Four quotes from the first Clinton-Trump debate, explained
We asked a group of scholars to listen to Clinton vs. Trump and pick just one quote to react to. Here’s what the experts heard.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Presidential debate
Trump, Clinton and the future of global democracy
Will the next U.S. president continue to champion democracy around the world? Not meeting this challenge could have dangerous consequences, says former U.S. diplomat.
Five key debate moments that altered the course of a presidential race
Policy nuances often fail to stick in the minds of debate viewers. It's all about delivering the most memorable moment.
Analysis and Comment
What drives lone offenders?
Lone offender – sometimes called "lone wolf" – attacks may become a more prevalent threat. What can we understand about them and the people who carry them out?
Group work gets kids more engaged in STEM
A study with pre-school children found that their motivation and interest improved when they believed they were part of a group.
When did Che Guevara become CEO? The roots of the new corporate activism
Companies, which in the past tended to stay neutral on divisive social and political issues, are increasingly taking a stand. What's behind the change?
Addicted to oil: US gasoline consumption is higher than ever
Many people thought U.S. gasoline consumption had already peaked. They were wrong. What happened?
Why a Zika vaccine is a long way off
The long vaccine development process is focused on ensuring production of the safest and most effective vaccine for use.
Current emissions could already warm world to dangerous levels: study
New projections suggest the world could warm 3-7 degrees Celsius over coming centuries.
How the Jim Crow internet is pushing back against Black Lives Matter
A scholar of visual culture sees a transition happening online as the alt-right reinterprets images of police shootings to push back against the gains made by Black Lives Matter.
Will Colombia’s peace deal get the people’s vote?
The peace deal in Colombia is not only a welcome surprise after 50 years of war, it's also groundbreaking. If Colombians vote in favor, it could offer hope for other countries in conflict.
What’s behind America’s insistence on instilling grit in kids?
One of the newest trends in education is teaching students how to develop grit. But what's even meant by 'grit'? And what if grit means something different for everyone?
Removing gender bias from algorithms
Algorithms that learn from large data sets can pick up inherent social biases. That could perpetuate the biases, or even worsen them.
Public universities are under threat – not just by outside reformers
A provocative new documentary, 'Starving the Beast,' blames the condition of higher ed on right-wing policies. A scholar argues that the film ignores a long history that has led to current crisis.
Trump and Clinton debate strategies that can make anyone a better public speaker
Even Trump and Clinton have oratorical anxieties. Here are some research-based strategies presidential candidates and the rest of us can use to overcome them.
Can public transit and ride-share companies get along?
To maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks, we need to know how ride-share companies will affect public transportation.
Superbugs evolve in waste water, and could end up in our food
There's one important piece of the puzzle we're missing when it comes to antimicrobial resistance.
The NFL joins the data revolution in sports
With chips embedded in footballs in Thursday night games, the NFL is moving toward a data-driven future. How will fans, media and teams benefit?
Was the Fed right to delay raising interest rates? Two scholars react
The Fed left interest rates unchanged but said improving economic data means it will likely lift them later this year. We asked two scholars – and ex-Fed officials – if it was the right call.
Feds: We can read all your email, and you’ll never know
We don't expect our own government to hack our email – but it's happening, in secret, and if current court cases go badly, we may never know how often.
New finding offers breakthrough in beating African sleeping sickness
A new finding may shed light on how sleeping sickness has avoided elimination and could help finally beat the deadly disease.
Police shootings and race in America: Five essential reads
Protests erupted against the killing of black men by police in Tulsa and Charlotte. This roundup looks at research on racial violence and explains where there might be potential solutions.
Refugees, migration addressed in first-time UN summit: What was accomplished?
The U.N. and other leaders met to discuss coordinating an international response to unprecedented numbers of refugees and migrants. Two migration experts examine issues the summits left unresolved.
Is Philippine President Duterte a threat to the peace in Southeast Asia?
President Duterte has picked fights with President Obama and with the EU. His behavior is shaking the U.S.-Philippine alliance and stability in Southeast Asia.
How do antibiotic-resistant bacteria get into the environment?
Resistant bacteria enter our aging sewer infrastructure and may eventually end up in the environment through sewage spills.
