Soapbox

Neuroscience

‘Mommy brain’ doesn’t capture how the brain transforms during pregnancy

During the transition to motherhood, there's more going on than “momnesia,” neuroscientists argue. The brain changes to prep for the job of caregiving

Science & Society

Many plans for green infrastructure risk leaving vulnerable people out

Green infrastructure is one way to help combat climate hazards like flooding. But without equitable planning, only some communities will benefit.

Life

A new metric of extinction risk considers how cultures care for species

Conservation efforts should consider relationships between cultural groups and the species important to them, researchers argue.

Psychology

Latin America defies cultural theories based on East-West comparisons

Theories for how people think in individualist versus collectivist nations stem from East-West comparisons. Latin America challenges those theories.

Math

How the way we’re taught to round numbers in school falls short

A rounding technique taught in school doesn’t work well for machine learning or quantum computing, but an alternative approach does, researchers say.

Science & Society

Nudge theory’s popularity may block insights into improving society

Small interventions that influence people’s behavior can be tested. But the real world requires big, hard-to-measure changes too, scientists say.

Climate

Climate change communication should focus less on specific numbers

Even if nations don’t meet goals to curb global climate change, any progress is better than none.

Climate

Climate change could make Virginia’s Tangier Island uninhabitable by 2051

Tangier Island could be lost to rising seas sooner than previously realized. Whether to save the island or move its residents remains undecided.

Science & Society

How science overlooks Asian Americans

Existing scientific datasets fail to capture details on Asian Americans, making it hard to assess the group’s overall well-being.

Health & Medicine

Redefining ‘flesh-colored’ bandages makes medicine more inclusive

Peach-colored bandages label dark-skinned patients as outside the norm, says med student Linda Oyesiku. Brown bandages expand who gets to be normal.

Animals

Why bat scientists are socially distancing from their subjects

Scientists are calling for a “hands-off” approach to research to decrease the chances of spreading the coronavirus to bats in North America.

Climate

Hurricanes have names. Some climate experts say heat waves should, too

A newly formed international alliance aims to raise awareness about extreme temperatures and protect vulnerable populations.