Scientific American Blog: Observations

Political Ads Can Target Your Personality. Here's What Could Go Wrong

Stephan Lewandowsky, Almog Simchon, Matthew Edwards — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 21:15:00 GMT

This banner year for elections worldwide may witness the arrival of advertising tailored to your personality

Against Medical Advice: Another Deadly Consequence of Our Opioid Epidemic

Zoe Adams — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

People struggling with addiction cite untreated withdrawal, pain, discrimination and stringent policies as reasons for leaving hospitals against medical advice. We need to take their complaints seriously

The Strangely Serious Implications of Math's 'Ham Sandwich Theorem'

Jack Murtagh — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

A simple solution to gerrymandering crumbles when confronted with math’s ‘ham sandwich theorem’

Making Chemistry Safer Is Worth the Price Tag

Joel Tickner — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:00:00 GMT

With chemical spills and other accidents a common occurrence, it’s becoming more expensive to maintain the status quo than to make chemistry safer

We Need Gun Safety Ahead of Elections in the U.S.

Tim Carey — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

U.S. elected officials must protect public health and the foundations of our democracy by limiting the intrusion of guns into politics

To Design Cities Right, We Need to Focus on People

Tim Keane — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Far too often, city planning is approached as an engineering problem, instead of connecting people with the land

The Legal Definition of Death Needs to Be Clearer

Ariane Lewis — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Debate about brain death has prevented needed revisions to the Uniform Determination of Death Act

Mandating 'Conversion Therapy' Is Mandating Abuse

Steve Silberman — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Despite some lawmakers’ claims, “cure-based recovery” for gay and transgender people comprises one of psychiatry’s longest and darkest chapters. We shouldn’t inflict it on today’s kids

CDC's Labs Are Making a Comeback. Now They Need Support

Jill Taylor, Ewa King, Scott Becker — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

The pandemic early exposed weaknesses in CDC’s laboratories. Organizational and culture changes there are good first steps, but more must be done

What Taylor Swift Conspiracies Reveal, According to Science

Keith Kloor — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Yes, conspiracy narratives are everywhere. But it’s not as bad as you think

Beyond the Doom and Gloom, Here's How to Stimulate Climate Action

Madalina Vlasceanu, Jay J. Van Bavel — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

A gloom and doom approach does not always spur climate action, it turns out. A new study tells you when it works and when it doesn’t

When We Find Earth 2.0, What's Next?

Phil Plait — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

We’re looking for another Earth—but how likely is it we’ll find a duplicate of home?

State Secrecy Explains the Origins of the 'Deep State' Conspiracy Theory

Kathryn Olmsted, Simon Willmetts — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Lost in today’s misinformation fights is the recognition that modern conspiracy theories spring from excesses of state secrecy

We Need Cybersecurity in Space to Protect Satellites

Sylvester Kaczmarek — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Amid rising numbers of cyber threats, safeguarding our satellites is no longer optional but a necessity for global security and reliability

To Diversify Medicine Post–Affirmative Action, Look to Community Colleges

Cesar Padilla, Michael Galvez — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

The Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action will make it harder for medical schools to build diverse classes. Community colleges could be part of the solution

An Alliance Calling For More Open AI Should Heed Their Own Call

Wai Chee Dimock — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 13:30:00 GMT

The word “open” is often thrown around in describing AI transparency, but the companies and groups calling for it must themselves be open about their practices

Disinformation Is the Real Threat to Democracy and Public Health

Stephan Lewandowsky, Sander van der Linden, Andy Norman — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Disinformation abounds, and it can kill. Fortunately, it can often be unambiguously identified

Cleaning Water Naturally the Ancient Maya Way

Lisa J. Lucero — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

The ancestral Maya lived in better harmony with the environment and kept water clean naturally. We can learn from them

Ozempic and Other Weight-Loss Drugs Are Sparking a Risky New War on Obesity

Arthur Caplan — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

The world has launched into an era of injectables not just to treat obesity but to manage weight. Is that all good news?

This Nomadic Eccentric Was the Most Prolific Mathematician in History

Jack Murtagh — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:45:00 GMT

The bizarre life and legacy of Paul Erdős, the most prolific mathematician ever

Lower Drug Costs Are Just a Federal License Away. But They Require Biden Administration Leadership

James Love — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

It’s a longstanding government failure to never use federal “march-in” licensing rights to lower drug prices. It’s also a mistake to limit them to only a few cases

The New Year Resolution We Need Is to Avoid Miracle Cures

David Robert Grimes — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

Bad diets, stress, impaired sleep and aging can’t be reversed by juicing, healing crystals or influencer-endorsed pills. Don’t buy them

Here's What I Learned as the U.S. Government's UFO Hunter

Sean Kirkpatrick — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 13:30:00 GMT

A forthcoming investigational report from an office of the Pentagon has found no evidence of aliens, only allegations circulated repeatedly by UFO claim advocates

Math Explains Why Your Friends Are More Popular Than You

Jack Murtagh — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

The inspection paradox makes sense of social networks, long train wait times and why the call center is always busy

Preventing Child Abuse Should Not Be Controversial. My Own Hate Mail Reveals That It Is

Allyn Walker — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT

A deep dive into one scholar’s correspondence shows society prefers blame and punishment over protecting children from sexual violence