Science & Society
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Artificial Intelligence
Machines are getting schooled on fairness
Machine-learning programs are introducing biases that may harm job seekers, loan applicants and more.
- Psychology
Teaching methods go from lab to classroom
Cognitive researchers are finding ways to help young students to hold on to all the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school.
- Earth
North America’s largest recorded earthquake helped confirm plate tectonics
Henry Fountain’s 'The Great Quake' mixes drama and science to tell the story of the 1964 Alaska earthquake.
- Astronomy
Star that exploded in 1437 tracked to its current position
Astronomers have hunted down a star seen exploding in the year 1437 and traced it since, offering clues to the stages of a white dwarf.
- Science & Society
How science has fed stereotypes about women
A new book, Inferior, shows how biased research branded women as inferior and aims to set the record straight.
- Life
Wild yeasts are brewing up batches of trendy beers
Wild beer studies are teaching scientists and brewers about the tropical fruit smell and sour taste of success.
- Astronomy
Here’s what the Science News family did for the eclipse
On August 21, 2017, the path of a total solar eclipse went coast to coast across the United States. Here are our dispatches.
- Science & Society
On social media, privacy is no longer a personal choice
Data from the now-defunct social platform Friendster show that even people not on social media have predictable qualities.
- Life
‘Darwin’s Backyard’ chronicles naturalist’s homespun experiments
In the new book Darwin’s Backyard, a biologist explores Charles Darwin’s family life, as well as four decades’ worth of his at-home experiments.
- Science & Society
Patience is one virtue scientists must embrace
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses how being patient isn't always easy in scientific work.
- Science & Society
Today is the day! A last-minute guide for watching the Great American Eclipse
You’ve probably heard this already, but there’s a total solar eclipse traversing the United States today, August 21. Here’s what you need to know.
- Astronomy
Eclipse watchers will go after the biggest solar mystery: Why is the corona so hot?
Usually when you move away from a heat source, it gets cooler. Not so in the sun’s atmosphere.
