Mental HealthApril 14, 2022
The Pandemic Generation
Child development researchers are investigating whether the pandemic is shaping early brain development and behavior
Stories by Melinda Wenner Moyer
Melinda Wenner Moyer, a contributing editor at Scientific American, is author of How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting—from Tots to Teens (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021). She wrote about the reasons that autoimmune diseases overwhelmingly affect women in the September 2021 issue.
Public HealthFebruary 3, 2022
Long-Haul COVID Cases Could Spike after Latest Wave
The huge number of Omicron infections could add a lot more people with disabling long-term symptoms. Vaccinations could blunt the impact
BehaviorFebruary 1, 2022
Schoolkids Are Falling Victim to Disinformation and Conspiracy Fantasies
Although children are prime targets, educators cannot figure out how best to teach them to separate fact from fiction
Public HealthJanuary 19, 2022
Latest COVID Surge Pushes Parents to Next-Level Stress
The new normal this winter is longer drives for kids’ tests, multiday waits for results, drug-store restock alerts and social media tips
MicrobiologyOctober 14, 2021
Gut Bacteria Change as You Get Older—and May Accelerate Aging
Microbe types in older people’s intestines are different and are linked to disease
Public HealthSeptember 29, 2021
Suicide Rates Rise in a Generation of Black Youth
Multiple causes underlie a disturbing trend. The increase for girls is more than double that for boys
MedicineSeptember 1, 2021
Why Nearly 80 Percent of Autoimmune Sufferers Are Female
The effects of sex hormones, X chromosomes and different gut microbes may be parts of the answer
Public HealthMarch 30, 2021
When Will Kids Get COVID Vaccines?
Pharmaceutical companies are starting clinical trials in young children and adolescents, but they must balance speed and safety
Mental HealthDecember 21, 2020
You Can Get through This Dark Pandemic Winter Using Tips from Disaster Psychology
Deaths are surging, and mental health is strained. But coping strategies people use amid other catastrophes can help
PolicyDecember 7, 2020
Undocumented Immigrants Are Half as Likely to Be Arrested for Violent Crimes as U.S.-Born Citizens
Some of the most solid evidence to date shows that President Trump’s cornerstone immigration policy was built on a wholly false premise
Public HealthOctober 27, 2020
A Flu Shot Might Reduce Coronavirus Infections, Early Research Suggests
Hospital workers who got vaccinated were significantly less likely to develop COVID than those who did not
EnvironmentJanuary 1, 2020
Low-Income Baltimore Blocks Host Bigger, More Dangerous Mosquitoes
Tiger mosquitoes thrive in abandoned urban buildings
MedicineJune 1, 2019
Could a Single Live Vaccine Protect against a Multitude of Diseases?
A controversial theory holds that one immunization, given properly, can protect against many diseases besides its target
BehaviorMarch 1, 2019
People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Share a Cluster of Psychological Features
Baseless theories threaten our safety and democracy. It turns out that specific emotions make people prone to such thinking
BehaviorOctober 2, 2018
Do Violent Video Games Trigger Aggression?
A study tries to find whether slaughtering zombies with a virtual assault weapon translates into misbehavior when a teenager returns to reality
Public HealthJune 26, 2018
Tick Discovery Highlights How Few Answers We Have about These Pests in the U.S.
As Lyme and other tick-borne diseases worsen in the U.S., new efforts seek to fill in the gaps
NeurologyJune 21, 2018
Harder Evidence Builds That Viruses Play a Role in Alzheimer's
A study seeking new drug targets for the disease unexpectedly implicates two types of herpes
Public HealthMay 1, 2018
A Wave of Resurgent Epidemics Has Hit the U.S.
Resurgent outbreaks of infectious diseases are sickening thousands, and the causes are societal
Public HealthFebruary 28, 2018
All Talk, No Bolt-Action: Gun Injuries Drop During NRA Conventions
A study pokes holes in the idea that experienced firearm users are less likely to injure themselves
BehaviorDecember 13, 2017
Do Money, Social Status Woes Fuel the U.S. Gun Culture?
Of U.S. gun owners, white males hit by economic setbacks were most likely to feel empowered by weapons, a new study shows
MedicineDecember 4, 2017
A New Antibiotic Weakness—Drugs Themselves Help Bacteria Survive
Medications can change body chemistry to make it more hospitable to invading microbes
PolicyNovember 10, 2017
Four Laws That Could Stem the Rising Threat of Mass Shootings
Pro-gun advocates claim new laws will not make us safer. But here is evidence the right laws will do exactly that
Public HealthNovember 6, 2017
Flu Vaccine “Factories” Create Errors That Reduce Protection
Eggs used to grow viruses for flu shots trigger changes that leave people vulnerable
Public HealthOctober 1, 2017
More Guns Do Not Stop More Crimes, Evidence Shows
More firearms do not keep people safe, hard numbers show. Why do so many Americans believe the opposite?