Science & Society

  1. Science & Society

    The 2016 Intel Scientist Talent Search on Twitter and beyond

    On March 15, the Intel Science Talent Search celebrated its 75th anniversary. See this year’s competition through social media.

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  2. Science & Society

    U.S. grasp of science is improving — but there’s a catch

    Americans’ grasp of science is improving. But a new study shows that adults’ scores can vary depending on how questions are phrased.

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  3. Tech

    New devices coming to assist the disabled

    New technologies, including motorized prosthetics and stair-climbing wheelchairs, could someday help people overcome a range of disabilities.

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  4. Brain

    Early intro to sign language has lasting benefits

    Children introduced to sign language as babies performed better on mental-processing tasks at age 12 — and as adults — than did people who learned sign language at age 3.

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  5. Agriculture

    A shock to the food system

    Droughts and other weather extremes caused by climate change are dramatically increasing the risk of short-term interruptions in the supplies of food.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    Teen data find vapers often become smokers

    Many view vaping as less harmful than cigarettes. But an increasing number of studies suggest that using e-cigarettes increases the risk a teenager will start to smoke.

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  7. Science & Society

    The most important stories of 2015

    From Pluto to gene editing, the year saw a number of notable research discoveries, advances and insights.

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  8. Health & Medicine

    The most popular stories of 2015

    Our readers love to read about health and wellness. Check out which stories were most popular.

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  9. Environment

    Paris meeting yields climate agreement

    It provides outlines and incentives for nations to curb fossil-fuel use. The goal is to limit global warming to no more than 2° Celsius (3.4 °Fahrenheit) above temperatures typical in the 1750s or earlier.

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  10. Science & Society

    Expert panel approves human gene editing

    Scientists have recently been reporting big advances in the ability to tweak the genes of living organisms, including people. But some question the ethics of doing that. A panel of experts now says such research can go ahead — with one major exception.

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  11. Environment

    Wildlife forensics turns to eDNA

    Environmental DNA, or eDNA, tells biologists what species have been around — even when they’re out of sight or have temporarily moved on.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    News Brief: Group dancing helps teens bond

    Coordinated dance routines help teens bond with one another, new data show. Group dancing also offers other benefits, including a higher threshold for pain.

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