SCIENCE
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Why Narcissists Emerge as Leaders Even in Childhood
Narcissistic leaders both fascinate and repel us. They can be charming, act assertively and articulate visions that may inspire confidence, especially in times of uncertainty. This can attract many followers. In 1931 Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, echoed this belief: “[Narcissists] impress others as being ‘personalities’; they are especially suited to act as a support for others, to take…
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How THC, the Psychoactive Compound in Weed, Gets You High
Marijuana contains more than 500 active compounds. But most people focus on two: There’s cannabidiol, or CBD, which reduces inflammation. And then there’s THC, which is the main psychoactive component—it’s the reason weed gives you the relaxed and “euphoric” sensation of being high. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s a compound that comes from the flowers of female cannabis plants, though…
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NASA and NOAA Trump Funding Cuts Jeopardize These Key Climate and Space Projects
Preliminary copies of some of the US government’s spending plans suggest that President Donald Trump’s administration intends to slash climate and space science across some US agencies. At risk is research that would develop next-generation climate models, track the planet’s changing oceans and explore the Solar System. NASA’s science budget for the fiscal year 2026 would be cut nearly in…
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This Butterfly’s Epic Migration Is Written into Its Chemistry
This Butterfly’s Epic Migration Is Written into Its Chemistry Painted ladies travel the globe every year on massive journeys—including across the Sahara By Jesse Greenspan edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Painted ladies are the ultramarathoners of the butterfly world—even more so than monarchs. Scientists have long known about their globetrotting tendencies, but only recently have their exact migratory routes come…
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Black Communities Affected By Opioids Have Been Mostly Ignored in Settlements
After a troubling spike that began in 2019, the total number of drug overdose deaths dropped in 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of these deaths were related to opioid use. Despite the drop, steep racial disparities in opioid deaths, particularly among Black people, remain. Why? In part, these disparities persist because of…
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Letting Kids Fail Is Crucial
When my older son Jack was in high school, he accepted a summer job selling solar panels door-to-door. My first reaction was to tell him not to do it. I felt protective—afraid of the rejection he would face on doorsteps all summer long. I just couldn’t see how my thoughtful son, a good athlete and straight A student, could cope…
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The Kakeya Conjecture, a Decades-Old Math Problem, Is Solved in Three Dimensions
Mathematicians Solve Decades-Old Spinning Needle Puzzle For a long time, the Kakeya conjecture, which involves rotating an infinitely narrow needle, kept mathematicians guessing—until now By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas Sean Gladwell/Getty Images It is rare to read about “spectacular progress” or a “once-in-a-century” result in mathematics. That’s for good reason: if a problem has not had a solution…
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As Happened in Texas, Ignoring EPA Science Will Allow Pollution and Cancer to Fester
As Happened in Texas, Ignoring EPA Science Will Allow Pollution and Cancer to Fester Trump administration plans to destroy EPA science will leave the air we breathe and the water we drink more polluted By Jennifer Sass Cows graze near the Oak Grove Power Plant in Robertson County, Texas, subject to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) rules to reduce carbon emissions…
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COVID Research Funding to Be Slashed, NIH Documents Show
COVID Research Funding to Be Slashed, NIH Documents Show Studies on COVID, climate change and South Africa are on the latest list of terminated grants by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, according to updated documents obtained by Nature By Max Kozlov & Nature magazine Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (greenish brown) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus…
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How to Tame Impatience | Scientific American
You had to be really unlucky to be on the China National Highway 110 on August 14, 2010. One of the longest traffic jams on record ensued, ensnaring thousands of vehicles over more than 100 kilometers and lasting more than 10 days. The unluckiest drivers were stuck for five full days. As the days dragged out, vendors popped up along…
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