’s researchers call for a return to stated science ambitions
The buzz created by a 2017 national science review has faded, prompting calls for a renewed focus on innovation. With Canada’s relatively small population of 38 million people spread across a vast land area of some 9.88 million square kilometres, the nation’s researchers have access to expansive natural resources. Varied landscapes, such as the Canadian […]
Nature Outlook: Multiple myeloma
Until around 10 years ago, the prognosis for people with multiple myeloma was poor. It’s still the second most common blood cancer after leukaemia – but thanks to better treatments, the situation is improving. Read more in this Nature Outlook that I edited.