California’s Hepatitis A Outbreak Demands a Cure for Homelessness
When urban infrastructure enables outbreaks, it’s not just a medical tragedy. It’s a signal of a failure yet to come.
A New Study of Economics as a Science Says It’s Still Dismal
Economics has problems with bias, reproducibility, and statistical power. You know, like all the other social sciences.
Twenty Years after His Death, Carl Sagan Is Still Right
In an interview, the famed astronomer and communicator fought for the idea that science is the best way to know things
After the Texas Mass Shooting, We Can’t Afford to Wage War on Science Any More
In the wake of the Texas church shooting, the danger of the Trump administration’s war on knowledge is clearer than ever.
After Las Vegas Shooting, Searching for Meaning in a Killer’s Brain
Stephen Paddock's brain is being sent to Stanford, where a pathologist will dissect his brain in search of answers. Nobody thinks it's going to work.
After the Napa Fires, Toxic Ash Threatens Soil, Streams, and San Francisco Bay
It turns into sediment in lakes and streams, carries heavy metals and toxins—and if it comes from buildings, no one knows what's in it.
Single Base Editing Could Sharpen Crispr’s Genetic Scalpel
Crispr-Cas9's off-target effects can rewire DNA the wrong way. A new class of more targeted gene editors could help.
A Viral Game About Paperclips Teaches You to Be a World-Killing AI
_Paperclips_ is a simple clicker game that manages to turn you into an artificial intelligence run amok.
Can We Still Rely On Science Done By Sexual Harassers?
Scholars have ways to think about "problematic" artists and their work. But what about science and equally problematic scientists?
How the Napa Fires Could Hurt 2017’s Wine Grapes
Smoke from California's fires could make grapes left on the vines taste like ash—if the vines survive at all