All Stories
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Science & SocietyA few simple tricks make fake news stories stick in the brain
Human brains rely on shortcuts to be efficient. But these shortcuts leave us vulnerable to false information.
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Science & Society2,500 years ago, the philosopher Anaxagoras brought science’s spirit to Athens
Natural philosopher Anaxagoras promoted the view that phenomena should be explained by natural processes, not attributed to the actions of the gods.
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Health & MedicineMeet three moderators fighting disinformation on Reddit’s largest coronavirus forum
Science News spoke with volunteers about what it takes to correct misinformation online during a pandemic.
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Health & MedicineThe surge in U.S. coronavirus cases shows a shift in who’s getting sick
Younger, unvaccinated people are a rising share of COVID-19 cases, raising concerns anew that lack of vaccine access may hit minority populations hard.
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AgricultureNanoscale nutrients can protect plants from fungal diseases
Applied to the shoots, nutrients served in tiny metallic packages are absorbed more efficiently, strengthening plants’ defenses against fungal attack.
By Shi En Kim -
Science & SocietyThe book ‘Viral BS’ offers a cure for medical myths and fake health news
In ‘Viral BS,’ physician and author Seema Yasmin fights misinformation with a dose of storytelling.
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When attacks on science threaten our survival
Editor in chief Nancy Shute reflects on the proliferation of false information and the importance of combating its spread.
By Nancy Shute -
Planetary ScienceNASA’s Ingenuity helicopter’s mission with Perseverance has been extended
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has passed all its tests and is ready to support the Perseverance rover in looking for ancient Martian life.
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AnthropologyLittle Foot’s shoulders hint at how a human-chimp common ancestor climbed
The shape of the 3.67-million-year-old hominid’s shoulder blades suggests it had a gorilla-like ability to climb trees.
By Bruce Bower -
EcosystemsWild donkeys and horses engineer water holes that help other species
Dozens of animals and even some plants in the American Southwest take advantage of water-filled holes dug by these nonnative equids.
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EarthLightning may be an important source of air-cleaning chemicals
Airplane observations show that thunderstorms can directly generate vast quantities of atmosphere-cleansing chemicals called oxidants.