Social MediaMay 15, 2026
The hantavirus outbreak is reviving some of the worst COVID conspiracies
Hantavirus misinformation is spreading fast. COVID trauma and social media algorithms may be to blame
Social Media
NeuroscienceMay 13, 2026
How to recover your shrinking attention span
Digital distractions can undermine our focus, but research suggests that our inherent capacity to pay attention hasn’t diminished
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StatisticsMay 7, 2026
Math and statistics help explain the FBI’s ‘missing scientists’ cases
Statistical principles show you don’t need a nefarious plot to explain clusters of missing scientists and lab workers
FitnessMay 5, 2026
An Olympian scientist explains why online fitness content can be dangerous
The Internet loves fitness-motivation content. Olympian and researcher Valerie Gruest explains why it can be so harmful
Social MediaApril 1, 2026
What the Meta and Google verdict means for your social media feed
A Los Angeles jury found Instagram and YouTube negligent in how they were built, opening a new legal fight over how courts view social media
Social MediaMarch 25, 2026
Jury finds Meta and YouTube negligent in landmark social media addiction case
A Los Angeles trial jury found that Meta and YouTube are offering products that are addictive and harmful to young users’ mental health
HealthMarch 24, 2026
Is social media addictive? The science reveals what’s at stake
The research into whether social media is addictive is nuanced and complex, with many unanswered questions
Social SciencesMarch 19, 2026
The world’s happiest countries report calls attention to youth well-being
An annual world happiness ranking for 2026 explores how the use of social media influences well-being
Public HealthFebruary 25, 2026
‘Wellness influencer’ Casey Means heads to confirmation hearing
The U.S. Senate is holding a confirmation hearing today for wellness influencer Casey Means, the Trump administration’s pick for surgeon general
Endangered SpeciesDecember 11, 2025
People Are Using TikTok to Sell Endangered Animals to Eat
TikTok is rapidly growing in Africa and is being used to sell bushmeat, underscoring the role of social media in the global illegal wildlife trade
ComputingDecember 8, 2025
AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives
The SciencesNovember 19, 2025
Epstein Files Spark Harvard Investigation into Larry Summers
E-mails between Larry Summers and the now deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from 2018 and 2019 have raised questions about a relationship Summers pursued with a student