Scientist at work: Tracking melt water under the Greenland ice sheet
A glaciologist develops a lightweight method for probing the depths of Greenland's ice sheet to answer a crucial question: How fast is it melting?
Here’s how to raise a child to be sympathetic
Children feel sympathy for others from an early age. Two development psychologists explain how children can learn, based on feelings of sympathy, how to act more thoughtfully.
Migrants are sacrificing their working rights because of greedy governments
In an increasingly mobile society and economy, the international governance of migrant labour lags way behind the forces of globalisation.
How the American online sex trade continues to thrive
Two criminologists wanted to learn the tricks of the trade so they went to the source, interviewing over 70 pimps.
How can we get pharma companies to do more for global health? Try ranking them
In the future, consumers in the developed world could choose to purchase products from the companies that do the most to promote global health.
Harvard study: Policy issues nearly absent in presidential campaign coverage
How is the Trump-Clinton contest being covered by the country's major newspapers and broadcasters? We look at the data.
To curb North Korea’s nuclear program, follow the money
After North Korea's fifth nuclear test on September 9, the U.S. is calling for tighter global sanctions. New research shows that this strategy actually helps North Korea.
Why isn’t science better? Look at career incentives
Embracing more rigorous scientific methods would mean getting science right more often than we currently do. But the way we value and reward scientists makes this a challenge.
How corporate America can curb income inequality and make more money too
Rather than pursue self-interested policies that widen the gap between rich and poor, companies can invest in their workers, curb income inequality and make more money all at the same time.
Why Britain should play the long game with its Brexit strategy
With patience and a degree of moral ambivalence, the UK may find an EU that is increasingly open to the idea of free trade without free movement of people.
Explainer: what is CITES and why should we care?
The focus of CITES is not solely on the protection of species. It also promotes controlled trade that is not detrimental to the sustainability of wild species.
Is two hours of screen time really too much for kids?
Children's use of screens for fun and education have changed a lot over the years, so why haven't the rules on acceptable screen time kept up?
What is terrorism, and is it getting worse?
The director of a graduate program in homeland security debunks common misconceptions about the origins of political violence.
Psychology expert: Why extremists use violence in their quest for significance
A year of violence continues with bombs in NYC and a stabbing in Minnesota, leaving many asking, why? A psychologist explains what research has revealed about the minds of violent extremists.
How Congress is failing on Zika
Congress has failed three times to approve spending to stop the spread of Zika. Their long-term response isn't much better.
Suffering from Fed rate hike anxiety? You’re not the only one
Just like apes, humans fear the unknown, and that's why there's so much uncertainty this week as markets brace for an interest-rate decision by the Federal Reserve.
Research and News
Early stage breast cancer: How to know whether to forgo chemo
New tools help doctors and breast cancer patients decide whether chemotherapy is needed. A recent study suggested that many can forgo chemo. But the decision is complicated. Here's why.
How does a computer know where you’re looking?
Augmented reality systems need to display relevant information in a useful location. That's impossible without eye tracking.
Finding better ways to get hydrogen fuel from water
Modifying chemicals' molecular properties can make 'splitting' hydrogen from water more efficient.
9/11 15th Anniversary
Disaster communications: Lessons from 9/11
What we and other responders learned that day would go on to spark major changes in U.S. emergency response efforts.
Command under attack: What we’ve learned since 9/11 about managing crises
The National Incident Management System (NIMS), created after 9/11, has helped government agencies respond to large-scale emergencies, including mass shootings and the Boston Marathon bombing.
Cybersecurity
Election legitimacy at risk, even without a November cyberattack
It's true that sophisticated hackers may be able to tilt the presidential election. But the more likely threat to democracy comes from sore losers who sow doubt about voting integrity.
Russia’s aggressive power is resurgent, online and off
What do we know about Russia's cyber strategy, capabilities, and intentions? This top-notch adversary is more advanced and stealthier than any other.
How vulnerable to hacking is the US election cyber infrastructure?
With the DNC email leak and Trump calling on Russia to hack Clinton's emails, concern about foreign meddling in the 2016 presidential election process is rising. Is e-voting the next cyber battleground?
