Keeping brain-dead pregnant women on life support raises ethical issues that go beyond abortion politics

Adriana Smith’s body was kept on life support for 16 weeks so her fetus could gestate. Abortion politics don’t capture the ethical complexities of such situations.

Lindsey Breitwieser, Assistant Professor of Gender & Women's Studies, Hollins University • conversation
July 1, 2025 ~11 min

Men are carrying the brunt of the ‘loneliness epidemic’ amid potent societal pressures

There is an epidemic of isolation gripping the United States, health experts say, with the resulting loneliness disproportionately impacting men and leading to concrete health issues.

Quinn Kinzer, Graduate student and PhD Candidate, Department of Consumer Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
Sept. 20, 2024 ~9 min


What's at stake as Supreme Court appears intent on overturning Roe v. Wade -- 3 essential reads

A draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito suggests that a majority of the court may overturn the landmark 1973 ruling that guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion in the US.

Matt Williams, Breaking News Editor • conversation
May 3, 2022 ~8 min

What are phthalates, and how do they put children's health at risk?

Scientists issued an urgent call for better federal regulation of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Here's why.

Stephanie Eick, Postdoctoral Researcher in Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
Feb. 26, 2021 ~6 min

How a pregnant mouse's microbes influence offspring's brain development – new study offers clues

Microbes in the gut aren't just important for digesting your food. In pregnant women, these gut microbes are producing chemicals that are essential for proper brain development of the fetus.

Helen Vuong, Postdoctoral Scholar of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
Sept. 23, 2020 ~8 min

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