Science & Society

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- Tech
Did Facebook put Instagram profits ahead of teen safety?
Former employee said Facebook (now Meta) ignored its own research on Instagram risks to teens’ mental health. We look at the issues and what you can do.
- Science & Society
Racism lurks in many plant and animal names. That’s now changing
Racist legacies linger in everyday lingo for birds, plants and other organisms. Some scientists now see the chance to change that.
- Health & Medicine
Gender-affirming care improves the mental health of transgender youth
Several states have tried to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. That goes against medical guidelines.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Anthropocene
Humans are changing the world in profound ways. Some scientists think those changes have launched a new epoch in Earth’s history: the Anthropocene.
- Science & Society
Empty stadium ‘ghost games’ increase losses for home teams
European soccer teams playing at home during the pandemic also racked up more foul calls.
By Nikk Ogasa - Psychology
What happened when Simone Biles got the twisties at the Olympics?
Stress might have led to physical and mental disorientation during the gymnastics competition. Still, a lot about the phenomenon remains unknown.
- Psychology
How to resist and counter today’s flood of fake news
Although misinformation bothers most people, few know how to spot deceit or nonsense, studies find.
- Animals
Analyze This: Sharks aren’t as scary as what you see on TV
In Shark Week shows, scientists found mixed messages about sharks, insufficient research support and little info on conserving endangered animals.
- Science & Society
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.