BIORISKSGain-of-Function Studies Need Stricter Guidance: Researchers Published 18 May 2022 Researchers and biosecurity specialists are calling on the U.S. government to issue clearer guidance about experiments the government might fund which would make pathogens more transmissible or deadly. An article in Nature discusses calls by researchers and biosecurity specialists on the U.S. government to issue clearer guidance about

TERRORISMUkraine War: Will the Islamic State Benefit? By Cathrin Schaer Published 18 May 2022 The terrorist group has said it will take advantage of the fact that the West is distracted by war in Ukraine. But any advantage it will get from the war likely has less to do with terrorism, and more with economics. In

BIORISKSAs Science Evolves, Policy Framework Needs to as Well Published 18 May 2022 In late February, the NIH and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy asked the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity NSABB to make swift progress on its long-overdue review. The panel plans to draft a report outlining its recommendations

PANDEMICSClimate Change Could Spark the Next Pandemic Published 18 May 2022 As the Earth’s climate continues to warm, researchers predict wild animals will be forced to relocate their habitats — likely to regions with large human populations — dramatically increasing the risk of a viral jump to humans that could lead to the next pandemic. As

MASS SHOOTINGMore Mass Shootings Are Happening at Grocery Stores – 13% of Shooters Are Motivated by Racial Hatred, Criminologists Find By Jillian Peterson and James Densley Published 16 May 2022 Mass public shootings in which four or more people are killed have become more frequent, and deadly, in the last decade. And the tragedy in

CYBERSECURITY EDUCATIONIBM, Historically Black Colleges Partner to Tackle Cybersecurity Talent Shortage Published 16 May 2022 In 2020, the talent shortage in the U.S. has more than tripled over ten years, with 69 percent of employers surveyed struggling to fill skilled positions. By September 2021, there were more than 1.2 million U.S. job vacancies postings in

EXTREMISMHow to Avoid Extremism on Social Media Published 16 May 2022 The internet has been a haven for extremists since long before most people even knew it existed. Today, extremists share their likes and tweet their thoughts like everyone else. But they have also spun off into an ever-widening array of social media sites with

AIThe Civil-Military Divide over Artificial Intelligence Published 16 May 2022 What factors influence how comfortable and uncomfortable software engineers feel with potential applications of AI for the U.S. military? Is there a correlation between the degree of trust that software engineers have in societal institutions—specifically, in DoD—and their perception of the acceptability of building AI

ENERGY SECURITYAMLO’s Lithium Grab and War on Green Energy Will Hurt North America By Shannon K. O’Neil Published 16 May 2022 Nationalizing Mexico’s lithium reserves and extending state control over electricity and energy will undermine the region’s prosperity and security. By reasserting state control over Mexico’s natural resources, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is once again

AIAI and Policing: What a Queensland Case Study Tells Us By Teagan Westendorf Published 16 May 2022 Law enforcement agencies consider artificial intelligence a force multiplier because it can rapidly process more data than human brains and yield insights to help solve complex analytical problems. Our limited understanding of how AI algorithms make decisions and