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Meet Neil Shubin, Who Wants to Bring the Excitement of Discovery to What We Do at NAS

Announcement

In an introductory video, evolutionary biologist and new National Academy of Sciences president Neil H. Shubin describes how he would like to connect the wonder of science and excitement of discovery to the breakthroughs that impact people’s lives across the country, and that he looks forward to collaborating with others to advance the mission of the National Academies to serve the nation.

Jul 13, 2026
Shot from a video introducing Neil Shubin, new president of the National Academy of Sciences

Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems

Announcement

A new publication captures discussions at a National Academies workshop on the current state of mirror biology, its potential applications and risks, and considerations for governance as advances in synthetic biology continue toward the development of replication-competent, self-sufficient, mirror-image bacteria.

Jul 20, 2026
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The Science of Extreme Event Attribution — Which Analyzes Climate Change’s Influence on Specific Weather Events — Has Advanced, But Challenges Remain

News Release

A new report from the National Academies provides a comprehensive assessment of the current capabilities of extreme event attribution (EEA) — a scientific field that analyzes whether and to what extent human-caused climate change influenced an individual extreme weather event, such as a heat wave or large-scale heavy rainfall.

Jul 15, 2026
Dry field stock photo cracked ground, small plants

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Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems

Announcement

A new publication captures discussions at a National Academies workshop on the current state of mirror biology, its potential applications and risks, and considerations for governance as advances in synthetic biology continue toward the development of replication-competent, self-sufficient, mirror-image bacteria.

Jul 20, 2026

Flowing transparent multilayer cloth background, 3d rendering. 3D illustration.

The Science of Extreme Event Attribution — Which Analyzes Climate Change’s Influence on Specific Weather Events — Has Advanced, But Challenges Remain

News Release

A new report from the National Academies provides a comprehensive assessment of the current capabilities of extreme event attribution (EEA) — a scientific field that analyzes whether and to what extent human-caused climate change influenced an individual extreme weather event, such as a heat wave or large-scale heavy rainfall.

Jul 15, 2026

Dry field stock photo cracked ground, small plants

Meet Neil Shubin, Who Wants to Bring the Excitement of Discovery to What We Do at NAS

Announcement

In an introductory video, evolutionary biologist and new National Academy of Sciences president Neil H. Shubin describes how he would like to connect the wonder of science and excitement of discovery to the breakthroughs that impact people’s lives across the country, and that he looks forward to collaborating with others to advance the mission of the National Academies to serve the nation.

Jul 13, 2026

Shot from a video introducing Neil Shubin, new president of the National Academy of Sciences

Eight Health Professionals Selected for RWJF Health Policy Fellows Program

Announcement

The National Academy of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today named the 2026-2027 class of RWJF Health Policy Fellows. Beginning in September, the new fellows will spend a year in Washington, D.C., immersing themselves in health policy, before serving in placements as senior advisers in the legislative or executive branches.

Jul 8, 2026

The Risks and Benefits of Synthetic Cells: Q&A with Peter Carr

Feature Story

In an interview, synthetic biologist Peter Carr explains research on synthetic cells, their potential benefits and hazards, and how governance of this research should work. Carr co-chaired a recent National Academies study of the subject.

Jul 7, 2026

‘I Am an Unabashed Optimist About the Long-Term Future of Science’

Announcement

In an interview for Issues in Science and Technology, Neil Shubin, the new president of the National Academy of Sciences, talks about learning to see as a scientist, leading the Academy during a challenging time, and communicating science in a noisy information landscape.

Jul 6, 2026

Portrait of National Academy of Sciences President Neil Shubin, by Shonagh Rae for Issues in Science and Technology

New NAS and NAM Presidents Take Office

News Release

National Academy of Sciences President Neil H. Shubin and National Academy of Medicine President Monica M. Bertagnolli begin their terms in office today. They join National Academy of Engineering President Tsu-Jae Liu in leading the National Academies in its mission to serve the nation by informing policymaking and public discourse with the best available evidence. (photo by Christopher Michel)

Jul 1, 2026

Neil H. Shubin (President of the National Academy of Sciences and Chair of the National Research Council), Tsu-Jae Liu (President of the National Academy of Engineering), and Monica Bertagnolli (President of the National Academy of Medicine). Photo taken at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Needs New Drought Assessment Framework as Droughts Become More Severe and Unpredictable

News Release

As droughts in the United States become more frequent and longer-lasting, new assessment tools are needed. A new National Academies report examines how the field of drought assessment can better account for shifting drought conditions and proposes a framework to support drought monitoring, planning, and decision-making to meet future challenges.

