All Stories by Avery Elizabeth Hurt
- Plants
Are plants intelligent? It seems to depend on how you define it
Plants can do a lot of the same things animals do: communicate, learn — even remember. Now scientists want to know if that means they’re intelligent.
- Space
Why are scientists suddenly interested in UFOs?
For decades, science mostly ignored UFOs. Then in 2015 Navy pilots started reporting them. The U.S. government enlisted scientists to investigate.
- Brain
Here’s why being creative is good for your brain
Neuroarts, a new field of science, is finding that exposure to arts can improve learning, behavior and mental health.
- Animals
Invertebrates are pretty clever, but are they conscious?
Scientists are designing experiments to test whether these animals have self-aware experiences as we do.
- Psychology
Done right, online learning might be as engaging as face-to-face
Measures of stress offer clues to how engaged students are during online lessons. This could help teachers design more effective classes.
- Brain
Some screen time may aid kids’ recovery from concussions
A few hours a day on digital devices may actually aid recovery by connecting kids with friends and giving their brains some stimulation.
- Chemistry
Was that fingerprint left during a crime? A new test may answer that
In what could be a boon to forensics, Iowa State University chemists have come up with a way to analyze the age of fingerprints.
- Tech
Can computers think? Why this is proving so hard to answer
In 1950, Alan Turing proposed a test to tell a human from a computer. Today, that Turing test may tell us more about ourselves than about machines.
- Psychology
Lying won’t stretch your nose, but it will steal some brainpower
The science of lying shows that most people don’t lie often. But when they do, it takes a surprising toll on their brains.
- Health & Medicine
In an emergency, you may want to see Dr. Dog
Emergency room visits by therapy dogs can reduce pain, anxiety and depression in patients waiting for care, a new study finds.
- Psychology
To excel at basketball, it’s mind over matter
Get your head in the game. Top basketball coaches value psychological traits more than physical ones when recruiting players, says a new study.
- Humans
Want to improve your reading skills? You might just need more space
A simple change by publishers and Web designers could help kids — both with and without dyslexia — read faster and better.
