Social Sciences

Science in meter and verse

Horror stories from Indigenous writers, a plea for better road ecology, and more books out now

Ancient poop pathogens in Israel, Peru’s millennia-old El Niño preparations, a halt to Icelandic whale hunting, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits

Drunk intestines; speedy pigeons

Data show that mass-shooting deaths behave as a “species” different from other gun deaths

AI can generate clear, concise text—but people still need to learn how to write

Social media companies’ drive to keep you on their platforms clashes with how people evolved to learn from each other

Language model AIs seem smart because of how they string words together, but in reality, they can’t do anything without many people guiding them every step of the way

Many young adults, facing the largest student loan burden in history, report depression, anxiety and an overhanging sense of dread

Debate rages over which languages can claim to have the earliest origin

Improved DNA analysis has updated thinking on the skin color, ancestry, and more of the alpine mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman

The world needs more scientists to get off the sidelines during policy debates