Opinion

Information theory can help us decode signs of biological activity hiding in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets

AI will become inscrutable and uncontrollable. We need to stop AI development until we have a necessary safety conversation

Recent Tesla Autopilot and Cruise robo-taxi news has raised public concern. Strong federal and state regulations are needed to ensure the safety of driverless vehicles’ AI-based software

Obstetric fistula is almost entirely preventable yet flourishes in places where health care is inaccessible for too many women

The overuse of dangerous pesticides in Brazil threatens public health and serves as a warning to the rest of the world about the dangers of science denial

Astronomy is beautiful and elegant. The language we use to describe its processes is anything but

As we careen on a climate catastrophe, the COP28 conference has witnessed world leaders’ failure to avert clear disaster for humanity

We will never know if we live in a computer simulation; here is a more interesting question

We do not want to trade the harm of emissions from gasoline vehicles for the harm caused by unsustainable mining practices

As 2023 comes to a close, we look back at a year of poignant commentary on space, politics, climate, artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and health—and the ways we explore the human experience

A loophole in FDA processes means older drugs such as those in oral decongestants weren’t properly tested. Here’s how we learned the most popular one doesn’t work

Segregation has given rise to a distinct African American English. Speech professionals must recognize it to avoid misdiagnosing Black children and wasting valuable educational resources