The world's boreal forests may be shrinking as climate change pushes them northward

How will Earth’s vast boreal forests look in a warmer world? Combining satellite-based research with fieldwork shows that the planet’s largest wilderness may be changing in unexpected ways.

Roman Dial, Professor of Biology and Mathematics, Alaska Pacific University • conversation
Nov. 3, 2023 ~11 min

Ukraine war: Russian shelling is taking a deadly toll on urban bats

Shelling may have led to the killing of 7,000 noctule bats in the city of Kharkiv alone

Eleanor Harrison, Lecturer in Ecology, Keele University • conversation
Sept. 29, 2023 ~7 min


AI disinformation is a threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024

ChatGPT and its ilk give propagandists and intelligence agents a powerful new tool for interfering in politics. The clock is ticking on learning to spot this disinformation before the 2024 election.

Bruce Schneier, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School • conversation
Sept. 29, 2023 ~9 min

Why Russia pulled out of its grain deal with Ukraine – and what that means for the global food system

Russia’s move, which it followed by bombing the key port city of Odesa and threatening to attack any ship sailing for Ukraine, sent global food prices skyrocketing.

Anna Nagurney, Professor and Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst • conversation
July 19, 2023 ~7 min

Ukrainian science is struggling, threatening long-term economic recovery – history shows ways to support the Ukrainian scientific system

The war in Ukraine has led to the destruction of scientific infrastructure, caused many Ukrainian researchers to leave the country and disrupted the work of those who have stayed.

Stefano Horst Baruffaldi, Associate Professor in Economics and Management of Innovation, Polytechnic University of Milan • conversation
July 6, 2023 ~9 min

Kakhovka dam breach raises risk for Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant – receding waters narrow options for cooling

The International Atomic Energy Agency says the plant has enough water to last for several months. What happens afterward or if the remaining water is lost to the war could lead to a disaster.

Najmedin Meshkati, Professor of Engineering and International Relations, University of Southern California • conversation
June 7, 2023 ~10 min

China's hypersonic missiles threaten US power in the Pacific – an aerospace engineer explains how the weapons work and the unique threats they pose

China’s newest hypersonic missile, the DF-27, could sideline US aircraft carrier groups in the Pacific, while missiles in the works in China, Russia and the US threaten global security.

Iain Boyd, Director, Center for National Security Initiatives; Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
May 24, 2023 ~8 min

Lessons from 'Star Trek: Picard' – a cybersecurity expert explains how a sci-fi series illuminates today's threats

‘Star Trek: Picard’ is set 400 years in the future, but, like most science fiction, it deals with issues in the here and now. The show’s third and final season provides a lens on cybersecurity.

Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
May 12, 2023 ~9 min


What is the National Cybersecurity Strategy? A cybersecurity expert explains what it is and what the Biden administration has changed

The new National Cybersecurity Strategy reiterates the government’s focus on resilient infrastructure and taking the offensive against hackers. But it also brings a fresh approach to the private sector.

Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
March 20, 2023 ~9 min

Drones over Ukraine: What the war means for the future of remotely piloted aircraft in combat

The war in Ukraine has dramatically increased the use of drones in warfare, from repurposed consumer quadcopters to flying bombs to remotely piloted warplanes.

Roberto J. González, Professor of Anthropology, San José State University • conversation
Feb. 23, 2023 ~10 min

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