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The Conversation
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TikTok fears point to larger problem: Poor media literacy in the social media age

Nir Eisikovits, UMass Boston

A person with short dark hair, glasses, and a nose ring looks at a futuristic screen with writing and charts.

Are tomorrow’s engineers ready to face AI’s ethical challenges?

Elana Goldenkoff, University of Michigan and Erin A. Cech, University of Michigan

Transporting hazardous materials across the country isn’t easy − that’s why there’s a host of regulations in place

Michael F. Gorman, University of Dayton

A large semi truck with eight wheels and a large cylindrical tank with a red flame sticker on the back drives down a road.
Chemical pollutants can change your skin bacteria and increase your eczema risk − new research explores how

Ian Myles, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Close-up of legs of child sitting on a towel while another person slathers lotion on their foot.
AI chatbots refuse to produce ‘controversial’ output − why that’s a free speech problem

Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, Vanderbilt University and Jacob Mchangama, Vanderbilt University

a line drawing symbol of an eye with a diagonal line across it
Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is able to support life − my research team is working out how to detect extraterrestrial cells there

Fabian Klenner, University of Washington

A close-up of the surface of a gray moon, with plumes of light shining off it.
Fermented foods sustain both microbiomes and cultural heritage

Andrew Flachs, Purdue University and Joseph Orkin, Université de Montréal

Close-up of person putting shredded cabbage in a jar of other shredded vegetables.
Exploding stars send out powerful bursts of energy − I’m leading a citizen scientist project to classify and learn about these bright flashes

Amy Lien, University of Tampa

A burst of bright light coming out of a hazy cloud.
In the age of cancel culture, shaming can be healthy for online communities – a political scientist explains when and how

Jennifer Forestal, Loyola University Chicago

ten figure-like wooden cylinders topped by spheres with nine beige ones arranged in a circle around one red one
Grizzly bear conservation is as much about human relationships as it is the animals

Alexander L. Metcalf, University of Montana

A grizzly bear walking through a patch of sunlit grass
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Space

Large, brightly colored clouds of gas against a dark, starry sky.

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Chris Impey, University of Arizona

NASA’s mission to an ice-covered moon will contain a message between water worlds

Douglas Vakoch, California Institute of Integral Studies

A spacecraft with two large solar panels on either side of a small cylinder, silhouetted against a moon.
NASA’s search for life on Mars: a rocky road for its rovers, a long slog for scientists – and back on Earth, a battle of the budget

Amy J. Williams, University of Florida

A photograph of the Martian surface shows a tangerine-colored sky and massive rocks sitting on rust-colored soil.
I’ve been studying astronaut psychology since Apollo − a long voyage to Mars in a confined space could raise stress levels and make the journey more challenging

Nick Kanas, University of California, San Francisco

Four astronauts in jumpsuits float with locked arms in the International Space Station.
US Moon landing marks new active phase of lunar science, with commercial launches of landers that will study solar wind and peer into the universe’s dark ages

Jack Burns, University of Colorado Boulder

The moon, partially shadowed on the top side, against a dark background.
More articles about space

Artificial intelligence

a young Black woman with long braided hair facing the camera with a web of white lines on the left side of her face

Deepfake detection improves when using algorithms that are more aware of demographic diversity

Siwei Lyu, University at Buffalo and Yan Ju, University at Buffalo

The hidden risk of letting AI decide – losing the skills to choose for ourselves

Joe Árvai, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

cartoon image of an obese man in a futuristic reclining chair looking at a video screen floating in front of his face
Silicon Valley and Shenzhen, China, will get all the growth from AI if other regions don’t invest now to compete

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

Woman uses smartphone.
Generative AI could leave users holding the bag for copyright violations

Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University

cartoon image of a small furry imaginary creature reaching a hand toward a candle flame
Building fairness into AI is crucial – and hard to get right

Ferdinando Fioretto, University of Virginia

cartoon image of a giant robot hand pointing to one of several people
More articles about artificial intelligence

New research

Drugs that aren’t antibiotics can also kill bacteria − new method pinpoints how

Mariana Noto Guillen, UMass Chan Medical School

Array of multicolored pills in blister packs
Personalized cancer treatments based on testing drugs quickly leads to faster treatment, better outcomes

