Column

  1. Boys and girls are suffering, but in different ways

    By Nancy Shute

  2. Quantum computing may break the internet

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses internet security and the development of new quantum-proof encryption methods.

    By Nancy Shute

  3. Charting a course for the future of Science News

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute reflects on the history and future of Science News.

    By Nancy Shute
  4. A photo of Anténor Firmin in black and white overlayed on a tan background.
    Science & Society

    Anténor Firmin challenged anthropology’s racist roots 150 years ago

    In The Equality of the Human Races, Haitian scholar Anténor Firmin showed that science did not support division among the races.

    By Sujata Gupta
  5. An image of a white half circle at the bottom-center on a starry background. There are 8 arches spreading away from the circle.
    Math

    How Pythagoras turned math into a tool for understanding reality

    Reality was made of numbers, Pythagoras said, and he employed numbers to explain the “harmony of the heavens.”

    By Tom Siegfried

  6. The animal kingdom never ceases to amaze

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute revels in the wonder of animals, from psychedelic toads to extinct pterosaurs.

    By Nancy Shute
  7. A close up photo of a toddler laying in a bed with a tube attached to his nose.
    Health & Medicine

    Here’s what we know about upcoming vaccines and antibodies against RSV

    New vaccines and monoclonal antibodies may be available this year to fend off severe disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus.

    By Tina Hesman Saey

  8. The many challenges of exploring hidden realms

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the challenges of studying the invisible or inaccessible, from the seafloor to hidden caverns buried underneath solid ice.

    By Nancy Shute
  9. The Statue of Liberty up to its waist in water, under gray cloudy skies
    Science & Society

    Here are the Top 10 threats to the survival of civilization

    These aren’t just movie scenarios. From aliens and asteroids to pandemics, war and climate change, civilization as we know it is at risk.

    By Tom Siegfried

  10. Did artificial intelligence write this editor’s note?

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the implications of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT for education, journalism and more.

    By Nancy Shute
  11. A photo of a raccoon dog looking over its should at the camera while it stands in a field of tall grass.
    Health & Medicine

    How raccoon dog DNA fits into the COVID-19 origins debate

    Did the virus that causes COVID-19 come from animals or a lab? Evidence hints at animals. Either way, we should be prepping for the next pandemic.

    By Erin Garcia de Jesús

  12. Where does plastic go when we’re done with it?

    Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the ubiquity of microplastics in food, water, air and the body.

    By Nancy Shute