Abstracts: Trump’s Choice to Lead EPA, Sexual Harassment at National Parks,...
Presidential Candidate Donald Trump has chosen a well-known climate skeptic to lead the EPA under his presidency. The National Park Service once again faces allegations of sexual harassment of female...
View ArticleWomen, Politics, and the Cultural Biases of Being ‘Presidential’
A host of psychological and sociological perceptions inform the delicate dance that unfolds between presidential candidates and the voters who will determine their fates. That's particularly true for...
View ArticleJudge on EPA: Someone Needs to ‘Light a Fire Under Them’
The EPA is three years behind a deadline requiring it regulate perchlorate — a common ingredient in explosives and rocket fuel that could be contaminating the drinking water of millions of Americans —...
View ArticleThe Invisible Women of Color
In a new analysis of the imagery found in introductory criminology textbooks, men and white people were found to be heavily over-represented. Men of color are the most likely to be portrayed as...
View ArticleAbstracts: A Trip to Mars, a Three-Parent Baby, DNA Screening in Kuwait, and...
Elon Musk proposes an ambitious plan to send people to Mars. This week did not mark the birth of the first baby with three parents (despite headlines to the contrary). And Kuwaitis are opposed grows to...
View ArticleReviewing the Candidates on Addiction and Opioids
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have outlined positions on addiction, substance abuse and the opioids crisis in the United States. Undark has asked a pair of experts on addiction and drug policy to...
View Article‘What Could Have Happened?’ Unraveling a Death by Cyanide.
In her new book, "Death by Cyanide," Paula Reed Ward, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, describes the investigation and trial of Robert Ferrante, who was ultimately convicted of murdering his...
View ArticleTrump’s Border Wall Would Be Bad News for Migrating Species
National Academy of Sciences president Marcia McNutt said a U.S.-Mexico border fence is already a problem for many species, and a solid wall would be even worse. "I'm trying to imagine what kind of...
View ArticleScience, Journalism, and the Diverging Narratives of Patient H.M.
A roiling debate over the legacy of the famous human test subject raises important questions, like whether a journalist can sometimes present a distorted picture based on accurate facts, or whether...
View ArticleWhile Congress Dithered, the Zika Virus Flourished in Puerto Rico
In the absence of federal funds, philanthropic efforts from organizations like the CDC Foundation put experts on the ground in hard-hit Puerto Rico to contain the Zika epidemic and protect pregnant...
View ArticleUndark Podcast #7: Bombturbation & More
Join our podcast host and former NYT Science Times editor David Corcoran as he talks with writer Karen Coates about how U.S. bombing permanently altered the landscape in Southeast Asia. Also: Undark’s...
View ArticleTo Address Flooding in Miami, the Best Way Forward Might be Back
Residing in a low-lying neighborhood in a northern suburb of Miami, retired corrections officer Marvin Ramsey estimates that his home has flooded 15 times since 1994. City officials are now looking to...
View ArticleAbstracts: Tiny Transistors, Smart Bees, Even Smarter Apes, and More
Chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans are able to apprehend what their fellow apes are likely thinking. Women geoscientists get less glowing recommendation letters than their male counterparts. Bumble...
View ArticleMind, Body, or Both? The Experience of Gender Identity.
Some people have argued for an innate, biological basis for gender, whether it is physiological, neuroanatomical or hormonal. Others say it's purely a product of the way we're socialized, and that we...
View ArticleClimate Data for the Masses
A new initiative from the White House aims to make climate vulnerability data and visualization tools more accessible to decision makers, businesses, and the public. The trick will be getting the...
View ArticleFive Questions for Amy Stewart
In this installment of the Undark Five, we asked Amy Stewart, the bestselling science author and this year's editor of the "Best American Science Writing" book series, about what makes a story stand...
View ArticleAbstracts: Bees, Fault Lines, Forest Fires, and More
Researchers call for help to treat anxiety and other disorders in immigrants starting a new life. Human-induced climate change increases the spread of forest fires by 16,000 square miles. The U.S. and...
View ArticleFor Venezuela’s Zika Woes, Some Tylenol
In an initiative targeting the Zika virus in Venezuela, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has donated more than 150,000 doses of acetaminophen. That might offer some relief in a country facing serious...
View ArticleIn the Fight Against Obesity, the Real Enemy Is Oversimplification
Look at any diet that has gotten traction in the last 30 years, and it’s likely to be about just one thing. It’s fat. It’s carbs. It’s gluten. It’s meat. All you have to do is cut back on the dietary...
View ArticleSolar in the Holler?
As Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton argue over how to save coal country, some have pointed to solar job training programs as a solution. That sounds great, but in the heart of...
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