National Academy of Medicine Annual Meeting Begins

October 18, 2019

NAM is holding its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Events include a scientific program on the evolution of technology in biomedical science and a President’s Forum on the societal implications of emerging science and technology in health and medicine. Agenda | Webcast

Recognizing Unconscious Racial Bias: 2019 Henry and Bryna David Lecture Examines Stereotypes and Their Impacts

October 16, 2019

We tend to think of the process of seeing as fairly objective — that our eyes are similar to cameras, neutrally taking in light and turning it into pictures. But research has shown that biases buried beneath our awareness can powerfully influence how we see. Stanford University social psychologist and NAS member Jennifer Eberhardt delivered the 2019 Henry and Bryna David Lecture last week at the National Academies, offering an overview of research on how biases work beyond the lab and shape our real-world behavior. Read More

NAS and Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei Organize Conference on Nuclear Security

October 14, 2019

On October 7 and 8, NAS and the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei convened a diverse group of experts, eminent scientists, diplomats, and policymakers to discuss nuclear security, arms control, and non-proliferation, and how scientists can help make the world safer and more secure. The XXI Edoardo Amaldi Conference at the Palazzo Corsini in Rome included addresses by the presidents of the Italian and U.S. Academies of Sciences, five Nobel Laureates and Nobel Prize-awarded organizations, and nuclear experts and officials from nearly a dozen countries, such as China, Iran, and Israel, and eight international organizations, including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, European Commission, and the International Atomic Energy Agency, among others.“We must do our part to make an increasingly divisive and dangerous world more connected and safe,” said U.S. National Academy of Sciences president Marcia McNutt in her opening remarks. “Science is a common language that every nation in the world speaks. Regardless of a nation’s history, culture, or religion, scientific evidence is a value that everyone shares. For that reason, free, open, and reciprocally beneficial collaborations among scientists around the world based on transparent and mutually respectful interactions are essential, if we want to give science advice on these topics and others.”

NAS Member Shares 2019 Nobel in Economics

October 14, 2019

Oct. 14 - The 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was awarded jointly to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer "for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty." Duflo is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

35th Anniversary Edition of Issues in Science and Technology, a Collaboration of the National Academies and Arizona State University, Launches

October 9, 2019

As the power and potential of science and technology continue to grow, the insights that motivated the creation of Issues in Science and Technology have become increasingly pertinent. The 35th anniversary issue advances the debate about matters of science and technology policy with independent essays on broadband access, the social sciences, decarbonization, and more. Read a piece from Issues’ editor-in-chief Daniel Sarewitz and an essay by technology consultant Jeffrey Funk on his plan for encouraging more innovation and countering “technological hype,” which according the author, obscures the fact that many start-ups are losing vast sums of money and true innovation in the tech sector is slowing.

NAS/NAE Members Share Chemistry Nobel

October 9, 2019

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 was awarded jointly to John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino "for the development of lithium-ion batteries." Goodenough is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering, and Whittingham is a National Academy of Engineering member. Learn More

NAS Members Receive 2019 Nobel in Physics

October 8, 2019

National Academy of Sciences member James Peebles has been awarded half of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2019 “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos.” The other half is shared jointly by National Academy of Sciences foreign associate Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.”Learn More

NAS/NAM Members Receive 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine

October 7, 2019

The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe, and Gregg L. Semenza “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” They identified molecular machinery that regulates the activity of genes in response to varying levels of oxygen. Kaelin and Semenza are members of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.Learn More

NAE Annual Meeting Examines Apollo Legacy, Future of Human Space Flight

October 4, 2019

National Academy of Engineering members will gather Oct. 6-7 in Washington, D.C., to induct new members and welcome distinguished speakers who will discuss the legacy of the Apollo missions and the implications for future human space flight exploration, workforce development, and public engagement.Full meeting agendaLive video webcast 

National Academy of Engineering Announces Winners of 2019 Simon Ramo Founders and Arthur M. Bueche Awards

October 4, 2019

On Sunday, Oct. 6, during its 2019 annual meeting, the National Academy of Engineering will present two awards for extraordinary impact on the engineering profession. The Simon Ramo Founders Award will be presented to Cato Thomas Laurencin for his research contributions and leadership in engineering. The Arthur M. Bueche Award will be given to Roderic Ivan Pettigrew for his contributions to technology research, policy, and national and international cooperation. Read More