What is sex really for?
The purpose of sex may seem obvious, but it has perplexed and intrigued a variety of great minds for millennia.
October 22, 2019
500
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Even when they aren't fired for being pregnant or gay, teachers face strict moral demands
What it means to be a good teacher has changed over time, along with prevailing views on what constitutes appropriate behavior.
October 22, 2019
548
Have we become too paranoid about mass shootings?
You're just as likely to be a victim of a mass shooting as you are to be struck by lightning. So why do nearly 50% of…
October 22, 2019
690
New evidence that an extraterrestrial collision 12,800 years ago triggered an abrupt climate change
Why did Earth's climate rapidly cool 12,800 years ago? Evidence is mounting that a comet or asteroid collision is to…
October 22, 2019
519
Cities with more black residents rely more on traffic tickets and fines for revenue
A study looked at fines in 93 California cities. Cities with more black residents and more disproportionately white police…
October 21, 2019
609
Bans on rebuilding in disaster-prone areas ignore homeowners preferences – raising costs works bette
Behavioral economics offers a less heavy-handed approach than bans to reducing the costs and risks of homebuilding in disaster-prone…
October 21, 2019
496
Americans, especially millennials, are embracing plant-based meat products
Americans eat more meat on average than citizens of any other nation, but new survey findings show that plant-based meat…
October 21, 2019
667
Your political views can predict how you pronounce certain words
How members of America's two parties view the country – and its place in the world – might explain this phenomenon.
October 21, 2019
581
Why don't evergreens change color and drop their leaves every fall?
Many deciduous trees put on a dazzling fall foliage display. But coniferous evergreens hold on to their needles and stay…
October 21, 2019
512
Pope affirms Catholic Church's duty to indigenous Amazonians hurt by climate change
Hundreds of bishops, priests, missionaries and tribal leaders are at the Vatican for the Synod of the Amazon, a three-week…
October 18, 2019
1125
Blockchain voting is vulnerable to hackers, software glitches and bad ID photos – among other proble
Blockchain technology can address some weaknesses in voting systems, but not all of them – and it opens new potential…
October 18, 2019
682
Where is my Xanax Rx? Why your doctor may be concerned about prescribing benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines, or benzos, are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the US. They are meant to be used only short-term,…
October 18, 2019
649
Trump is flouting global trade rules with China yet embracing them with the EU – here's why it matte
The Trump administration's tendency to follow rules only if they're in its interest could end up hurting the US…
October 18, 2019
528
How Mister Rogers' faith shaped his idea of children's television
A new film on beloved children's television icon Fred Rogers hits theaters next month. Rogers' moral values contributed…
October 18, 2019
572
The Chicago teachers' strike isn't just about kids – it's about union power too
Teachers' unions often say they go on strike to improve conditions for students. A closer look at recent walkouts suggests…
October 18, 2019
614
Here's what's missing in efforts to curb heavy drinking and hazing on campus
Colleges and universities have banned fraternities from campus to stave off problem drinking and hazing incidents. But a…
October 18, 2019
614
This overdose-reversal medicine could reduce opioid deaths – so why don't more people carry it?
Opioid overdoses killed 47,000 Americans in 2017 — more than gun violence. Many fewer would have died if they'd been…
October 18, 2019
987
Our world is getting smaller
Social networks connecting us through kinship and friendship are often small. This can often lead to surprising points of…
October 17, 2019
518