culture & policy Archives - Page 3 of 49

A snowy landscape in Italy is seen through a large statue of the five interlocked Olympic rings.

The Olympics Just Saw Its First “Forever Chemical” Disqualifications

by Tik Root 18 February 202624 February 2026

Waxes containing PFAS are banned at the Milan-Cortina Games. Three athletes already have been disqualified for using them.

Several dozen people socialize in an open-air courtyard between two buildings. A large sphere covered in white fabric and adorned with colorful flags stands on a pole above some of the people.

Opinions

Creating Communities to Help Interdisciplinary Scientists Thrive

by Laura Vang Rasmussen, Rachael Garrett, A. Sofia Nanni, Navin Ramankutty and Ariane de Bremond 13 February 202613 February 2026

Solving complex challenges often requires diverse expertise, but skepticism remains within traditional academic institutions and mindsets regarding interdisciplinary science and scientists.

The United States White House on a cloudy, snowy day.

Research & Developments

The Endangerment Finding Is Lost

by Grace van Deelen 11 February 202620 March 2026

Tomorrow, the EPA will revoke the 2009 Endangerment Finding, finalizing a July proposal to do so, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a 10 February announcement.

A geographic information system (GIS) map shows a number of different layers: Blue areas represent flood zones or floodways, whereas white areas are those with minimal flood hazard. Red, orange, green, and gray areas represent mining waste.

Research Spotlights

Making a Map to Make a Difference

by Rebecca Owen 11 February 202611 February 2026

A new study highlights the partnership between scientists and nonscientist community members in building an interactive GIS map to show flooding risk in a Superfund site.

The U.S. Capitol Building in a winter snowstorm

Research & Developments

Partial Shutdown Over DHS Funding Ensnares Education, Health

by Kimberly M. S. Cartier 31 January 202613 February 2026

The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown Saturday at 12:01 Eastern after the Senate failed to resolve a showdown over funding for DHS and restrictions on ICE.

Snow dusts the mountains around the Mesa Laboratory of the Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo.

Opinions

What Americans Lose If Their National Center for Atmospheric Research Is Dismantled

by Carlos Martinez 27 January 202627 January 2026

Five ways dismantling NCAR will cost the American people, and two ways to save it.

An underwater photograph shows a seafloor scattered with potato-sized rocks. An oblong, blue sea creature also rests on the seafloor.

Research & Developments

Trump Administration to Speed Up Permitting for Deep Sea Mining, Even Beyond U.S. Boundaries

by Grace van Deelen 21 January 202621 January 2026

NOAA has finalized a rule that will expedite the permit and license application process for deep seabed mining and allow companies to mine beyond U.S. jurisdictional boundaries.

Editors' Vox

Bridging the Gap: Transforming Reliable Climate Data into Climate Policy

by Jean-Philippe Montillet, Graziella Caprarelli, Gaël Kermarrec, CK Shum, Ehsan Forootan, Jan Sedlacek, Elizabeth Weatherhead, Orhan Akyilmaz, Wolfgang Finsterle, Yu Zhang, Enrico Camporeale and Kelly Caylor 16 January 202616 January 2026

A new special collection welcomes research that bridges the gap between rigorous Essential Climate Variable (ECV) monitoring, AI analytics, and climate policy.