Column
- Science & Society
Here are the Top 10 threats to the survival of civilization
These aren’t just movie scenarios. From aliens and asteroids to pandemics, war and climate change, civilization as we know it is at risk.
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Did artificial intelligence write this editor’s note?
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the implications of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT for education, journalism and more.
- Health & Medicine
How raccoon dog DNA fits into the COVID-19 origins debate
Did the virus that causes COVID-19 come from animals or a lab? Evidence hints at animals. Either way, we should be prepping for the next pandemic.
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Where does plastic go when we’re done with it?
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the ubiquity of microplastics in food, water, air and the body.
- Health & Medicine
My mammogram revealed I have dense breasts. What does that mean?
Nearly half of U.S. women have dense breasts. A new FDA rule makes notification of breast density national. Here’s the scoop on why.
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Good with tools? You may be a cockatoo
Editor in chief Nancy Shute talks about smart animals, from tool-using cockatoos to "self-aware" fish.
- Life
Fungi don’t turn humans into zombies. But The Last of Us gets some science right
Fungi like those in the post-apocalyptic TV show are real. But humans’ body temperature and brain chemistry may protect us from zombifying fungi.
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How the science of rocks is like the science of humans
Editor in chief Nancy Shute examines how a simple question can lead to a complex search for answers in both geology and human psychology.
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So much is lost when fossil treasures go private
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how science and the public lose when fossils are privately sold.
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Yes, we can meet the climate change challenge
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the first installment of our new climate change solutions series.
- Health & Medicine
Why it’s easier to catch a cold, the flu or COVID in the winter
Low humidity protects viruses and cold temperatures may blunt some immune responses, making viral infections like colds, flu and COVID-19 more likely.
- Science & Society
Pandemic languishing is a thing. But is it a privilege?
Positive psychologists contend that people can flourish if they try hard enough. But this pinnacle of well-being might not be so fully in our control.
