Humans Defeat A.I. in Debate. For Now.
An IBM team led by A.I. researcher Noam Slonim has devised a system that does not merely answer questions; it debates the questioners.
Science
Federal Science Funding Won't Accomplish Anything the Private Sector Can't Do Better
A bipartisan bill aimed to help the U.S. “compete” with China would only slow down scientific progress.
Study on Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Finds 'Conclusions Were Often Erroneous'
Bloodstain pattern analysis is one of several forensic techniques that has come under scrutiny in recent years for its lack of established error rates.
The Doubling of Life Expectancy Is the Greatest Achievement in 100 Years
Science writer Steven Johnson, author of the new book Extra Life, on vaccines, medical breakthroughs, and life after Covid.
Anthony Fauci Says His Critics Are Attacking Science Itself
"A lot of what you're seeing as attacks on me quite frankly are attacks on science."
Anthony Fauci May Not Have 'Lied' About Face Masks, but He Was Not Exactly Honest Either
The COVID-19 adviser's unsatisfying explanation of his conversion feeds skepticism about the value of a sensible precaution.
Lingering COVID Requirements for NYC Bars and Restaurants Amount to Pointless Hygiene Theater
Theatrical safety checks don't keep people safe—vaccines do.
Photo: Fun With Frozen Ferrets
Elizabeth Ann, a black-footed ferret, was cloned from cells of another ferret that were cryopreserved at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Frozen Zoo.
Plexiglass Barriers Are Everywhere, but They're Probably Useless
There's a good chance they haven't been preventing the spread of COVID, and they might even be counterproductive.
An Epidemiologist Confirms That the CDC Director Misrepresented Her Study of Outdoor COVID-19 Transmission
A co-author of the article that Rochelle Walensky cited says outdoor settings probably account for "substantially less than 1 percent" of infections.
New Life for Wuhan Lab Leak Hypothesis
Plus: Protesters increasingly hit with "civil disorder" charges, why cryptocurrency prices are falling, and more...
The CDC Director Misrepresented the Study She Cited To Justify Her Misleading Estimate of Outdoor COVID-19 Risk
Rochelle Walensky's gloss is puzzling in light of the evidence presented in the systematic review on which she relied.
Why Americans Are Suckers for Quick Fixes From Psychologists
From "power poses" to the self-esteem movement to implicit bias tests, we want to believe one small tweak will solve our problems, says Jesse Singal.
Jesse Singal: Why We Keep Falling for Psychological Quick Fixes
From "power poses" to the self-esteem movement to implicit bias tests, Americans are suckers for bad ideas from psychologists.
Stewart Brand: We Are (Still) As Gods
The former Merry Prankster and Whole Earth Catalog founder talks about psychedelics, computers, bringing back woolly mammoths, and his new documentary.
The Great Vaccine Fiasco
Federal predictions that 20 million Americans would be vaccinated by the end of 2020 were off by an order of magnitude.
Will Biden 'Listen to the Science' on GMOs?
The USDA under the Trump administration streamlined some outdated and scientifically unwarranted regulations of modern biotech crops.
Is America Too Bound by Red Tape to Support Space Entrepreneurs?
Regulators haven't kept up with the times when it comes to the changing nature of ventures into space.
How the CDC Bungled Testing of Early COVID-19 Quarantine Patients
Plus: Commemorating the first U.S. sex worker protest, why Parler is a success story for Section 230, and more...
Biden Pledges to Rejoin Paris Climate Agreement
His plan says that by 2035, no electric power should be generated by burning fossil fuels, and the U.S. should commit to zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.
Space, the Final Smuggling Frontier
In a glimpse of a gloriously rule-breaking future, contraband has boldly gone where more is sure to follow.
Humanity and Wild Nature Will Likely Both Be Flourishing in 2100
Human ingenuity is enabling us to get ever more goods and services from fewer and fewer resources.
Should We End the Lockdowns? A Soho Forum Debate
Harvard's Martin Kulldorff vs. Andrew Noymer of UC Irvine
End the COVID-19 Lockdowns? Two Epidemiologists Debate
Harvard's Martin Kulldorff vs. Andrew Noymer of UC Irvine
The Ultimate 2020 Libertarian Gift Guide
Reason's writers and editors share their suggestions for what you should be buying your friends and family this year.
Solar and Wind Power Struggle as California Faces Blackouts
The state's electricity grid operators warned in 2019 that power shortages might become increasingly common when heat waves hit in the coming years.
Rapid Home COVID-19 Tests Are the Best Path to a New Normal. They're Illegal.
Delivering rapid at-home testing kits to 330 million Americans is "something we can actually do at warp speed."
A Group of Scientists Wants To Reopen Society. Here's What Everyone Is Getting Wrong About What They Said.
The Great Barrington Declaration asks how much collateral damage is too much.
Unlock the Damned Playgrounds, Already
Playing outside is one of the safest group activities kids can do, yet Gavin Newsom and other pols are extending the pandemic misery indefinitely.
More Countries Should Pay Plasma Donors
Most foreign countries refuse to pay for plasma because of outmoded guidance from the World Health Organization, so much of the world relies on the U.S.'s paid plasma donors.
Science Denialism on the Left: Sex, Gender, and Trans Identity
In The End of Gender, Debra Soh stands up for impartial research—and for LGBTQ rights.
Debra Soh: The End of Gender
A controversial new book aims to debunk "the myths about sex and identity in our society."
The 'Insect Apocalypse' Has Been Canceled
At least in the United States, according to a new study
When Choosing What To Believe, People Often Choose Morality Over Hard Evidence
In new studies, many people "reported that morally good beliefs require less evidence to be justified, and that, in some circumstances, a morally good belief can be justified even in the absence of sufficient evidence."
Don't Put Too Much Faith in the Experts
“There is no such thing as expertise on the future.”
Is Asymptomatic Spread of COVID-19 Very Rare? Depends How You Define 'Asymptomatic'
Plus: Netflix out-trademarks the U.S. government, contraception shortages, and more...
Do the Divergent Results of COVID-19 Antibody Studies Reflect Real Differences?
The infection fatality rate probably varies from one place to another.
This App Protects Privacy While Tracing COVID-19 Infections
Stanford researcher Tina White and the new nonprofit Covid Watch are committed to protecting both individual rights and public health.
A Formerly Secret Memo Explains the DEA's Long Delay in Approving New Producers of Marijuana for Research
The Justice Department concluded in 2018 that an anti-drug treaty requires stricter controls than the DEA originally planned.
Can Nicotine Treat COVID-19? French Researchers Think So.
Plus: abortion bans defeated again, Peter Thiel company gets contact tracing contract, and more...
Can a Negative COVID-19 Test Be Trusted?
Preliminary research suggests that commonly used procedures frequently fail to detect the virus.
What's Up With All the Contradictory Advice About COVID-19 and Face Masks?
The combination of limited evidence and conflicting priorities has resulted in whipsawing messages from experts.
When Should Lay Voters Defer to the Views of Scientists?
My 2015 post on this subject includes points relevant to our current situation.
American Heart Association Journal Finally Retracts Study Implying That E-Cigarettes Cause Heart Attacks Before People Use Them
The journal's editors recognized the problem before publication, but the authors failed to address it.
U.S. Fertility Reaches All-Time Low as People Choose Things Other Than Children
The global total fertility rate fell by more than half, from 5 births per woman in 1960 to 2.4 today. But don't panic!
8 Months Later, This Journal Still Hasn't Corrected Its Study Implying That E-Cigarettes Magically Cause Heart Attacks Before People Use Them
The Journal of the American Heart Association has responded to critics with nothing but boilerplate promises of scientific integrity.
