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Harnessing Social Media for the COVID-19 PandemicHarnessing Social Media for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Harnessing Social Media for the COVID-19 Pandemic

With graduate school moving online and social distancing in full effect, I have been relying on my phone—specifically, Instagram—to kill…

5 years ago
As CO2 Emissions Drop During Pandemic, Methane May RiseAs CO2 Emissions Drop During Pandemic, Methane May Rise

As CO2 Emissions Drop During Pandemic, Methane May Rise

The novel coronavirus is slowly changing the mix of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The most profound changes in…

5 years ago
Yes, Liquor Stores Are Essential BusinessesYes, Liquor Stores Are Essential Businesses

Yes, Liquor Stores Are Essential Businesses

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to alcohol will likely become limited due to social-distancing measures mandated by…

5 years ago
Astronomers Battle Space Explorers for Access to Moon’s Far SideAstronomers Battle Space Explorers for Access to Moon’s Far Side

Astronomers Battle Space Explorers for Access to Moon’s Far Side

As countries and private companies race to return to the moon, the need to protect the lunar far side—the hemisphere…

5 years ago
The Pandemic Shows Why America Must Invest in Public ResearchThe Pandemic Shows Why America Must Invest in Public Research

The Pandemic Shows Why America Must Invest in Public Research

In the weeks to come, we’re about to relearn that old truth: necessity is the mother of invention. Researchers will…

5 years ago
Why Do White Men and Scientists Tend to Downplay the Risks of Technology?Why Do White Men and Scientists Tend to Downplay the Risks of Technology?

Why Do White Men and Scientists Tend to Downplay the Risks of Technology?

Scientific American April 2020The naive answer is that white men and scientists are coldly rational—but that’s not the whole storyScientists…

5 years ago
Life as We Don’t Know ItLife as We Don’t Know It

Life as We Don’t Know It

In 1985, when I was a baby journalist writing my first college newspaper story, I covered a symposium at Harvard…

5 years ago
The Problem with Telling Children They’re Better Than OthersThe Problem with Telling Children They’re Better Than Others

The Problem with Telling Children They’re Better Than Others

When parents ask, “What grade did you get?” there is a common follow-up question: “So who got the highest grade?”…

5 years ago
Coronavirus Can Infect Cats – Scientific AmericanCoronavirus Can Infect Cats – Scientific American

Coronavirus Can Infect Cats – Scientific American

The COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of people stuck at home with their cats. Which raises some obvious questions: can…

5 years ago
Inside the Global Race to Fight COVID-19 Using the World’s Fastest SupercomputersInside the Global Race to Fight COVID-19 Using the World’s Fastest Supercomputers

Inside the Global Race to Fight COVID-19 Using the World’s Fastest Supercomputers

As the director of a global research organization, I feel obligated to use all the resources of cutting-edge science and…

5 years ago