Toy Story 5’s ‘Lilypad’ is an indictment of the world that birthed the ‘iPad Kid’
The film zeros in on the generation of children whose formative years are unfolding in front of screens.
Recent coverage
Juneteenth’s real meaning is written on the plates of smoked meats, potato salad and watermelon
One Black Texas family’s Juneteenth memories show how food became a powerful expression of emancipation, self-determination and remembrance.
US-Iran deal leaves the future of Lebanon uncertain – and subject to Israel playing the spoiler
President Donald Trump has talked of a potential role for Syrian forces in fighting Hezbollah – a move that would raise alarm in Lebanon.
How LGBTQ employees at Kodak risked their careers to build a safer, more inclusive workplace
There was a time when you could be fired from your job for being gay. It took LGBTQ employees at companies like Kodak to challenge workplace discrimination and transform corporate culture.
Americans keep voting for scandal-prone candidates because they just don’t want the other party to win
Polarization and negative partisanship have lowered the standards for whom Americans are willing to support.
How Messi, Mbappe and Haaland use their brains (as well as feet) to gain a psychological edge at the World Cup
A sport psychologist takes a look at disruption, tactical creativity and controlled mind-wandering in the modern game.
Refugee numbers dropped in 2025 – but aid cuts and others trends suggest little to celebrate
The drop in funding has also led donors to prioritize the trend of using aid to control the movement of people – over their needs.
Where nature draws the map – here are 5 ways to look at the US, without state boundaries
State lines are one way to picture the US, but natural history provides another – one that shows the ancient and living connections running across the landscape.
NASA announces its Artemis III crew, which will test important equipment and systems in Earth orbit and is testing public opinion
The Artemis program’s timeline and architecture has changed over the past year, so Artemis III will not land on the lunar surface.
Quartz countertops are driving a public health crisis in the US – 2 occupational health experts explain the surge of lung transplants and lawsuits
Workers are facing a preventable and incurable lung disease from a material being used to renovate kitchens in millions of American homes.
First new US sunscreen ingredient since 1999 approved by FDA – a skin scientist explains how bemotrizinol works
Consumers in Europe and Asia have used sunscreen containing bemotrizinol for decades, and many say its approval in the US is long overdue.
How local communities are challenging Big Tech data centers’ noise, pollution and rising electricity bills
Local needs, political tensions and corporate power all get involved in the democratic processes by which Americans govern their communities.
The drawer problem: Why so many of us can’t let go of our old electronics, and what we can do about it
People don’t usually plan to hold onto their old devices, but that’s what many end up doing. Better information about recycling and reselling options could change that.
Bonfires, Maypoles and a saint’s day: How Europe celebrates the longest day of the year
Midsummer celebrations throughout Europe coincide with the solstice. Many blend pre-Christian and Christian traditions.
Heat waves increase wildfire risk – a new study explains how much, and it’s not a small number
Heat waves do more than dry out vegetation that can easily burn. They also play a role in lightning strikes, particularly dry lightning.
Rural areas lag behind in cancer treatment and prevention – even as rich, urban areas increasingly leave dying from cancer in the rearview
Cancer deaths in the US have dropped steeply since 1991. But the medical and public health advances leading to these declines have been concentrated among high-income areas.
Why states are walking back their own climate and energy laws, and what they could do instead
Many steps that are good for clean energy also dovetail with federal priorities, from affordable housing to data centers and rural development.
Energy costs are high and unaffordable – what utilities, governments, communities and you can do to help save consumers money
There are opportunities at every level of the US energy market to save consumers money – if governments, companies, communities and individuals choose to act.
Colorado criminal cases are dismissed at a higher rate when prosecutors face heavier workloads
When prosecutors’ caseloads increase, so do dismissal rates.
How political leaders use combat spectacles to symbolize national power and purpose
For both Roman gladiators and modern-day mixed martial arts participants, physical contests become moral dramas about sacrifice and human limits. That has led today’s fighters to right-wing politics.
Many college students already have well-formed cheating habits – that, not AI, is the real problem
Some students might arrive at college with already formed cheating habits, and a mentality that justifies the practice.
DIY zines are helping queer communities tell their own stories and craft their own culture
For decades, zinemakers have used their self-published work to forge connections and nurture political movements outside of the mainstream.
40 years on, Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal is still celebrated. But should it be?
A philosopher of sport guides readers through the ethics of Diego Maradona’s most celebrated goal – and his most controversial.
How enslaved African Muslims resisted bondage through their faith and writing
As the US approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, two scholars revisit the rich legacy of American Muslims.
Most American workers are checked out, and like ‘The Office,’ their bosses are the last to know
Less than half of American workers feel that they clearly know what their employers expect from them. And many employees are too discouraged to do their best.
