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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.

‘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

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

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‘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

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.

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

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
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