Brain-computer interfaces may present threats to cognitive liberty. But with or without them, we often overestimate how independent our own minds are, an ethicist writes.
A dinosaur eggshell cross section, as imaged under fluorescence microscopy.
Evan Saitta
Calcite, the material making up fossilized eggshells, may preserve amino acids better than bone.
This image of a single crystal shows 30 million years of geological history of the Himalayas by tracing its thorium concentration and age.
Matthew J. Kohn
The Palestinian enclave faces an interconnected series of crises that will amplify the human costs of conflict even when the bombing ends.
Wetlands at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland shows signs of ‘pitting,’ where areas of cordgrass have converted to open water.
Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program via Wikimedia
A coastal scientist explains why marshes, mangroves and other wetlands can’t keep up with the effects of climate change, and how human infrastructure is making it harder for them to survive.
Once their research comes out, who will be quoted in the news coverage?
gorodenkoff/iStock via Getty Images Plus
This bias in science journalism seems not to be due only to pragmatic concerns about time zones or the language spoken in the country where the scientist is based.
The Baltimore bridge didn’t stand a chance.
AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson
Adi Foord, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Now out in space for more than two years, the James Webb Space Telescope is a stunningly sophisticated instrument.
People who are pregnant or planning to be should be as clear as possible about their wishes for end-of-life care during pregnancy.
sturti/E+ via Getty Images
Laws such as Alabama’s controversial ruling that gives personhood rights to frozen embryos will have ripple effects on how advance directives are interpreted by doctors and the courts.
Debates over LGBTQ+ issues have divided Methodist congregations for years leading up to the current schism.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File
The United Methodist Church will hold its General Conference, delayed several years by the pandemic, in April 2024. The meeting comes amid a dramatic divide over LGBTQ+ rights.
A front lawn can be a canvas for kitsch, elegance and everything in between.
Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images
A new study shows how front yards can serve as windows into the inner lives of their residents – and their feelings about their home, neighborhood and city.
A map of earthquakes over the past century. The large orange dot was a magnitude 4.8 on April 5, 2024.
USGS
Gary Solar, Buffalo State, The State University of New York
The earthquake, one of New Jersey’s largest on record, could be felt from Maryland to Boston. But don’t read too much into it.
College athletes help generate billions of dollars in revenue through TV deals, but colleges aren’t allowed to compensate them for their fame.
Lance King for Getty Images
Jordan Tama, American University School of International Service
Israel has historically made statements and taken actions to placate US anger without always following through. But will Biden’s threat to put conditions on aid force Israel to behave differently?
Commemorating the victims of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide at a memorial in Kigali.
Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images
Rwanda is touted as one of the leading nations when it comes to strides toward gender equality. But the role of female ‘rescuers’ in the 1994 genocide is being downplayed.
The desire to belong is a fundamental human need.
Oliver Rossi/Stone via Getty Images
The need to connect is fundamental. But diminishing social ties and community support are contributing to the loneliness epidemic.
New College of Florida’s board of trustees, including conservative activist Christopher Rufo, on the screen, lower right, at a Feb. 28, 2023, meeting at which they voted to abolish the office that handles diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
There’s a backlash against programs that aim to reverse the effects of systemic racism in the US. A survey indicates that racism is behind that backlash.
Election workers scrutinize ballots carefully, but courts may decide how closely they look.
Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
What counts as fast for a court is slow for the rest of the world, and judges can give contradictory or vague rulings that delay final decisions into the future.
Had the Jackson County tax extension passed, the Kansas City Royals would have likely moved to a new downtown location.
Kirby Lee/Getty Images
It turns out that handing over taxpayer dollars to billionaire owners tends to be far less popular among regular citizens than among well-connected government officials.
Programs that brought internet access to rural students are set to expire.
FatCamera via Getty Images
While the COVID-19 pandemic spurred significant progress in expanding rural home internet access, these gains are proving temporary as resources dwindle.
They act kind of like drugs, but they aren’t regulated like them.
Valentyna Yeltsova/Getty Images
Neuroscientists analyzed the brain waves of 32 jazz guitarists as they improvised to chords and rhythms. Their findings suggest 2 key principles support innovative thinking.