Opinion

Claims that an asteroid or comet airburst destroyed the biblical Sodom captured the public’s imagination. Its retraction shows that scientific conclusions aren’t decided by majority rule in the public square

One hundred years after the Scopes trial, religious ideologues are still trying to supplant evidence-based curricula with myths, to the detriment of a well-informed society

Science communicator Hank Green explains how our species’ unique intelligence got us into this climate mess—and how it will help us solve it

Fifty years ago the movie Jaws scared beachgoers and demonized sharks. Now, however, the public is evolving a better understanding

Extreme heat is becoming more prevalent. We need to protect people who work and play outside

Medical research shows that social isolation is a serious chronic stressor. You can say something similar about its impact on our political system

NASA’s astrobiology ambitions are at risk of collapsing under the White House’s proposed budget. But your voice can make a difference

The red flags abound—political research tells us the U.S. is becoming an autocracy

The U.S. needs to set an example for the rest of the world by taking our nuclear missiles off hair-trigger alert and negotiating a reduction of our arsenal

Defending our public libraries is part of a larger struggle for the integrity of institutions essential to democracy, writes one rural sociologist

An unhinged 2026 U.S. budget proposal would hollow NASA to a husk bent to Elon Musk’s whims. Only one mission can save the space agency

Many people believe AI will one day cause human extinction. A little math tells us it wouldn’t be that easy