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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

Watch the 2026 State of the Science Address

Announcement

National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt discussed the status of the United States’ research enterprise, global leadership in science, and implications for economic competitiveness in the third annual State of the Science address, delivered on June 2. Her address was followed by a panel discussion with other science leaders. (photo by Kevin Allen)

Jun 3, 2026
The State of the Science Address 2026. June 2, 2026. Held at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC.

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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

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

Statement on Report’s Recommendation for NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative

Statement

Forecasting the Ocean:  The 2025-2035 Decade of Ocean Science, a National Academies report issued last year, found that the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative has seen many successes and, as it stands, would partially support urgent ocean research questions identified by the committee that wrote the report.

Jun 3, 2026

Watch the 2026 State of the Science Address

Announcement

National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt discussed the status of the United States’ research enterprise, global leadership in science, and implications for economic competitiveness in the third annual State of the Science address, delivered on June 2. Her address was followed by a panel discussion with other science leaders. (photo by Kevin Allen)

Jun 3, 2026

The State of the Science Address 2026. June 2, 2026. Held at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC.

Health and Safety Impacts of Aircraft Cabin Temperatures — New Report

News Release

Excessively hot or cold temperatures in commercial aircraft may affect the health and safety of passengers and flight attendants. A new National Academies report surveys the evidence on the influence of cabin temperature and humidity on safety and recommends strategies to improve monitoring and risk management.

Jun 3, 2026

Interior of airplane with passengers on seats and stewardess in uniform walking the aisle, serving people.

VA, Congress Urged to Improve Process for Evaluating Disabilities Related to Military Sexual Trauma in New Report

News Release

Military sexual trauma can have immediate and lasting effects on veterans’ mental and physical health, yet many veterans encounter challenges when seeking disability compensation related to that trauma. A new National Academies report reviews the compensation examination process and makes recommendations to ensure veterans receive disability evaluations that are accessible, accurate, and fair.

Jun 3, 2026

Downloaded colored paper in layers for banner background.multicolored paper with texture close-up for background.

The Rabbit Hole of Everyday Questions with Emily Zhang

Feature Story

Emily Zhang has created dozens of YouTube videos, receiving over 300 million views on subjects from the physics of bowling to the invention of blue LED. This year she started Rabbit Hole, a channel that offers “extraordinary answers to everyday questions.” We spoke with Zhang — a 2025 winner of the National Academies’ Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications — about Rabbit Hole and her experiences with YouTube as a medium for science communication.

Jun 3, 2026

image for the feature story "The Rabbit Hole of Everyday Questions with Emily Zhang." Zhang is a 2025 winner of the National Academies’ Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications

What could we learn by landing humans on Mars?

Based on Science

Landing humans on Mars could teach us whether life ever existed beyond Earth, how planets change over time, and how humans can live on other worlds. By studying Mars up close, astronauts could answer some of the biggest questions in science, including whether we are alone in the universe.

May 29, 2026

cover art for A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars

Academy Members Receive Prestigious Shaw Prizes

Announcement

In recognition of distinguished and significant advances in their respective fields, this year’s Shaw Prize in Astronomy was awarded in equal shares to Stanford Woosley (NAS) and Ken’ichi Nomoto; the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine was awarded to Zhu Chen (NAS/NAM), Hugues de Thé (NAM), and Anne Dejean; and the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences was awarded to Emmanuel Candès (NAS) and Camillo De Lellis.

May 27, 2026

Does the current Ebola vaccine protect against every type of Ebola virus?

Based on Science

No. The currently approved Ebola vaccine used for outbreak response is called Ervebo. Ervebo protects against one species of Ebola virus, called Zaire ebolavirus. It has not been proven to protect against other Ebola viruses, including Bundibugyo virus. The 2026 outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a different Ebola virus for which there is currently no approved vaccine.

May 22, 2026

A doctor in Africa checks the vaccine syringe

Are there proven treatments for Ebola?

Based on Science

Yes. Scientists have developed treatments that improve survival for Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus, especially when patients receive care early. But treatments that work for one species of Ebola virus may not work against all Ebola viruses.

May 22, 2026

Virus particle on a red background, illustration.

How does Ebola spread from person to person?

Based on Science

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of a symptomatic person or with contaminated clothing or other materials. Ebola virus is in saliva and other body fluids but has not been found to spread as easily as airborne viruses, such as COVID-19 or measles.

May 22, 2026

Light micrograph histologic section showing human liver infected with Ebola virus causing African Hemorrhagic Fever

What to Know About the Current State of Bird Flu in the U.S.: A Conversation with Shawn Gibbs

Feature Story

As summer approaches, infectious diseases such as H5N1 — commonly known as bird flu — can spread more easily and potentially mutate. Bird flu cases in humans are still relatively rare, and the virus has not yet been known to spread from person to person, but farm workers have contracted the virus after close, prolonged, and unprotected contact with infected animals. We caught up with Shawn Gibbs, dean of the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, to get his thoughts on what should be done to mitigate exposure risks.

May 22, 2026

Workers in chicken farm
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