Sperm from older rats passes on fewer active genes to offspring because of epigenetic changes

Male rats transfer different hereditary information to their offspring depending on their age.

Alexander Suvorov, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
March 16, 2021 • ~5 min

Sewage-testing robots process wastewater faster to predict COVID-19 outbreaks sooner

A community's wastewater can predict coronavirus cases that haven't yet been diagnosed. The quicker that information is known, the better.

Rob Knight, Professor of Pediatrics and Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego • conversation
March 11, 2021 • ~5 min

Growing cannabis indoors produces a lot of greenhouse gases – just how much depends on where it's grown

Growing weed indoors is not an environmentally friendly process. Climate controls create a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, and where the pot is produced has a huge influence on emission levels.

Hailey Summers, Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering and Sustainability, Colorado State University • conversation
March 8, 2021 • ~5 min

What's really driving coal power's demise?

Contrary to popular belief, falling natural gas prices didn't accelerate coal power plant retirements. Here's what did.

Jeffrey York, Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, University of Colorado Boulder • conversation
March 1, 2021 • ~6 min

Some kindergartners are more likely to be heavy users of online tech later, according to new research

Too much screen time doesn't leave enough time for other important parts of growing up. Predicting which little kids will likely grow into heavy tech users could help target educational campaigns.

Paul L. Morgan, Eberly Fellow, Professor Education and Demography, and Director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research, Penn State • conversation
Jan. 12, 2021 • ~7 min

Some kindergartners are more likely later to be heavy users of online tech, according to new research

Too much screen time doesn't leave enough time for other important parts of growing up. Predicting which little kids will likely grow into heavy tech users could help target educational campaigns.

Paul L. Morgan, Eberly Fellow, Professor Education and Demography, and Director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research, Penn State • conversation
Jan. 12, 2021 • ~7 min

4 signs that food pantries improve the diets of low-income people

The boxes and bags people get from food pantries contain healthier food than you might suspect.

Heather Eicher-Miller, Associate Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University • conversation
Dec. 17, 2020 • ~6 min

Curved origami offers a creative route to making robots and other mechanical devices

Curved origami isn't just elegant art. It's also a versatile way to vary the amount of force applied by robots and other machines.

Zirui Zhai, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University • conversation
Nov. 18, 2020 • ~5 min

Racial discrimination ages Black Americans faster, according to a 25-year-long study of families

A study of 800 Black American families shows early experiences of racism have long-term consequences for physical and mental health.

Sierra Carter, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Georgia State University • conversation
Nov. 17, 2020 • ~5 min

When scientific journals take sides during an election, the public's trust in science takes a hit

When the scientific establishment gets involved in partisan politics, surveys suggest, there are unintended consequences – especially for conservatives.

Stylianos Syropoulos, PhD Student in Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst • conversation
Nov. 12, 2020 • ~6 min

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