While data collected by modern instruments can provide information on decades of Earth’s extreme events, paleoenvironmental data found in natural archives such as ice cores and tree rings can extend that record by hundreds, thousands, or millions of years into the past. Drawing on a new National Academies report, this interactive webpage offers an introduction to different paleoenvironmental archives and how they are being used to develop a deeper understanding of disasters in the past and plan for a more resilient future.

Synthetic cell technology has the potential to offer innovative solutions in health, environmental sciences, agriculture, and manufacturing. A new National Academies report examines how this emerging field can advance and makes recommendations to ensure research develops in ways that are safe, secure, and responsive to societal needs while managing uncertainty and risk.