Column
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Did artificial intelligence write this editor’s note?
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the implications of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT for education, journalism and more.
- Health & Medicine
How raccoon dog DNA fits into the COVID-19 origins debate
Did the virus that causes COVID-19 come from animals or a lab? Evidence hints at animals. Either way, we should be prepping for the next pandemic.
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Where does plastic go when we’re done with it?
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the ubiquity of microplastics in food, water, air and the body.
- Health & Medicine
My mammogram revealed I have dense breasts. What does that mean?
Nearly half of U.S. women have dense breasts. A new FDA rule makes notification of breast density national. Here’s the scoop on why.
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Good with tools? You may be a cockatoo
Editor in chief Nancy Shute talks about smart animals, from tool-using cockatoos to "self-aware" fish.
- Life
Fungi don’t turn humans into zombies. But The Last of Us gets some science right
Fungi like those in the post-apocalyptic TV show are real. But humans’ body temperature and brain chemistry may protect us from zombifying fungi.
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How the science of rocks is like the science of humans
Editor in chief Nancy Shute examines how a simple question can lead to a complex search for answers in both geology and human psychology.
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So much is lost when fossil treasures go private
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses how science and the public lose when fossils are privately sold.
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Yes, we can meet the climate change challenge
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the first installment of our new climate change solutions series.
- Health & Medicine
Why it’s easier to catch a cold, the flu or COVID in the winter
Low humidity protects viruses and cold temperatures may blunt some immune responses, making viral infections like colds, flu and COVID-19 more likely.
- Science & Society
Pandemic languishing is a thing. But is it a privilege?
Positive psychologists contend that people can flourish if they try hard enough. But this pinnacle of well-being might not be so fully in our control.
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Seeking the elements that make modern life possible
Editor in chief Nancy Shute discusses the importance of rare earth elements to society.