Zika virus
Zika virus: Only a few small outbreaks likely to occur in the continental US
A computer model suggests that while more cases of Zika can be expected in the continental U.S. outbreaks will probably be small and are not projected to spread.
US response to Zika: Fragmented and uneven
Politics, not epidemiology or medicine, drives government responses to disease. Politicians are the ultimate decision-makers in public health, and they must respond to political forces.
In Zika, echoes of US rubella outbreak of 1964-65
Though separated by time and place, there are surprising similarities in the the social issues raised by the rubella outbreak of 1964-65 and the recent Zika outbreak in South America.
To fight Zika, let’s genetically modify mosquitoes – the old-fashioned way
Look beyond transgenic techniques that add new genes to a species. People have used selective breeding techniques to change plants and animals for millennia – why not try them on mosquitoes?
Global warming to expose more people to Zika-spreading mosquito Aedes aegypti
How satellites can help control the spread of diseases such as Zika
Three ways synthetic biology could annihilate Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases
Zika and abortion: will the virus prompt Latin America to rethink abortion and birth control?
How do we know the Zika virus will cost the world $3.5 billion?
Explainer: where did Zika virus come from and why is it a problem in Brazil?
Presidential race
A short history of presidents lying about their health
Avoiding questions about coughs and chronic conditions has a long political history in America.
Columnists
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“ Autonomous cars provide an experiment in policy-driven public health intervention
Andrew Maynard -
“ The real monster in Frankenstein is not the creature but the creator
Richard Gunderman -
Kevin Knudson — “How quick is an instant? It really depends on your point of view.”
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Jay L. Zagorsky — “With the help of Batgirl and the Equal Pay Act, the gender pay gap continues to close”
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
How the Jim Crow internet is pushing back against Black Lives Matter
A scholar of visual culture sees a transition happening online as the alt-right reinterprets images of police shootings to push back against the gains made by Black Lives Matter.
Stumped about what to make of Obama’s TPP trade deal? You’re not alone
The 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership has its share of boosters and bashers. But for those still uncertain what it's all about and whether it's worth it, here's a primer.
The history behind Philippine President Duterte’s Obama insult
Why would the Philippine president risk alienating an important and generous ally?
Why you shouldn’t want to always be happy
The positive psychology movement led to hundreds of studies dedicated to improving human happiness. So why has nothing changed?
Scientist at work: Revealing the secret lives of urban rats
Rats foul our food, spread disease and damage property, but we know very little about them. A biologist explains how he tracks wild rats in New York City, and what he's learned about them so far.
Bioethicist: The climate crisis calls for fewer children
A philosopher of 'procreation ethics' at the center of a controversy over having kids explains why we can't ignore the population question in an era of climate change.
Who owns your tattoo? Maybe not you
Copyright and trademark law mean that the body art inked into your skin may leave you open to an infringement lawsuit.
A tale of two GDPs: Why Republicans and Democrats live in different economic realities
New research shows that ideological media employ a powerful method to bias partisans' economic beliefs. In turn, partisans perform mental gymnastics worthy of Simone Biles to preserve those biases.
Sexting might actually be a sign of a committed relationship
A human development researcher decided to find out if people who are anxious about dating or about what their partner thinks of them are more likely to sext.
Former chief White House ethics lawyer: Clinton Foundation controversy is just a distraction from bigger issue
The media’s obsession with the indirect ways in which a single charitable foundation advances a single candidate’s career misses the point.
TV news stories about birth control quote politicians and priests more often than medical experts
TV news stories often frame contraception as a political or social issue, rather than a medical issue, depriving the public of vital health information.
Are US antitrust regulators giving Silicon Valley’s ‘free’ apps a free pass?
Unlike their counterparts in Europe, U.S. antitrust regulators and courts have tended to view 'free' products as outside their purview for enforcement.
An epidemic of children dying in hot cars: a tragedy that can be prevented
Three times more children have died from being left in hot cars this year than at this time last year. How can a parent forget a child is in a car? An expert offers some answers.
Most Read past week
- Harvard study: Policy issues nearly absent in presidential campaign coverage
- How the American online sex trade continues to thrive
- Five key debate moments that altered the course of a presidential race
- Feds: We can read all your email, and you’ll never know
- Public universities are under threat – not just by outside reformers
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