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Policy & Ethics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-May-2026 12:15 ET (27-May-2026 16:15 GMT/UTC)

When records are not enough

Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

It is not easy to bring new technologies from the laboratory to market. Researchers and companies face very different demands for new developments and do not always find common ground. Scientists at Empa and other institutions have analyzed two emerging solar cell technologies to identify the greatest risks. Their conclusion: Research and industry must start collaborating much earlier.

Journal: Nature Energy

Industrial research labs were invented in Europe but made the U.S. a tech superpower

Complexity Science Hub
Peer-Reviewed Publication

It's a small number of research labs inside tech giants that are driving the rapid rise of AI today. But this is not the first time such labs have taken center stage, a new study shows: The United States' rise as a technological superpower was fueled not just by inventions, but by the emergence of industrial research labs in the 1920s – which reshaped who invented, where innovation happened, and how breakthroughs were made.

Journal: Research Policy
Funder: Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft

Decision-making nudges improve racial equity in academic promotion

University of California - Merced
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A paper published by Nature Communications says evaluating multiple candidates simultaneously instead of separately increases Black and Hispanic faculty members’ promotion chances by 16.2% and effectively eliminates racial disparities in voting at the department level.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

EPA criminal sanctions align with a county’s wealth, not pollution

Washington State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When the federal government brings its toughest environmental enforcement actions against polluters, they tend to be in communities of greater wealth, not the most polluted places.

Journal: Nature Sustainability

Why laws named after tragedies win public support

American Psychological Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy – such as Megan’s Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 – public support surges, but this emotional boost may come at the expense of sound policymaking, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Journal: Psychology Public Policy and Law

How “clean-up certificates” lead to better climate protection

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A groundbreaking economic study calculates the effectiveness of this novel policy instrument. The underlying idea is that you are allowed to release the climate gas CO₂ into the atmosphere – but only if you promise to “clean up” later through carbon removal. The market forces activated by clean-up certificates can greatly strengthen the fight against global heating without placing an extra burden on the economy. The study was conducted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and released in the top publication Journal of Environmental Economics and Management.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

Anxiety, depression, and care barriers in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, U.S. adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experienced substantially higher rates of mental health conditions, treatment use, and cost-related barriers compared with those without functional impairments. These findings highlight critical gaps for accessible, affordable, and disability-informed mental health services and policy reforms to address systemic inequities.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

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