The iconic photograph of planet Earth from distant space – the “pale blue dot” – was taken 30 years ago. Lisa Kaltenegger, director of Cornell University’s Carl Sagan Institute and a professor of astrophysics, says that 30 years after that iconic picture we now have the technical means to spot other pale dots orbiting distant stars.

Arts and Sciences

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President Trump is delaying decision on the U.S. participation in the Paris climate accord, a deal brokered by Obama which Trump has repeatedly criticized. Natalie Mahowald a professor in Cornell University’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty Director of Environment at the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future at Cornell University and an expert on global and regional impact of climate change says it would be unfortunate if the Trump administration chose to forgo leadership on climate change.

Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future

Agriculture and Life Sciences

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Aaron Wightman, co-director of the Cornell Maple Program, weighs in on the current season, how climate change is impacting sap flow and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the New York maple industry.

Food & Agriculture

New York State

Agriculture and Life Sciences

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Adam Smith, director of the Cornell University Institute of Archaeology and Materials Studies, and Lori Khatchadourian, professor of Near Eastern studies, say the Russia-brokered agreement will have wide-spread impacts on archaeological sites in the contested region.

Arts & Humanities

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Isaac Weisfuse, medical epidemiologist at Cornell University, says coronavirus variants may threaten the efficacy of current vaccines and travelers should not assume it is 100 percent safe, even if vaccinated.

Life Sciences & Veterinary Medicine

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Michael Macy teaches a class on polarization and tribal politics and says the polarization of the United States may have crossed a tipping point, illustrated by even a deadly pandemic’s inability to foster unity.

Law and Policy

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Uriel Abulof, a visiting professor in Cornell University’s government department and professor at Tel-Aviv University, says the peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates makes official a relationship that has developed over time as a result of joint regional interests.

Law and Policy

International

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Lisa Kaltenegger, director of Cornell University’s Carl Sagan Institute and a professor of astrophysics, comments on the discovery of a gaseous disk around a white dwarf star.

Arts and Sciences

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Noliwe Rooks, an expert in cultural and racial implications for education, says if New York City enacts the changes announced by Mayor de Blasio it would be a major step toward integrating the nation’s largest and most segregated school system.

New York City

Arts and Sciences

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Rebecca Slayton, assistant professor at Cornell University’s Science & Technology Studies Department and an expert on international security and cooperation, comments on the WannaCry cyber-attacks that have spread across 150 countries since Friday. Slayton says the attack shows both the vulnerabilities and resilience of our computer systems.

Cybersecurity

Arts and Sciences

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