Healthy soil is the real key to feeding the world
Conventional wisdom says we need industrial agriculture to feed the world. Not so, says geologist David Montgomery: Practices that focus on creating healthy soil can transform agriculture.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Agriculture
Analysis and Comment
Should Americans fear the ‘nuclear option’ in Congress?
GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have pushed Gorsuch's nomination onto the full Senate. Both the Republicans and Democrats are promising to pull out the big guns.
1917: Woodrow Wilson’s call to war pulled America onto a global stage
Wilson coined the phrase 'America First' and appealed for 'peace without victory.' But on April 2, 1917 he asked Congress for a declaration of war. The impact on American foreign policy was profound.
How Ayn Rand’s ‘elitism’ lives on in the Trump administration
Despite promises to rural working class, a philosopher argues, the Republican Party is still under the influence of the elitism of novelist Ayn Rand.
How World War I ushered in the century of oil
Before World War I, petroleum had few practical uses, but it emerged from the war as a strategic global asset necessary for national stability and security.
From shell-shock to PTSD, a century of invisible war trauma
Mental health trauma has always been a part of war. Treatments have come a long way over the last century, but we still don't understand why the responses change for different people and times.
Can better advice keep you safer online?
It's not about income or education or even using a smartphone: People who get better advice from more reliable sources are safer online.
The federal government will stop collecting data on LGBT seniors. That’s bad news for their health
LGBT people face discrimination in health care, as well as significant health disparities. Recent moves by the Trump administration will make these topics more difficult to untangle.
Can the study of epigenomics lead to personalized cancer treatment?
A field called epigenomics looks at chemical modifications that do not change our DNA sequence but can affect gene activity. What are the limitations, and can biomedicine use this to our advantage?
‘Default’ choices have big impact, but how to make sure they’re used ethically?
Defaults are powerful tools that policymakers and marketers can use to nudge us to make certain choices, whether in our interest or in theirs. How do we ensure they're used responsibly?
Baseball season begins: Five essential reads
The national pastime is more than just a sport. In this roundup, we feature stories about baseball's relationship to race, politics, the media and health.
As the US entered World War I, American soldiers depended on foreign weapons technology
America's longstanding tradition of isolationism meant that in 1917 U.S. forces needed a lot of support from overseas allies to fight effectively.
How World War I sparked the artistic movement that transformed black America
Many associate post-World War I culture with Hemingway and Fitzgerald's Lost Generation. But for black artists, writers and thinkers, the war changed the way they saw their past and their future.
Why men and women lie about sex, and how this complicates STD control
Double standards about sexual activity not only make life difficult, but they also complicate STD research. As we observe STD Awareness Month, it's good to think about how to get to the truth.
Where’s your county seat? A modern mathematical method for calculating centers of geography
Quirky tourists, heads up! The old way to calculate geographical centers of U.S. states is out of date. To set course for a state's true center, read up on the azimuthal equidistant projection.
Why women’s peace activism in World War I matters now
A century ago, American women organized to protest World War I. The fact that their efforts failed isn't the most important point.
What history reveals about surges in anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant sentiments
The U.S. saw an increase in anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant sentiments in the period between World War I and World War II. Here's why it matters to know that history today.
How should World War I be taught in American schools?
High school students in America learn two very different perspectives on World War I in their U.S. and world history classes. But which of these competing viewpoints should take center stage?
Fractal patterns in nature and art are aesthetically pleasing and stress-reducing
Fractals are patterns that repeat at increasingly fine magnifications. They turn up in the natural world and in artists' work. Research suggests they contribute to making something aesthetically appealing.
Climate executive order
Why states are pushing ahead with clean energy despite Trump’s embrace of coal
Former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, now leading a clean energy research center at Colorado State University, explains why clean energy will keep growing despite President Trump's focus on fossil fuel.
Trump slams brakes on Obama’s climate plan, but there’s still a long road ahead
Climate politics: Environmentalists need to think globally, but act locally
Trump’s energy and climate change order: Seven essential reads
Curbing climate change has a dollar value — here’s how and why we measure it
Now under attack, EPA’s work on climate change has been going on for decades
Misinformation
2017 isn’t ‘1984’ – it’s stranger than Orwell imagined
The best selling book on Amazon yesterday was ‘1984’ – which was originally published in 1949. A historian from Case Western Reserve University considers how the novel resonates with today’s reality.
You are the new gatekeeper of the news
Why politicians think they know better than scientists – and why that’s so dangerous
Seeking truth among ‘alternative facts’
‘Alternative facts’: A psychiatrist’s guide to twisted relationships to truth
Communicating climate change: Focus on the framing, not just the facts
Trump isn’t lying, he’s bullshitting – and it’s far more dangerous
Experts’ roundtable: The future of journalism in Trump’s America
Centenary of US entering World War I
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Momentum isn’t magic – vindicating the hot hand with the mathematics of streaks
For 30 years, sports fans have been told to forget about streaks because the 'hot hand' is a fallacy. But a reanalysis says not so fast: Statistics show players really are in the zone sometimes.
Is Brexit the beginning of the end for international cooperation?
Trump’s agenda to pull America from key global alliances is more evidence that suggests it is. A law professor probes the unknown of what a world without such cooperation might look like.
Are Puerto Ricans really American citizens?
Over the years, Puerto Ricans have in fact been granted three different types of U.S. citizenship, but questions about their rights and equal treatment as citizens still remain.
‘Alternative facts’: A psychiatrist’s guide to twisted relationships to truth
Alternate realities don't just exist in politics – and not all falsehoods are lies. Distortions of the truth can range from a normal part of human nature to pathological.
How a Christian movement is growing rapidly in the midst of religious decline
A Christian movement led by popular independent religious entrepreneurs, often referred to as 'apostles,' is changing the religious landscape of America.
Stop obsessing over talent—everyone can sing
Children with difficulty singing can be labelled as 'nonmusical' by parents, teachers and pop culture. This toxic idea of 'talent' can deprive people of music's benefits for the rest of their lives.
Why losing a dog can be harder than losing a relative or friend
Many are embarrassed to publicly show too much grief over the death of a dog. But research has shown just how devastating the loss can be.
The Democratic Party is facing a demographic crisis
As America becomes more diverse, many think it will also become more progressive. But one analysis of demographic trends points to gains for Republicans.
America has not always been as welcoming to refugees as we think
Trump's travel ban is an echo of policies passed in the United States during World War II.
We don’t need to double world food production by 2050 – here’s why
According to widely-cited estimates, world food production must double by 2050 to keep up with population growth. New research challenges this target and calls for balancing growth with conservation.
Largest deportation campaign in US history is no match for Trump’s plan
In 1954, US Border Patrol's Operation Wetback promised to deport millions of undocumented Mexicans. It fell far short of its target, but made a mark in the minds of immigrants who lived in fear.
Six charts that illustrate the divide between rural and urban America
More and more people are talking about the 'rural-urban divide,' but what does that phrase actually mean? We asked experts from around the country to illustrate the gap in graphs and maps.
Why you should date your best friend
Looking for a lifelong Valentine? Psychologists suggest taking a closer look at your best friend. The things we want in a good friend are many of the same things we expect from a romantic partner.
Most Read past week
- Why Russia gave up Alaska, America’s gateway to the Arctic
- To really help US workers, we should invest in robots
- What’s behind phantom cellphone buzzes?
- Pay people to stop smoking? It works, especially in vulnerable groups
- Gut check: Researchers develop measures to capture moral judgments and empathy
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