Arctic Research Consortium of the United States

Over the past two decades, scholars have elucidated the ideological convergence between elements of the far-right and militant Islam. Yet these prior evaluations have focused primarily on shared narratives or strategic synergy, often underemphasizing the internal contradictions that complicate convergence—particularly within the neo-fascist accelerationist milieu. This research note adopts a micro-ethnographic lens to examine how ideological convergence is narratively negotiated within one key node of the digital accelerationist ecosystem: Terrorgram. Using an interpretive qualitative approach, this note focuses on selected primary source materials from the Terrorgram subculture, to analyze three emergent tensions: the subcultural centrality of Islamophobia, backhanded or self-flagellating endorsements of Islamist terrorism, and individual objections to pro-Islamist narratives. Together, these tensions qualitatively enrich the existing scholarly consensus that convergence is an iterative, contested process shaped by both strategic calculation and subcultural identity.

The Arctic Futures 2050 Conference was designed as a novel convening of Arctic scientists, Indigenous people, and decision makers, including policy makers at all levels of government. The conference was held 4–6 September 2019 in Washington, D.C. and gathered nearly 400 participants to explore six questions: What do we know, and what do we need to know about the Arctic—and why does it matter? What challenges confront policy makers in the rapidly changing Arctic? What basic research is needed to inform responses to Arctic change? What applied research is needed to inform responses to change? What tools can facilitate informing policy making with science and Indigenous knowledge? What opportunities exist for partnerships between policy makers and scientists? A conference report (see: https://www.searcharcticscience.org/arctic-2050/conference-2019/products) detailed all conference discussions. The main conference conclusion was that holistic understanding and useful adaptation to rapid Arctic change requires bringing together scientists, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and policy makers in all phases of defining the problems, conducting research, and sharing knowledge.

Abstract Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines have become key focus areas in the education community of the United States. Newly adopted across the nation, Next Generation Science Standards require that educators embrace innovative approaches to teaching. Transforming classrooms to actively engage students through a combination of knowledge and practice develops conceptual understanding and application skills. The partnerships between researchers and educators during the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) offer an example of how academic research can enhance K-12 student learning. In this commentary, we illustrate how ASPIRE teacher–scientist partnerships helped engage students with actual and virtual authentic scientific investigations. Crosscutting concepts of research in polar marine science can serve as intellectual tools to connect important ideas about ocean and climate science for the public good.

Dramatic changes in the Arctic have captured the attention of the public. Understanding changes such as the decline of sea ice, the fate of polar bears and other marine mammals, melting of the Greenland ice sheet, changes in the terrestrial carbon budget, and impacts on and feedbacks from the human community require a new approach to research involving synthesis of linkages between system components and threshold behaviors.Addressing these challenges requires substantial improvement in methods to integrate complex and disparate data from observations and models, including traditional knowledge. Data are collected for a variety of purposes, are poorly harmonized over space and time, and bear varying degrees of access. Synthesizing this information requires innovative data discovery, standardization, interdisciplinary data integration, distribution, and advanced data assimilation to support the development of Arctic system models.

The Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 was designed to advance arctic research in the national interest. Some of the research fields that require attention are weather and climate; national defense; renewable and nonrenewable resources; transportation; communications and spacedisturbance effects; environmental protection; health, culture, and socioeconomics; and international cooperation. A research framework recommended by the Arctic Research Commission includes, in order of priority, integrated investigations to understand: (i) the Arctic Ocean (including the marginal seas, sea ice, and seabed) and how the ocean and atmosphere operate as coupled components of the arctic system; (ii) the coupled atmosphere and land components and how their interaction governs the terrestrial environment; and (iii) the high-latitude upper atmosphere and its extension into the magnetosphere with emphasis on predicting and mitigating effects on communications and defense systems. A separate recommendation is for high priority research to resolve the major health, behavioral, and cultural problems related to the arctic environment. Recommendations are also made concerning support services and management.