Issues in Science and Technology

Dimensions of Trust

Who’s Afraid to Share Science in Their Listserv?

An interview with Democratic pollsters on the chicken-and-egg challenges of keeping science in neutral political territory.

Trust in Science

The Strange New Politics of Science

M. Anthony Mills, Price St. Clair

The polarization of trust in science is a complex phenomenon shaped by—and increasingly also shaping—American political identities.

Editor’s Journal

Who Owns Science?

Lisa Margonelli

Why has the public not shown much outrage at—or even interest in—the dismantling of the national research project that they’ve been bankrolling for the past 75 years?

Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "The Minnesota Diet"

In a future city complete with vertical farms, rooftop gardens, and no carbon footprint, the city’s survival still depends on regular food deliveries from the outside. When those deliveries suddenly stop showing up, residents start rationing food and becoming more delirious with hunger each passing day—until they find a solution that was hidden in their homes all along.

Shonagh Rae's portrait of Marcia McNutt and Michael M. Crow

The ISSUES Interview

“Universities Are the Invisible Hand.”

Marcia McNutt, Michael M. Crow

Marcia McNutt and Michael M. Crow talk about the role of science in nation-building, why uncertainty can be as damaging as budget cuts, and how the scientific enterprise can become more efficient and effective.

Lia Halloran, WS397, 2022, ink on Dura-Lar, 14 x 17 inches.

Science, Art, and Poetry

Lia Halloran: Warped Side

Lia Halloran

Artist Lia Halloran and Nobel Prize–winning astrophysicist Kip Thorne intertwine science, art, and poetry to illuminate the extraordinary phenomena of warped space and time, including black holes, wormholes, and gravitational waves.

The Ongoing Transformation

Music and Health: Your Brain on Music

J. D. Talasek, Sweta Adatia, Fred Johnson

On this episode of Music and Health, Sweta Adatia and Fred Johnson discuss how music impacts the brain, and how music can go beyond entertainment to create stronger, healthier communities.

What Is Going On in Science Policy?

April 23, 20253:00pm–4:00pm

The Strange New Politics of Science

Vol. XLI, No. 3, Spring 2025

Solving the disconnects between science and society will require much more than good ideas and good intentions—it will require the political will to bring the fragmented institutions of science together. Today’s political environment precludes the science community from making its old pitches to Congress; it will need to break old habits, build new bonds at personal, local, and regional levels, and reconsider the way it works.

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In response to essays published in Issues, our readers weigh in on critical topics in policy related to science, technology, and society.

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Spring 2025
Stop Neglecting Fungal Diseases
A Discussion of
Foiling the Growing Threat of Fungal Pathogens
Responses By
Dallas J. Smith, Kaitlin Benedict, Jeremy Gold, Meghan Lyman, Nancy A. Chow, Tom Chiller Joshua D. Nosanchuk, Marcio L. Rodrigues
Spring 2025
US Research in Retreat?
A Discussion of
Reconsidering Research Security
Responses By
E. William Colglazier Chaouki T. Abdallah Thomas Fingar

Beyond the Headlines

Looking Beyond “De-extinction” to Protect Biodiversity

A biotechnology company claims to have “successfully de-extincted” prehistoric dire wolves, CNN reports. But in Issues, the zoologist John O’Brien questions this approach to protecting the planet’s biodiversity. “Resurrecting an extinct… Read More

Mitigating River Flooding By Working With Nature

Unrelenting rains across the US South and Midwest are causing numerous rivers to flood, and more damage is likely to come, the AP reports. Drawing lessons from previous floods, Richard A. Haeuber… Read More

New Cross-Border Partnership on Clean Energy

California and the Mexican state of Sonora have announced a partnership aimed at advancing clean energy innovation, strengthening energy supply chains, and expanding access to renewable energy in the region, The Hill… Read More

China Gaining on US in Nuclear Fusion

After decades of leadership, the United States is losing ground to China in turning nuclear fusion into commercial reality, CNBC reports. As one marker, China’s government spends roughly two times more annually… Read More

Collection

Navigating a Polluted Information Ecosystem

Expore the Collection

Fake news, misinformation, and disinformation have become bywords for the kinds of false and misleading information that’s rampant online. But these terms—and a focus on fact-checking problematic content more generally—provide little understanding of the ways people create and share information. The essays here identify ways to help people navigate today’s polluted information ecosystems.

“The Complexity of Technology’s Consequences Is Going Up Exponentially, But Our Wisdom and Awareness Are Not.”

Tristan Harris, Sara Frueh

Tristan Harris is a technology ethicist and the cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology. He’ll be speaking at the Nobel Prize Summit 2023: Truth, Trust, and Hope at the National Academy… Read More
How Science Gets Drawn Into Global Conspiracy Narratives

Marc Tuters, Tom Willaert, Trisha Meyer

A few short years ago, mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) was the subject of fundamental research, but it is now known as the basis for COVID-19 vaccines. At the same time, the concept… Read More
Rumors Have Rules

Emma S. Spiro, Kate Starbird

Around the time the US government was testing nuclear bombs on Bikini Atoll in the spring of 1954, residents of Bellingham, Washington, inspected their windshields and noticed holes, pits, and other damage.… Read More
Viral Suppression

Jack Stilgoe

In November 2021, an investigative story in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) with the headline “Covid-19: Researcher blows the whistle on data integrity issues in Pfizer’s vaccine trial” received more… Read More
In Finland, We Make Each Schoolchild a Scientist

Kari Kivinen

Much of the conversation around misinformation and mistrust focuses on messengers and message systems. Some emphasize that policymakers and scientists must communicate more effectively, others that social media platforms must moderate content… Read More

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Future Tense Fiction

Future Tense Fiction is a speculative fiction series that uses imagination to explore how science and technology will shape our future. It features short stories written by acclaimed authors across a wide range of styles. Each story is paired with original artwork by Rey Velasquez Sagcal and a response essay from an expert who connects the fictional narrative to real-world policy debates.

The Minnesota Diet

Charlie Jane Anders

In a future city complete with vertical farms, rooftop gardens, and no carbon footprint, the city’s survival still depends on regular food deliveries from the outside. When those deliveries suddenly stop showing up, residents start rationing food and becoming more delirious with hunger each passing day—until they find a solution that was hidden in their homes all along.
Can We Insulate Ourselves From Food Shortages?

Christopher Wharton

A food systems and security researcher responds to Charlie Jane Anders’ short story “The Minnesota Diet.”

Response
Coda

Arula Ratnakar

When Ray discovers a secret that a powerful quantum computing company would rather keep hidden, she’s forced to question the very nature of her reality—and the memories that make it up.
Computing Consciousness

Cristopher Moore

What is the connection between consciousness, computation, and complex systems?

Response
When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis

Annalee Newitz

Robot, a disease-detecting drone, has been meticulously trained to gather public health data in hard-to-reach communities—and to use that data to stymie the spread of dangerous viruses. But when the public health authorities responsible for Robot are defunded, it’s forced to assemble a new team to keep its communities safe.
No Robot Like Robot

Janelle Shane

Janelle Shane’s response essay to Annalee Newitz’s short story, “When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis.”

Response