Science & Society

  1. Genetics

    Expert panel approves human gene editing

    Scientists have recently been reporting big advances in the ability to tweak the genes of living organisms, including people. But some question the ethics of doing that. A panel of experts now says such research can go ahead — with one major exception.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  2. Animals

    Wildlife forensics turns to eDNA

    Environmental DNA, or eDNA, tells biologists what species have been around — even when they’re out of sight or have temporarily moved on.

    By Kathiann Kowalski
  3. Health & Medicine

    News Brief: Group dancing helps teens bond

    Coordinated dance routines help teens bond with one another, new data show. Group dancing also offers other benefits, including a higher threshold for pain.

    By Janet Raloff
  4. Ecosystems

    Two SNS writers win big

    Here’s a Cool Job: writing about science. Two people who regularly do that for SNS have just picked up awards for stories on the physics of lightning and how nature recycles the dead to feed the living.

    By Janet Raloff
  5. Health & Medicine

    Internet use may harm teen health

    Using the Internet more than two hours a day puts teens at risk of high blood pressure, a new study finds.

    By Alison Pearce Stevens
  6. Humans

    Bronze Age mummies unearthed in Great Britain

    Bronze Age communities from southern England to Scotland appear to mummified their dead. Tests show this occurred between roughly 3,000 and 4,000 years ago.

    By Bruce Bower
  7. Brain

    Parents’ math anxiety can ‘infect’ kids

    A study of first- and second- graders found that kids whose parents fear math learn less math at school ¬— but only when parents help with homework.

    By Ilima Loomis
  8. Science & Society

    Retractions: Righting the wrongs of science

    Retractions let scientific journals remove bogus studies from the record. It's part of a self-correction process that helps move science forward.

    By Stephen Ornes
  9. Science & Society

    When a study can’t be replicated

    Many factors can prevent one study from matching another in all regards, including its findings. Those factors may have nothing to do with mischief.

    By Janet Raloff
  10. Health & Medicine

    More data link vaping to smoking

    A new study finds vapers who don’t smoke are likely to start — even when they initially had no intention of ever taking up a cigarette.

    By Janet Raloff
  11. Climate

    Beliefs about global warming vary by country

    Opinions about climate change — whether it exists, what’s causing it and how dangerous it is — vary greatly around the world.

    By Teresa Shipley Feldhausen
  12. Science & Society

    Scientists Say: Social

    Social is a single word used in many ways. But whether it’s social media or social order, social describes how we interact.

    By Bethany Brookshire