Science and society
- Avi Blizovsky
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Blue Origin, which has been funded primarily by Jeff Bezos since its inception, is reportedly in talks to raise $10 billion in private capital. The money is intended to support expanded launch operations, lunar missions, satellite networks, and rehabilitation.
- Avi Blizovsky
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Germany, Britain, and France dominated science in the early 20th century, but the United States overtook them through the absorption of researchers, long-term public investment, strong universities, and scientific freedom. On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a cut
- Avi Blizovsky
- 7 תגובות
Global fertility rates have plummeted, and many countries fear an aging and shrinking population. But a new report highlights that the real crisis is not a refusal to have children, but the gap between the family people want and the one they are capable of.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 3 תגובות
A Marshall University researcher suggests reading the fall of Satan in Dante’s “Inferno” as a scenario reminiscent of a giant asteroid impact. This is an interdisciplinary interpretation presented at the EGU 2026 conference, and not a new geological finding.
- Avi Blizovsky
- One response
Professor Hani Farid of the University of California, Berkeley, a pioneer in the field of digital forensics, is at the center of a new Science article on the race to identify fake content. The deepfakes of 2026 are no longer just suspicious videos online: they are
- Avi Blizovsky
- 5 תגובות
A new article argues that it's not just administrators and politicians who are to blame for the erosion of the humanities, but also the field's own people. The data points to a continuing decline in the number of degrees, job cuts and increasing pressure on departments.
- Avi Blizovsky
Researchers suggest that the transition from heavy stone tools to blades, flints, and light scrapers about 200 years ago was not simply due to technological advances, but to the need to adapt to hunting and processing smaller animals.
- Avi Blizovsky
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After more than three years in which dozens of research and higher education institutions in Hungary have been blocked from access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, researchers report loss of collaborations, damage to reputation, and particular difficulty for young researchers, and they warn
- Avi Blizovsky
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All 22 serving members of the National Science Board have been removed without public explanation, in a move that raises concerns about the damage to the independence of American and global science.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 6 תגובות
Declining trust in democracy, leaving Western countries, brain drain from the West, high cost of living and corruption, weakening of democratic institutions, emigration from the West, democratic crisis in the West
- Avi Blizovsky
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V-Dem, Freedom House, and Bright Line Watch present a similar picture of institutional erosion, declining checks and balances, and the erosion of democratic norms in the United States since the beginning of Trump's second term.
- Avi Blizovsky
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Lead researcher: "Coordinated AI agents can create the appearance of consensus, influence trend dynamics, and accelerate the spread of messages. In democratic contexts, especially around elections or crises, such capabilities could
- Dothan Rice
- 11 תגובות
The acquisition of Reshet 13 by a group of high-tech professionals led by Assaf Rapaport poses a major test for the channel: continue with a model of polarized and persuasive communication, or develop more transparent, systematic, and reliable journalism for an era of crisis.
- Science site The Conversation
- 2 תגובות
An article in The Conversation argues that the digital crisis and the climate crisis are a moral test: between a “moral threat” that normalizes harm and “moral muses” that prove that principles and profit can be combined.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 7 תגובות
The triennial report of the Israel Academy of Sciences describes research excellence alongside a decline in investment in basic research, damage to international relations, and the consequences of the war and legal reform on young faculty, collaborations, and research output.
- Avi Blizovsky
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For the first time in the country's history, the population growth rate has fallen below one percent (0.9%). Fertility rates are declining in all sectors despite the increase in life expectancy. A jump of approximately 77% in the annual number of deaths is expected by 2025.
- Tel Aviv University
A new methodological framework examines which vocal components attract attention; field experiments with rock squirrels have shown that wails at the beginning of a song increase response rates and are well preserved over medium distances.
- Tel Aviv University
An international study led by the University of Tennessee and in collaboration with Tel Aviv University finds that noise and selection pressure make it difficult for female toads to choose mates – a phenomenon that may slow the pace of evolution.
- Science site The Conversation
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New study claims: Science does not exist in a vacuum – culture, politics, and society shape the questions, research, and conclusions
- The Hebrew University
An international team led by scientists from Belgium, the Netherlands and Tel Aviv University has found that over 70% of the massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud have partners – a finding that sheds new light on the first stars
- Avi Blizovsky
- 12 תגובות
The American public has ceased to be impressed by the economic contribution of international students, while Trump's policies harm higher education institutions and endanger tens of billions in the American economy.
