Current Events
Study: You would spend 90 extra days in jail in a private prison
A new study suggests that private prisons hold prisoners for a longer period of time, wasting the cost savings that private prisons are supposed to provide over public ones.
America’s prison catastrophe: Can we undo it?
The US prison system continues to fail, so why does it still exist?
▸
18 min
—
with
Fighting online misinformation: We’re doing it wrong
Counterintuitively, directly combating misinformation online can spread it further. A different approach is needed.
For some, the pandemic eased mental health distress
Children with pre-existing mental health issues thrived during the early phase of the pandemic.
Go ahead and consult ‘Dr. Google’ about your medical symptoms
The conventional wisdom may be wrong. Consulting Google for information about medical symptoms might not be as counterproductive as commonly thought, new research suggests.
Long-retracted papers are still cited in major journals
The retraction crisis has morphed into a citation crisis.
Nearly 3,000 shipping containers have fallen into the ocean since November
What's to blame for the recent uptick in containership accidents?
Politics desperately needs hope, so why does it no longer inspire it?
For some philosophers, hope is a second-rate way of relating to reality.
Vaccines and the power of positive reinforcement
People may be more willing to get vaccinated when told how popular it is.
MIT study shows ultrasound vibrations may kill coronavirus
Ultrasound might be able to damage the novel coronavirus in the same way an opera singer's voice can shatter a wine glass.
Plastic pollution from face masks could devastate the environment
Masks are great, but what happens when we try to throw out a billion masks at once?
COVID-19 survivor’s guilt is a growing problem as we confront our losses
A psychologist and a doctor of emergency medicine explain.
Cotton masks outperform synthetic fibers in humidity test
Cotton mask fibers prove 33 percent more effective at blocking viruses in trials.
Is it time to decriminalize prostitution? Two New York bills answer yes in unique ways
One bill hopes to repeal the crime of selling sex and expand social services; the other would legalize the entire sex trade.
Eight women at the forefront of the world’s COVID-19 response
Beyond making up 70% of the world's health workers, women researchers have been at the cutting edge of coronavirus research.
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine authorized: Here’s what makes it unique
Millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed as early as this week.
Why cities are critical to achieving a carbon-neutral world
In May 2018, the city of Paris set an ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Japanese government appoints new “Minister of Loneliness”
While not the first such minister, the loneliness epidemic in Japan will make this one the hardest working.
Has political correctness gone too far?
The debate over whether or not there is a place for political correctness in modern society is not always black and white.
▸
13 min
—
with
New study identifies 126 species that could host coronavirus
The study suggests scientists are underestimating the number of animal species that could generate the next novel coronavirus.
Texas snowstorms are due to rapid heating of the Arctic, say scientists
A warming Arctic Circle could be responsible for bursts of cold weather in the south.
What democracy and science demand: The ‘Smartmatic vs Fox News’ case
The opening lines of Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News lay bare the culture of denial in the US.
UAE Hope Probe has transmitted its first image of Mars
The UAE is the first Arab nation to send a spacecraft to the Red Planet.
Why being stuck at home – and unable to hang out in cafes and bars – drains our creativity
It's not the caffeine, it's the people.
How the pandemic has affected mental health internet searches
Did America's collective mental health get worse (and then better) after the first COVID-19 lockdown?
What are the limits of free speech?
7 scholars and legal experts dissect what you can and can't say in America.
▸
22 min
—
with
U.S. Navy controls inventions that claim to change “fabric of reality”
Inventions with revolutionary potential made by a mysterious aerospace engineer for the U.S. Navy come to light.
A 62-year-old Russian mystery (and conspiracy theory) has been solved
Some mysteries take generations to unfold.
NASA will pay $500,000 for your innovative ideas about food production in space
Introducing the Deep Space Food Challenge.
How one NY hospital system treated 128,000+ COVID cases
From making their own swabs to staying in constant communication across the board, Northwell Health dove headfirst into uncharted waters to take on the virus and save lives.
▸
8 min
—
with