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In Defence of the Objective World
Postmodern ideas have gained the status of absolute truths. Relativism, selectively appropriated into the language of both left and right politics, has metamorphosed into dogma. As oversimplification distorts communication, public trust in scientific fact has eroded. Could renewed ideas of objectivity be a way out?

Zoom In: National Science Week Prize Puts Photography Under the Microscope - in Pictures
Zoom In: National Science Week Prize Puts Photography Under the Microscope - in Pictures
Lab-grown spinal cords and glowing fish larvae are among the images in an annual competition to find the best pictures taken under the microscope,

Summer Reader: A Look Back at This Year's Main R&D Policy Stories
It's August and most research and innovation policy wonks have left Brussels. But, if you have summer homework and you need to read up on this year's main developments in research and innovation, we've got you covered. In our view, there have been two main stories this year for EU R&I policy: international chaos, and Horizon.
James Lovelock, Creator of Gaia Hypothesis, Dies on 103rd Birthday
The scientist was best known for his theory that the Earth is a self-regulating community of organisms

We Built a Science Institute from Scratch
With no research institute in Nepal equipped to support her drought research, Hemu Kafle helped establish a new one.

'Dark Mood': Australian Researchers Lament State of Science Ahead of Election
Why I Teach My Students About Scientific Failure
"It's a lesson I wish I'd learned before starting grad school."
Science: When to Question and when to Trust
Pithy bumper sticker memes can't do justice to the need for understanding and judging scientific studies … especially when, as often, public policy is at play.

The Societal Territory of Academic Disciplines: How Disciplines Matter to Society
The Societal Territory of Academic Disciplines: How Disciplines Matter to Society
This paper analyses the interrelations between academic disciplines and society beyond academia by the case of sociology in Norway.

Commission Launches Support Platform for Ukrainian Scientists
The European Commission today launched a portal that pulls together information and support services for researchers in Ukraine and those fleeing the Russian invasion of the country, amid calls for coordinated EU action. The portal offers help with finding housing, job opportunities and recognition of education qualifications.
How Hybrid Working Took Hold in Science
Two years since COVID-19 forced labs to shut down, group leaders describe how academic research has changed, perhaps forever.

Taiwan's Pandemic Vice-President - from Lab Bench to Public Office and Back
Academic Freedom on the Decline
The Academic Freedom Index (AFI) 2022 reveals that almost two out of five people worldwide live in countries where academic freedom has declined substantially during the past ten years.
The Science World Should Keep Talking to Russia
"We respect Ukrainian statehood … and we treat the European choice of our neighbours with understanding." So said some 650 Russian scientists and science journalists in an open letter last week criticising Moscow's onslaught against Ukraine.
Afghanistan's Academics Despair Months After Taliban Takeover
Research has stalled, funds have evaporated and many scientists are still struggling to get out.

The Year's Top 10 Science Stories, Chosen by Scientists
Billionaires in space, an end-date for deforestation, facing up to racial bias in healthcare - we asked scientists to share the most important developments of 2021.