Diana Azzam, Florida International University

Illustration of a fisheye lens view of a mass of purple blobs, a beam of light shining through.
Newly discovered genetic variant that causes Parkinson’s disease clarifies why the condition develops and how to halt it

Matthew Farrer, University of Florida

Genome readout composed of several columns of lines and dashes, and a list of Parkinson's mutations
Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research

Dustin Long, University of Washington and Chloe Bryson-Cahn, University of Washington

Patient wearing mask lying on hospital bed, hand extended toward camera
Fossilized dinosaur eggshells can preserve amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, over millions of years

Evan Thomas Saitta, University of Chicago

A cross section showing long, multicolor columnar structures.
US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

Hao Peng, Northwestern University

four researchers in white coats doing tasks in a lab
Growing quickly helped the earliest dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles flourish in the aftermath of mass extinction

Kristi Curry Rogers, Macalester College

Illustration of a dinosaur head with small, sharp-looking teeth.
Horses lived in the Americas for millions of years – new research helps paleontologists understand the fossils we’ve found and those that are missing from the record

Stephanie Killingsworth, University of Florida and Bruce J. MacFadden, University of Florida

skeleton of a horse on display in a museum

Brain and mind

Human brains and fruit fly brains are built similarly – visualizing how helps researchers better understand how both work

Kristin Scaplen, Bryant University

GIF of black square that gradually reveals flickering green and red swatches surrounded then swallowed by dark blue in a roughly oblong shape
Brain scans of Philly jazz musicians reveal secrets to reaching creative flow

John Kounios, Drexel University and Yvette Kounios, Widener University

Colorful brain waves on black background
Chilling out rather than blowing off steam is a better way to manage anger − new review of 154 studies reveals what works

Sophie L. Kjaervik, Virginia Commonwealth University and Brad Bushman, The Ohio State University

hand in boxing glove punches stuffing out of a heavy bag
Mental fatigue has psychological triggers − new research suggests challenging goals can head it off

Matthew Robison, University of Texas at Arlington

Woman seated at home at laptop pinching the bridge of her nose and looking tired.
More articles about psychology

Curious Kids

Real kids ask real questions and real experts answer them

Field cricket on a log

Why don’t female crickets chirp?

Floyd W. Shockley, Smithsonian Institution

From thousands to millions to billions to trillions to quadrillions and beyond: Do numbers ever end?

Manil Suri, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Against a blue background, a pattern of jumbled numbers appears.
Kids ask the questions. Scholars answer them.
Send in your question!

Be sure to include your name, age and where you live. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

Graphic that says 'connecting experts with curious kids', with words in background saying 'how? why? who?'
Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

Adi Foord, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A photograph of the night sky, featuring gleaming pinpoints of white, blue and orange light.
Why aren’t there solar-powered cars?

Chen Liu, Clarkson University

A white vehicle with a long, low dome moves along a red highway
More Curious Kids articles
1.
Drugs that aren’t antibiotics can also kill bacteria − new method pinpoints how

Mariana Noto Guillen, UMass Chan Medical School

Drugs that aren’t antibiotics can also kill bacteria − new method pinpoints how
2.
Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is able to support life − my research team is working out how to detect extraterrestrial cells there

Fabian Klenner, University of Washington

Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is able to support life − my research team is working out how to detect extraterrestrial cells there
3.
Brain scans of Philly jazz musicians reveal secrets to reaching creative flow

John Kounios, Drexel University and Yvette Kounios, Widener University

Brain scans of Philly jazz musicians reveal secrets to reaching creative flow
4.
Fermented foods sustain both microbiomes and cultural heritage

Andrew Flachs, Purdue University and Joseph Orkin, Université de Montréal

Fermented foods sustain both microbiomes and cultural heritage
5.
TikTok fears point to larger problem: Poor media literacy in the social media age

Nir Eisikovits, UMass Boston

TikTok fears point to larger problem: Poor media literacy in the social media age
6.
Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research

Dustin Long, University of Washington and Chloe Bryson-Cahn, University of Washington

Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research