National Academy of Sciences

10/23/2026

The cotton used in everything from clothing to medical supplies can trace its origins back thousands of years to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

A new study published in PNAS, coauthored by Jonathan Wendel of Iowa State University, has confirmed the geographic origins of upland cotton, the species that accounts for roughly 90% of cotton grown worldwide.

The researchers also discovered that wild cotton populations in the Yucatán harbor far greater genetic diversity than modern cultivated varieties. That untapped diversity could hold valuable traits for developing crops that are more resistant to disease, drought, and other environmental stresses.

The findings underscore the importance of conserving wild plant populations, which may hold genetic resources essential to the future of agriculture.

Read more about the research in this story from Houston Public Media: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/business/2026/10/15/564446/how-wild-cotton-on-mexicos-yucatan-peninsula-could-improve-crops-worldwide/

Read the PNAS study: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2607107123

10/22/2026

The smallest organisms on Earth could play a major role in addressing some of our biggest environmental challenges.

Microbial communities are essential to ecosystems around the world, helping regulate carbon cycles, support plant growth, and restore degraded environments. As scientists uncover more about their remarkable diversity, microbiomes are emerging as promising tools for addressing climate change, improving food security, and protecting environmental health.

Join us on October 28 at 7 p.m. PDT for a lecture with Steven Allison, professor of ecology at University of California, Irvine, exploring how microbiomes could help build a more sustainable future, and what it will take to realize their potential.

Learn more and register to attend online or in person in Irvine, CA: https://www.nasonline.org/event/distinctive-voices-the-age-of-microbes-new-environmental-solutions-from-earths-oldest-inhabitants/

10/21/2026

Help recognize outstanding scientific research published in PNAS!

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Cozzarelli Prize, which annually honors six research teams whose PNAS articles have made exceptional contributions to their fields.

Named in honor of former PNAS Editor-in-Chief and Nicholas R. Cozzarelli, the prize recognizes scientific excellence and originality across six broad areas of research, from the physical and biological sciences to engineering, medicine, and the social sciences.

Eligible articles must have been published in PNAS between December 16, 2025, and December 15, 2026. Nominations are open through January 2, 2027, and recipients will be recognized at the NAS Annual Meeting in April 2027.

Learn more and submit a nomination: https://www.pnas.org/about/cozzarelli-prize

10/20/2026

Last week, the National Academy of Sciences and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities convened leading researchers and early-career scientists from the U.S. and Israel in Jerusalem for the Blavatnik US-Israel Scientific Forum on Decision Making.

The forum explored how individuals, institutions, and societies make decisions in the face of uncertainty, risk, and rapid change, fostering scientific exchange and collaboration across disciplines.

Thank you to all the speakers and participants for contributing to these important discussions, and to the Blavatnik Family Foundation for its generous support of the forum.

Explore the program and stay tuned for the full Forum recordings, available soon: https://tinyurl.com/35fc3nt5

10/19/2026

Ancient soils hold valuable clues to understanding transformations in Earth's climate and ecosystems.

Jay Quade was a pioneer in using the geochemistry of soils to reconstruct past environments. His research across multiple continents helped reveal how declining atmospheric CO₂ levels contributed to the expansion of grasslands and savannas millions of years ago, during the Miocene.

His work also advanced our understanding of the environments in which humans evolved, the uplift of Earth's highest plateaus, and the role of atmospheric dust in shaping soils.

Learn more about Quade's scientific legacy in his newly published NAS Biographical Memoir:https://www.nasonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Quade-Jay.pdf

10/19/2026

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the National Academy of Medicine! The 2026 class includes nine NAS members: Cory Abate-Shen, Marisa Bartolomei, Amy Bastian, Frederic de Sauvage, Susan Kaech, Jennifer Lewis, Ali Shilatifard, Matthew Tirrell, and Shimon Sakaguchi.

With their election to the NAM today, Jennifer Lewis and Matthew Tirrell hold the prestigious honor of being elected to all three Academies — the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.

See the full list of new NAM members:

Meet the National Academy of Medicine’s Class of 2026. Explore the new members recognized for their contributions to health, medicine, and science.

10/16/2026

From high above Chile’s Atacama Desert, photographer Jamey Stillings captures a landscape being shaped by the growing demands for energy and critical minerals.

His new Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences (CPNAS) exhibition ATACAMA documents large-scale renewable energy infrastructure and mining operations alongside the desert landscapes where they are built, revealing connections between the technologies of a low-carbon future and the resources needed to produce them.

This year's highlights the importance of sustainable mining of critical minerals. Stillings' photographs invite viewers to consider how growing demand for energy and minerals intersects with environmental stewardship and the communities and landscapes where these resources are developed.

ATACAMA is on view at the NAS Building through March 4, 2027, during NAS Building tours and select special events.

Learn more: https://www.cpnas.org/event/atacama/

10/15/2026

Rocks are more dynamic than they appear. Through interactions with water and living organisms, they help form soils, supply essential nutrients, and even influence Earth's climate.

For , NAS member and geochemist Susan Brantley takes us beneath the surface to explore how rocks shape our planet and our everyday lives, from the minerals in our teeth to the critical materials used in modern technologies.

Read our Member Spotlight Q&A: https://www.nasonline.org/news/the-hidden-chemistry-beneath-our-feet-susan-brantley-member-spotlight/

10/13/2026

What happens when artificial intelligence begins solving mathematical problems that have challenged researchers for years? And what does that mean for the mathematicians who have devoted their lives to understanding them?

In a powerful and thought-provoking conversation on The New York Times' 'The Daily' podcast, NAS member and Cornell University mathematician Steven Strogatz reflects on the rapidly advancing capabilities of AI, the future of mathematical discovery, and the deeply human sense of purpose that comes from scientific inquiry.

The conversation raises questions that extend well beyond mathematics: What does it mean to discover something? Is finding an answer the same as understanding it? And how might AI change not just the practice of science, but scientists' relationships with their work?

Listen to the episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/podcasts/the-daily/mathematicians-problem-ai-jobs.html

For more on Strogatz's own research, watch his 2025 NAS Annual Meeting Research Briefing, “Getting in Sync: The Math and Science of Synchronization": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyqUfqDJwoY&list=PLlKst-jESy-_QymwMrJiXpqj2XM3L6I-7&index=7

10/12/2026

The 2026 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences has been awarded to Robert E. Hall! Hall is honored alongside Michael Woodford for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation. Learn more: https://ow.ly/9VWr50ZWVEN