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In the Authoritarians’ New War on Ideas, Biology Might Be Next

Recent movements to ban books and modify school curricula will not be limited to subjects like U.S. history, argues C. Brandon Ogbunu in his column Selective Pressure. Biologists must recognize that these recent attacks on intellectual freedom are…

03/10/2024

In Genetic Data, Gaps That Affect Indigenous Communities

Genetic research disproportionately focuses on people with European ancestry. New research suggests that having more diverse genetic data could allow physicians to better target certain medical treatments to patients in Latin America, including…

02/10/2024

Long Distance Whale Synchrony: Coincidence or Communication?

A 1970s theory proposed that baleen whales, like bowheads and humpbacks, travel in diffuse herds spanning up to hundreds of miles. Since then, anecdotes of whales seeming to coordinate behavior over long distances have circulated among the research…

01/10/2024

Interview: How Michigan Targeted Avian Influenza in Dairy Cattle

Two Michigan health officials describe how the state is confronting an outbreak of avian influenza among dairy cattle through an aggressive approach that includes declaring an animal health emergency and compensating farmers who participate in…

27/09/2024

The Challenge of Preserving Good Data in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence-driven tools such as ChatGPT threaten to flood the internet with machine-generated content, making the question of what data to archive more challenging. Libraries, with their public support, are the best places to decide…

26/09/2024

The Downstream Effects of Fixing a Racist Lung Test

A race-neutral algorithm for lung function was recommended by the American Thoracic Society last year. But making the change at thousands of clinics across the country comes with challenges — and thorny consequences.

24/09/2024

Could an Old Drug Protect Against a New Pandemic?

Health authorities have said that stockpiled Tamiflu should work well against H5N1. But while the drug may help in cases of severe flu, research shows that it doesn’t help keep average-risk patients out of the hospital. Some experts are concerned…

23/09/2024

Book Review: The Intricate Connections Between Humans and Nature

Peter Godfrey-Smith’s “Living on Earth” is a natural history “of organisms as causes, rather than evolutionary products.” His subject is the intricate connection between humans and nature, and the astounding creativity of life, not just to evolve…

20/09/2024

Saving the Chandra X-ray Observatory

In March, a cut to NASA’s proposed 2025 budget threatened to end the Chandra orbiting telescope’s mission early, with no replacement in the works. But a campaign by astronomers to restore that funding is demonstrating the importance of outreach and…

19/09/2024

Rising Tide of Reddit Users Bring Awareness to ‘No-Burp Syndrome’

The painful condition of not being able to burp has long gone unrecognized in medicine. But those with ‘no-burp syndrome’ have been gathering online, and gaining steam: A pioneering Botox treatment was was first published in 2019, the same year the…

18/09/2024

What Does ‘Recyclable’ Really Mean?

The Consumer Brands Association believes companies should be able to stamp “recyclable” on products that are technically “capable” of being recycled, even if they’re likely to end up in a landfill. Experts say the proposal could worsen a crisis that…

17/09/2024

In Arid New Mexico, a Debate Over Reusing Oil-Industry Wastewater

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s ambitious proposal to regulate and reuse wastewater discharged from oil and gas drilling for alternative energy projects has been blocked for now, though the debate over public safety continues as the state pursues…

16/09/2024