FABBS reports on items of interest to many communities – scientists, policymakers, and the public. In our news, you will see updates on science funding and policy, articles that translate research for policy, and descriptions of the research contributions of scientists at all stages of their research careers.
How Nurture Affects Nature
November 15, 2017
Policymakers often debate the merits of programs to change decision-making and behavior, wondering if they have enough bang for the buck. Now there is research showing that the choices people make affect us all the way down to the genetic level, and can even influence the biology of our offspring. Epigenetics is a relatively new field that is illuminating how genes and environment interact. It has changed the nature-versus-nurture debate, replacing it with the understanding
read moreLegislation to Implement Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking’s Recommendations Passes House
November 16, 2017
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) continued their bipartisan collaboration to ensure “rigorous evidence is used to inform and shape public policy at all levels, from Congress to our executive agencies.” To achieve this goal, Ryan and Murray introduced legislation, The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policy Making Act of 2017 (H.R. 4174 and S. 2046), in their respective chambers on October 31st. The legislation was on the fast track, and on November
read moreBrandon Turner, Mathematical Psychologist, Speaks to NIH Staff about Data Fusion to Improve Prediction
November 15, 2017
Addressing the NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Research Coordinating Committee (BSSR-CC) on October 6th, Brandon Turner, The Ohio State University, shared insights from his research, Why More is Better: A Bayesian Method for Multimodal Data Fusion. Turner’s research attempts to unify behavioral and neural explanations of cognition in order to generate predictions that are more accurate.
According to Dr. Turner, EEG measures provide “incredible temporal
read moreThe National Academies Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences
November 15, 2017
On October 19, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) celebrated “20 Years of Informing Policy and Practice” by its Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences (BBCSS). The interdisciplinary board, a “locus of work” for the behavioral sciences at NASEM, held a symposium to discuss the future of these sciences. Established in 1997, BBCSS was created to provide a “forum for objective, independent, and rigorous deliberation
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