Conspiracies
How to Stop a Conspiracy
Coups, murder plots, and plans to topple governments are as old as recorded history. Strategic management of information in ancient Rome saved the day, for a while, and holds invaluable lessons for today.
The Emotion Bomb Inside Video Games
By Jazmin Murphy
The Emotion Bomb Inside Video Games
By Jazmin Murphy
BS Alert
Pregnancy Is Riskier Than Abortion
The idea that abortion causes physical and mental damage to those who choose it has permeated our culture for decades. But evidence shows pregnancy is the riskier state of affairs.
By Emily Willingham
Cognition
With Memory So Malleable, Can We Ever Know What's Real?
Our own skewed memories are part of the misinformation glut, so when you remember something for sure, it can’t hurt to pause and query your truth.
By Jill Neimark
Controversies
Who Owns Scientific Knowledge?
Pirate websites offer millions of scientific articles for free. A court case in India could decide whether for-profit gatekeepers can shut them down.
By Payal Dhar
Deceptions
The Way Home from Homeopathy
For years the author clashed with his parents over treatments he considered bogus. Then he shifted his focus to action and empathy instead of ideology.
By Kausik Datta
Deceptions
Bad Math Is Steering Us Toward Climate Catastrophe
It's time to call out the most dangerous assumption in the history of economics.
By Jag Bhalla
Cognition
Your Brain on Red Alert
In the 24-hour news cycle, a glut of crisis narratives keeps us on edge. How can we avoid cognitive burnout while getting the news we need?
By Elizabeth Svoboda
Culture
Buying the Final Frontier
Outer space was supposed to belong to all humankind. Should we surrender it to anyone who can pay up?
By Philip Ball
Controversies
DNA Wants To Be Free
The ownership of our genomic information is being challenged. The stakes for human health and identity are enormous.
By Jorge Contreras
Conspiracies
The Murky History of Lab Leaks
They are almost never fully covered by media and usually shrouded by a fog of disinformation and denial. Could this explain the culture of conspiracy surrounding COVID-19?
By Wendy Orent
Deceptions
Algorithms, Lies, and Social Media
Achieving a more transparent and less manipulative online media may well be the defining political battle of the 21st century.
By Stephan Lewandowsky and Anastasia Kozyreva
Culture
That’s Not What a Psychopath Is
Cartoon villains on TV crime shows obscure the huge social and personal costs of psychopathy, as well as the encouraging new science that can help treat it.
By Arielle Baskin-Sommers
Controversies
The Case for a Nuclear Renaissance
Retiring existing plants, especially a problem-free facility like Diablo Canyon in California, will aggravate the real problems: energy dependence and climate change.