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Scientists are paying tribute to actor Patrick Stewart, who has died aged 86. In the Star Trek franchise, Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who researchers say exemplified the qualities of a good scientific leader. “Picard made me rethink why I do science in the first place,” says physicist Níckolas de Aguiar Alves. He “made me see that this may all mean something. For that I will forever be grateful”.
Polling data for the 3 November mid-term elections in the United States suggest that Democrats could take control of one or even both of the chambers of the US Congress — a result that could have substantial consequences for the country’s scientific landscape. Republicans currently control both chambers, which has given the party and administration of President Donald Trump unified control of the federal government. Since Trump’s inauguration, his administration has slashed the science workforce and terminated thousands of research grants. Many researchers and science advocates hope that a new Congress will stand up to the administration to protect science funding and investiga...