Humans Have a 'Sixth Sense' You've Probably Never Heard Of – And It Appears to Be Key For Mental Health - ScienceAlert

October 14, 20262 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmThe proposed change to how the National Institutes of Health handles grant applications has been criticized by scientists as reducing transparencyBy Adam Kovac edited by Claire Cameron Shutterstock/DCStockPhotographyJoin Our Community of Science Lovers! Members of the public who tried to submit their views on a proposed change to the National Institutes of Health’s grant funding system say they found themselves locked out after the system shut down ahead of schedule. The proposed change has been criticized as potentially reducing transparency. It seeks to revise how grant application scores—averaged measures of a research project's predicted outcomes—are communicated to both funding applicants and NIH program officers. Under the change, applications would be sorted into three broad categories of merit, while their overall score, as determined by a panel of experts, would remain a secret. Some researchers have said this could open up the grant approval process to undue political influence. On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researcher Isaiah Santistevan led the development of three-dimensional simulations exploring how a nuclear device could deflect or disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth. Credit: Blaise Douros/LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.