Science + Technology – The Conversation – new research, AI, space, psychology and more

White House lit up with golden light with dark purple sky around

White House lit up with golden light with dark purple sky around

White House plan for a ‘golden age’ of science ignores the structures that made the US a scientific superpower

H. Christopher Frey, North Carolina State University

Young adults happily seated at a picnic

Young adults happily seated at a picnic

A lot of casual friends, or only a few you’re really close with? New research questions that trade-off

Jessica D. Ayers, Boise State University and Diego Guevara Beltran, University of Arizona

Illustration of single helix strand stretching across a diffuse background

Illustration of single helix strand stretching across a diffuse background

First mRNA flu shot approved by FDA bodes well for improving drugs of the future – though a few hurdles remain before mRNA can move beyond vaccines

Li Li, UMass Chan Medical School

Vector image of brain hovering above a city, lines connecting it to various points marked with red circles

Vector image of brain hovering above a city, lines connecting it to various points marked with red circles

Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain

Hatim Sharif, The University of Texas at San Antonio

How hackers attack municipal water systems – and why the utilities are so vulnerable

William Akoto, American University School of International Service

a large cylindrical structure behind a row of trees with two houses in the foreground

a large cylindrical structure behind a row of trees with two houses in the foreground

SpaceX aims to use rockets to quickly transport cargo across the Earth and into orbit – moves that would expand the global cargo system

Euihyeon Choi, Georgia Institute of Technology and Koki Ho, Georgia Institute of Technology

A rocket lifting off a launchpad, with a plume of flame and smoke below it.

A rocket lifting off a launchpad, with a plume of flame and smoke below it.

Person wearing scrubs and a stethoscope using a laptop

Person wearing scrubs and a stethoscope using a laptop

How to do your own online health research like a scientist – a biostatistician’s step-by-step guide

Lucy McGowan, Wake Forest University

When expressive humanoid robots are awkward, people become wary – new brain study

Hasan Ayaz, Drexel University; Ewart J. de Visser, United States Air Force Academy; Frank Krueger, George Mason University, and Yigit Topoglu, United States Air Force Academy

a humanoid robot's face with its hands held up by its eyes

a humanoid robot's face with its hands held up by its eyes

Producing spider silk is a biological feat – scientists are using it to develop materials for drug delivery and wound care

Aliasger K. Salem, University of Iowa

A spider on an intricate spider web.

A spider on an intricate spider web.

Spaceflight could change how astronauts swallow, eat and drink in subtle ways

Sundeep Venkatesan, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Two astronauts holding sandwiches. One is giving a thumbs up.

Two astronauts holding sandwiches. One is giving a thumbs up.

Getting outside despite your 9-to-5 job can improve your mental health – here’s how to spend time in nature during and around working hours

Todd Lookingbill, University of Richmond

Several groups of people sitting in a park

Several groups of people sitting in a park

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Space

An illustration of one box-shaped satellite with two solar panels on the side approaching a larger satellite, with Earth in the background.

An illustration of one box-shaped satellite with two solar panels on the side approaching a larger satellite, with Earth in the background.

Rescuing satellites is harder than it looks – a growing space junk problem will make doing so more important

Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, University of Florida

Building a long-term base on the Moon will require extensive planning – a planetary geologist describes the considerations that go into it

Clive Neal, University of Notre Dame

An illustration of the lunar surface, with rockets, rovers, astronauts and small structures sprinkled across it.

An illustration of the lunar surface, with rockets, rovers, astronauts and small structures sprinkled across it.

What are supermassive black holes? Everything you need to know – and what astronomers are still learning – about these mysterious objects

Mary Ogborn, Penn State

An illustration of a black hole, which looks like a small black dot with bright dust and gas swirling around it and a jet of particles coming from its center.

An illustration of a black hole, which looks like a small black dot with bright dust and gas swirling around it and a jet of particles coming from its center.

NASA announces its Artemis III crew, which will test important equipment and systems in Earth orbit and is testing public opinion

Margaret Landis, Arizona State University

The Artemis III crew standing together in front of several flags and a NASA sign, wearing blue jumpsuits.

The Artemis III crew standing together in front of several flags and a NASA sign, wearing blue jumpsuits.

Asteroid or comet? Meteor or meteorite? How to identify and classify the rocks you see streaking through the sky

Adam Lark, Hamilton College

Streaks of light cross the sky, with the Milky Way galaxy visible in the background.

Streaks of light cross the sky, with the Milky Way galaxy visible in the background.

More articles about space

Digital life

Two men stand face to face with one pointing and speaking as a third man holds his arm out between the first two.

Two men stand face to face with one pointing and speaking as a third man holds his arm out between the first two.

