Science & Society

  1. A photo of China's maglev train as it comes into a station with several people standing at balcony of a nearby platform.
    Chemistry

    How rare earth elements’ hidden properties make modern technology possible

    Because of their unique chemistry, the rare earth elements can fine-tune light for many different purposes and generate powerful magnetic fields.

    By Nikk Ogasa
  2. A purple octopus as it sits on the ocean floor.
    Science & Society

    Sea life offers a lens for self-exploration in ‘How Far the Light Reaches’

    In a collection of essays profiling 10 marine animals, author Sabrina Imbler mixes in stories of their own family, self-discovery, sexuality and healing.

    By Aina Abell
  3. A woman with her head down and brown hair covering her face walking on the inside of a large red wheel.
    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.

    By Sujata Gupta
  4. A photo of Joseph L. Graves Jr., the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology.
    Science & Society

    Meet the first Black American to earn an evolutionary biology Ph.D.

    In ‘A Voice in the Wilderness,’ Joseph L. Graves Jr. discusses his scientific journey, how he debates racists, and more.

    By Susan Milius
  5. Five Black men, all wearing hats, stand near an old building
    Health & Medicine

    Medical racism didn’t begin or end with the syphilis study at Tuskegee

    Racism that fueled the syphilis study still permeates the U.S. health care system, causing disparities in access to medical care and health measures.

    By Aimee Cunningham
  6. A Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute staff member sifts through the debris of a classroom destroyed by a Russian missile
    Science & Society

    Here’s how Russia’s war in Ukraine is still reshaping global science

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 disrupted both local and global science.

    By Cassie Martin
  7. illustration showing masks and covid brochures falling into a trash can
    Health & Medicine

    Why pandemic fatigue and COVID-19 burnout took over in 2022

    As public health guidelines loosened this year, people were left to weigh COVID-19 risks on their own. It was confusing, frustrating and exhausting.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. A photo of six old fashioned golden weight in a line from the smallest weight to the left and the biggest weight on the right, all on a black background
    Math

    The metric system is growing. Here’s what you need to know

    Science News spoke with a metrologist about the metric system’s latest update, which will help scientists interpret exceedingly big and small numbers.

    By Deborah Balthazar
  9. Science & Society

    These are our favorite science books of 2022

    Books about dinosaurs, the Milky Way and the coronavirus are among the Science News staff’s picks for must-read books of the year.

    By Science News Staff
  10. An elephant seen behind an electric fence
    Animals

    A new book asks: What makes humans call some animals pests?

    In an interview with Science News, science journalist Bethany Brookshire discusses her new book, Pests, and why humans vilify certain animals.

    By Deborah Balthazar
  11. A photo of Louis Pasteur's head surrounded by illustrations of scientific equipment, leaves, and swirls
    Health & Medicine

    Louis Pasteur’s devotion to truth transformed what we know about health and disease

    Two centuries after his birth, Louis Pasteur's work on pasteurization, germ theory and vaccines is as relevant as ever.

    By Tom Siegfried
  12. A single person stands in front of an entrance to a maze with tall walls
    Science & Society

    Why fuzzy definitions are a problem in the social sciences

    Social sciences research is plagued by murky definitions and measurements. Here’s why that matters.

    By Sujata Gupta