Science & Society

  1. Science & Society

    The Top 10 scientific surprises of Science News’ first 100 years

    In the 100 years since Science News started reporting on it, science has offered up plenty of unexpected discoveries.

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  2. Animals

    Mary Roach’s new book ‘Fuzz’ explores the ‘criminal’ lives of animals

    In “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law,” author Mary Roach profiles mugging monkeys, thieving bears and other animal outlaws.

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  3. Psychology

    Perspective-changing experiences, good or bad, can lead to richer lives

    Happiness or meaning have long been seen as keys to the “good life.” Psychologists have now defined a third good life for people leading rich psychological lives.

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  4. Science & Society

    ‘On the Fringe’ explores the thin line between science and pseudoscience

    In his latest book, historian Michael Gordin surveys astrology, eugenics and other fringe movements to show how challenging it is to define pseudoscience.

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  5. Science & Society

    Gender-affirming care improves mental health for transgender youth

    Several state legislatures have taken steps to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender adolescents. That goes against medical guidelines.

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  6. Science & Society

    Racism lurks in names given to plants and animals. That’s starting to change

    Racist legacies linger in everyday lingo for birds, bugs and more. Some scientists see the chance to change that.

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  7. Psychology

    Everyone maps numbers in space. But why don’t we all use the same directions?

    The debate over whether number lines are innate or learned obscures a more fundamental question: Why do we map numbers to space in the first place?

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  8. Earth

    Haiti’s citizen seismologists helped track its devastating quake in real time

    Two scientists explain how citizen scientists and their work could help provide a better understanding of Haiti’s seismic hazards.

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  9. Science & Society

    How extreme heat from climate change distorts human behavior

    As temperatures rise, violence and aggression go up while focus and productivity decline. The well off can escape to cool spaces; the poor cannot.

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  10. Psychology

    Psychology has struggled for a century to make sense of the mind

    Research into what makes us tick has been messy and contentious, but has led to intriguing insights.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    6 answers to parents’ COVID-19 questions as kids return to school

    Universal masking in schools could prevent a bumpy 2021–22 schoolyear and keep kids, many of whom are too young to be vaccinated, safe, experts say.

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  12. Earth

    A new book reveals stories of ancient life written in North America’s rocks

    In ‘How the Mountains Grew,’ John Dvorak probes the interlinked geology and biology buried within the rocks of North America.

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