All Stories by Bethany Brookshire
- Science & Society
Why people don’t vote, and what to do about it
The United States has terrible voter turnout. Political scientists have studied why people don’t vote and some effective ways to improve voter participation.
- Science & Society
Blame bad incentives for bad science
Scientists have to publish a constant stream of new results to succeed. But in the process, their success may lead to science’s failure, two new studies warn.
- Genetics
How gene editing is changing what a lab animal looks like
What makes a good animal model? New techniques bring opportunities and challenges to model organisms.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, noise was a nuisance (it still is)
In 1966, scientists warned of the physical and psychological dangers of a louder world.
- Oceans
50 years ago, humans could pick the oceans clean
Scientists have long recognized that we might overfish the oceans. Despite quotas, some species are paying the price of human appetite.
- Health & Medicine
Exercise helps you get in shape for old age
Exercise can fend off the effects of aging on the body and brain.
- Science & Society
Empathy for animals is all about us
We extend our feelings to what we think animals are feeling. Often, we’re wrong. But anthropomorphizing isn’t about them. It’s about us.
- Life
Women in sports are often underrepresented in science
More and more women are taking up recreational and competitive sports. But when it comes to exercise science, the studies don’t reflect that trend.
- Life
Uncertainty is stressful, but that’s not always a bad thing
Life is full of stressful, ambiguous situations. But a new study shows that the ones we can predict stress us out less, and may even help us learn.
- Tech
A storm of tweets followed Superstorm Sandy’s path
When storms hit, people hunker down and tweet. Their social media activity tracks natural disasters and their damage, a new study shows.
- Health & Medicine
Here’s how dust mites give dermatitis sufferers the itch
Dust mites can make people with eczema truly miserable. Now, scientists have figured out why they make some people scratch, and resolved a dermatological debate.
- Science & Society
Sometimes busting myths can backfire
When Neil deGrasse Tyson busted the flat-Earth myth on Twitter, he got the world’s attention. But did the myth-busting work? Or did it backfire?
