Science & Society
- Health & Medicine
Kids lost more than learning when COVID closed their schools
The first 18 months of the pandemic has already taken a hefty academic and emotional toll on students, new research shows.
- Health & Medicine
COVID-19 can infect kids — and risks sickening some severely
Not all are equally impacted. Even among supposedly low risk groups, concerns intensify as the super-contagious delta variant sweeps across the globe.
- Health & Medicine
What is the role of in-person classes in COVID-19’s spread?
New data haven’t shown that schools pose a big coronavirus risk to kids and their families, despite fears that they might.
- Genetics
Just a tiny share of the DNA in us is unique to humans
Some of these tweaks to DNA, however, may have played a role in brain evolution.
- Chemistry
Lots of makeup may contain potentially harmful ‘forever chemicals’
Hints of PFAS compounds have turned up in about half of tested makeup products. Waterproof mascaras and lipsticks were very likely to contain them.
- Humans
How scientists can get a better picture of our extinct relatives
Facial reconstructions of extinct species have historically been more art than science. Some researchers hope to change that.
- Tech
No animal died to make this steak
The ribeye steak is the first of its kind, and the latest in a growing list of meats printed with a 3-D bioprinter instead of being harvested from an animal.
- Materials Science
Copper ‘foam’ could be used as filters for COVID-19 masks
The lightweight new material could serve as a washable and recyclable, eco-friendly alternative for many current mask filters.
- Psychology
Most people will add something — even when subtracting makes more sense
People default to adding when solving puzzles and problems, even when subtracting works better. That could underlie some modern-day excesses.
- Space
Here’s why people picked certain stars as constellations
Patterns of human eye movement help explain why particular sets of stars form iconic shapes, a high school student showed.
- Earth
Earth as you’ve never seen it before
Earth is a sphere. Flat maps distort features on that sphere, usually by a lot. Now three scientists think they may have the best solution yet for flattening the planet.
- Psychology
Too much sitting could hurt your mental health
As inactivity increases, so does risk of depression and other mental health problems, new studies show. But breaks for even light activity can help.
