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The Conversation
A black and white photograph of Carl Sagan in his science laboratory.

Carl Sagan’s scientific legacy extends far beyond ‘Cosmos’

Jean-Luc Margot, University of California, Los Angeles

The 27 Club isn’t true, but it is real − a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality

Zackary Okun Dunivin, University of California, Davis

Photograph of graffiti mural of the busts of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse
Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals

Allan Albig, Boise State University

Illustration of cross-section of cell and its organelles
Both Harris and Trump have records on space policy − an international affairs expert examines where they differ when it comes to the final frontier

Thomas G. Roberts, Georgia Institute of Technology

An outline of a satellite against the sky and lots of stars.
AI, cryptocurrencies and data privacy: Comparing the Trump and Harris records on technology regulation

Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University

a sign on a wall alongside a staircase outside a stone building
Trump and Harris are sharply divided on science, but share common ground on US technology policy

Kenneth Evans, Rice University

people in darkened room watching Trump and Harris on large screen during debate
Health care under Harris versus Trump: A public health historian sizes up their records

Zachary W. Schulz, Auburn University

A smartphone screen shows the live broadcast of the presidential debate.
a woman appears to emerge from a giant smartphone onto a path in a nature preserve

How to overcome your device dependency and manage a successful digital detox

Kelley Cours Anderson, College of Charleston and Karen Anne Wallach, University of Alabama in Huntsville

How can Jupiter have no surface? A dive into a planet so big, it could swallow 1,000 Earths

Benjamin Roulston, Clarkson University

An image of Jupiter shows cloud tops and colorful blue and brown belts covering the planet.
‘Safe route’ or ‘sushi route’ − 2 strategies to turn yuck to yum and convince people to eat unusual foods

Alexandra Plakias, Hamilton College

Japanese chef demonstrates something with food as people look on
Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats

Nick Buttrick, University of Wisconsin-Madison

holstered gun on woman's hip
Misinformation is more than just bad facts: How and why people spread rumors is key to understanding how false information travels and takes root

Kate Starbird, University of Washington and Stephen Prochaska, University of Washington

black and white photo of two men talking across a fence in a suburban neighborhood
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Space

A grey round moon with rusty red streaks.

Jupiter’s moons hide giant subsurface oceans − Europa Clipper is one of 2 missions on their way to see if these moons could support life

Mike Sori, Purdue University

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is a Halloween visitor from the spooky Oort Cloud − the invisible bubble that’s home to countless space objects

James Wray, Georgia Institute of Technology

A white comet appears against a backdrop of orange and blue sky.
NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s − a crewed mission could unlock some of the red planet’s geologic mysteries

Joel S. Levine, William & Mary

The terrain of Mars, including a shallow crater on a dusty, rocky surface.
Nuclear rockets could travel to Mars in half the time − but designing the reactors that would power them isn’t easy

Dan Kotlyar, Georgia Institute of Technology

An illustration of a spacecraft powered by nuclear thermal propulsion. It is cylindrical with four solar panels coming off it.
CubeSats, the tiniest of satellites, are changing the way we explore the solar system

Mustafa Aksoy, University at Albany, State University of New York

Artist's concept of blue and silver cube-shaped satellites in space.
More articles about space

Digital life

A man, eyes wide and hands over mouth, looks at a laptop screen

No, you’re not that good at detecting fake videos – 2 misinformation experts explain why and how you can develop the power to resist these deceptions

Sam Wineburg, Stanford University and Michael Caulfield, University of Washington

How foreign operations are manipulating social media to influence your views

Filippo Menczer, Indiana University

US flag inside a stylized silhouette of a human head, overlaid by numerous icons and symbols
Your next favorite story won’t be written by AI – but it could be someday

Haoran Chu, University of Florida and Sixiao Liu, University of Central Florida

cartoon image of robot hands at a typewriter
Black Myth: Wukong – how China’s gaming revolution is fueling its tech power

