Science & Society

  1. Science & Society

    Contemplating the coming of the drones

    Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, contemplates the pros and cons of small drones flocking to our skies and the science behind them, discussed in this issue's feature on animal flight research.

    By Eva Emerson
  2. Science & Society

    Big data studies come with replication challenges

    As science moves into big data research — analyzing billions of bits of DNA or other data from thousands of research subjects — concern grows that much of what is discovered is fool’s gold.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  3. Science & Society

    Attitude, not aptitude, may contribute to the gender gap

    Does talent or hard work matter most? A new survey suggests an emphasis on genius predicts how many women end up in a field of study.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  4. Science & Society

    Science’s self-criticism makes the enterprise stronger

    Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, considers the the tensions between statistical correctness and headline grabbing research discussed in this issue's part one of a two part feature examining the state of science in the age of publish-or-perish.

    By Eva Emerson
  5. Science & Society

    12 reasons research goes wrong

    Barriers to research replication are based largely in a scientific culture that pits researchers against each other in competition for scarce resources. Here are a few that skew results.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  6. Science & Society

    Is redoing scientific research the best way to find truth?

    Researchers don’t even agree on whether it is necessary to duplicate studies exactly or to validate the underlying principles.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  7. Earth

    Pumping carbon dioxide deep underground may trigger earthquakes

    Injecting carbon dioxide deep underground offers a promising way to curb global warming, but the extra pressure may cause faults to slip or fractures to release the buried gas.

    By Charles Petit
  8. Health & Medicine

    ‘AIDS’ gives inside view of science, politics of epidemic

    In ‘AIDS Between Science and Politics,’ pioneering HIV expert Peter Piot discusses the factors and events that shaped the epidemic.

    By Beth Mole
  9. Psychology

    ‘Survival of the Nicest’ demonstrates altruism all around

    Selfishness is not the rule in human society, new book argues.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Ecosystems

    Lessons for the new year

    SN Editor in Chief, Eva Emerson, reflects on looking to nature for insights on how to constructively look ahead - even if just a year -drawing from a handful of this issues natural science stories for her 2015 resolutions.

    By Eva Emerson
  11. Computing

    ‘The Imitation Game’ entertains at the expense of accuracy

    Inaccuracies weaken “The Imitation Game,” an otherwise enjoyable film about Alan Turing breaking the Enigma code during World War II.

    By Andrew Grant
  12. Life

    Contamination blamed in STAP stem cell debacle

    Stem cells supposedly made in acid baths were really embryonic stem cells, investigation finds.

    By Tina Hesman Saey