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proudly announces the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2025, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides students a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and novel discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges. The 300 scholars and their schools will be awarded $2,000 each.

Scholars were chosen based on their outstanding research, leadership skills, community involvement, commitment to academics, creativity in asking scientific questions and exceptional promise as STEM leaders demonstrated through the submission of their original, independent research projects, essays and recommendations. The 300 scholars hail from 200 American and international high schools and homeschools in 33 states, Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Switzerland.

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Illinois is one of a handful of emerging quantum hubs, competing with regions like Silicon Valley and Boston. Chalsani told Chicago that the state is well-positioned to lead in the quantum race, citing the presence of institutions such as the University of Illinois, University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

“The number of STEM graduates we produce here is the third most in the country,” she said. “Microsoft hires more people from University of Illinois than any other school. I love stats like that.”

Chalsani acknowledged the challenge of retaining this talent, much of which traditionally leaves the area.

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Jacob Bernoulli returned to Switzerland and taught mechanics at the University in Basel from 1,683, giving a series of important lectures on the mechanics of solids and liquids. Since his degree was in theology it would have been natural for him to turn to the Church, but although he was offered an appointment in the Church he turned it down. Bernoulli’s real love was for mathematics and theoretical physics and it was in these topics that he taught and researched. During this period he studied the leading mathematical works of his time including Descartes’ Géométrie and van Schooten’s additional material in the Latin edition. Jacob Bernoulli also studied the work of Wallis and Barrow and through these he became interested in infinitesimal geometry. Jacob began publishing in the journal Acta Eruditorum which was established in Leipzig in 1682.

In 1,684 Jacob Bernoulli married Judith Stupanus. They were to have two children, a son who was given his grandfather’s name of Nicolaus and a daughter. These children, unlike many members of the Bernoulli family, did not go on to become mathematicians or physicists.

You can see the Bernoulli family tree at THIS LINK.

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Donald J. Cram, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist who taught andconducted research at UCLA for more than 50 years and is remembered bythousands of undergraduates for singing and playing guitar in class, died ofcancer June 17 at his home in Palm Desert. He was 82.

A renowned scientist who was as comfortable riding the waveswith friends in the San Onofre Surfing Club as he was in his lab at UCLAconstructing complex molecular models, Cram won the Nobel Prize in 1987 and theNational Medal of Science in 1993 for his work in host-guest chemistry, a fieldhe helped to create. In 1998, he wasranked among the 75 most important chemists of the past 75 years byChemical and Engineering News.

“DonaldCram stands alone in the incredible variety, beauty and depth of hisaccomplishments,” read the citation for Cram’s National Medal of Science. “His investigations have helped give thisscience its form and sophistication. Hetruly brought art to science by making his science an art.”

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The human brain is the central control organ of our body. It processes information received through the senses and enables us, among other things, to form thoughts, make decisions and store knowledge. Given everything our brain is capable of, it seems almost paradoxical how little we actually still know about it.

Among those who are on the trail of the most complex and complicated organ are Jonas Thiele and Dr. Kirsten Hilger, head of the “Networks of Behavior and Cognition” working group at the Department of Psychology I at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (JMU). Their latest study was recently published in the journal PNAS Nexus: “Choosing explanation over performance: Insights from machine learning-based prediction of human intelligence from brain connectivity.”

To do this, the researchers used data sets from a large-scale data-sharing project in the USA — the Human Connectome Project. Using fMRI — an imaging method that measures changes in brain activity — over 800 people were examined, both at rest and while they were performing various tasks.

The team led by Würzburg researchers looked at various connections that reflect the strength of communication between brain regions and made predictions about the intelligence of the test subjects based on these observations.

Continue reading “Scouts Astronautics Activity Badge” | >

2024: A year when AI, quantum computing, and cybersecurity converged to redefine our digital landscape. For those navigating these complex technological frontiers, clarity became the most critical currency.

Inside Cyber, Key moments that resonated with our community:

• Cybersecurity Trends for 2025 Diving deep into the evolving threat landscape and strategic priorities.

• AI, 5G, and Quantum: Innovation and Cybersecurity Risks Exploring the intersection of emerging technologies and security challenges https://lnkd.in/ex3ktwuF

• PCI DSS v4.0 Compliance Strategies Practical guidance for adapting to critical security standards https://lnkd.in/eK_mviZd.

Continue reading “5 Cybersecurity Priorities for The Trump Administration” | >

The University of Cape Town, along with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, have conducted a large-scale study identifying significant cranial shape differences between four genetically distinct giraffe species. The findings suggest that these species exhibit unique developmental and morphological characteristics, which have implications for conservation efforts.

Taxonomic classification is critical for guiding good conservation strategies. Giraffes have long been categorized as one species with geographic variants, though advancements in research are reshaping this perspective.

In the study, “Heads Up—Four Giraffa Species Have Distinct Cranial Morphology,” published in PLOS ONE, researchers examined 515 skulls with 3D geometric morphometrics to analyze patterns of cranial variability. The dataset, the largest of its kind, included specimens from , wild populations, and taxidermy sources across Africa.

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