Research
Can Virtual Reality Replace Psychedelic Drugs?
A new ayahuasca "experience" at the Tribeca Film Festival puts the question of whether drug trips can be artificially recreated to the test.
Adhering to Cultural Norms Can Help Immigrants Elicit Acceptance, Study Finds
New research finds Germans are less likely to help a hijab-wearing Muslim woman, but this bias fades if she demonstrates agreement with the national consensus that littering is bad.
Investigating Sneezes Can Reveal How Different Pathogens Spread
For over 80 years, our understanding of the spread of airborne illness hasn't changed, but one researcher is working to redefine how we think about sneeze transmission.
How Scientists Use the Color of the Ocean to Determine the Impacts of Climate Change
As climate change continues to warm the oceans, researchers have turned to microscopic sediments to observe trends.
The Tricky Ethics of Using YouTube Videos for Academic Research
There's no one-size-fits-all for researchers to determine whether using publicly available data is appropriate, but there is certainly room for more discussion.
We Need Long-Term Ecological Research More Than Ever. Who's Going to Pay for It?
The information gathered in long-term studies helps scientists see how climate change is affecting our planet, yet money often goes to shorter-term projects.
Coca-Cola's Research Contracts Allowed It to Kill Unfavorable Studies
A new study finds the industry giant was frequently given the right to oversee and even terminate public-sector research.
Scientists Partially Revived the Brains of Dead Pigs. Here's What it Means for Neurological Research.
Federal regulation of research tissue from the deceased is prefaced on the assumption that the dead (tissue) stays dead. A new experiment suggests otherwise.
Why Should Taxpayer-Funded Research Be Put Behind a Paywall?
The University of California's boycott of academic-publishing giant Elsevier has open-access advocates pleased. Others have concerns about transparency.
What Happened to the Serengeti's Wild Dogs?
A new study definitively disproves a decades-old theory that human "handling" of the animals caused their rapid disappearance from Serengeti National Park in 1991.
People Who Quit Facebook Are Less Anxious
A new study finds those who deactivate Facebook are happier than those who don't. But there are reasons to believe this might not be true of the elderly.
We're Hiring a Research Editor
Pacific Standard is looking for a research editor to lead our fact-checking operations and ensure the accuracy, integrity, and transparency of our content.
Research Suggests Trump's Election Has Been Detrimental to Many Americans' Mental Health
Particularly that of the country's most marginalized groups.
Nuclear Scientists Continue to Search for Undiscovered Isotopes
Nuclear researchers suspect that there are nearly 4,000 undiscovered nuclei that may help lead us to new machines and practices that benefit human life.
The Role of Big Data in Science's Reproducibility Crisis
The reproducibility crisis is driven, in part, by invalid statistical analyses that are from data-driven hypotheses.
Will the New Congress Take Up Sexual Harassment in Science?
Several members of Congress are already eying legislation to require universities to report taxpayer-funded harassers to the government.
The Less People Understand Science, the More Afraid of GMOs They Are
A lack of scientific literacy is correlated with undue fears around genetic modification, chemicals, and common food production techniques.
Using Porpoise Vocalizations to Test the Effectiveness of Acoustic Monitors
It will help scientists more accurately measure the presence of vocal species like bats, birds, bees, and tigers.
As NASA's Kepler Mission Comes to an End, Planetary Research Moves Forward
The Kepler telescope has run out of fuel and officially entered retirement. Luckily, there is a replacement on the way to continue our observation of the stars.
Senator Jeff Flake's War on Small Animals and Sound Science
Through his attacks on those government expenditures he deems frivolous, the Arizona senator exposes the counterproductive nature of his own belt-tightening mission.
In the Latest Effort to Replicate Scientific Studies, Only 62 Percent Hold Up Under Scrutiny
Nevertheless, scientists see some progress on the problem of reproducibility.
When It Comes to Health-Related Research, Should We Cut Out the Middleman?
A systemic review presents damning evidence that journalists are overselling research.
Tracking Young Great Whites Off the Coast of Long Island
This area of the Atlantic has been known as a nursery for the apex predator for decades, but no one has attempted to study these sharks' movements—until now.
Can Auditing Scientific Research Help Fix Its Reproducibility Crisis?
New research predicts that audits would reduce the number of false positive results from 30.2 per 100 papers to 12.3 per 100.