~podcast-25-lead-and | Bookmarks (86)

Will artificial intelligence systems such as chatbots and robots ever develop consciousness? Ethicists say that as such AI systems appear to express emotions or preferences — even in limited ways —moral concern over their rights will grow, creating a divide in public opinion. How can society prepare?

Long known as a cheap anesthetic, ketamine has become a popular depression treatment in recent years — with few rules on how to safely administer it. The FDA hasn’t approved the drug as a depression treatment, and many guidelines on best practices are voluntary. Where does that leave patients?

There has long been talk of a mismatch between the number of awarded doctorates and available academic jobs. But facing recent cuts to science funding, some universities have reduced their Ph.D. admissions. Experts wonder about the short and long-term effects those shifts will have on science-at-large.

Spring and summer are usually an all-hands-on-deck time of year for field-going scientists. This year, however, they are grappling with uncertainty regarding funding, labor, and logistics. “I don’t know what I’m going to do on Day 1,” said one Forest Service aquatic biologist.

In “The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue,” climate activist Mike Tidwell explores the myriad impacts — emotional, physical, spiritual — of the climate crisis on the people, and the trees, who inhabit his block in suburban Washington, starting with a mysterious plague that felled 1,200 trees over two years.

Last week, the Trump administration released its “Make America Healthy Again” Commission report, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said harnesses “gold-standard” science, citing more than 500 studies. But seven of those studies don’t appear to exist at all.

The bestselling 2021 book “The Dawn of Everything” set out to retell the story of human history, proposing that humans have always been driven to adopt different lifestyles and forms of social organization. C. Brandon Ogbunu explores the relevance of the book’s message to the current political moment.

Jay Bhattacharya, a prominent critic of the U.S. medical establishment, is now the director of the National Institutes of Health, the country’s premier biomedical research agency. What does he want from his new role? And what is he willing to compromise?

Between 7 and 15 percent of the population occasionally hears voices, according to some studies — and about 75 percent of them live otherwise normal lives. An unusual collaboration between scientists and psychics to study high-functioning voice hearers could transform the treatment of auditory hallucinations.

The FDA will encourage new clinical trials on the widely used vaccines before approving them for children and healthy adults. The requirements could cost drugmakers tens of millions of dollars and are likely to leave boosters largely out of reach for hundreds of millions of Americans this fall.

The Trump administration announced plans to roll back and delay standards that limit certain forever chemicals in drinking water. But under the Clean Water Act, wastewater treatment plants have the authority to help control the spread of PFAS pollution. It’s time they start using it.

RFK Jr. has been critical of antidepressants, and experts now worry that the MAHA Commission could wage a war on SSRIs despite decades of study. But a small group of researchers have long questioned the quality of research in this field. Why, after decades in use, are the benefits and risks of some antidepressants still so hotly debated?

In March, the Trump administration cut at least 230 HIV-specific grants and reduced the number of HIV branch offices overseen by the CDC. With a proposed budget that further reduces HHS spending, experts are concerned that recent progress on curbing HIV infections could be reversed.

Reorganizations at the EPA will likely gut the agency’s fundamental program for research on the health risks of toxic chemicals. Known as IRIS, the program exists solely to collate the best available science on which to base potential new regulations.

In “More Everything Forever,” Adam Becker details a multitude of flaws in the grand designs of high-technology pioneers and other future-focused thinkers to transform the world to come, targeting not only their aspirations for space colonization, but also their claims for AI and the need for endless growth.

Many U.S. public schools run drills to prepare students for what to do if they’re confronted with an active shooter. But such drills show little evidence of preventing violence and can cause stress, which itself can be harmful. Could monitoring students’ social media be a better alternative?

Trump’s executive orders are affecting how journals operate. Some researchers have raised alarms, claiming political interference when language related to gender and equity has been flagged. How will these trends affect the scientific literature? And what does that mean for vulnerable populations?

For years, health advocates have tried to stop SNAP funds from being spent on soda. Now, as the MAHA movement has prioritized the issue, four states so far have moved to ban soda from the program. But some point to incentivizing healthy eating as a more effective method than restrictions.

When it comes to cancer treatments, experts say that new therapies are beginning to surpass challenges that immunotherapies and other previous approaches couldn’t, providing safer, more targeted delivery directly to tumors.

In her new book, “The Age of Diagnosis,” neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan examines what she regards as an “overdiagnosis epidemic,” in which patients receive medical diagnoses that are technically correct but do not necessarily benefit them. One result is agonizing treatments that patients don’t really need.

A debate is taking place within forensic science: Should scientists be immersed in a crime scene — forming hypotheses to be tested and directing evidence collection — or kept separate from it to avoid bias? The lack of a unified vision for the field may make it more difficult for justice to be served.

Many public health experts have long criticized the World Health Organization, particularly for the agency’s slow response to certain global health crises. But even these observers say that the latest pushback against the agency has gone too far.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently shifted $500 million from a pandemic preparedness fund to a single nascent flu vaccine development program. But that vaccine relies on old technology and is just one of scores of similar efforts. The move has confounded scientists, who say NIH should diversify its investments.

A new study adds to the growing body of evidence linking the drug to negative cardiovascular outcomes. In this case, relatively young and healthy cannabis users were more likely to experience heart attacks and strokes.