Quantum Physics
Talking to My Daughter Can Be Harder Than Learning Quantum Mechanics
Ordinary human dilemmas are tougher to solve than the most difficult problems of physics and mathematics
Opinion
Planetary Science
The Solar System’s Oort Cloud May Harbor an Astonishing Number of Objects from Other Stars
Contrary to what we’ve long assumed, this reservoir of comets surrounding the solar system may have more visitors than permanent residents
Natural Disasters
Understanding Pyrocumulonimbi, aka ‘Fire Clouds’
Caused by wildfires, they can trigger lightning, create fire tornadoes and turbocharge winds that accelerate the spread of a conflagration
Behavior
Drug Overdose Deaths in 2020 Were Horrifying
We need radical change in order to address the crisis
Ethics
Nonbinary Scientists Want Funding Agencies to Change How they Collect Gender Data
Too many surveys fail to include options beyond “male,” “female” and “do not wish to disclose”
Behavior
Apple’s New Child Safety Technology Might Harm More Kids Than It Helps
Features designed to guard against sexual abuse carry the potential for unintended consequences
Behavior
Lessons from Life Choices Made during the Pandemic
For a couple working in health care, the decision to get married and have a baby was complicated
Sociology
Why We Rally around Some Social Issues and Not Others
The answer involves an experiment with strange results and a dive into irrationality
Behavior
How to Reduce Racial Disparities in Smoking Deaths
African Americans die at a higher rate than other groups and have a harder time quitting. But new evidence-based approaches can change that
Public Health
How COVID, Inequality and Politics Make a Vicious Syndemic
Overlapping diseases and social conditions in the U.S. continue to dictate who is hurt most badly by the novel coronavirus
