As satellite images become more ubiquitous, we should reflect on where they come from, how they are created, and the purpose for their use. | Continue reading
You'd think wine science would have advanced in a fairly straight line. Not so, an Israeli historian has found. Kevin Begos tells the story in Undark. | Continue reading
Our study suggests that young teens who witness violence exhibit differences in the structure and function of their brains in late adolescence. | Continue reading
If volcano-driven climate change was behind the Permian-Triassic land extinction, scientists might learn something crucial about our own fate. | Continue reading
Self-appointed health gurus spread autism cures, vaccine disinformation, and toxic AIDS denialism through online videos. Does it matter? | Continue reading
Balancing due process with the academic community's right to know is no easy task, but critics say more could be done to weed out bad actors. | Continue reading
Citizen scientists have served as glacier trackers in Iceland — and witnesses to the ravages of climate change — for generations. Will they continue? | Continue reading
A lab in Addis Ababa is on a mission to use artificial intelligence to disrupt conventional development models and inspire a new generation of coders. | Continue reading
Much remains to be learned about the physiological impacts of artificial lighting, but many scientists say enough is known to warrant dramatic changes now. | Continue reading
In "Where the Animals Go," James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti track 50 remarkable journeys. Their maps may change the way you think about animals. | Continue reading
There's an explanation, Nathan H. Lents writes in this "What I Left Out" essay based on his new book "Human Errors." But it's not very persuasive. What intelligent designer could have come up with this? | Continue reading
Growth rings in the ear stones of rockfish and the trunks of trees are giving researchers glimpses of the effects of climate change on biodiversity. | Continue reading
There is a universe of difference between something that might cause cancer and something known to do so. California should take heed. | Continue reading
In 1973, a toxic chemical was mixed into tons of farm feed, sickening livestock and exposing millions of Michiganders. Should later generations worry? | Continue reading
As we envision a new era of regenerative medicine, sci-fi-esque scenarios are raising thorny ethical issues. Just how far is society willing to go to solve the shortage crisis? | Continue reading
Whether we ought to have faith in algorithmic credit scoring is hard to answer, given the impenetrability of machine learning. | Continue reading
Activities like daydreaming, free association, and wild thought experiments can help us master our world. Physicist and author Leonard Mlodinow argues we don't do enough of them. | Continue reading
Modern digital life relies on layers of shared and dependent code that is, over time, vulnerable to deletions. Will a Wayback Machine for code help? | Continue reading
The field of positive psychology has been lambasted in recent years — but let's not discount the numerous benefits of positive emotions. | Continue reading
Despite the restrictions on CDC funding, research into gun violence has actually increased in recent years. How can the findings inform public policy? | Continue reading