Science & Society

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- Science & Society
Adults can sabotage a student’s path in science or math
Parents and teachers can unwittingly pass on messages about science and math to kids, who then think that STEM is not for them.
- Science & Society
A woman’s place is in science
Boys and girls both study science in high school, but men still outnumber women in research jobs.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. to outlaw antibacterial soaps
Soaps with germ-killing compounds promise cleaner hands. But manufacturers couldn’t show they offer any safety advantage. Now the U.S. government is banning them.
By Helen Thompson and Janet Raloff - Science & Society
Cool Jobs: Keeping TV science honest
The science you see on TV dramas can look very real. Here are some of the people working hard to make actors seem like STEM professionals.
By Gerri Miller - Science & Society
What does a scientist look like? You!
We’re writing a feature on women in science, technology, engineering and math. Are you one? Share your story with us!
- Health & Medicine
Blame your ‘environment’ for your taste in music
Some scientists had thought we are born with our musical tastes. But a new study finds that what the ear prefers depends on what we listened to as we were growing up.
- Health & Medicine
Even some Olympic athletes cheat with drugs
Some athletes have been using banned drugs or other methods to boost their performance. But scientists are working on new ways to catch them.
- Health & Medicine
End of Latin America’s Zika epidemic is in sight
A computer simulation suggests the Zika epidemic in Latin America is peaking and may not strike hard again for up to three decades.
By Meghan Rosen - Genetics
GM mosquitoes cut rate of viral disease in Brazil
Adults males carrying the altered gene cannot father young that survive to adulthood. That’s when they suck blood — and can transmit disease.
By Susan Milius - Health & Medicine
Don’t use dinner-table spoons for liquid medicines!
Kids are safer when parents use precise tools to measure liquid medicines. Switching from teaspoons to metric tools could help, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
U.S. mosquitoes now spreading Zika virus
Scientists had worried that if people sick with Zika came to America, local mosquitoes might bite them and spread the disease. That’s now happened.
By Meghan Rosen - Tech
Moral dilemma could limit appeal of driverless cars
Driverless cars will have to be programmed to decide who to save in emergencies — passengers or pedestrians. Many people aren’t yet sure they are ready to choose cars that make the most moral decision.
By Bruce Bower