Former Twitch leader Emmett Shear is taking over as OpenAI’s interim chief executive following a chaotic weekend of changes at the company. 

Computing & Information Sciences

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Alexander Kobald and Nina Bassuk discuss the considerations that are needed before New York begins planting trees to meet its 2033 goal.

New York State

New York City

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope — the largest and most powerful space science observatory ever built — is fueled for its Dec. 22 launch. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

science

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Blue Origin launched another space tourism rocket this morning from West Texas, becoming just the fourth human spaceflight by the company.

science

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Nicolas van de Walle is a professor of government with special focus on the democratization of Africa; and the politics of economic reform. He notes the coup is surprising given that Gabon has been a stable civilian dictatorship since independence, with firm control over the military. 

International Reach

Arts and Sciences

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Elizabeth Lamb is an ornamentals specialist and senior extension associate with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s New York State Integrated Pest Management program. She says you are going to want to look for a tree early this year.

New York State

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Mark Lynas, a visiting fellow at the Cornell Alliance for Science and author of “Nuclear 2.0: Why a Green Future Needs Nuclear Power,” comments on California's vote to keep open the state's last remaining nuclear plant.

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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The newly released Astro2020 decadal survey has ranked the projects the astronomer community wants to prioritize for the next 10 years. The 614-page NASA-sponsored report highlights the search for extraterrestrial life, as well as stressing the need for greater diversity among astronomy’s ranks.

Physical Sciences & Engineering

science

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New legislation in the United Kingdom will ban people from receiving money or free goods for writing positive reviews. 

science

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Max Zhang, a professor of engineering at Cornell University, says we’ve seen wildfire smoke pollution in New York before, but the exposure this June could point to future concerns.

Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Energy, Environment & Sustainability

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