Science, Time, and Spirit

Nobel economics prize goes to researchers explaining innovation-driven economic growth Three Economists Win Nobel for Explaining Why Some Nations Prosper While Others Stagnate Prize honors breakthrough research revealing the hidden machinery of innovation and economic  STOCKHOLM—When Joel Mokyr's students asked if he might win the Nobel Prize in economics, the Northwestern University professor had a ready answer: He was more likely to be elected pope. He's Jewish, he reminded them. On Monday morning, before he'd finished his coffee or walked his dog, the 79-year-old economic historian learned he'd beaten those odds. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded him and two colleagues—Philippe Aghion of the Collège de France and Peter Howitt of Brown University—the Nobel memorial prize in economics for research that explains why innovation drives growth in ways economists previously couldn't measure or predict. Their core insight seems deceptively simple: New...

The Age of Depopulation With Nicholas Eberstadt - YouTube Scientists Investigate Multiple Causes Behind Historic Population Decline Research points to environmental toxins, air pollution, microplastics, and cultural shifts as humanity faces first voluntary depopulation since the involuntary purge of the medieval plague For the first time since the Black Death, global population is poised to decline—but unlike the 14th century pandemic, today's crisis stems from plummeting birth rates rather than mass mortality. Researchers worldwide are investigating an array of potential causes, from endocrine-disrupting chemicals to fundamental shifts in human values, with mounting evidence that environmental contamination may play a larger role than previously understood. The Scale of the Decline Fertility rates have fallen below the 2.1 replacement level across every continent except sub-Saharan Africa, according to United Nations Population Division data. East Asia shows the steepest decl...

How 80-year-old proximity fuse technology is saving lives in Ukraine and defeating modern threats From London's defense against V-1 flying bombs to Ukraine's modern battlefield, radar-guided proximity fuses continue revolutionizing military effectiveness By Science Correspondent Published September 26, 2025 On August 28, 1944, German technical officers at Flak Regiment 155W stared at impossible mathematics: their V-1 flying bombs were being destroyed at an 82% interception rate by British coastal defenses. What they didn't know was that they faced one of World War II's most closely guarded secrets—proximity fuse technology that would revolutionize warfare and continues saving lives in Ukraine today. Eighty years later, Ukrainian forces are using evolved versions of this same technology. France delivers 2,000 RALEC F3 proximity fuses monthly for NATO 155mm shells, while Ukrainian engineers have developed laser-guided proximity fuses for drone warfare co...