The science of us

Plus: Calculating a black hole's mass; COVID-19, back to school edition; fur-stealing birds and more

To view this email as a web page, go here.

08/15/2021 100 years of psychology studies have tried to make sense of the mind Contentious ideas and sometimes questionable experiments have offered intriguing insights into what makes us tick. Read More Colliding photons were spotted making matter. But are the photons ‘real’? Smashups of particles of light creating electrons and positrons could demonstrate the physics of Einstein’s equation E=mc2. Read More An Indigenous people in the Philippines have the most Denisovan DNA Indigenous people known as the Ayta Magbukon get around 5 percent of their DNA from Denisovans, a new study finds. Read More Scientists have a new word for birds stealing animal hair Dozens of YouTube videos show birds stealing hair from dogs, cats, humans, raccoons and even a porcupine — a behavior rarely documented by scientists. Read More Measuring a black hole’s mass isn’t easy. A new technique could change that The timing of flickers in the gas and dust in a black hole’s accretion disk correlates to its mass, a new study finds. Read More Science News is a nonprofit. We depend on our readers to support our journalism. You can help by subscribing for as little as $25. SUBSCRIBE NOW Schools are reopening. COVID-19 is still here. What does that mean for kids? Children do get COVID-19, and some become very sick and even die. But the disease’s long-term effects on kids remain uncertain. Read More What kids lost when COVID-19 upended school Researchers are starting to tally how a year and a half of pandemic has left many children struggling academically and emotionally. Read More 6 answers to parents’ COVID-19 questions as kids return to school Universal masking in schools could prevent a bumpy 2021–22 schoolyear and keep kids, many of whom are too young to be vaccinated, safe, experts say. Read More Colds and other common respiratory diseases might surge as kids return to school Recent historically low levels of some respiratory illnesses may lead to outbreaks this fall and winter, creating disruptions as kids return to school. Read More How different COVID-19 testing plans can help keep kids safe in school As children head back to school in the United States, here’s a look at various testing strategies that could keep kids safe during in-person learning. Read More Privacy policy  |  Update Profile  | Manage Subscriptions  |   Unsubscribe This email was sent by: Society for Science 1719 N Street NW Washington, DC, 20036, US