Science & Society
- Artificial Intelligence
AI job-screening tools are very prejudiced, study finds
AI job-screening tools ranked white-associated names higher than Black-sounding ones. Male names also were preferred. Black male names were never favored.
- Ecosystems
Analyze This: In movies, wetlands often get a bad rap
Swamps in films are often linked to danger, death and strange things. But movies also highlight wetlands’ biodiversity and resources.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. teen tobacco use has hit a record low
In 2024, tobacco use among middle- and high-school students reached a record low. But new vapes and nicotine-based products keep coming.
- Climate
Why is Los Angeles on fire?
High heat and little rain have extended wildfire season to year-round in some parts of California. Fast winds and dry conditions are fueling L.A.’s current infernos.
- Psychology
Analyze This: Skipping through videos may increase boredom
Contrary to what people often expect, fast-forwarding or switching videos may leave viewers more bored and less satisfied.
- Humans
Is synthetic food dye bad for kids? Here’s what the science says
California is banning some food dyes in school meals. Though FDA says the dyes are safe, some studies show they may alter kids’ behavior.
- Tech
To stay cool, some future homes may build on past power-free tech
Accordion-pleated walls and other heat-managing structures could cool homes in hot, dry places naturally — without electricity.
- Tech
This young engineer built an affordable electronic braille reader
Thermo Fisher JIC finalist Yash Mehta got inspired to make a better braille device after visiting a school for blind students in Old Delhi, India.
- Science & Society
Our brains might help explain why people disagree on politics
Differing political views may stem from our evolutionary past — and show up in distinct brain activity. Knowing this may help with challenging discussions.
- 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.
- Science & Society
Scientists Say: Dialect
Different dialects of the same language have distinct words, pronunciations and sentence structures.
- Animals
How to make ‘worms’ more nutritious — and easier to swallow
Extracting protein from insect larvae could lead to a healthful food ingredient — and you never have to bite into crunchy legs or squishy bodies.
