| Monday, June 8, 2026 |
| Brookhaven MSU student presents biological research | |
 | Carson Temple, of Brookhaven, recently presented at the Mississippi State University Under-graduate Research Symposium. A biological sciences sophomore, Temple presented "Relation Between Emotional Dysregulation and Negative Urgency: Moderation by Executive Function," in the Social Sciences category. MSU's Undergraduate Research Symposium engages students in showcasing faculty-guided research and creative activity. This biannual event includes students from diverse departments and colleges who participate in poster and oral presentation sessions, sharing their research with the MSU community. More than 300 undergraduate student projects were evaluated by faculty, graduate students and staff at the spring 2026 event. Feedback can be useful in improving current research pro-jects and preparing for future research endeavors. The event is hosted by the Office of Research and Economic Development and the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. |
| FFAR releases 2025 impact report | |
 | The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) released its 2025 Impact Report, Investing in Results for U.S. Agriculture, in accordance with the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. The report highlights key accomplishments of FFAR-funded research, financial reports and upcoming opportunities. Since 2014, FFAR has awarded over 450 grants in 47 states, investing over $847 million in agricultural research with more than 550 partners. FFAR continues to garner an average of $1.40 in matching funds from non-federal partners for every federal dollar allocated to research. The report shows how FFAR investments are accelerating rapid-response research, supporting commercialization, preparing the next generation of agricultural scientists and strengthening collaboration across the agricultural research ecosystem. The report also highlights findings from independent program evaluations that are helping FFAR maximize the impact of its investments and strengthen future research initiatives. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture's research agenda. |
| From Cow-Milking Robots to Weed-Zapping Lasers, Farmers Are Embracing A.I. | |
 | Of all the industries that seem primed for an A.I. disruption, agriculture may not look like the most obvious. For all its advancements in technology and mechanization over the centuries, farming is fundamentally about growing crops and raising livestock -- and you can't digitize an ear of corn. But right now the industry is in the midst of what some are calling the fourth agricultural revolution, as driverless tractors trundle through fields, drones map moisture levels in soil and cows are outfitted with Fitbit-like devices that track their eating patterns. Yu Jiang, an assistant professor at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell, predicts that within a few years, most large American farms will have incorporated A.I. into their operations. The result, he says, will be a transformational shift not just in how farms are run but "in how we think about farming as a job." For farmers who are already engaging with A.I., that shift is underway -- and it can be complicated. |
| Alan Alda's Solution to Eroding Trust in Science: More Improv | |
 | Neuroscientist Annalisa Scimemi is in her element at her laboratory, where she works with mice and sophisticated instruments to better understand brain cells. So she was well outside of her comfort zone on this May afternoon when she had to improvise a pitch for a made-up, nonsensical product called a "hammer humidifier." It was part of an improv exercise aimed at helping scientists amp up their presentations. "It's the top-rated humidifier in Arizona!" Scimemi exclaimed as she leapt forward, earning a big laugh from a classroom full of colleagues. "And it can be used for self-defense!" Trust in science has plummeted. Can improv turn the tide? Scimemi is one of more than 35,000 scientists and researchers who have taken classes led by professional actors to help them earn their audiences' trust and understanding. It's the brainchild of Alan Alda, who helped start what is now called the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Long Island's Stony Brook University more than 15 years ago. After his run playing surgeon Hawkeye Pierce on "M*A*S*H," Alda eventually shifted his focus from acting to science. |
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