Culture

The Scholarship of Comics: Scholars Argue Western Definitions of Comics Overlook Global Traditions

Austin Burgess·March 9, 2026

A new book challenges what co-editor Dr. Joe Sutliff Sanders of the University of Cambridge calls a very narrow Anglo-European idea of what comics are.

What Happens to Consciousness After Death? Scientists and Researchers Are Still Debating This Age Old Question

Chrissy Newton·February 6, 2026

A growing number of professional institutions are seriously looking at questions involving consciousness and what happens to it after we die.

Could Cannabis Beverages Help Reduce Alchohol Consumption? New Survey Findings Say Its Possible

Austin Burgess·February 2, 2026

A recent survey found that cannabis-infused beverages may fit into a similar social context as alcohol, with participants reporting lower alcohol consumption after they began using cannabis drinks.

Taylor Swift’s ‘Swiftynomics’ Reveals How Women Wield the Power to Reshape the Economy

Chrissy Newton·January 31, 2026

‘Swiftynomics’ reveals how Taylor Swift is not only a powerhouse in the music industry; she has also been a driver behind economic shifts.

Landmark Brazilian UFO Case Reaches Capitol Hill as Varginha Incident Turns 30

Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal·January 30, 2026

Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal report on discussions between U.S. lawmakers and Brazilian witnesses marking the thirtieth anniversary of the "Varginha UFO Incident."

Why is Everyone on Sora AI Obsessed with Star Trek?

Chrissy Newton·January 28, 2026

A growing number of creators have become captivated with using the app for a specific purpose: making Star Trek parody videos.

This Wild Potato May Rewrite What We Know About Life Before Farming

Austin Burgess·January 28, 2026

New research shows that a wild potato was carried across the region more than 10,000 years ago, helping it spread far beyond its natural range.

Recent Study Points to Racial Bias in Media Coverage of Gun Violence in the U.S.

Chrissy Newton·January 26, 2026

New large-scale analyses reveal apparent biases in U.S. media coverage of gun violence in the United States.

Droughts and Floods Weakened the Tang Dynasty Before Its Collapse, Researchers Say

Austin Burgess·January 24, 2026

New research suggests that environmental stress played an important role in weakening the Tang dynasty before its eventual collapse.

Simply Viewing Art Can Improve Mental Well-Being, Major Psychological Review Finds

Chrissy Newton·December 24, 2025

Simply looking at visual art can measurably improve mental well-being, according to a new international review of psychological research.

Why Women Are the Biggest True Crime Fans—and What Science Says They’re Looking For

Tim McMillan·December 14, 2025

A recent study reveals why women engage with true crime, showing safety motives and psychology—not sensationalism—drive the trend.

Researchers Have Developed a New Tool to Help Predict Emerging Disease Hotspots Using Social Media

Chrissy Newton·November 22, 2025

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, have developed a new method of analyzing social media posts to help identify growing vaccine skepticism. 

From Petals to Patties: Sunflowers Could Power the Next Generation of Vegan Meat

Austin Burgess·November 8, 2025

Researchers in Brazil and Germany have developed a new plant-based meat substitute using sunflower flour, one of the world’s most common oil crops.

Stepping Into the Past, Peering at the Stars: The Timeless Magic of the Yerkes Observatory

Chrissy Newton·September 29, 2025

Wisconsin's historic Yerkes Observatory reveals a place where Edwin Hubble, Carl Sagan, and many pioneering women of astronomy once explored the cosmos.

This Unusual 4000-Year-Old Statue is Challenging Our Ideas on Ancient Egyptian Traditions

Austin Burgess·September 29, 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed a 4,000-year-old limestone Egyptian statue that's unlike any previously discovered.

12,000-Year-Old Evidence Reveals Smoke-Drying Mummies Preceded Egypt’s Pyramids

Austin Burgess·September 25, 2025

A new study suggests that the people of ancient southern China and Southeast Asia practiced mummification by curing bodies over low, smoky fires.

Culture May Be Replacing DNA as the Driver of Human Evolution, New Theory Suggests

Austin Burgess·September 17, 2025

Scientists are re-examining whether genetic changes remain the primary catalyst of human evolution, or if another factor has become more influential.

