Soapbox
- Life
A new metric of extinction risk considers how cultures care for species
Conservation efforts should consider relationships between cultural groups and the species important to them, researchers argue.
- Psychology
Latin America defies cultural theories based on East-West comparisons
Theories for how people think in individualist versus collectivist nations stem from East-West comparisons. Latin America challenges those theories.
- Math
How the way we’re taught to round numbers in school falls short
A rounding technique taught in school doesn’t work well for machine learning or quantum computing, but an alternative approach does, researchers say.
- Science & Society
Nudge theory’s popularity may block insights into improving society
Small interventions that influence people’s behavior can be tested. But the real world requires big, hard-to-measure changes too, scientists say.
- Climate
Climate change communication should focus less on specific numbers
Even if nations don’t meet goals to curb global climate change, any progress is better than none.
- Climate
Climate change could make Virginia’s Tangier Island uninhabitable by 2051
Tangier Island could be lost to rising seas sooner than previously realized. Whether to save the island or move its residents remains undecided.
- Science & Society
How science overlooks Asian Americans
Existing scientific datasets fail to capture details on Asian Americans, making it hard to assess the group’s overall well-being.
- Health & Medicine
Redefining ‘flesh-colored’ bandages makes medicine more inclusive
Peach-colored bandages label dark-skinned patients as outside the norm, says med student Linda Oyesiku. Brown bandages expand who gets to be normal.
- Animals
Why bat scientists are socially distancing from their subjects
Scientists are calling for a “hands-off” approach to research to decrease the chances of spreading the coronavirus to bats in North America.
- Climate
Hurricanes have names. Some climate experts say heat waves should, too
A newly formed international alliance aims to raise awareness about extreme temperatures and protect vulnerable populations.
- Science & Society
A #BlackBirdersWeek cofounder aims to amplify black nature enthusiasts
Wildlife biologist Danielle Belleny hopes the social media campaign represents black birders and nature enthusiasts of color in a hobby often stereotyped as white.
- Health & Medicine
Infecting people with COVID-19 could speed vaccine trials. Is it worth it?
To accelerate vaccine development, some experts argue we should purposefully infect volunteers with the coronavirus. Others warn of the risks.
