Science & Society
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Science & Society
This Greek philosopher had the right idea, just too few elements
The ancient Greek philosopher Empedocles wrongly believed matter to consist of just four elements, but he grasped the basic idea of forces governing unchanging matter.
- Psychology
What we know and don’t know about how mass trauma affects mental health
Three people connected to mass shootings have recently killed themselves. Here’s what we know, and don’t, about the lingering effects of mass trauma.
- Genetics
A Nobel Prize winner argues banning CRISPR babies won’t work
Human gene editing needs responsible regulation, but a ban isn’t the way to go, says Nobel laureate David Baltimore.
- Science & Society
The science of CBD lags behind its marketing
Editor in Chief Nancy Shute discusses the lack of scientific research on CBD.
- Science & Society
The CBD boom is way ahead of the science
As CBD-laced foods and health products gain popularity, researchers are just beginning to fill the gaping holes in knowledge about this cannabis molecule’s benefits.
- Science & Society
The learning gap between rich and poor students hasn’t changed in decades
The educational achievement gap between the poorest and richest U.S. students remains as wide as it was almost 50 years ago.
- Animals
How a tiger transforms into a man-eater
‘No Beast So Fierce’ examines the historical and environmental factors that turned a tiger in Nepal and India into a human-killer.
- Paleontology
A new T. rex exhibit takes a deep dive into the iconic dinosaur
“T. rex: The Ultimate Predator,” a new exhibit in New York City, draws on the latest science to provide a fresh look at Tyrannosaurus rex and its relatives.
