In response to a Department of Justice request for public comment on advancing forensic science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, along with the American Chemical Society, Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, has submitted comments that highlight the need for a transparent and independent review of forensic science techniques to ensure that “rigorous science is used in convicting the guilty and exonerating the innocent.”

Warmer-than-normal nights are disturbing sleep, particularly during the summer and among elderly and lower-income individuals, according to research published in the 26 May issue of Science Advances.

On May 8, Jessica Hellmann was one of eight recipients of the 2017 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award, for her role in developing new ecosystem management techniques. Like the other AAAS Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellows, she has excelled in both her research career and as a communicator and leader. She finds that her engagement activities can often feed into her scientific work and make it more effective and readily applicable.

Scientists are testing methods ranging from selective insecticide spraying to intelligent robotic traps to curb disease-carrying mosquitoes by harnessing the power of data collection and targeted interventions, according to a presentation at the AAAS annual meeting.

Novel imaging techniques are making it possible to study the brain while it’s at work. These new, non-invasive tools – representing significant advances related to positron emission tomography (PET), 3-D microscopy and the use of magnetic fields and nanoparticles to remotely control targeted cells – permit the real-time study of neural activity in unprecedented detail.