Asking the Wrong Questions About Antidepressants
Opinion | Simplistic debates about the drugs obscure the complex dynamics of how psychic pain is understood and treated.| Undark Magazine
This week on Entanglements, our hosts ask: Should we run outdoor geoengineering experiments? Intentionally altering the planet’s climate has been fiercely debated for years. And although some scientists are increasingly open to the idea, there is still disagreement on whether or not to move forward.| Undark Magazine
The HHS secretary promised to identify the causes of autism with a new $50 million research initiative. But RFK Jr. has also taken aim at the traditional scientific approach to autism, stripping funding from more than 50 autism-related studies and shutting down a federal research lab that has been answering the very questions he has been asking.| Undark Magazine
Many insurance policies don’t cover GLP-1s for weight loss because the drugs don’t yet have a clear track record of long-term success. But lack of insurance coverage can cause people to quit their meds prematurely, creating a vicious circle. Could a more holistic approach to treatment help?| Undark Magazine
Why does nature affect us so profoundly? In “Nature and the Mind,” neuroscientist Marc Berman draws on his own research and work by other scientists to demonstrate the psychological and physiological ways in which spending time in natural environments improves human well-being.| Undark Magazine
Canada’s economy is undergirded by the fossil fuel industry, with fossil fuels and motor vehicles as its top exports to the United States – the country’s primary trade partner. But the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration could give Canada and other U.S. trading partners space to reduce their economies’ dependence on oil and gas.| Undark Magazine
This week on Entanglements, our hosts speak with Jill Escher, a philanthropist, president of the National Council on Severe Autism, and parent of two young adults with severe nonverbal autism, and Eric García, the Washington bureau chief at The Independent, who himself is autistic.| Undark Magazine
Amid the measles outbreak in Texas early this year, the Trump administration’s actions sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists that kept them from performing the agency’s most critical function — emergency response — when it mattered most, an investigation from KFF Health News shows.| Undark Magazine
Climate scientists use a special kind of simulation, called Earth system models to help grasp the planet’s past and predict its future. But as part of Trump’s proposed budget and programmatic cuts, ESMs are now under threat — including a DOE initiative that has received more than a decade of investment.| Undark Magazine
In her new book “Rehab: An American Scandal,” journalist Shoshana Walter delves deeply into the nation’s broken drug treatment industry, tracing the personal experiences of those enmeshed in the system and offering insight into how difficult it can be to find high-quality treatment for opioid addiction.| Undark Magazine
Opinion | Simplistic debates about the drugs obscure the complex dynamics of how psychic pain is understood and treated.| Undark Magazine
Corruption in science? Academic discrimination? Research censorship? Government cover-ups?| Undark Magazine
Corruption in science? Academic discrimination? Research censorship? Government cover-ups?| Undark Magazine
The state is at the forefront of changes to vaccination policy — and for public health more broadly. What does that frontier look like?| Undark Magazine
Every Friday, dive into the complexities of science with stories that go beyond the headlines. The Undark Newsletter brings you a weekly digest of our most compelling articles, essays, and features, exploring the often contentious, sometimes wondrous, and occasionally troubling intersections of science and society. Our Weekly Roundup Get a curated selection of our in-depth […]| Undark Magazine
Scientists are increasingly seeing evidence of “dark extinction” in museums and botanical garden collections.| Undark Magazine
In an increasingly thirsty world, scientists warn of the risk of losing the strange creatures that live in groundwater.| Undark Magazine
Corruption in science? Academic discrimination? Research censorship? Government cover-ups?| Undark Magazine
Opinion | A growing research field known as ‘the science of science’ will be essential for navigating an uncertain future.| Undark Magazine
As people turn to AI for therapy and companionship, some say the models still need to learn the nuances of human humor.| Undark Magazine
A technique decades in the making is transforming how scientists study the pulse and presence of life on Earth.| Undark Magazine
Many ecologists consider the fish's disappearance a sign that both the local ecosystem, and the nation's approach to conservation, are in crisis.| Undark Magazine
As the U.S. and other countries cut funding for global health initiatives, what role will philanthropy take?| Undark Magazine
Opinion | The end of the CDC’s emergency H5N1 flu response shows the challenges of disease surveillance in vulnerable groups.| Undark Magazine
Opinion | Monitoring students’ social media may be a more effective — and less stressful — way to prevent school violence.| Undark Magazine
A funding pause at the University of Michigan illustrates the uncertainty around new language in NIH grant awards.| Undark Magazine
Researchers have long advocated for a more systematic approach to environmental health, but funding may not hold.| Undark Magazine
In “The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue,” Mike Tidwell explores the ripple effects of climate change on his suburban block.| Undark Magazine
Opinion | The latest floods, wildfires, and other disasters reveal the flaws of adaptation as the main response to climate change.| Undark Magazine
A proposed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule would allow activities that harm the habitats of protected species.| Undark Magazine
How one group in Rio de Janeiro teamed up with researchers to adapt green roof technology for their community.| Undark Magazine
Influential studies from the VA St. Louis take a broad view of long Covid. Not every expert agrees with the approach.| Undark Magazine
Researchers are testing eDNA as a tool to locate lost soldiers’ remains. Can the approach one day help solve crimes?| Undark Magazine
Keeping tabs on the decline of the Earth’s most abundant and diverse group of animals is difficult. Can eDNA help?| Undark Magazine
To survey the planet's vast biodiversity, some scientists are banking on environmental DNA, robots, and more.| Undark Magazine
In their quest to detect early outbreaks, virus hunters are sampling environmental DNA in water, dirt, and air.| Undark Magazine
The ability to extract trace bits of DNA from soil, water, and even air is revolutionizing science. Are there pitfalls?| Undark Magazine
Some researchers say local ground monitors don't capture an accurate picture of air quality. People of color suffer most.| Undark Magazine
Scientists are debating whether microscopic blood clots are responsible for the wide range of symptoms in long Covid.| Undark Magazine
Companies are increasingly using environmental DNA for ecological assessments and more. But there are caveats.| Undark Magazine
Undark is a non-profit, editorially independent digital magazine published by the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program at MIT.| Undark Magazine
The famed bot can emulate journalism, but it embellishes, too. So does ChatGPT understand the consequences of falsehoods?| Undark Magazine
Without electricity, running water, and basic supplies like blood and sutures, childbirth has become a crisis.| Undark Magazine
