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Science

If an asteroid threat emerged, Earth would need to be ready. Scientists are continually working to give the planet the best range of defensive strategies. : Michael Joiner, 360 info CC BY 4.0

Backgrounder: 564 words
With NASA announcing an asteroid is on a possible collision course with Earth 23 years from now, 360info looks at the planet’s early warning systems.
7 perspectives
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9 perspectives
Deflecting asteroids

How to stop space rocks hitting Earth

With NASA announcing an asteroid is on a possible collision course with Earth 23 years from now, 360info looks at the planet’s early warning systems.

Science
Key advantages of long-read sequencing make it the technology of choice for many new scientific projects. : DNA sequence by ssalonso is available at https://bit.ly/3YaOmDL CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Cost, availability and sample preservation are the main concerns but progress is rapid.

Gene screen

The race to improve DNA sequencing

Cost, availability and sample preservation are the main concerns but progress is rapid.

Economy
New sequencing technologies bring valuable benefits but equitable access may be a challenge. : ‘Strawberries at Out Standing in the Field’ by SanFranAnnie is available at https://bit.ly/41mGl16 CC BY-SA 2.0

Advances in the field are revolutionary but require safeguards to curb misuse.

Gene screen

DNA could ensure strawberry fields forever

Advances in the field are revolutionary but require safeguards to curb misuse.

Economy
The darker aspects of genome science were evoked in The X Men films such as Days of the Future Past. : Elliott Brown CC BY-SA 2.0

Unless people are brought into conversations about genetic discrimination dystopian scenarios may come to pass.

Gene screen

Genetic discrimination and the ghost of the future past

Health
A new technique in sequencing DNA will help poor countries identifying emerging diseases : Direct Relief is available at https://bit.ly/3EAFG2r CC BY 2.0

Cheap, portable sequencers in poor countries could be key to identifying and halting emerging diseases before they have a chance to become a pandemic.

Gene screen

This could stop pandemics in their tracks

Science
India’s One Nation, One Subscription plan would give public libraries like this access to the worlds top scholarly journals. : raghavvidya, Flickr CC 2.0

With rising fees for research journals, India is pressing ahead with a nation-wide subscription to allow more people to access science.

Science for all

India-wide subscription to research journals paves path for Global South

Science
Impact factors, citation counts, and university rankings are about as useful to science as another consonant is to this player. : Cedric Chapuis (Flickr) CC 2.0

Science is obsessed with measurements of success. Very few of them mean much at all.

Science for all

Success without substance

Science
Financial barriers posed by global publishing houses have inspired African scholars to find new ways of sharing information. : University of Cape Town CC 4.0

Attempts to more fairly share scientific knowledge have had the opposite effect in Africa. But a new initiative is bringing true equity.

Science for all

How Africa is overcoming ‘knowledge colonialism’

Science

Researchers can’t progress their work without access to very expensive scientific journals. The rebellion against the publishers and their fees has begun.

Science for all

The gaping problem at the heart of scientific research

Science