Seeking truth among ‘alternative facts’
How do we determine what is fact? An archaeologist explains how the answer has changed over time and why it matters so much now.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Post-truth politics
Analysis and Comment
The destructive life of a Mardi Gras bead
Each Mardi Gras, 25 million pounds of beads hit the streets of New Orleans. One researcher went to the Chinese factories that make them – and spoke to the workers who believe the beads will be given to royalty.
Cybersecurity of the power grid: A growing challenge
The power grid is increasingly computerized. That opens it to attacks and requires new defenses.
California’s rain may shed light on new questions about what causes earthquakes
Can California's wet weather make earthquakes more likely? Scientists are still learning about what triggers these events. Even human activity can be a culprit.
The transgender bathroom controversy: Four essential reads
Trump has reversed Obama's landmark guidance allowing transgender students the bathroom of their choice. Here's what you need to know about the controversy.
Why Trump’s EPA is far more vulnerable to attack than Reagan’s or Bush’s
Today's political climate gives new EPA head Scott Pruitt a clear path to seriously cut back EPA enforcement – more than previous administrations.
How Iranian filmmakers like Asghar Farhadi defy the censors
Their critiques may be more gentle, their attacks more circumspect – but they are resonant nonetheless. And when filmmakers like Farhadi confront Trump, they're on familiar turf: They've seen his type back home.
Hidden figures: How black women preachers spoke truth to power
Since the 19th century, a long line of black women preachers set in motion a tradition that spoke against injustices and questioned patriarchal attitudes. Here's their story.
Uber’s dismissive treatment of employee’s sexism claims is all too typical
The escalating indifference with which Uber allegedly reacted to a software engineer's harassment claims is the norm in the corporate world, where enforcing civil rights laws is seen as a tax on profits.
How undocumented immigrants negotiate a place for themselves in America
What happens when an undocumented immigrant meets a law enforcement officer? Communication plays a major role in these high-stakes interactions.
Who exactly are ‘radical’ Muslims?
Muslims from the Salafist tradition can often be seen as 'radical.' There is not much understanding of Salafism, its history and its diversity. Here's what it means to be a Salafist.
Seven Earth-sized planets discovered orbiting a nearby star
Several of the newly-discovered exoplanets orbiting a small star appear to be locked in an intricate dance that hints at how such planetary systems can form.
Decades into diabetes, insulin therapy still hard to manage
Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in the US, and at some point, half of the 30 million people with diabetes will need insulin. That would be one thing if insulin were easy to dose, but it's not.
20 years after Dolly: Everything you always wanted to know about the cloned sheep and what came next
In 1997, scientists announced they'd created a healthy sheep cloned from another ewe's mammary gland cell. Two decades on, the technique is being refined and applied to new challenges.
More lessons from Dolly the sheep: Is a clone really born at age zero?
It took years of attempts before scientists were able to clone a mammal from an adult cell. And with that success came plenty more questions.
Puzder’s failed nomination reminds us why the secretary of labor matters
The purpose of the Labor Department is to advocate on behalf of workers. As such, it deserves a qualified leader of competence and commitment.
In latest skirmish of western land wars, Congress supports mining and ranching
Is your smartphone making you shy?
How governments and companies can prevent the next insider attack
How social media stars are fighting for the Left
Building privacy right into software code
Inmates are excluded from Medicaid – here’s why it makes sense to change that
Could your Fitbit data be used to deny you health insurance?
How much does the Johnson Amendment curtail church freedom?
Travel ban
Threats of violent Islamist and far-right extremism: What does the research say?
Data on violent incidents in the US reveal that our focus on Islamist extremism since 9/11 may be misguided.
Refugees: Is there room for a middle ground?
Immigration and crime: What does the research say?
Trump loses appeal, but travel ban fight isn’t over yet
Syrian refugees ‘detrimental’ to Americans? The numbers tell a different story
How a travel ban could worsen doctor shortages in US hospitals and threaten primary care
History shows Trump will face legal challenges to detaining immigrants
Trump’s immigration order is bad foreign policy
Trump’s immigration ban: Will it undercut American soft power?
What’s gone wrong in the seven countries Trump included in his ban? Essential reads
Inside Rural America
Where is ‘rural America,’ and what does it look like?
'Rural America' is a deceptively simple term for a remarkably diverse collection of places. Understanding – and improving – these parts of the country is critical for all Americans.
Misinformation
You are the new gatekeeper of the news
Before you share another article on Facebook, consider your responsibility to make sure what you post is true.
2017 isn’t ‘1984’ – it’s stranger than Orwell imagined
Trump isn’t lying, he’s bullshitting – and it’s far more dangerous
The challenge facing libraries in an era of fake news
Experts’ roundtable: The future of journalism in Trump’s America
Why do we fall for fake news?
Unbelievable news? Read it again and you might think it’s true
Black History Month
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Want a stronger economy? Give immigrants a warm welcome
Trump's plans to build a wall with Mexico and deport millions of people in the US illegally cast immigrants as an economic threat to Americans. The evidence suggests otherwise.
How the ‘guerrilla archivists’ saved history – and are doing it again under Trump
Activists today are racing to save climate records from the Trump administration. Secret archives were a powerful way to fight hostile political climates throughout history – from the Nazis to the Islamic State.
Five lessons Trump could learn from Lincoln
The most hated president in US history could teach our new leader a few things.
Can Trump resist the power of behavioral science’s dark side?
Dozens of governments have been using the insights from the burgeoning field to 'nudge' citizens in ways that improve their well-being. But some worry Trump might use it for less altruistic ends.
Songs of worship: Why we sing to the Lord
Sacred music joins people in a collective expression - whether of joy, sorrow or protest.
Does an anomaly in the Earth’s magnetic field portend a coming pole reversal?
Are we headed to a magnetic reversal and all the global disruption that would bring? Enter archaeomagnetism. A look at the archaeological record in southern Africa provides some clues.
Who counts as black?
With the number of multiracial Americans growing, there's a fierce debate in the black community over who's black – and who isn't.
Why politicians think they know better than scientists – and why that’s so dangerous
Scientists are concerned that politics will trump evidence in the new administration. A researcher of political psychology explains why these worries matter far beyond questions of science.
Trump’s vow to ‘destroy’ Johnson Amendment could wreak havoc on charitable world
President Trump recently repeated his pledge to eliminate the 63-year-old law, which bans charities from engaging in political activities, at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Should scientists engage in activism?
In the wake of the Flint water crisis and with a new notably anti-science president, U.S. scientists are reevaluating how to navigate the tension between speaking out and a fear of losing research funding.
Are you really anonymous online? Your friends on Twitter may give you away
You might think you're anonymous when you're browsing the web. But a new study shows that browsing history can often be tied to your real-world identity.
Music training speeds up brain development in children
Several brain regions engage in an amazing symphony to produce music. What then are the benefits of music training on a child?
Why time seems to fly – or trickle – by
Time is fixed, but people experience hours, months and days in very different ways. One researcher has spent decades exploring this universal phenomenon.
Far beyond crime-ridden depravity, darknets are key strongholds of freedom of expression online
The darknet, like the open internet, is not immune from illegal activity. But many darknet users are there in search of 'hacker ethics' values such as privacy and free speech.
Circadian rhythms and the microbiome: Disrupting daily routine of gut microbes can be bad news for whole body
New research suggests our gut microbes have their own circadian rhythms that in turn influence our organ functions. Is this an explanation for how disrupting our daily patterns can cause health problems?
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