Mukbang Mania is Impacting Your Diet: This Popular Food Trend Could Be Fueling a Rise in Overeating

Chrissy Newton·July 15, 2025

Mukbang, a South Korean trend where people consume large amounts of food on camera, has gone global. Now some diet experts are concerned.

Controversial ‘Synthetic Human Genome Project’ Spurs Debate Over Ethics of Building Human DNA from Scratch

Ryan Whalen·July 1, 2025

The Synthetic Human Genome Project is working to build synthetic human DNA but who is asking how this science will impact society?

Death of the Podcast Host? AI-Generated Podcasts Stir Debate Over the Future of Science Communication

Chrissy Newton·June 28, 2025

A study reports the first use of artificial intelligence to generate podcasts based on research papers produced by the academic community.

Clickbait Nation: Study Finds Media May Spread Misinformation to Survive

Chrissy Newton·June 19, 2025

With clickbait no longer confined to tabloids, legacy media outlets have joined the race for views in an increasingly competitive industry.

Defying the Limits of Human Endurance, Korea’s Incredible Haenyeo Divers Are Revealing New Secrets About Human Adaptation

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·May 3, 2025

Researchers studied cold tolerance in a Haenyeo diver, part of an all-female diving crew with ancestral heritage for cold exposure.

Physicists Have Unlocked the Secret to the Perfect Cup of Coffee, While Using Fewer Beans

Micah Hanks·April 21, 2025

Getting the perfect cup of coffee as part of your morning ritual may have just gotten easier, thanks to the power of fluid dynamics.

Brain Drain: How Trump’s Second Term Is Reshaping the Future of U.S. Science

Chrissy Newton·April 17, 2025

With many scientists now considering leaving the U.S., could the resulting "brain drain" evolve into a national security concern?

Historic All-Female Blue Origin Flight Draws Praise, Backlash Over Celebrity Focus and Safety Concerns

Chrissy Newton·April 14, 2025

The first all-female crewed spaceflight in over 60 years concluded safely on Monday as the Blue Origin NS-31 mission touched down.

Chew on This: Natural Bean Gum Could Help Stop the Spread of Flu and Herpes Viruses

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 9, 2025

Researchers created a chewing gum from lalab beans that has antiviral properties to help fight herpes and influenza strains.

Breakthrough Prize 2025: What to Know About the Awards Dubbed ‘Oscars of Science’

Chrissy Newton·April 7, 2025

The 11th annual Breakthrough Prize recently honored pioneering researchers alongside Hollywood icons in a star-studded ceremony in Santa Monica.

Researchers Bring Digital Flavor to Life with New “e-Taste” Immersive Technology

Chrissy Newton·April 7, 2025

A new technology called eTaste is bringing us one step closer to lifelike, immersive digital experiences through flavor.

Miso in Microgravity: Fermented Flavor Takes Off Aboard the International Space Station

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·April 2, 2025

Astronauts made miso paste aboard the ISS to see if it would ferment similar to its Earth-based counterparts.

Chinese Companies are Accelerating the Brain Interface Race, Matching Neuralink with Human Trials

Chrissy Newton·April 1, 2025

Chinese brain interface developers CIBR and NeuCyber are rapidly advancing in the global race to implant brain-computer interface chips in humans.

This is Your Brain During Sex: New Research Shows What Happens to Mice During Intercourse

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·March 25, 2025

Researchers found that when mice had sex, their brain chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine worked together to produce pleasure.

Trademarking Telepathy: Musk’s Neuralink Taps Into the History—and Hype—of Telepathic Tech

Chrissy Newton·March 22, 2025

Is Neuralink capitalizing on people's fascination with telepathy or are they genuinely interested in enabling mind-to-mind communication?

Heroes, Villains, and Votes: How Pop Culture Shapes Political Perceptions

Chrissy Newton·March 19, 2025

A recent study from the University of Southampton has found that people tend to project their political perceptions onto fictional heroes and villains.

