Random clown sightings don’t make everyone laugh. A psychologist who has studied creepiness explains why clowns are especially adept at making us squirm.
Humility might have gone out of politics. But why does it matter?
Charles Mostoller/Reuters
Does it matter whether you feed a virus or starve bacteria? A recent study suggested that it might. Our bodies react differently to the collateral damage of an anti-immune response and anti-viral one.
The front columns at the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., Oct. 5, 2015.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
The young adult novel “Eleanor & Park” is a frequent target for book challengers. But swears and sex aside, there’s something deeply subversive – and important – about this controversial book.
Steven Morgan deploys ABLE robots in a swimming pool to test how well their programs simulate larval behavior.
University of California, Davis
Most ocean species start out as larvae drifting with currents. Using underwater robots, scientists have found that larvae use swimming motions to affect their course and reach suitable places to grow.
His example appears to be living on in corporate America these days.
Che Guevera via www.shutterstock.com
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?
What can be done to get more kids interested in STEM?
Child image via www.shutterstock.com
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?
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?
The U.N. General Assembly Hall.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Brian Grodsky, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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.
A vial of the Zika Virus Investigational DNA Vaccine from the NIH.
NIH Image Gallery/Flickr
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.
A still image captured from a video from the Tulsa Police Department shows Terence Crutcher with his hands in the air.
Tulsa Police Department Handout via REUTERS
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.
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama trade barbs during the 2012 presidential race.
Mike Segar/Reuters
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.
What are threats facing America’s public universities?
Matthew Ephraim
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.
Who’s in the driver’s seat?
Matthew Jude Brown, Alexander Torrenegra
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.
The crew of scientists prepare to put the drill stem into the Greenland ice sheet to probe water flows about a half of a mile below.
Joel Harper
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.