Science & Society

  1. Electron micrograph of a macrophage
    Health & Medicine

    Need a fall read? ‘The Song of the Cell’ offers tales from biology and history

    Siddhartha Mukherjee’s new book, The Song of the Cell, explores the world of cell biology through the lens of scientists, doctors and patients.

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  2. Microscope image of a cell infected with SARS-CoV-2
    Health & Medicine

    ‘Breathless’ explores COVID-19’s origins and other pandemic science

    In his new book, David Quammen examines what we’ve learned about SARS-CoV-2 and puts the pandemic in the context of previous coronavirus scares.

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  3. Huijia Lin portrait
    Computing

    Huijia Lin proved that a master tool of cryptography is possible

    Cryptographer Huijia Lin showed that the long-sought “indistinguishability obfuscation” is secure from data attacks.

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  4. Emily Jacobs and Caitlin Taylor look at images of the brain on a computer.
    Neuroscience

    Emily Jacobs wants to know how sex hormones sculpt the brain

    Emily Jacobs studies how the brain changes throughout women’s reproductive years, plus what it all means for health.

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  5. a composite of headshots of the 2022 SN10 scientists
    Science & Society

    Big questions inspire the scientists on this year’s SN 10 list

    These scientists to watch study climate change, alien worlds, human evolution, the coronavirus and more.

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  6. image of someone watching a woman graduate on a video call
    Psychology

    The pandemic may be stunting young adults’ personality development

    People typically become less neurotic and more agreeable with age. The COVID-19 pandemic may have reversed those trends in adults younger than 30.

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  7. Photo of a swamp
    Ecosystems

    ‘Fen, Bog & Swamp’ reminds readers why peatlands matter

    In her latest book, author Annie Proulx chronicles people’s long history with peatlands and examines the ecological value of these overlooked places.

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  8. A phone on a desk showing the LinkedIn login screen, alongside a purse, notebook and other accessories
    Science & Society

    Looking for a job? Lean more on weak ties than strong relationships

    A 50-year-old social science theory gets put to the test in a new study using data on 20 million LinkedIn users.

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  9. landscape photo of the Alhambra palace
    Chemistry

    Why once-gold ceilings in Spain’s Alhambra palace have purple stains

    Moisture infiltrated flawed gilding at the iconic palace, leading to corrosion that deposited gold nanoparticles of the right size to appear purple.

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  10. Photo of blue cheese
    Microbes

    Meet the fungal friends and foes that surround us

    Keith Seifert’s book The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi explores how microfungi shape our world.

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  11. A painting of a Muscogee (Creek) village in the 1790s shows a circular council house next to four clan structures positioned around a square. The village is on the banks of a pond and surrounded by trees.
    Archaeology

    Indigenous Americans ruled democratically long before the U.S. did

    Oklahoma’s Muscogee people, among others, promoted rule by the people long before the U.S. Constitution was written.

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  12. mealworms on a table, in a wooden spoon, and in a wooden bowl, surrounded by green leaves
    Science & Society

    A new seasoning smells like meat thanks to sugar — and mealworms

    A spoonful of sugars could help cooked mealworms go down more easily, a potential boon for the planet.

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