ScienceGeist

Scientists use big data to understand what separates winners from losers

Science today is facing what seem to be unrelated crises, issues and problems with the public. We tend to see science in terms of the science of the past, and its great achievements, whereas the way science is done, evaluated and made accountable, no longer fits its historical image.

Data-visualization techniques can clarify the uncertainty in information or make it more confusing if not implemented well.

Tensions are rising as Jair Bolsonaro’s administration questions the work of government scientists and institutes debilitating cuts to research funding.

It may not make headlines, but there’s a lot of evidence that it’s happening in the chilling environment the Trump administration has created.

But only because we have had access to health care, emotional support and institutional backing.

The public pays taxes to support research; they should be able to access the results

We need to let non-scientists know that science isn't based on "proof," but rather on the practice of testing and checking one another's work.

Young people will be greatly impacted by the effects of climate change, so it is critical that their voices are heard.

Mental health disorders and depression are far more likely for grad students than they are for the average American.

You can restore credibility to Congress and lead on issues from opioid addiction to clean water

The field has plenty of talented women, but to reach leadership roles they must have visible and recognizable roles within medicine and in the public

It’s more important than ever that scientists be engaged in public and political discourse.

If elected, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson will, among other things, bring a different attitude toward climate science.

We're working to get copies of Angela Saini's Inferior into all of New York City's middle and high schools.

Even after reading every single related news article, it is still worth reading the 300-plus page National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report on Sexual Harassment in its entirety. The report lays out why academia is fundamentally broken and incapable of dealing with harassment.

Marketing algorithms prevent many women from seeing the advertising, even though it’s illegal to target jobs to one gender.

Representative Bill Foster weighs in on the most important science issues facing the country.

Universities need to rethink how they evaluate academics for promotion.

A new wave of scientists and engineers are recognizing the importance of their seat at the policy table.

Tolerating bad behavior means wasted tax dollars, disrupted scientific advancements and weakened innovation.

Wrong question; instead of scapegoating individual researchers, we should blame the centers of power, including corporations and political leaders.

When it’s also big science, the careers of those involved can suffer.

Even when the field of academic study is removed from the equation, women’s earnings still trail those of men by 11 percent. The reason? Family. Married women with children are paid less than those who don’t have similarly structured families. Meanwhile, men earn the same amount, regardless of their marital or parental status. 

Amidst a controversy, it’s important to remember that implicit bias is real and it matters.  The same thought processes that make people smart can also make them biased.

One major factor is the significant gender inequity that exists in the recruitment, promotion and retention of female faculty and staff scientists.

I didn’t really understand how unjust the academic system was for career advancement for women until I had children  

I’m in graduate school to learn, and preprints—draft versions of journal articles that are shared prior to peer review—offer a great opportunity to do just that. Here’s how preprints help young researchers grow in ways traditional types of scientific communication don’t.