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Scientific American
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Scientific American
‘Science Fair' of Lost Research Protests Trump Cuts
Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. | A few dozen scientists protested the cancelling of their research grants by the US government at a 'science fair' staged yesterday in Washington D.C. The event, organized by Democrats on a US House of Representatives science committee, is the latest to oppose actions taken by the administration of Republican President Donald Trump to slash US science spending. Researchers presented posters on how their terminated projects might have benefitted society. They were more upset about how the lost funding might affect young scientists than they were about the end of their own projects. 'If you're training right now as an undergraduate or PhD, do you really want to come into a community that has no funding?' Reuben Harris, a biochemist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, told Nature. Since Trump took office in January, the US National Institutes of Health, the world's largest biomedical-science funder, has terminated about 2,900 research grants, according to the database Grant Watch — although about 900 of these might be reinstated after a federal judge ruled that they were cancelled without proper justification. The US National Science Foundation (NSF), another US funding powerhouse, has cancelled more than 1,600 grants. The cuts have targeted research programmes disfavoured by the Trump team, including those investigating the health of gender minorities, the biology underlying COVID-19 and the spread of misinformation. They have also been aimed at some universities, such as Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that the administration says have not shielded their students from antisemitism. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Committee Democrats planned the event, titled 'The Things We'll Never Know: A Science Fair of Canceled Grants,' to highlight the damage of the cuts to the public and to other policymakers. 'What's hard about the politics of fighting for science is that it's hard to tell people what they're missing out on. It's hard to say, 'Hey, this cancer would have been cured before this cut,'' Suhas Subramanyam, a House Democrat from Virginia, told attendees at the fair. 'So this is demonstrating just a small sample of what people are going to be missing through these types of science.' Lost results Many of the scientists presenting at the event were a few years into their projects before their funding was cut — wasting money already spent. Julie Cidell, a geographic information scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, was about halfway through her study on how switching to electric-freight vehicles from diesel ones might benefit local communities when the US Environmental Protection Agency cancelled her grant. 'We especially wanted to gather air-quality data from individuals — have people walk around their neighbourhoods with individual monitors' to track the difference with electric vehicles (EVs), Cidell said. 'That's the part we can't do anymore because we don't have the funding to pay people.' Katie Shilton, an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher at the University of Maryland in College Park, and her team were building moderator tools to flag misinformation on social-networking platforms such as Discord and Nextdoor. She had already spent four years working with online communities to develop the AI tools when the NSF cancelled the grant. 'We built this tool. We started coding it,' Shilton says. 'We had to dismiss our student who was coding the tool right away. Our graduate students lost their summer funding. And we can't finish.' Along with several others at the fair, Jessica Rosenberg, an astrophysicist who studies science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, pointed out the effects of cancelled grants on junior scientists. Rosenberg was in the process of hiring team members to study methods of educating students about quantum technology when the news landed that her NSF money was cut. Three postdoctoral students 'had just finished signing letters turning down their other offers and were supposed to start mid-August' when the funding for the new positions vanished, she told Nature. 'I'm really scared for our students and junior colleagues,' Shilton said. 'I've had a great career even if I don't get any more science funding. But how are my students going to do science?' White House spokesman Kush Desai said of the science fair: 'By slashing waste, fraud and abuse, and realigning research spending, the Trump administration is strengthening America's research apparatus to better deliver on the priorities of the American people — which do not include AI moderators for online forums or more justifications for EV mandates.' Presenters and committee members at the event expressed concern that the halting of so much research could sink US leadership in science. 'We're putting ourselves in the situation of sacrificing our place as the world leader in biotechnology and antiviral-drug development to other countries,' Harris said. Subramanyam said that, perhaps that loss of leadership is the wake-up call the United States needs. If China surpassing the United States 'is the only way to get people here to pay attention, then let China do it,' he said when answering a question from the press about China's investment in space science at the fair. 'Yes, we're going to lose our leadership in science, technology, research and innovation if we continue to make cuts.'
