Sujata Gupta is the social sciences writer for Science News. She was a 2017-18 Knight Science Journalism fellow at MIT. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Nature, Discover, NPR, Scientific American, and others. Sujata got her start in journalism at a daily newspaper in Central New York, where she covered education and small town politics. She has also worked as a National Park Ranger, completing stints at parks in Hawaii, California and Maine, and taught English in Nagano, Japan.

All Stories by Sujata Gupta

  1. Science & Society

    Social media harms teens’ mental health, mounting evidence shows. What now?

    Recent studies suggest a causal link between teen social media use and reduced well-being. Now, some researchers are looking into possible mechanisms.

  2. Science & Society

    Most people say self-control is the same as willpower. Researchers disagree

    Psychologists say self-control is about planning ahead to avoid relying on willpower in the moment. Laypeople see things differently.

  3. Psychology

    Here’s how to give a good gift, according to science

    Gifting researcher Julian Givi outlines common mistakes gift givers make and how science can help us avoid those costly errors.

  4. Science & Society

    Reindeer herders and scientists collaborate to understand Arctic warming

    Siberian reindeer herders and scientists are working together to figure out how to predict rain-on-snow events that turn tundra into deadly ice.

  5. Science & Society

    Why the Thanksgiving myth persists, according to science

    The science of collective memory — and a desire for clear origin stories — may explain the endurance of the Thanksgiving myth despite a messier reality.

  6. Psychology

    Why scientists are expanding the definition of loneliness

    Feeling detached from animals, places and routines can cause loneliness, researchers are learning, which may expand the list of interventions.

  7. Math

    Non-Western art and design can reveal alternate ways of thinking about math

    Focusing on the relationship between math and culture can boost student learning and expand mathematical knowledge, researchers say.

  8. Science & Society

    Curbing pedestrian stops might not reduce police-civilian encounters

    In Chicago, traffic stops soared as pedestrian stops fell. Single policy changes therefore don’t tell the whole policing story, researchers say.

  9. Psychology

    An apology to Indigenous communities sparks a mental health rethink

    The leading U.S. psychological association pledged to embrace Indigenous approaches to healing, which requires rethinking how to address mental health.

  10. Climate

    Nature’s changing colors makes climate change visible

    The world’s color palette is shifting in response to climate change. Seeing these changes in nature firsthand is a powerful communication tool.

  11. Science & Society

    California’s long-standing affirmative action ban hints at what’s to come

    Alternative race-neutral polices to affirmative action have fallen short in encouraging diversity in California schools, research shows.

  12. Psychology

    Boys experience depression differently than girls. Here’s why that matters

    Boys’ depression often manifests as anger or irritability, but teen mental health surveys tend to ask about hopelessness.