Ross Pomeroy
Editor, RealClearScience
Steven Ross Pomeroy is the editor of RealClearScience. As a writer, Ross believes that his greatest assets are his insatiable curiosity and his ceaseless love for learning. Follow him on Twitter @SteRoPo.
Did extraterrestrials visit ancient Sumer?
Venerated astrophysicist Carl Sagan entertained the possibility.
Svante Pääbo wins Nobel Prize for discovering an extinct human species via DNA
There were many other species of human on the planet. Svante Pääbo discovered one of them.
Acne is a “disease of Western civilization.” Is overwashing to blame?
People living in non-industrialized societies don't get pimples.
Stanford engineers warn that electric car charging could crash a grid powered by renewable energy
Most electric car charging is done at night. A grid powered mostly by renewable energy might not be able to meet demand, but there is a solution.
The brain undergoes a great “rewiring” after age 40
The aging brain is networked differently.
You are not what you eat. It’s time to dispel this diet cliché
"We are what our bodies do with what we eat."
What’s causing the alarming rise in cancer for adults under 50?
Certain cancers are striking earlier than they used to.
Defying science, American parents are turning away from male circumcision
"Our risk-benefit analysis showed that benefits exceeded procedural risks... by up to 200 to 1."
Religious people report greater sexual satisfaction. What can we learn from them?
Only have sex with a person you love — a novel concept!
A surprisingly strong link between altitude and suicide in the U.S.
Living at a higher elevation is a double-edged sword.
Creatine, a popular exercise supplement, might help treat depression
Athletes often use creatine to boost performance and aid muscle recovery. Accumulating evidence suggests it could also help with depression.
U.S. Navy’s trained dolphins put underwater drones to shame
Imagine Flipper trained in the art of espionage.
Did your computer crash? It might have been a cosmic ray
If your computer crashes, it might be due to a star that exploded somewhere in the Universe millions of years ago.
Random acts of kindness are rare. There is a simple — and surprising — reason
We're overthinking being nice.
Even cats probably find “cat people” disturbing
People who rate themselves as highly knowledgeable about cats are more likely to interact with cats in ways they don't like.
How powerful of a nuclear bomb could we make?
The biggest nuclear blast in history came courtesy of Tsar Bomba. We could make something at least 100 times more powerful.
When taking a pill, your body posture matters
If you want a medication to kick in faster, lean right.
Nanoparticles from shrimp shells make cement stronger
Scientists turn to nature to improve a ubiquitous building material.
How has a nuclear weapon never accidentally detonated?
We've been somewhat lucky in the past...
Being awake after midnight might be bad for your brain
The "Mind After Midnight" hypothesis aims to explain why night owls tend to suffer more negative health outcomes.
Ancient humans lived in caves. Modern humans will too — on the Moon
Not too hot, not too cold...
The largest accidental explosion of all-time
More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
A coming tidal wave: The opioid epidemic is about to get a whole lot worse
"This fourth wave will be worse than it’s ever been before."
Your brain “wakes up” more than 100 times each night. That’s normal — and maybe good
It might be good for your memory.
Controversy: Is there really a giant ozone hole over the tropics?
Some ozone experts seriously doubt the findings.
Americans born rich are more sympathetic toward the poor than those who became rich
One might think that people who started poor and became rich might be more sensitive to the plights of the poor. Not so, suggests a new study.
Why do so many American men die by suicide?
Most American men who die by suicide do not have any known history of mental health problems. So, what is to blame?
The Metamorphosis in real life: Mites that live on our faces might be merging with us
More than 90% of human faces are home to mites that live in our skin pores. These friendly guests might be merging with us.
10-second balance test is a powerful predictor of death for older adults
A study finds that older adults who cannot balance on one foot for ten seconds have an 84% higher risk of death than those who can.
Why the U.S. leads other wealthy nations in deaths of despair
Deaths of despair are skyrocketing in the U.S., while at the same time, they are falling in other wealthy countries. What are we doing wrong?