Scientific American
Viewpoint: Human genetics has a racist history. Here is what needs to be done to clean up the mess
Combined with Mendelian determinism, which was wildly popular in the U.S. in the early 20th century, [eugenicist and father of ...
Does estrogen deficiency really exist?
The big problem with estrogen deficiency as a symptom or diagnosis is that it is a catchall term that plays ...
Viewpoint: Why the effort to find a ‘biological basis’ for being transgender is misguided and unhelpful
The search for a biological cause of transness—also known as “biological essentialism”—may be well-intentioned, but it is a dangerous path ...
AI emulates trained dogs’ ability to detect cancer and other diseases, including COVID-19
Humans already employ [dogs’] olfactory acuity for contraband and explosives detection. More recently it has also proved uncannily good at ...
Bionic eyes: Generating visual perceptions and hope for those who cannot see
In the 1970s, [biomedical engineer William] Dobelle had shown that electrically stimulating visual brain areas (the visual cortex) caused people ...
The downside of ‘improving’ humanity: How CRISPR could edit out ‘abnormal genes’ — and human diversity
CRISPR has many functions; one of these is that it can be used to treat disease. Yet the far-reaching, more ...
Is the US underestimating COVID reinfection risks?
As millions of Americans struggle to recover from covid and millions more scramble for the protection offered by vaccines, U.S ...
‘GUYnecology’ and ‘Phallacy’: Two new books take on the ups and downs of male appendages
It can stretch up to nine times your body length (if you’re a barnacle); be a detachable tentacle covered in ...
Emerging symptoms of COVID: Stuttering, forgetfulness, mania, and even psychosis
An early survey of 153 COVID-19 patients in the U.K. and a more recent preprint study of people hospitalized with ...
‘We don’t know what we don’t know’: Next slate of vaccines might be better at fighting new COVID variations
Now, a year after the pandemic first erupted, three COVID vaccines have been given emergency authorization by either the U.S ...
Viewpoint: Wishful worries? Fears about the transhumanist, human-enhancement movement are overblown
[A] problem arises when pundits concerned about possible social and ethical downsides of a technology exaggerate its technical feasibility. This ...
Believing that aliens have visited our solar system is not just for kooks
The prolific Harvard University astrophysicist [Avi Loeb] has produced pioneering and provocative research on black holes, gamma-ray bursts, the early ...
Viewpoint: Why we need to require COVID vaccines in high-risk settings such as nursing homes and prisons
In long-term care facilities, residents are usually very elderly, and many of them have medical conditions that put them at ...
Acid redux: Here’s how psychedelics are shaping the next generation of antidepressants
As of 2018, nearly one in eight Americans use antidepressants. Unfortunately, more than a third of patients are resistant to ...
Video infographic: Extraordinary 3-D view inside a cancer cell
Even something as tiny as a cell is thick enough for specialized cameras to examine in detail. In a process ...
Are positive antibody tests a reliable ‘all clear’? Dating safely during a pandemic
As cases surge again, many wonder whether it is safe to even consider meeting new people in any social context—let alone ...
How virtual reality could become a vital treatment to deal with the uncertainty of COVID
A national shortage in mental health clinicians existed before COVID-19. Now, health care organizations must decide how to rapidly scale ...
Viewpoint: GMO ‘opposition based on emotion and dogma must be stopped’
Climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have featured heavily in this presidential campaign and are without question two of the ...
How getting your flu shot could reduce the likelihood of a COVID infection
[A] new study suggests that there could be another key reason to get a flu jab this year: it might reduce ...
Why do many COVID patients lose their sense of smell? Here are some answers
Smell loss is so common in people with [COVID-19] that some researchers have recommended its use as a diagnostic test because it ...
What goes on in the brains of science nerds?
Do you get really stimulated by new ideas and imaginative scenarios? If so, you may have an influx of dopamine ...
AI can reliably predict Alzheimer’s by analyzing how we use words
A team from IBM and Pfizer says it has trained AI models to spot early signs of [Alzheimer’s, a] notoriously stealthy ...
Natural ‘antifreeze proteins’ added as a polymer can make concrete more durable
Because concrete is porous and absorbs liquid, [temperature] changes often make its surface flake and peel. But researchers say a ...
Viewpoint: ‘Misguided enthusiasm’ to save honeybees threatens wild pollinators
The rise in hobby beekeeping, now a trendy activity for hundreds of thousands of Americans, followed strong awareness campaigns to “save the bees.” ...
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Republican vs Democrat brains: Either ideology shapes the brain or brain structure drives our political views
On the whole, the research shows, conservatives desire security, predictability and authority more than liberals do, and liberals are more ...
Scientists taking partisan stands on the coronavirus: Here comes the political backlash
Today, although most Americans trust information from physicians and medical scientists, public trust in the scientific community has become increasingly partisan, and conservatives and ...
