Science & Society

  1. Science & Society

    Longer gaps between births can halve infant deaths in developing nations

    Leaving more time between successive pregnancies matters for infant survival, but only in less-developed countries.

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  2. Planetary Science

    Accolades, skepticism and science marked Science News’ coverage of Apollo

    Science News’ coverage of the Apollo program stayed focused on the science but also framed the moon missions in the broader social and political context of the era.

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  3. Planetary Science

    Apollo astronauts left trash, mementos and experiments on the moon

    Here’s what planetary scientists are learning from the remains of Apollo outposts, and how archeologists hope to preserve it.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Celebrate the moon landing anniversary with books that go beyond the small step

    New books about Apollo 11 and the mission to the moon offer something for everyone, from astronomy lovers to fans of graphic novels and self-improvement buffs.

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  5. Science & Society

    Many fictional moon voyages preceded the Apollo landing

    Landing on the moon for real dramatically demonstrated the confluence of science with the moon’s cultural mystique.

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  6. Planetary Science

    See how visualizations of the moon have changed over time

    To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, here’s a collection of images that show how the moon has been visualized over the ages.

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  7. Plants

    ‘Slime’ shows how algae have shaped our climate, evolution and daily lives

    The new book ‘Slime’ makes the case that algae deserve to be celebrated.

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  8. Science & Society

    Lost wallets are more likely to be returned if they hold cash

    Worldwide, return rates of lost wallets goes up as the money inside increases, contradicting the idea that people act in their own self-interest.

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  9. Science & Society

    Science hasn’t managed to span the diagnosis gap

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses how scientists are devising better diagnostic tools to detect diseases.

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  10. Genetics

    Genealogy companies could struggle to keep clients’ data from police

    Police probably won’t stop searching DNA family trees to find crime suspects. New restrictions on database searches could spur more fights over privacy.

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  11. Agriculture

    The U.S. is still using many pesticides that are banned in other countries

    In 2016, the United States used millions of kilograms of pesticides that are banned or being phased out in the European Union, Brazil and China.

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  12. Astronomy

    50 years ago, scientists wanted to build solar panels on the moon

    In 1969, scientists proposed building solar panels on the moon to convert the sun’s energy into electricity that can be used on Earth.

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