Flam: James Watson had a brilliant mind and a broken moral compass
'Sometimes a brilliant insight and a series of deeply flawed ideas can come from the same mind.'
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Flam: Black spatula saga shows the danger of hyping science
Any mistake can take on a life of its own, as original errors are cited in yet more scientific papers and media reports.
Flam: Trying to quantify everything can hurt our decisions
People will take almost anything more seriously if you just slap a number on it, even if it's trivial.
Flam: It’s getting harder for researchers to study fake news
Critics cry censorship, but picking fights with scientists won’t make our information problems disappear.
Flam: If killing one species might save another, should we do it?
Plans to shoot barred owls in California, Oregon and Washington to save the spotted owls pose moral, practical issues
Flam: Deep-sea mining may be necessary to build a greener future
Scientists consider risks and rewards of tapping into metal-rich rocks that act as natural batteries on the ocean floor.
Opinion: It’s too early to be fighting a space race with China
Competition makes things happen, but collaboration would make lunar exploration safer and more productive for all.
Opinion: Population decline isn’t the problem. Hungry kids are
Instead of focusing on the number of children born, maybe policymakers should focus on the number of children fed.
Opinion: Political outrage is currency and RFK Jr. really stirs it up
Why the presidential candidate’s paranoid views are suddenly appealing to a wider audience.