Science & Society

  1. Astronomy

    Watch the oldest surviving film of a total solar eclipse

    A short film of the 1900 total solar eclipse was restored by conservation experts and is now available to view online.

    By Lisa Grossman
  2. Health & Medicine

    Resurgence of measles is a tale as old as human history

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the recent global measles outbreak and the history of the spread of pathogens.

    By Nancy Shute
  3. Science & Society

    Murray Gell-Mann gave structure to the subatomic world

    Best known for his quarks, the preeminent theoretical physicist was also a complexity pioneer

    By Tom Siegfried
  4. Health & Medicine

    A cognitive neuroscientist warns that the U.S. justice system harms teen brains

    The U.S. justice system holds adolescents to adult standards, and puts young people in situations that harm their development, a researcher argues.

    By Laura Sanders
  5. Science & Society

    How the battle against measles varies around the world

    Measles is a global health threat. Snapshots of several countries show how stopping its spread depends on local conditions and beliefs.

    By Sujata Gupta
  6. Science & Society

    These are the top 10 landmarks in the history of making measurements

    Little appreciated but vastly important, metrology celebrates a long history with the adoption of new definitions for key units.

    By Tom Siegfried
  7. Science & Society

    Celebrating scientists who ask big questions

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses scientists who are asking important questions for society.

    By Nancy Shute
  8. Life

    1 million species are under threat. Here are 5 ways we speed up extinctions

    One million of the world’s plant and animal species are now under threat of extinction, a new report finds.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  9. Science & Society

    Medical student evaluations appear riddled with racial and gender biases

    Women and minorities are more frequently described by personality in medical student evaluations, but men are described by their skills, a study says.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  10. Science & Society

    Facebook data show how many people left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

    Conventional surveys can’t track migration after natural disasters in real time. But Facebook data may provide a crude estimate of those who flee.

    By Sujata Gupta
  11. Science & Society

    A science-themed escape room gives the brain a workout

    Quantum physicist Paul Kwiat reveals what it takes do well in LabEscape, his science-themed escape room.

    By Emily Conover
  12. Science & Society

    How we reported on the challenges of using ancestry tests to solve crimes

    Here’s how we found out what happened when an arrest was made in the Golden State Killer case that was tied to genetic testing.

    By Tina Hesman Saey