Science & Society
- Fossils
Fossils offer new candidate for earliest life
Rock unearthed in Canada appears to hold fossils from seafloor microbes that would have lived around 4 billion years ago, when Earth was very young.
- Science & Society
Will we know alien life when we see it?
The hunt is on for extraterrestrials. But recognizing them may require some wiggle room in what we define as being alive.
- Science & Society
Fossils point to Neandertal diets — and medicine use
Whether Neandertals were largely meat-eaters or vegans depended on their environment, fossils now suggest. Their teeth also indicate they used natural medicines.
- Science & Society
Cool Jobs: Reaching out to E.T. is a numbers game
From figuring out if we’re alone in the universe, to writing messages to aliens, scientists use math in many ways in their search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
- Science & Society
Should we call out to space aliens?
Scientists have been listening to space for decades, hoping to pick up alien signals. Now some have proposed we try broadcasting a welcome call.
- Science & Society
For minority students to succeed, teachers need to earn trust
Minority middle-school students begin to lose trust in their teachers when they see peers treated unfairly.
- Animals
Explainer: How brief can hibernation be?
Many animals frequently slow body functions and drop their temperatures — sometimes for just a day. Is that hibernation, or just torpor? Are the two even related? Scientists disagree.
- Archaeology
Space archaeologists need your help to protect ancient treasures
Explorers who search for ancient ruins in satellite images are asking for help from the public. Volunteers can visit a new website to sign up.
- Science & Society
What happens when you look at crime by the numbers
Statistics can find crime hot spots or flag which police officers are more likely to shoot at crime scenes. Unfortunately, some data risk misleading the police.
- Science & Society
Shrimp on treadmills? Some science only sounds silly
Research that may seem silly, at first glance, often has a rewarding aim. Here are some examples.
- Health & Medicine
Sexist attitudes about smarts may emerge by first grade
People often think women can be smart, but that men are more likely to be brilliant. This stereotype may form as young as age six, new data show.
- Science & Society
Heartbeat can affect racial perception of threat
Links between nerves in the heart and the brain shed light on why some police may be more likely to shoot an unarmed person who’s black than one who is white.