Shaoyu Yuan, Rutgers University - Newark and Jun Xiang, Rutgers University - Newark

detailed graphical representation of a monkey-headed human figure wearing ancient Asian warrior garb
Is childproofing the internet constitutional? A tech law expert draws out the issues

Meg Leta Jones, Georgetown University

line drawings of large buildings with Greek-style columns
More articles about artificial intelligence

New research

Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats

Nick Buttrick, University of Wisconsin-Madison

holstered gun on woman's hip
Monkeys know who will win the election – primal instincts humans share with them shape voters’ choices

Michael Platt, University of Pennsylvania

monkey looking at camera
In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies – an entomologist explains the implication for global pest control

Kelsey Coffman, University of Tennessee

A bright orange wasp with a long tail on a leaf
Simple science summaries written by AI help people understand research and trust scientists

David Markowitz, Michigan State University

scribble going into a funnel with smooth lines coming out the bottom
Fighting antibiotic resistance at the source – using machine learning to identify bacterial resistance genes and the drugs to block them

Abdullahi Tunde Aborode, Mississippi State University

Illustration of bacteria flowing in a beam of light in the darkness
Grow fast, die young? Animals that invest in building high-quality biomaterials may slow aging and increase their lifespans

Chen Hou, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Zebra, elephant, giraffe, dog and horse standing on a grassy field
Women are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease − in part because doctors don’t take major sex and gender differences into account

Amy Huebschmann, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Judith Regensteiner, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Person with hands over chest in pain, beneath a glowing outline of a heart
Wild animals can experience trauma and adversity too − as ecologists, we came up with an index to track how it affects them

Xochitl Ortiz Ross, University of California, Los Angeles and Daniel T. Blumstein, University of California, Los Angeles

Two marmots sitting on a rock.

Brain and mind

Election anxiety doesn’t need to win − here are 3 science-backed strategies from a clinical psychologist to rein in the stress

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, University of Kentucky

two seated men looking at phones with consternation
Some people love to scare themselves in an already scary world − here’s the psychology of why

Sarah Kollat, Penn State

spooky face pressing up against a surface
Can you change your personality? Psychology research says yes, by tweaking what you think and do

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, University of Kentucky

woman looking at herself in the mirror
Mixed emotions – neuroscience is exploring how your brain lets you experience two opposite feelings at once

Anthony Gianni Vaccaro, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

many emojis denoting cartoonish emotions
More articles about psychology

Curious Kids

Real kids ask real questions and real experts answer them

A fuel pump with diesel and gasoline options

Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles?

Michael Leamy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Could fungi actually cause a zombie apocalypse?

Matt Kasson, West Virginia University

The back end of a cicada, with a sandy matter spilling from it
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?'
What is a communist, and what do communists believe?

Aminda Smith, Michigan State University

An illustration of a crowd waving flags against a red sky.
When and why do girls start forming cliques?

Hannah L. Schacter, Wayne State University

four girls cheerfully clowning around in fish-eye photo.
More Curious Kids articles

Most read this week

1.
How can Jupiter have no surface? A dive into a planet so big, it could swallow 1,000 Earths

Benjamin Roulston, Clarkson University

How can Jupiter have no surface? A dive into a planet so big, it could swallow 1,000 Earths
2.
Election anxiety doesn’t need to win − here are 3 science-backed strategies from a clinical psychologist to rein in the stress

Shannon Sauer-Zavala, University of Kentucky

Election anxiety doesn’t need to win − here are 3 science-backed strategies from a clinical psychologist to rein in the stress
3.
Making a Snickers bar is a complex science − a candy engineer explains how to build the airy nougat and chewy caramel of this Halloween favorite

Richard Hartel, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Making a Snickers bar is a complex science − a candy engineer explains how to build the airy nougat and chewy caramel of this Halloween favorite
4.
Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals

Allan Albig, Boise State University

Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals
5.
Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats

Nick Buttrick, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats
6.
Monkeys know who will win the election – primal instincts humans share with them shape voters’ choices

Michael Platt, University of Pennsylvania

Monkeys know who will win the election – primal instincts humans share with them shape voters’ choices