Science & Society
- Chemistry
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.
- Science & Society
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.
- Health & Medicine
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.
- Health & Medicine
Six tips to build more movement into your day
Most people don’t move enough. The trick is to do what you can whenever you can, even if it’s just standing up more than once an hour and walking a bit.
- Science & Society
How schools can reduce excessive discipline of their Black students
Black middle- and high-school students miss four times as much school as white children due to suspensions. What might help shrink this discipline gap?
- Health & Medicine
Brown bandages would help make medicine more inclusive
Peach-colored bandages label dark-skinned patients as unusual, says med student Linda Oyesiku. Brown bandages expand who’s seen as normal.
- Climate
COVID-19 cut pollution in 2020, warming the atmosphere
Pandemic-related lockdowns briefly warmed the planet. The reason: The cleaner air carried fewer planet-cooling aerosols.
- Math
Explainer: What is statistics?
Scientists use statistics to design studies, analyze data and evaluate uncertainty. You’ll find it in biology, climate change, medicine and more.
- Health & Medicine
Boredom may pose a public health threat in the social distancing era
Boredom contributes to pandemic fatigue, and it may account for why some people don’t follow social distancing rules.
- Science & Society
Machine learning includes deep learning and neural nets
By combining patterns found in mountains of data with information gleaned from mistakes, these computer programs expand their artificial intelligence.