Jun 30, 2026

Low water levels at Oroville Lake during a drought in Oroville, California

Watch ‘Revolutions in Science: Discovery, Imagination, and the Future’

Announcement

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution co-hosted a daylong symposium exploring the ideas, technologies, and people that have shaped the American scientific enterprise and how to sustain science and discovery for generations to come.

Jun 26, 2026

Schmidt 250 card

The Enduring Pursuit of Science in America

Announcement

In a new editorial in Science, NAS President-elect Neil Shubin reflects on the Academy’s founding by Abraham Lincoln and Congress during the Civil War. They “looked at a nation in crisis and built something designed to last … a place where the best available knowledge could be gathered, examined, and put in service of the common good. That remains the Academy’s aspiration.” (photo by Christopher Michel)

Jun 25, 2026

Headshot/Portrait of Neil H. Shubin.

AI Will Elevate Near-Term Cybersecurity Risks but — with Investment and Coordination — Can Strengthen Cybersecurity in the Long Run

News Release

To counteract emerging cyberthreats posed by artificial intelligence, the baseline level of cybersecurity across society must rise — including stronger security practices, improved software quality, faster response to threats, and more effective sharing of cyberthreat intelligence, says a new rapid expert consultation from the National Academies.

Jun 24, 2026

Futuristic digital technological background with hexagonal elements, yellow glowing digital lock and binary code. Encryption your data. Big data security. Safe your data. Cyber internet security and privacy concept. 3d illustration

FAA Urged to Revise its Approach to Radiation Exposure for Flight Crewmembers; Current Approaches Are Insufficient, Says New Report

News Release

During flights, airplane crews are exposed to cosmic radiation, yet regulatory protections for these workers are insufficient, and a lack of data complicates efforts to better understand the occupational risks to health and safety. A new National Academies report recommends actions to strengthen monitoring, communication, research, and safety practices.

Jun 12, 2026

Air travel

Best Practices, Opportunities for Plugging Orphan Wells Identified in New Report

News Release

Potentially hundreds of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells across the U.S. remain unplugged or were sealed before modern standards existed, and pose risks to public health, the environment, and nearby communities. A new National Academies report examines technologies and best practices for plugging and remediating orphan wells.

Jun 11, 2026

Photo of the old rusty oil rigs with preasure valve

NAS, NAM Members Receive 2026 Kavli Prizes

Announcement

National Academy of Sciences members Eva Y. Andrei, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, and Allan H. MacDonald have been awarded this year’s Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, and NAS members Christine Holt, Kelsey Martin, and Erin Schuman have won the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, together with Oswald Steward. Martin and Schuman are also members of the National Academy of Medicine.

Jun 10, 2026

background image of science and technology

Statement by National Academies Presidents on Importance of NSF’s Ocean Observatories Initiative

Statement

The National Science Foundation’s recent decision to begin removing the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s deep-sea infrastructure could put the U.S. at risk of not having the data needed to address crucial issues such as the impacts of El Niño, effects of ocean ecosystem change on important fisheries, and challenges to U.S. national security from greater access to the Arctic.

Jun 9, 2026

Photo to accompany NASEM presidents' statement regarding importance of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatories Initiative. Image depicts work supported by the initiative.

Platform Science and the Fragmentation of Global Scientific Cooperation

Announcement

In an editorial in PNAS Nexus, Vaughan Turekian, executive director of the National Academies’ Office of International Networks, Cooperation, and Security, argues that decisions made in the next five years about who can access AI-enabled platforms, and how, will shape the geography of global discovery for a generation.

Jun 4, 2026

Vaughan Turekian
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