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Can the UK Be a 'Science and Technology Superpower'?

Can the UK Be a 'Science and Technology Superpower'?

The government's aim is for the UK to be a science and technology superpower. However, the UK's current science and technology policy is based on three fallacies that limit its ability to become a tech superpower.

Will AI Accelerate or Delay the Race to Net-zero Emissions?

Will AI Accelerate or Delay the Race to Net-zero Emissions?

As artificial intelligence transforms the global economy, researchers need to explore scenarios to assess how it can help, rather than harm, the climate.

"AI Is a Tool, and Its Values Are Human Values."

"AI Is a Tool, and Its Values Are Human Values."

Deep learning and artificial intelligence pioneer Fei-Fei Li shares her thoughts on how to keep AI centered on human well-being.

Gates Open-access Policy Change 'anticipates' Coalition S Direction

Gates Open-access Policy Change 'anticipates' Coalition S Direction

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has adopted a policy on open-access publishing that the funder group Coalition S says “anticipates” its own planned change of direction.

A (Limited) Defence of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge in Public Policy

A (Limited) Defence of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge in Public Policy

Traditional knowledge provides valuable information, particularly regarding local ecological questions, and it is appropriate to investigate how to integrate this knowledge with conventional science. However, claims about the natural world from either system must be held to an objective standard.

The world is warming faster than scientists expected

The world is warming faster than scientists expected

Fossil fuel groups and investors cannot afford to ignore the warnings.

Lack of Experimentation Has Stalled the Debate on Open Peer Review

Lack of Experimentation Has Stalled the Debate on Open Peer Review

Open peer review is often discussed more in theory than practice. Drawing on evidence from a recent systematic review of open peer review studies, Tony Ross-Hellauer and Serge P.J.M. Horbach find many persistent questions around open peer review remain poorly examined and call for a more experimental approach to open peer review practices.

We Need a University Check for New EU Legislation

We Need a University Check for New EU Legislation

The wave of new EU digital regulation has revealed a particular blind spot in EU policy making. While these regulations are not specific to universities, they do have a considerable impact on the day-to-day running of these institutions.

Climate Change: Africa Needs Help Against Escalating Public Health Crisis

Climate Change: Africa Needs Help Against Escalating Public Health Crisis

An associate professor of infectious diseases and public health epidemiology in Nasarawa State, Dr. Ishaku Akyala has emphasised the severe toll of climate change on public health in Africa. Speaki…

Funding, Foreign Influence 'Hinder African Science Progress'

Funding, Foreign Influence 'Hinder African Science Progress'

African researchers call for supportive policies, increased funding, and a collaborative approach to R&D to address science-policy gaps.

Science Creep is a Menace - Washington Examiner

Science Creep is a Menace - Washington Examiner

Holden Thorp, the editor-in-chief of Science, described a discussion during the recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Why Stakeholders Are Sceptical About Lump Sum Funding

Why Stakeholders Are Sceptical About Lump Sum Funding

The introduction of lump sum funding to the EU funding landscape is gathering pace, but research organisations still lack confidence in the new less-strings-attached funding approach, despite its motive of reducing bureaucracy.

The Digital and Green Transitions Are Not Parallel Processes but Transformations that Affect Each Other Deeply

The Digital and Green Transitions Are Not Parallel Processes but Transformations that Affect Each Other Deeply

In her State of the Union speech of 2023, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underlined the fact that the European Green Deal is at the centre of the European economy and "unmatched in ambition".

Embrace Open Science Before It's Too Late

Embrace Open Science Before It's Too Late

A UNESCO report laments the lack of progress in making science more collaborative. Greater awareness could aid efforts to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

A Call for Pan-African Collaboration in Shaping the Future of Science, Technology and Innovation

A Call for Pan-African Collaboration in Shaping the Future of Science, Technology and Innovation

Dr Farai Kapfudzaruwa, Research and Strategic Partnerships Manager at Future Africa, University of Pretoria, calls for an African forum to craft a coherent strategy for positive change in the African STI landscape.

Connecting Researchers and Legislators Can Lead to Policies That Reflect Scientific Evidence

Connecting Researchers and Legislators Can Lead to Policies That Reflect Scientific Evidence

Researchers want real-world impact. Lawmakers want programs that work. The public wants to benefit from taxpayer-funded research. Building a bridge from academia to legislatures is key to all three.

Proper Citation of Research by Journalists is Necessary for More Trustworthy News

Proper Citation of Research by Journalists is Necessary for More Trustworthy News

Based on a study of how research is cited in national and local media sources, Andy Tattersall shows how research is often poorly represented in the media and suggests better community standards around linking to original research could improve trust in mainstream media.

The Weaponisation of Forensic Research Auditing Will Not Resolve Systemic Research Misconduct

The Weaponisation of Forensic Research Auditing Will Not Resolve Systemic Research Misconduct

The trend for the politically motivated forensic scrutiny of the research records of academics has a chilling effect on academic freedom and distracts from efforts to address more important systemic issues in research integrity.

End the Glaring Inequity in International Science Collaborations

End the Glaring Inequity in International Science Collaborations

The world's natural-science research ecosystem remains focused on the priorities of high-income countries. Funders, publishers and scholarly databases can do more to help to rebalance that.

Evolution, Religion and Science: World Not As Polarised As We Think

Evolution, Religion and Science: World Not As Polarised As We Think

A new global survey has revealed that evolutionary science and religion are more compatible than many of us assume.

Being Neurodivergent in Academia: How to Navigate Fieldwork

Being Neurodivergent in Academia: How to Navigate Fieldwork

A PhD student recounts what she has learned from managing her ADHD between the office and the rainforest.