Science & Society

  1. 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
  2. Science & Society

    How we reported a controversial story about the day the dinosaurs died

    Here’s how we covered the story of new fossils found in the Tanis site in North Dakota, including the story’s more controversial elements.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  3. Science & Society

    Introducing the Transparency Project

    The Transparency Project aims to be more open and accountable to readers by explaining key coverage decisions and showing how science journalism happens.

    By Nancy Shute
  4. Math

    A mathematician traces his journey from poverty to prominence

    In 'The Shape of Life,' Shing-Tung Yau describes his groundbreaking work in geometry, which provided insights into string theory.

    By Diana Steele
  5. Humans

    Medicaid expansion may help shrink health gaps between black and white babies

    States that expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act shrunk racial disparities between black and white infants, a new study shows.

    By Sujata Gupta
  6. Life

    ‘An Elegant Defense’ explores the immune system’s softer side

    The lives of four people helped or harmed by their body’s natural defenses illustrate why immunology has become one of the hottest fields in science.

    By Cassandra Willyard
  7. Science & Society

    ‘Invisible Women’ spotlights a gaping and dangerous gender data gap

    ‘Invisible Women’ explains how neglecting to collect or use data on women harms their health and safety.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  8. Science & Society

    Immigrants pave the way for the gentrification of black neighborhoods

    A study using U.S. census data shows primarily Asian and Hispanic immigrants may trigger gentrification in U.S. neighborhoods.

    By Sujata Gupta
  9. Science & Society

    Statisticians want to abandon science’s standard measure of ‘significance’

    For years, scientists have declared P values of less than 0.05 to be “statistically significant.” Now statisticians are saying the cutoff needs to go.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  10. Science & Society

    Why some low-income neighborhoods are better than others

    Levels of violence, incarceration and lead exposure in a neighborhood can predict a low-income child’s future earnings and outcome, a study suggests.

    By Sujata Gupta
  11. Science & Society

    Black hole image validates imagining the unimaginable

    Human creativity conjured up the most extreme of astronomical phenomena long before they could be seen.

    By Tom Siegfried
  12. Science & Society

    The delight of discovering an asteroid that spits

    Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses recent news about the asteroid Bennu and Kuiper Belt–object Ultima Thule.

    By Nancy Shute