Soaring US beef prices likely to rise further thanks to trade tensions and disease outbreaks
The tightly integrated North American beef market, under pressure from drought and the spread of the screwworm, could get further roiled by trade uncertainty.
Why fatherhood matters more than ever before
Dads today are spending dramatically more time with their kids than they did a generation ago. But there’s a less encouraging trend tucked into this development.
Western troops have been expelled from Africa’s Sahel – so why are Italy’s Carabinieri still there?
Africa’s ‘coup belt’ has seen rising anti-Western sentiment.
Microplastics are everywhere in Pennsylvania’s water – but the tide may be turning
An environmental engineer who mapped microplastic pollution in three of Pennsylvania’s watersheds explains what it means for our health.
Juneteenth reminds us of Black Americans’ long struggle for education following end of slavery
Enslaved people were not just enslaved physically, but mentally as well. as widespread laws in the South barred enslaved people from receiving an education.
How Wall Street is shifting electric utilities toward consolidation and profit
Electric utilities don’t make money from selling power to customers, but instead profit from investments in power plants, wires, substations and other equipment.
Asteroid or comet? Meteor or meteorite? How to identify and classify the rocks you see streaking through the sky
An observatory director describes the differences between the types of rocks that fly through space.
Prediction markets are opening many new opportunities for unregulated insider trading and unethical bets – in the name of making a game out of politics
The rapidly growing popularity of prediction markets is sparking worries about the markets’ effects on US politics, where campaign staff has bet on its candidate’s electoral performance.
Building data centers in space is an intriguing idea on paper, but major engineering challenges must be solved
A data center could get more solar power and be kept much colder in space, but it would be extremely difficult to repair and update.
The world agreed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 – but marine protection can’t be judged by area alone
So far, about 10% of the ocean has formal protection as countries work toward the 30x30 goal, but many areas are still protected on paper only.
Trump’s US-Iran ceasefire deal is a costly return to prewar conditions – and resolving nuclear questions will run into the ‘indivisibility problem’
Iran has emerged with its uranium enrichment knowledge intact, its stockpile buried and fresh reason to believe that only a nuclear weapon would have deterred the US-Israel attack.
What we misunderstand about absent fathers
As a new father, a scholar used his research on absentee fatherhood to reimagine his own childhood without his dad.
This successful Arctic fishing treaty has kept Russia, China, the US and others working together for 5 years – it could be a model for future diplomacy
As sea ice melts, more of the Arctic Ocean opens up. A former ambassador explains how this treaty creates time for scientists to figure out what lives there.
Paving paradise: Dismantling the US Roadless Rule threatens to disrupt wildlife, water and peace in the last quiet places in America
The constant noise of traffic is so ubiquitous, it is barely noticeable to our ears – until we step into a roadless forest and experience true quiet.
US immigration policies interfere with prenatal care and parenting choices, hurting people and communities
Limits on healthcare for undocumented women are reshaping pregnancy and family health.
A shared mourning ritual helped an American soldier and an Iraqi interpreter find common ground
Research on social bonding suggests that common traditions can foster connection not only within communities but also across cultural and religious boundaries.
Sonic booms from meteors can release the energy of hundreds of tons of TNT – here’s how they work
2026 has already been a banner year for meteor spottings and sonic booms across the world.
Trump proposes putting political goals above objective criteria in deciding who gets government grants, from childcare to research to public safety
The White House says the changes it seeks would strengthen transparency, accountability and oversight. Critics say federal grantmaking would become too political.
Who was the first transgender person?
There is evidence of people who crossed gender boundaries even in ancient civilizations, though the terms naming them have evolved over time.
FIFA’s Haiti jersey ban echoes the long campaign to discredit and downplay the Haitian Revolution
The move is part of a longer history of obscuring and demonizing the Haitian Revolution and its leader, Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
The ‘right to repair’ movement has a point, but consumers should read the warranty fine print first
Manufacturers would benefit from establishing a better, more efficient service network and offering more attractive warranty programs.
AI schools like Alpha promise efficiency, but can’t replicate the messy process that helps kids learn
AI schools try to tailor learning to match students’ abilities. But they can’t help young people learn who they are.
How window-mounted heat pumps can give tenants efficient heating and cooling
Permanently installing a heat pump system in a building is expensive. But new window units can deliver many of the benefits with far less cost and go with renters when they move.
The Constitution promises an interpreter for fair trials – US courts often can’t deliver
Federal protections promise a fair trial in a language you understand, but for millions who speak lesser-known languages, courts can’t keep that promise.
El Niño is back, and ocean temperatures are already near record highs – that can spell disaster for fish and corals
El Niño can trigger intense periods of extreme ocean warming known as marine heat waves that can devastate marine life.