Column

  1. Science & Society

    Science’s self-criticism makes the enterprise stronger

    Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, considers the the tensions between statistical correctness and headline grabbing research discussed in this issue's part one of a two part feature examining the state of science in the age of publish-or-perish.

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  2. Ecosystems

    Lessons for the new year

    SN Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, reflects on looking to nature for insights on how to constructively look ahead - even if just a year -drawing from a handful of this issues natural science stories for her 2015 resolutions.

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  3. Science & Society

    Science inspires awe — and arguments

    As an eventful year in the sciences concludes, one that sparked both triumph and tragedy, SN's Editor in Chief contemplates 2014's most interesting stories.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Preparing for disaster, celebrating success

    Science cannot prevent all disasters or solve all the problems they spawn, but it can point to the best ways to prepare, making disasters less damaging than they might otherwise be

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  5. Astronomy

    A still mysterious solar system

    Whether or not a Planet X exists, the puzzle, like a good mystery, delights the mind. But better than any novel, the puzzle’s solution has the potential to reveal something new and unexpected about our solar system.

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  6. Neuroscience

    A species of invention

    From early humans painting on cave walls to modern-day engineers devising ways to help people move better, the drive to innovate is simply part of who humans are.

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  7. Astronomy

    Comet-crazed, and for good reason

    Coming to the edge of knowledge, especially about what’s out in space, fires the imagination.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Zero calories and other awe-inspiring science tales

    In this issue, reporters look at artificial sweeteners, resurrecting a West Coast plant, quasiparticles and the future of our magazine and its parent non-profit, SSP.

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  9. Life

    Thoughtful approach to antibiotic resistance

    Changing how people think about antibiotics is already showing promise in reducing antibiotic use and costs. It’s doubtful, however, that any single strategy will be enough.

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  10. Genetics

    A story about why people get fat may be just that

    In this issue, reporters look at efforts to find the genes that could be responsible for the obesity crisis and how evolution acts on diseases such as Ebola and tuberculosis.

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  11. Earth

    Sometimes value lies deep below the surface

    Stories on jellyfish, Ebola, carbon capture's future and heart disease's past reveal how crises old and new often lead to science's healthiest advances.

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  12. Astronomy

    The craziest NASA mission ever proposed

    In this issue, Meghan Rosen provides an in-depth report on that mission, but without the erroneous conclusion that the Asteroid Redirect Mission has much to do with asteroid defense.

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