What video review controversies in sports reveal about AI and human decision-making

Pooya Tabesh, California State University, Los Angeles

What is a side-channel attack? A cybersecurity researcher explains how computers can leak secrets without being hacked

Chetan Jaiswal, Quinnipiac University

the end of a stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

the end of a stethoscope on a laptop keyboard

AI in healthcare is an evolving landscape of new technologies, productivity benefits and legal uncertainties

Jodyn Platt, University of Michigan and David Kao, University of Colorado Anschutz

Woman radiologist preparing senior male patient for CT scan.

Woman radiologist preparing senior male patient for CT scan.

Got money questions? How to get chatbots to give you accurate answers

Pawan Jain, University of Michigan Flint

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

What is open-source AI? A software engineering researcher explains

Jeffrey Young, Georgia Institute of Technology

two books on a surface, one open and the other closed, seen end on

two books on a surface, one open and the other closed, seen end on

More articles about artificial intelligence

New research

Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s

Sunil Kumar, University of Denver

Illustration of spindly brain cells extending across a black background

Illustration of spindly brain cells extending across a black background

New genetic approaches raise hopes for restoring the American chestnut to its former glory

Steve Strauss, Oregon State University

black-and-white picture of a big tree

black-and-white picture of a big tree

Bees of many species contain tiny magnetic particles – suggesting they may have an innate magnetic compass for navigation

Laura Russo, University of Tennessee

bee on the orange center of a bright yellow flower

bee on the orange center of a bright yellow flower

Can Ozempic prevent cancer? A doctor explains why the headlines are easy to misread

Ziyad Al-Aly, Washington University in St. Louis

Close-up of person injecting a dose of Ozempic into a pinched fold of their stomach

Close-up of person injecting a dose of Ozempic into a pinched fold of their stomach

Creating synthetic life in a lab? SpudCell falls short of the goal, but raises even more useful questions

Tara Deans, Georgia Institute of Technology

3D illustration of concentric spheres clustered together

3D illustration of concentric spheres clustered together

Cacti spines, snake fangs, snail love darts – oh my! How function drives the evolution of nature’s puncture tools

Philip Anderson, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Several spiny cacti on the desert

Several spiny cacti on the desert

Ivermectin isn’t a cancer miracle drug, but influencers claim otherwise – here’s how to avoid sprinting past scientific evidence

Dannell D. Boatman, West Virginia University

Syringe reading 'IVERCARE' lying on a package with a silhouette of a horse

Syringe reading 'IVERCARE' lying on a package with a silhouette of a horse

Fishing for DNA – how a cup of river water can reveal secrets about human health, pollution and biodiversity

Jenny Whilde, University of Florida

Trees and other greenery lining a river, a small cooler set on rocks in the foreground

Trees and other greenery lining a river, a small cooler set on rocks in the foreground

Brain and mind

A lack of pies for a pack of lies – what spoonerisms reveal about how the brain produces speech

Karen Stollznow, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith University

colorful cakes and desserts in a display case

colorful cakes and desserts in a display case

Kids learn to bully from adults’ threats, manipulation and criticism – a child psychologist explains how parents can model better tactics

Angela J. Narayan, University of Denver

Displeased girl leans on table while man and woman have heated discussion in background

Displeased girl leans on table while man and woman have heated discussion in background

Eroding a virtue: AI trains people to expect instant answers – and that’s bad news for patience

Christian B. Miller, Wake Forest University

closeup of fingers on table surface with motion blur effect

closeup of fingers on table surface with motion blur effect

Is my brain wired to never see a ghost? A psychologist on three factors that make a paranormal experience more likely

Melissa Maffeo, Wake Forest University

Dark hallway with a shadowy light at the end

Dark hallway with a shadowy light at the end

More articles about psychology

Curious Kids

Real kids ask real questions and real experts answer them

A stack of hexagonal shapes arranged into sheets

A stack of hexagonal shapes arranged into sheets

Can we remove or decrease spaces between atoms or molecules?

Robin Macaluso, University of Texas at Arlington

What makes muscles contract? A physiologist explains how muscles move

Kiki Crawford, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

young girl flexing her right arm at the beach

young girl flexing her right arm at the beach

Kids ask the questions. Scholars answer them.

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.

Send in your question!

Graphic that says 'connecting experts with curious kids', with words in background saying 'how? why? who?'

Graphic that says 'connecting experts with curious kids', with words in background saying 'how? why? who?'

How hot does it get in the desert? A climate scientist explains its blazing heat

Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton

A sign warning visitors of extreme heat is posted next to a road in a rocky desert

A sign warning visitors of extreme heat is posted next to a road in a rocky desert

Why is Venus hotter than Mercury, when Mercury is closer to the Sun?

Vahe Peroomian, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

A reconstructed image showing the surface of Venus, with a large volcano in the center.

A reconstructed image showing the surface of Venus, with a large volcano in the center.

More Curious Kids articles

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