A new study out of the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) reveals that, over 170 years of economic history, the transformation of U.S. cities follows a surprisingly stable rule: while cities evolve and diversify, they on average maintain a constant level of “coherence”—a measure of how well their economic activities fit together.

Illinois once harbored more than 8 million acres of wetlands. By the 1980s, all but 1.2 million wetland acres had been lost, filled in for development or drained to make way for agriculture. Now, thanks to a 2023 Supreme Court decision, roughly 72% of the remaining 981,000 acres of Illinois wetlands are no longer protected by the federal Clean Water Act, putting communities at risk of losing the flood control, groundwater recharge, water purification and natural habitat these wetlands provide, researchers report.

External quality assessment (EQA) is a cornerstone of laboratory quality management, ensuring the accuracy, comparability, and reliability of test results across institutions. In the Republic of Korea, the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service (KAEQAS) has played a leading role since its inception in 1976, expanding from a small-scale clinical chemistry program to over 90 nationwide schemes across all disciplines. This article reviews the historical evolution, operational framework, and scope of KAEQAS, highlighting its contribution to standardization and accreditation. Current challenges include nonmandatory participation, persistent standardization gaps, the need for more category 1 accuracy-based programs, modernization of data analysis and reporting systems, and the establishment of a specimen bank. Future prospects emphasize policy reform, global harmonization, and technological innovation, positioning KAEQAS to further strengthen laboratory quality both nationally and internationally.

In two recent studies, University of Texas at Dallas researchers demonstrated how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning can be used to address a variety of issues from a social science policy perspective.