Science & Society

  1. Animals

    Pets’ rights explored in ‘Citizen Canine’

    Science journalist David Grimm describes pet's progression towards full citizenship.

    By Sarah Zielinski
  2. Neuroscience

    Legalization trend forces review of marijuana’s dangers

    Marijuana legalization advocates tout pot’s medicinal benefits and low addictiveness, while critics point to its neurological dangers. Research shows that the reality is somewhere in the middle.

    By Laura Sanders
  3. Science & Society

    Stem cell scientist reportedly agrees to retract controversial paper

    Japanese stem cell scientist Haruko Obokata has agreed to retract one of the Jan. 30 Nature papers on STAP cells.

    By Ashley Yeager
  4. Anthropology

    Richard III to be reburied in Leicester Cathedral

    The remains of Richard III will be reburied in Leicester, a British court ruled on May 23.

    By Ashley Yeager
  5. Science & Society

    Trust in gravity isn’t always the best astronomy policy

    Historical episodes involving Neptune, Mercury and gravity have implications for today’s dark matter and dark energy mysteries.

    By Tom Siegfried
  6. Science & Society

    Cancer research scores big at Intel ISEF

    An innovative statistical analysis of cancer-promoting genes earned a 15-year-old the top prize — and $75,000 — at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2014.

    By Sid Perkins
  7. Science & Society

    One of the best ways for kids to learn science: by doing it

    A biodegradable Band-Aid. A low-cost, ultrasonic guide to parallel parking. A reinvention of the toilet. These were among the nearly 1,400 science fair projects on display at the 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Science News’ parent organization, the Society for Science & the Public, has run the annual event since 1950.

    By Eva Emerson
  8. Science & Society

    Top 10 things everybody should know about science

    Much of scientific knowledge can be condensed into a few basic principles that every educated person should know.

    By Tom Siegfried
  9. Health & Medicine

    Massachusetts insurance mandate lowers death rate

    Since “Romneycare” was phased in, mortality fell by 2.9 percent.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Science & Society

    Polls don’t identify the real science education problem

    Concerns that Americans do poorly when quizzed on factual scientific knowledge don’t address deeper issues of scientific understanding.

    By Tom Siegfried
  11. Science & Society

    Anti-leukemia vaccine reported hope of future

    Fifty years ago, Science News Letter reported on the promise of a vaccine to prevent leukemia. No preventive vaccine has come to pass, but leukemia vaccines as treatments has yielded promising results.

    By Science News Staff
  12. Science & Society

    Students retain information better with pens than laptops

    Compared with typing on a laptop, writing notes by hand may lead to deeper understanding of lecture material.

    By Laura Sanders