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Team USA Olympic sprinting superstar Gabby Thomas in images
Gabby Thomas is brilliant on and off the track. The USA sprinter won bronze in 200M in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She went way better than that in Paris, capturing three gold medals, winnning the 200M and taking part in the 4X100 and 4X400 relay teams. While not sprinting, Thomas was running to classrooms at Harvard, where she graduated from in 2018 with a degree in neurobiology and global health. She also has a Masters degree in epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center. Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas Gabby Thomas
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers make troubling discovery about dangerous health issue with bus stops: 'Like an oven'
While transportation accounts for over 20% of planet-warming pollution, public transit reduces it and provides a more affordable and safe alternative for commuting. More than two-thirds of public transit users walk to transit stations, according to the American Public Transportation Association, but extreme temperatures can make getting to these stations difficult. Shelters at transit stations are designed to protect users from extreme temperatures and weather. However, a study at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston discovered some of these shelters worsen the problem, increasing temperatures and transit users' risk for heat stress. The study measured wet bulb globe temperature –– which combines air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation –– in shaded and unshaded areas at bus stops in Houston. While shade reduced WBGT, one type of shelter increased temperatures. The ground in this type of shelter, when unshaded, was about 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the ground outside the shelter, the researchers discovered. These types of shelters contained aluminum frames and translucent acrylic walls, which "trapped radiation inside the shelter" and made them "like an oven," researcher Kevin Lanza said, per Hot temperatures at bus stops increase bus riders' risk for heat stress, which includes "a combination of factors, not just the temperature," according to Lanza, and can develop into life-threatening heat stroke.
Economic Times
17-05-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
More than 9 hours of sleep? Science says your memory may suffer
NYT News Service The study analyzed data from nearly 2,000 dementia-free adults aged 27 to 85, focusing on sleep duration and cognitive function. The findings indicated that participants who slept longer than nine hours exhibited decreased memory, visuospatial abilities, and executive functions. If you've ever felt proud of clocking in over nine hours of sleep, thinking it's the ultimate health hack, recent research suggests you should reconsider. A study from the University of Texas Health Science Center reveals that excessive sleep, specifically more than nine hours per night, may be linked to poorer cognitive performance, especially in individuals experiencing symptoms of depression. The study analyzed data from nearly 2,000 dementia-free adults aged 27 to 85, focusing on sleep duration and cognitive function. Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities. Also Read: War of the Worlds? AI is growing a mind of its own, soon it will make decisions for youThe findings indicated that participants who slept longer than nine hours exhibited decreased memory, visuospatial abilities, and executive functions. These effects were more pronounced in individuals with depressive symptoms, regardless of whether they were on antidepressant medication. Vanessa Young, a clinical research project manager at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, stated that sleep could be a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline in individuals with depression. This research suggests that those with mental health conditions should be more serious about their sleep; they might need personalized sleep recommendations. While sleep is essential for brain health, both insufficient and excessive sleep can have detrimental effects. The Global Council on Brain Health recommends 7 to 8 hours of nightly sleep for adults to preserve cognitive function. Also Read: 300 years after alchemy failed, CERN scientists finally turn lead into gold It's crucial to pay attention to your sleep patterns and consult healthcare professionals if you experience persistent changes in sleep duration or quality, especially if accompanied by depressive symptoms. People who work shifts might be more vulnerable, as their sleeping cycle is often disrupted by work. Balancing sleep duration could be a key factor in maintaining cognitive health and overall well-being.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
More than 9 hours of sleep? Science says your memory may suffer
If you've ever felt proud of clocking in over nine hours of sleep, thinking it's the ultimate health hack, recent research suggests you should reconsider. A study from the University of Texas Health Science Center reveals that excessive sleep , specifically more than nine hours per night, may be linked to poorer cognitive performance, especially in individuals experiencing symptoms of depression. The study analyzed data from nearly 2,000 dementia-free adults aged 27 to 85, focusing on sleep duration and cognitive function. Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities. Also Read: War of the Worlds? AI is growing a mind of its own, soon it will make decisions for you Continue to video 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Packaging Trends In 2024 - Take A Look Packaging Machines | Search Ads Search Now Undo The findings indicated that participants who slept longer than nine hours exhibited decreased memory, visuospatial abilities, and executive functions. These effects were more pronounced in individuals with depressive symptoms, regardless of whether they were on antidepressant medication. Live Events Vanessa Young, a clinical research project manager at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, stated that sleep could be a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline in individuals with depression. This research suggests that those with mental health conditions should be more serious about their sleep; they might need personalized sleep recommendations. While sleep is essential for brain health, both insufficient and excessive sleep can have detrimental effects. The Global Council on Brain Health recommends 7 to 8 hours of nightly sleep for adults to preserve cognitive function. Also Read: 300 years after alchemy failed, CERN scientists finally turn lead into gold It's crucial to pay attention to your sleep patterns and consult healthcare professionals if you experience persistent changes in sleep duration or quality, especially if accompanied by depressive symptoms. People who work shifts might be more vulnerable, as their sleeping cycle is often disrupted by work. Balancing sleep duration could be a key factor in maintaining cognitive health and overall well-being.
