Vince Beiser

An excerpt from Vince Beiser's new book about how sand transformed civilization.

A homecoming in Red Cloud, Nebraska.

Is it really a good idea to scan the irises of thousands of vulnerable people?

Annie Dookhan, the forensic scientist sent to prison last week for falsifying evidence, is just the tip of the iceberg.

If we’re going to kill people, there's only one good way to do it.

It's not just because of climate change—it's population growth, too.

Why are more than 3,000 inmates serving life without parole in state and federal prisons across the United States for non-violent offenses?

Journalists are misrepresenting a new study about the number of children killed every year by firearms.

He may have been the world's first out bisexual rock star—but what really matters is that everyone thought he was.

Killings are down in Mexico—but kidnapping is way up.

What happened to all of those investments in renewable energy technologies?

In an act of domestic repression, authorities have locked up a prominent political dissident.

Survey polled 1,601 gun dealers, pawnshops, and gunsmiths in 43 states.

Is there anybody still opposed to legalizing marijuana?

Today's farmers are using all of the technology at their disposal to increase yields, which is critical if we hope to feed a rapidly growing population. But digitally driven farming is not without its potential downsides.

A string of attacks on women "highlight the failure of government and all political parties," according to a Human Rights Watch statement.

Washington's Initiative 502 legalized pot across the state, but provided only a few guidelines for how to produce, process, and retail the drug. What regulations will lawmakers put in place—and will they convince black market users to switch to a new, regulated industry?

Exodus International's Alan Chambers, Ken Mehlman, and others like them have done serious damage to a righteous cause. Is an apology enough?

In a nation where we're increasingly identifying as "mixed race," categories have to stop meaning anything at some point.

Ever found yourself at odds with what you thought was the majority opinion? There's a name for that.

Tiny numbers, big impacts.

Why we should be treating gun violence as a disease—and why most states can't.

Inside one of the world's most colorful festivals

Rapidly advancing technologies are opening up astonishing sources of oil and gas all over the world. We are entering a new era of fossil fuels that is reshaping global economics and politics—and the planet.

Why do Burger King and McDonald's start to sell the same salad? There's a name for that phenomenon.

What Jimmie Johnson and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., owe to a PhD in the pit crew.

Why this Emory prof is studying the sleeping habits of villagers halfway around the world