Ginkgo Biloba Not a Wonder Drug, After All
A well-designed study shows that the popular Chinese herb does not protect against Alzheimer’s. Will anyone listen?
Head Games: Brain Injuries Intercept Football
Former professional football players are three times more likely to die of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and ALS than other Americans. But is it fair to blame concussions?
Banded, Stapled, Saved
New research shows that weight-loss surgery can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by close to 80 percent. With more than two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese, that’s no small matter.
Liberal, Conservative, or Charitable: Politics Underpins How We Give
It’s not just super PACs—politics dictate how we donate to everyday charities, too.
Fear Powers Zombie Bugs
Work with glued spiders and stressed grasshoppers shows how fear can transform an ecosystem even after death.
The Rise and Fall of Sexual Promiscuity
Sleeping around once had its benefits, but turns out women may have given up better fertility for better security.
The Three-Year Engagement: 25 Percent Off College Term
Wesleyan University wants to graduate some students in just three years, saving them (or their parents) thousands in tuition costs. Is this a brave idea—or a blasphemous one?
Warehousing CO2: What Lies Beneath
Seagrass meadows are some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. New research shows that they’re enormous carbon sinks, too.
China’s Growing Unhappiness Gap
Twenty years of economic growth in China has left everyone richer. But new research from USC suggests that the rising tide of wealth is leaving poor Chinese unhappier
What to Expect When You’re Not Expecting
IUDs are 20 times more effective at stopping unintended pregnancies than the pill. Why do so few American women use them?