Can a Cartoon Raccoon Keep Schoolkids Safe from COVID-19?
Well, why not? It worked for Smokey the Bear and forest fires
Opinion
We’ll Never Fix Systemic Racism by Being Polite
Contrary to the sanitized version we sometimes hear about the civil rights movement, change was not achieved solely by protest marches and people singing “We Shall Overcome”
Health Care Is Long Overdue for a Social Justice Reckoning
Biases in the system put the lives and well-being of women and minorities at risk
Medical Schools Need to Get Better at Addressing Structural Racism
An incoming medical student points out that the field has always been political, prioritizing some bodies over others
A Movie of the Evolving Universe Is Potentially Scary
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will reveal all sorts of short-term changes in the cosmos—and some could have dire consequences for humanity
The Weirdness of Watching Yourself on Zoom
As babies, we learn that it’s ourself we see in a mirror. But online meeting rooms are a whole different thing
Coronavirus News Roundup: July 25–July 31
Here are pandemic highlights for the week
Why Are Blue Whales So Gigantic?
Dinosaurs were big, but these are the largest animals in the history of the planet—and we’re just beginning to understand the reasons for their size
The Mystery of Titan’s Expanding Orbit
A surprising discovery in the outer solar system could change our ideas about moons that orbit giant planets
The Mars Rover and the Story of a Curious Little Girl
An e-mail from Brazil reminds the author of how important it is to inspire young women to love science
