Politicized science drove lunar exploration and Stalinist pseudoscience – but polarized scientific views are worse than ever

Politics always influences what questions scientists ask. Their intertwined relationship becomes a problem when politics dictates what answers science is allowed to find.

Liv Grjebine, Postdoctoral Fellow in History of Science, Harvard University • conversation
May 26, 2021 ~8 min

Study: Culture influences mask wearing

In the U.S. and globally, cultures with a high level of collectivism tend to encourage masking during the pandemic.

Peter Dizikes | MIT News Office • mit
May 20, 2021 ~6 min


Intolerance of uncertainty links ‘red’ and ‘blue’ brains

"We found that polarized perception...was strongest in people with the lowest tolerance for uncertainty in general."

Corrie Pikul-Brown • futurity
May 14, 2021 ~8 min

Mobilizing the masses, one person at a time

Dissecting the process of recruitment, MIT political science PhD candidate Gabriel Nahmias seeks to lower the barriers to political engagement.

Leda Zimmerman | Department of Political Science • mit
May 13, 2021 ~8 min

Media amplified anti-mask minority on Twitter

There was strong support for wearing masks to fight COVID-19 on Twitter in mid-2020. But anti-mask views got a bump from the media, researchers find.

Jim Barlow-Oregon • futurity
May 4, 2021 ~6 min

Adults care more about ocean trash after kids explain it

After watching plays, an art show, and presentations from children, adults showed greater concern about plastic and other garbage in the ocean.

Laura Oleniacz - NC State • futurity
April 16, 2021 ~6 min

Dinosaurs: how our understanding of what they looked like keeps changing

A transcript of episode 11 of The Conversation Weekly podcast, including an interview on Israel's foreign policy options following its recent election.

Daniel Merino, Assistant Editor: Science, Health, Environment; Co-Host: The Conversation Weekly Podcast • conversation
April 16, 2021 ~42 min

Trump is building a social media platform – but keeping it online will be a challenge

If it hosts the same violent rhetoric that saw Parler forced offline, Trump's platform may be a short-lived adventure.

Simon Thorne, Senior Lecturer in Computing and ​Information Systems, Cardiff Metropolitan University • conversation
March 24, 2021 ~6 min


Fear links 2020’s crises and booming gun business

The US gun business boomed in 2020, potentially a symptom of deep fear during cascading crises. A new book looks at both gun politics and law enforcement.

Lori Harwood-Arizona • futurity
March 18, 2021 ~9 min

Fear links 2020’s crises and booming gun business

The US gun business boomed in 2020, potentially a symptom of deep fear during cascading crises. A new book looks at both gun politics and law enforcement.

Lori Harwood-Arizona • futurity
March 18, 2021 ~9 min

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