China WatchCongress Restarts Push for China Legislation by Year’s End By Katherine Gypson Published 17 November 2021 Lawmakers are renewing a push to pass legislation that would boost U.S. competition with China, amid rising concerns about the global supply chain. Addressing U.S. competition with China is one of the few areas of broad bipartisan support

CybersecuritySerious Security Vulnerabilities in DRAM Memory Devices Published 17 November 2021 Researchers have discovered major vulnerabilities in DRAM memory devices, which are widely used in computers, tablets and smartphones. The vulnerabilities have now been published together with the National Cyber Security Centre, which for the first time has assigned an identification number for it. When browsing

Information OperationsBelarusian Government Linked to Hacking, Disinformation Campaign Published 17 November 2021 U.S. cybersecurity researchers say they have uncovered evidence that the Belarusian government is linked to a hacking and disinformation campaign against Eastern European NATO members. U.S. cybersecurity researchers say they have uncovered evidence that the Belarusian government is linked to a hacking and disinformation

EarthquakesSeismic Shockwave Pattern May Be Redirecting Earthquake Damage Published 17 November 2021 New research could change the way scientists think about potential damage from earthquakes. The study examined data from one of the densest seismic arrays ever deployed and found that earthquakes emit their strongest seismic shockwaves in four opposing directions. New research from the University

Supply Chain SecuritySupply Chain Disruptions—the Risks and Consequences By Bradley Martin Published 15 November 2021 Supply chain disruptions cause general economic disruption and key commodity shortages, which then in turn can, in fact, drive aggressive national behavior and international instability. And ironically, this reactive aggressive national behavior can happen even if the health of a

DisinformationNews Manipulation by State Actors Published 15 November 2021 Did authoritarian regimes engage in news manipulation during the pandemic? How can such manipulation be brought to light? New report shows that both Russia and China appear to have employed information manipulation during the COVID-19 pandemic in service to their respective global agendas. COVID-19 offered authoritarian regimes,

ExtremismResearch Reveals Potential New Way to Fight Radicalization in “True Believers” By Suzanna Burgelman Published 15 November 2021 “True believers” who exhibit extreme behavior are driven by the degree to which their identity is fused with a cause or belief, finds a new study. The results suggest that an effective strategy for deradicalization could be

Gene EditingZombie Apocalypse? How Gene Editing Could Be Used as a Weapon – and What to Do About It By Pin Lean Lau Published 15 November 2021 There is a scarier scenario that a repeat of the COVID-1 pandemic: What if the threat wasn’t COVID-19, but a gene-edited pathogen designed to turn us into zombies

EarthquakesBe Prepared: It Is Impossible to Predict an Earthquake Published 15 November 2021 In earthquake-prone developed countries like Japan and New Zealand, even severe earthquakes cause very few deaths – they are mainly stories of economic loss. Earthquakes without Frontiers (EwF) supported physical and social scientists in eight U.K. universities and institutes working to increase

FloodsGermany: Building Back in Flood-Prone Areas After a Flood By Natalie Muller and Neil King Published 15 November 2021 After deadly flash flooding devastated villages in Germany’s Ahr Valley, many residents are hoping to return. But experts say there needs to be a fundamental change in how we build in areas at risk of floods. Alfred