The Mueller report reveals that some U.S. citizens helped Russian government agents organize real-life events, aiding Russia's propaganda campaign. Don't be like them.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Analysis and Comment
Sports fans see it all the time: two people arguing about a split-second difference in who did what. New research suggests human beings have a bias to perceive their own actions as happening sooner.
You are probably familiar with graphics depicting the double helix structure of DNA. But have you ever seen a single DNA molecule standing straight?
The far side of the Moon sees its share of sunlight – it's dark only in the sense that it's mysterious because it's never visible from Earth. Here's why.
Billions of people already have 'superhero powers' like the ability to see things far away and summon their friends from far-flung locations. Next up? Enhanced physical abilities.
India's parliamentary elections, now underway, will show how social media is affecting Indian society and government.
If you are intimidated by the periodic table, then this introduction through the first column of elements will give you a feel for how and why the elements are arranged in this order.
Even governments in democracies with strong traditions of rule of law find themselves tempted to abuse these new abilities.
War games let you test your political and military acumen right at your kitchen table – while also helping you appreciate how decision-makers are limited by the choices of others.
AI can help make government more efficient – but at what cost? Citizens' lives could be better or worse, based on how the technology is used.
Vladimir Putin's complaints about Western power over telecommunications echo – if not co-opt – concerns raised by less powerful nations for decades.
Technology experts have long worried about a 'digital divide' between those who could use computers and those who could not. Artificial intelligence algorithms are widening the gulf.
Government regulators and industry experts often overlook the complexities and risks of human-technology interactions and increasingly rely on companies' voluntary oversight and self-assessments.
Connecting with an audience in a productive way can mean first figuring out what they think, feel and believe before you start sharing your message.
As Leonardo da Vinci found centuries ago, scholars of art, design, engineering and science can work together for mutual benefit.
Rather than prioritizing human beings at the pinnacle of the animal kingdom, Leonardo revered all living beings. When he compared people and animals, it's the animals that often came out on top.
Before sending humans to Mars or the moon, scientists need to understand what long-term space living does to the human body. Now results are coming in from the Kelly brothers in the TWINS Study,
Air safety
Pilots get lots of assistance from automation as it is. In the future, they'll get even more.
A pilot and researcher knows that airplanes are full of sensors – and finds a way onboard computers can use the data to detect equipment failure and tell pilots what's a real emergency and what's not.
The inquiries can take months of painstaking work, but often yield important insights that improve flight safety for everyone long into the future.
Facebook at 15
Facebook users no longer see the site as a confidant. They're struggling with how to deal with a messy codependence – and whether to just break up and move on with healthier friends.
Facebook's focus on personalizing ads has created new tools for businesses to interact with customers and to connect coworkers.
Gene-editing people
Scientists worldwide are calling for a moratorium on gene editing in germline cells. But what is a germline cell? How does it differ from other cells in our body? Why does it matter if we edit them?
A Chinese scientist has revealed he edited the DNA of twin girls born through in vitro fertilization. These girls are designed to be resistant to HIV. Is the edit a medical necessity or an enhancement?
Research and Expert Database
A psychologist unexpectedly realized that Obama's memoir 'Becoming' mirrors the life stages she's identified in a group of women she's been tracking since 1970.
The Impossible Burger contains an ingredient made by genetically modified yeast. So is this new veggie burger organic? Vegan? A GM product?
Rising evidence shows that many psychology studies don't stand up to added scrutiny. The problem has many scientists worried – but it could also encourage them to up their game.
Designing for women goes beyond just making gear in a size small. By not tailoring equipment and uniforms for women and other underserved people, we prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Patching concrete sidewalks, roads and bridges after every season of snow and ice is expensive. A team of engineers is now testing a new approach harnessing bacteria to patch the potholes and cracks.
Tiny electronic items can identify pets, clothes and even people. Evangelical Christians aren't the only people worried about what this technology might mean.
It can be hard to understand a non-native speaker of your own language. But conversation is a two-way street and linguists are figuring out how native listeners can improve their half of the interaction.
Social media activity suggests that pro-vaccine evidence may be starting to outweigh anti-vaxxer disinformation.
As antibiotic resistance increases globally, the heat is on to find new alternatives to treat infections. Chemists can get a head start by looking at compounds produced in nature by fishes' microbes.
Two prestigious journals have suggested abandoning the traditional test of the strength of a study's results. But a statistician worries that this would make science worse.
A series of new studies sheds light on the population crash and extinction of the giant birds, lemurs and more that roamed the island until around A.D. 700-1000.
The high stress conditions of an outbreak can spread a dysfunctional culture among those working to fight it. A survey after the 2015 Ebola epidemic quantified the issue – and suggests a better way.
Social media companies struggle to identify and remove hate speech when it's posted. What can computer science reveal about how hate-filled texts and videos spread online?
Objects left on the Moon are not just abandoned rockets and rovers. There is a lot of historic and sentimental memorabilia. Some of it hints at a mission that the first Moonwalkers almost forgot.
Of course people need ethics. But the current troubles in the technology industry are not evidence of an ethics crisis; it is a public-policy crisis.
Most Read past week
- Why aren’t there electric airplanes yet?
- The new digital divide is between people who opt out of algorithms and people who don’t
- What’s on the far side of the Moon?
- How artificial intelligence systems could threaten democracy
- DNA as you’ve never seen it before, thanks to a new nanotechnology imaging method
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