Why Belief in Conspiracy Theories May Be Fueled by Poor Sleep Quality

Christopher Plain·March 14, 2025

A study evaluating the link between conspiracy theories and sleep found that people were more prone to conspiratorial thinking when they experienced poor sleep quality.

Trump Falsely Claims Democrats Funded Research to ‘Make Mice Transgender’—Here’s the Truth

Chrissy Newton·March 8, 2025

The transgender community became a central talking point during President Trump’s address to the nation and Congress on Tuesday, where he made false claims that Democrats had funded scientific studies to “make mice transgender.”

FDA Seeks to Rehire Employees Let Go in Federal Layoffs, Including Neuralink Reviewers

Chrissy Newton·March 6, 2025

Several U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) employees, including some involved in reviewing Elon Musk’s Neuralink, have been fired or released recently. Now, the FDA wants them back.

Blue Origin’s All-Female Crew: Exploring the Emotional Impact of Looking Back at Earth from Space

Chrissy Newton·March 5, 2025

With the announcement of Blue Origin's all-female crew for the upcoming NS-31 mission, we explore the profound emotional and psychological impact of space travel on astronauts.

New Legislation Aims to Make Legendary Humanlike Creature California’s Official ‘Cryptid’

Micah Hanks·February 28, 2025

A new assembly bill introduced in California seeks to recognize a legendary humanlike creature as the state’s official “cryptid.”

Misinformation, Deception, and Harm Reveal the ‘Dark Side’ of Influencer Culture, Alarming Study Says

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·February 25, 2025

Researchers reveal that social media influencers can cause misinformation, unrealistic beauty standards and unethical practices.

FDA Staff Reviewing Musk’s Neuralink Among Those Fired in DOGE Employee Layoffs

Chrissy Newton·February 20, 2025

Several U.S. Food and Drug Administration employees connected to reviewing Elon Musk’s brain interface company Neuralink have been fired.

Satellite Data Reveals Concerning Trend in Major Cities That Were Once a Gateway to Opportunity

Chrissy Newton·February 20, 2025

Satellite data and city records suggest major metropolitan areas have ceased functioning as effective springboards for progress.

The Science of Creativity: Study Reveals the Best Ways to Organize Teams for Idea Generation

Chrissy Newton·February 18, 2025

New research reveals how different organizational structures impact idea generation, offering insights into the best ways to foster creativity.

Are You Ready for Love? Your Friends Might Know Before You Do

Chrissy Newton·February 17, 2025

Could your friends know when you're ready to find love even before you do? A new study suggests they might.

AI Governance Through ‘Equity by Design’ is Needed to Protect Marginalized Communities, Expert Warns

Chrissy Newton·February 11, 2025

Experts are calling for the implementation of a framework for AI equality to help elevate the voices of communities that could become lost amid a shifting digital landscape.

New Study Reveals How Music Eases Pain—But Only at the Right Tempo

Chrissy Newton·February 9, 2025

Music is known to have therapeutic properties, but new research suggests that its ability to alleviate pain depends on one key factor: tempo.

Research Shows Classical Music Can Soothe Fetal Heart Rates, Promoting Healthy Development

Chrissy Newton·February 6, 2025

New research reveals classical music can help calm fetal heart rates, potentially offering developmental benefits to babies in the womb. 

Archaeologists Say New DNA Evidence Unveils an Iron Age Matriarchal Mystery

Chrissy Newton·January 20, 2025

New compelling DNA evidence suggests Iron Age Britain may have been more matriarchal than previously thought. 

Robotic Exoskeleton Could Soon Help Pianists Overcome the “Ceiling Effect”

Chrissy Newton·January 17, 2025

An innovative exoskeleton could help musicians overcome the "ceiling effect," a natural leveling-off of skills following extensive practice.

Is RedNote the New TikTok? Social Media Users Are Migrating to a New Chinese App as Potential Ban Looms

Chrissy Newton·January 15, 2025

Is RedNote the new TikTok? The emerging platform is making waves on social media as a potential rival to TikTok's dominance.

Forget Your Hands, This Game-Changing Technology Controls Apps with How We Walk

Chrissy Newton·January 14, 2025

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a system that uses changes in how we walk to control augmented reality devices.