In Science, There Should Be a Prize for Second Place
Some scientific journals are defusing the fear of getting “scooped” by making it easier for scientists to publish results that have appeared elsewhere.
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Women Are Invited to Give Fewer Talks Than Men at Top U.S. Universities
It’s not because they turn down talks more often, or because there aren’t enough women to invite.
What Happens When You Put 500,000 People's DNA Online
Huge genetic databases are changing how scientists study disease.
The Absurdity of the Nobel Prizes in Science
They distort the nature of the scientific enterprise, rewrite its history, and overlook many of its most important contributors.
'Of All the Categories of Fake News, Health News Is the Worst'
Misinformation about well-being is particularly rife, and particularly dangerous.
How Women Mentors Make a Difference in Engineering
They act as a “social vaccine” that protects female students against negative stereotypes and gives them a sense of belonging.
Can Scientific Discovery Be Automated?
Progress in the sciences can only move as fast as humans can think—outsourcing to A.I. could change that.
How the GOP Could Use Science’s Reform Movement Against It
The principles of openness, transparency, and reproducibility might be weaponized to defund and deny research.
Scientists Brace for a Lost Generation in American Research
Private funding isn't enough to offset the president's proposed budget cuts, they say.
Why Is Silicon Valley So Awful to Women?
Tech companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to improve conditions for female employees. Here’s why not much has changed—and what might actually work.
What Exactly Are People Marching for When They March for Science?
The event has around 21 stated goals.
Do Scientists Lose Credibility When They Become Political?
A new study suggests that, contrary to common fears, the answer is no.
In Finland, Kids Learn Computer Science Without Computers
Students can learn the basics with a set of knitting needles.
How Reliable Are Cancer Studies?
A project that tried to reproduce the results of 50 landmark papers turned into an arduous slog—and that’s a problem in itself.
Why Are There So Few Women Mathematicians?
How a corrosive culture keeps women out of leadership positions on math journals
The White House Launches the National Microbiome Initiative
Half a billion dollars are being pledged to study the microbes in humans, crops, soils, oceans, and more.
Academics want you to read their work for free
Publishing an open-access paper in a journal can be prohibitively expensive. Some researchers are drumming up support for a movement to change that.
Why science's universal language is a problem for research
The vast majority of scientific papers today are published in English. What gets lost when other languages get left out?
Make science more reliable, win cash prizes
Honoring young researchers who champion rigorous, transparent research is a small step towards changing the culture of science.
Why is academic writing so needlessly complex?
Some research funders have mandated in recent years that studies they finance be published in open-access journals, but they've given little attention to ensuring those studies include accessible writing.
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