- Avi Blizovsky
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Following the situation in Gaza: European Commission proposes to deny Israel access to acceleration grants in the Horizon Europe program
- Avi Blizovsky
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NASA prepares to cancel major science missions; scientists warn of brain drain and huge loss of investment * Nearly 300 NASA scientists signed the "Voyager Declaration": Budget cuts could lead to another disaster like Columbia
- Avi Blizovsky
- 2 תגובות
Theoretical physicist speaks out against the Trump administration's dramatic budget cuts to scientific research and warns of irreversible damage to the US's status as a world leader in science
- Avi Blizovsky
- 4 תגובות
In 1925, a teacher who taught evolution was put on trial in an event known as the “Monkey Trial”; in 2025, the Trump administration is once again harassing universities, firing scientists, and bringing religion back into public schools. History repeats itself – in a bigoted version
- Avi Blizovsky
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Researchers call for adopting a collaborative model in scientific communication that combines values, open discourse, and recognition of uncertainty
- Avi Blizovsky
- 11 תגובות
Science magazine reports on a series of decisions by the Trump administration that are harming American science – favoring artificial intelligence and quantum computing, excluding life sciences, and cutting support for groundbreaking research are sparking a wave of protest in the community.
- Tel Aviv University
- The Hebrew University
Researchers used machine learning to distinguish between signals from space and signals originating from human activity
- Avi Blizovsky
Researchers from universities in Israel and around the world used AI-based statistical models to identify three distinct writing styles in the first nine books of the Bible – and assign controversial chapter authors to these groups.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 7 תגובות
A former dean at Temple University in Philadelphia warns that Trump's decisions threaten the foundations of American democracy, after he signed 142 executive orders in his first XNUMX days in office that violated civil rights.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 2 תגובות
In a new book, Professor Nathan Crick argues that the language of propaganda must be studied – not to fear it, but to know how to use it for the benefit of society.
- Avi Blizovsky
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Federal and state policies in the US create uncertainty among biotech companies and hinder the development of personalized mRNA vaccines
- Avi Blizovsky
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From announcements of green technologies to the repeal of regulations and the firing of scientists – moves that undermine the foundations of environmental and public health protection. Inside Climate News investigation
Researchers under threat: Trump administration's NIH budget cuts disrupt critical research worldwide
- Avi Blizovsky
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From the University of Michigan to South Africa: Researchers Describe How Trump Administration Budget Cuts Are Disrupting Research Programs
- Science site The Conversation
- 3 תגובות
How economic and security promises distract supporters from giving up civil rights and strengthening anti-democratic leaders, and why populist rulers claim they have come to save democracy
- Avi Blizovsky
- One response
Trump is demanding the appointment of conservatives to various positions to balance what he calls the leftist bias in academia. But that's not enough for him, and he's demanding that research directions be determined and research budgets be kept.
- Avi Blizovsky
- One response
From now on, a positive portrayal of the contributions of women, Native Americans, and blacks to the United States is considered partisan and forbidden.
- Tel Aviv University
New research led by Tel Aviv University reveals how bats change their echolocation patterns when leaving the cave and maneuver with amazing skill even when surrounded by tens of thousands of their friends — without air crashes
- Avi Blizovsky
- 8 תגובות
The Trump administration is leading the destruction of science and how it could return us to the Middle Ages or even the Stone Age. The damage of erasing databases and laying off workers will cause a huge setback in many fields, so the resistance is
- Avi Blizovsky
- 2 תגובות
March 7 protests across the US and Europe will protest cuts to research, staffing and funding, and push for continued federal focus on diversity, equity and inclusion
- Avi Blizovsky
Data analyzed by the Australian ASPI Institute shows that leadership in these technologies has shifted to China. One area in which the US still dominates is vaccine development, but this too is at risk due to the cutbacks.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 5 תגובות
The damage to scientific infrastructure and international collaboration networks—especially in the fields of biomedical and climate research—could be irreversible, and undermine the United States' ability to maintain its position as a global leader in science and innovation in the coming decades.
- Avi Blizovsky
- 6 תגובות
Trump accuses Zelensky of "betting on World War III," but his isolationist steps could actually spark conflicts, such as China's invasion of Taiwan, and a confrontation with Iran could actually bring war closer.
