Division of Science

Harvard University's Division of Science has launched five faculty searches related to artificial intelligence, according to The Harvard Crimson. The move signals the university's push to expand AI expertise across its science departments, adding new professorships focused on the fast-growing field. It comes as universities worldwide compete to hire leading AI researchers and build out teaching and research capacity in machine learning and related areas.

A new book from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how political polarization strains close relationships, including families and friendships. It examines how political divides shape everyday interactions and what people can do to maintain bonds across differing views, drawing on research in interpersonal communication and social science.

University World News argues that science and higher education must prioritise dialogue over division. The piece frames open conversation across disciplines, institutions and society as essential to addressing polarisation and defending the role of universities in public life, calling on leaders in research and academia to build bridges rather than deepen splits.

A new essay argues that today's intellectual and personal predicaments are the product of four centuries of history: Descartes' division of mind and matter, the rise of the scientific method, and what the author calls the immense cost of introspection. The piece suggests that scaling up that 'cocktail' over time has produced the exact reality people now face, blending science history with reflection on how we think about ourselves.

Peter Lee, president of Microsoft Research and its science division, is retiring after 16 years at the company, saying he is leaving for a 'once-in-a-lifetime' next move. Lee oversaw Microsoft's research organisation through a period of major AI advances, and his departure raises questions about who will lead the company's scientific research efforts next.