Which COVID Vaccine Is ‘Best’? Why Do Some People Have Side Effects? Experts Answer These Questions and More
Scientific American talked to scientists about everything from what efficacy means to protection against the new coronavirus variants
Stories by Jim Daley
Hunger Strikers Seeking Environmental Justice Win Air-Pollution Delay
A hunger strike in Chicago and concerns raised by city and state politicians have slowed the planned move of a metal scrapper to a working-class, predominantly Latino community
What the CDC Guidelines for Vaccinated People Mean
Infectious disease specialist Nahid Bhadelia discusses new recommendations on how vaccinated people can gather with one another and small groups of unvaccinated individuals
Killings by Police Declined after Black Lives Matter Protests
A study also found body-camera use and community policing increased in places with the most active movements
White Chicago Cops Use Force More Often Than Black Officers
A new study of the city’s policing also shows differences between male and female cops
Biden Elevates Science in Week One Actions
The president has moved quickly on COVID-19 and climate change and has boosted scientists’ roles in his administration
Food-Industry-Backed Research Gives Results Funders Want, New Analysis Shows
More than half of these studies yielded outcomes favorable to company products, compared with less than 10 percent lacking such support
New Scientist-Candidates for U.S. Congress Fared Worse Than Expected in 2020
Even with big health issues in the headlines, most of these challengers lost, though advocates hope the races gave science a higher policy profile
U.S. Exits Paris Climate Accord after Trump Stalls Global Warming Action for Four Years
State-level efforts and a growing renewables market have mitigated federal emissions policy rollbacks—but Trump’s climate impact could be long-lasting
Vicious Woodpecker Battles Draw an Avian Audience
Biologists who study acorn woodpeckers’ power struggles are not the only ones watching—so are rival woodpecker groups
How to Avoid COVID while Voting
Epidemiologists offer tips for U.S. voters and poll workers to limit their chances of getting infected
Millions of Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Tests May Help Fill the Testing Gap
The assays may not detect all cases, but they are cheap and could be used at home
When and Why You Should Get a Flu Shot
Experts explain why getting vaccinated is important every year—and especially during a pandemic
How to Decide Who Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine First
Medical ethicist Ezekiel Emanuel discusses a framework for equitably allocating COVID-19 vaccines based on preventing premature deaths and mitigating long-term economic impacts
After Surgery, Black Children Are More Likely to Die Than White Children
A study of nearly 200 U.S. medical centers found that even apparently healthy kids suffer racial disparities in complications associated with surgery
Vaccinations Have Sharply Declined Nationwide during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Rates of childhood immunization have fallen across the U.S., raising the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks
Bumblebees Bite Plants to Force Them to Flower (Seriously)
The behavior could be an evolutionary adaptation that lets bees forage more easily
CRISPR Gene Editing May Help Scale Up Coronavirus Testing
An inexpensive assay based on the technique can provide yes or no answers in under an hour—perhaps even in the home soon
Winged “PigeonBot” Flies with Real Feathers
A flying robot reveals how birds stay aloft and could inspire next-generation drones
Ocean Species Are Shifting toward the Poles
Changes in species abundance can throw food chains out of whack and put livelihoods at risk
