The Problem With Sugar-Daddy Science
The pursuit of money from wealthy donors distorts the research process-and yields flashy projects that don't help and don't work.
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The Anthropocene Is a Joke
Humans are now living in a new geological epoch of our own making: the Anthropocene. On geological timescales, human civilization is an event, not an epoch.
We Need a New Science of Progress
Humanity needs to get better at knowing how to get better.
The Outdated Language of Space Travel
"Manned" spaceflight doesn't make sense anymore.
The Human Brain Project Hasn't Lived Up to Its Promise
Ten years ago, a neuroscientist said that within a decade he could simulate a human brain. Spoiler: It didn't happen.
The Books of College Libraries Are Turning Into Wallpaper
University libraries around the world are seeing precipitous declines in the use of the books on their shelves.
A Waste of 1,000 Research Papers
Decades of early research on the genetics of depression were built on nonexistent foundations. How did that happen?
University Presses Shouldn't Have to Make a Profit
Some university presses rely on subsidies because their mission is to expand knowledge - not to publish blockbusters.
The Disciplines Where No Black People Earn Ph.D.s
In more than a dozen academic fields-largely STEM related-not a single black student earned a doctoral degree in the US in 2017.
Netflix's 'Our Planet' Says What Other Nature Series Have Omitted
In a groundbreaking move, the beautiful but uncomfortable documentary forces viewers to acknowledge their own complicity in the decline of nature.
The Real Cost of Knowledge
The University of California has broken with one of the world's largest academic publishers. Is this the end of a very profitable business model?
Small Teams of Scientists Have Fresher Ideas
A new study shows that little teams are more likely to take their research in radically new directions.
The Women Who Contributed to Science but Were Buried in Footnotes
In a new study, researchers uncovered female programmers who made important but unrecognized contributions to genetics.
The 500-Year-Long Science Experiment
In 2014, microbiologists began a study that they hope will continue long after they're dead.
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