Stay updated with the latest public health research, commentary, and field notes from our editorial team.
March 25, 2025 · 5 min read
Some techies today fear hell—not from a god, but from a computer. Human beings have a habit of wrapping up big unknowns in familiar stories. Even in our high-tech, secular age, the quest to create Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) often comes with a kind of religious or end-of-the-world fervor. Some communities of self-described rationalists speak […]
One thing’s for sure, lots of scientist and scientific support staff will be losing their jobs. We already know about the indirect rate cut, which I need to blog a bit more about because I have mixed feelings. Well, the journals keep publishing at least. Join the Science Adventure: The stakes for science have never […]
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What if, little by little, we were losing our grip on power, without even realizing it? This isn’t a hypothetical nightmare—it’s a real concern raised by researchers studying gradual disempowerment, a sneaky form of AI risk that unfolds incrementally rather than explosively. Think of it as death by a thousand paper cuts rather than a […]
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In honor of the cracking legal thriller, Juror #2, let’s take a look at some research into the trial process. Imagine stepping into a courtroom, accused of a crime. You glance at the bench, expecting a stern-looking judge in a black robe, but instead, a sleek, glowing AI screen stares back at you. Would you […]
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So we’re watching the news from NSF carefully. The heat on the street is also that HHS is going to be subject to major cut next week. Also, if you haven’t yet, follow us on Bluesky, which is a bit easy for us to keep up in real time. https://bsky.app/profile/thisweekinscience.bsky.social Here’s at least the science […]
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Wait, What?! Alien Planets Smell Like Rotten Eggs? Picture this: You’re floating in space, staring at a beautiful exoplanet orbiting a dim red star. It’s rocky, about the size of Earth, and—if sci-fi movies have taught us anything—it must be teeming with extraterrestrial life, right? Not so fast. Before you start packing for your interstellar […]
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Imagine you wake up one morning, and your house is gone. Not just moved or remodeled—completely vanished. You wander your old neighborhood, but everything is unfamiliar. The streets are wider, the buildings taller, and the trees that once lined your block are nowhere to be found. Eventually, you settle somewhere new, but deep down, you […]
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Just a quick PSA that we’ve moved over to Bluesky. So check us out there if you want to plug into the conversation! And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly updates if you haven’t!
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Science is under attack. Misinformation spreads faster than ever, research funding is increasingly politicized, and access to credible, open science is being restricted. Now more than ever, staying connected to real, evidence-based research is essential—not just for scientists, but for all of us. At This Week in Science, we are committed to making science accessible. […]
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In a move that has sparked widespread concern within the scientific community, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun screening active research projects for specific keywords that may indicate noncompliance with recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. According to an internal document reviewed by The Washington Post, NSF staff are combing through thousands […]
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