CIA to Discontinue Publication of World Factbook
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) announced it will cease publishing the World Factbook, a free online resource used by millions globally, according to a statement released on the CIA's website Thursday, February 5, 2026. The statement indicated the publication had "sunset" and encouraged readers to find alternative resources. No specific reason was given for the decision.
The World Factbook was a regularly updated source of statistics and information about countries and communities worldwide, presented in an easily understood and searchable format. It was frequently cited by journalists and academics. The announcement comes after the Trump administration offered buyouts to the CIA's entire workforce in February 2025, according to Reuters.
In other news, more than 160 people were killed in Nigeria by suspected Islamist militants, according to NPR. The attack occurred in western Nigeria and has raised questions about who is in control as Nigeria battles multiple security crises.
In other science news, University of Cape Town paleobiologist Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan has concluded that researchers may have been overestimating some dinosaur ages, according to NPR. By examining thin slices of crocodile bones, Chinsamy-Turan's research suggests a reevaluation of dinosaur growth patterns. "It changes how we think about dinosaur growth," she stated.
Meanwhile, the Olympic flame is on its way to Milan and Cortina after being lit in Olympia, Greece, on November 26, according to Wired. The organizers for the Olympic host city choose the torchbearers, sometimes for athletic achievements, sometimes for celebrity. Citizens can also apply to be a torchbearer if they have distinguished themselves.
Finally, museums are incorporating the "scent of the afterlife" into Egyptian exhibits, according to Ars Technica. In 2023, scientists identified the compounds in the balms used to mummify the organs of an ancient Egyptian noblewoman. Barbara Huber, of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Tübingen, partnered with a perfumer to re-create what she dubbed the "scent of eternity." Huber has collaborated with museum curators to incorporate the scent into exhibits on ancient Egypt to transform how visitors understand embalming.
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