The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has raised new questions about the future of Iran’s government and what it could mean for millions of people inside the country. Some see it as a turning point, but Norman and fellow experts caution that the fall of one leader does not automatically mean meaningful change — or immediate improvement — for the Iranian people. If political change does come, the transition could be turbulent, Norman said.
“Usually it leads to chaos and instability. So, in the short to medium term, regime change could result in something like a civil war or political and economic turmoil.”
Donald Trump has tabbed Jim O'Neill to lead the National Science Foundation, and as O'Neill would be the first non-scientist to hold the role, he's considered a relative unknown within the US research space. Lane and other past NSF leaders say it's imperative for O'Neill to listen to the science and technology community along with the NSF's program staff when charting the path forward.
“I don’t see why the White House would put him in a position with such a high risk of failure,” Lane said. “He’s going to have a steep learning curve. The challenge is enormous.”
Uncertainty and cuts in the National Institutes of Health's research funding under the Trump administration have prompted states to consider their own science funding initiatives. Many universities are struggling with delayed or reduced federal grants, and are debating new funding efforts to support biomedical research.
Evans said that rhetoric promoting non-federal sources of research funding is popular in the current administration and conservative policy circles. He warned that this narrative — emphasizing funding from philanthropy or state budgets — could weaken the federal role in science, even though federal funding remains crucial.
President Donald Trump plans to nominate biotechnology investor Jim O’Neill to be the next leader of the National Science Foundation (NSF), and if confirmed by the Senate, O'Neill non-scientist or engineer to lead the NSF. According to Lane, this could give some in the science and technology community notable pause.
“His background is very different from that of his predecessors, all of whom were scientists or engineers and had R&D experience,” Lane said. “That will be a major concern of the [science and technology] community, including tech companies large and small, which depend on the discoveries and new technologies that emerge from NSF-funded research.”
Elon Musk has his eyes set on a "self-growing city on the Moon," which he thinks can become reality in less than a decade. However, Evans and other experts have varying opinions on Musk's ambitious plans.
“We're still, as a country, working on getting back to the moon,” Evans said. “So, I think maybe we'll have a better sense of a timeline once we can actually land some humans there.”