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A male and female Chiriqui harlequin frog (<em>Atelopus chiriquiensis</em>) photographed in 2010. The species was declared extinct in 2019.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

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Illustration of a green lab
Green Lab Initiatives Take Root Around the World
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Nov 14, 2022 | 9 min read
Scientists, students, and administrative staff are working to bring about a cultural shift to mitigate the impact of research on the environment.
close up programmer student man hand typing on keyboard at computer desktop to input code language into software for study bug and defect of system in classroom , development of technology concept
How to Fix Science's Code Problem
Katarina Zimmer | Sep 12, 2022 | 10 min read
Despite increasingly strict journal policies requiring the release of computational code files along with research papers, many scientists remain reluctant to share—underscoring the need for better solutions.
Activists protest. Political riot sign banners, people holding protests placards and manifestation banner. Jobs activist strike, vegetarians meeting or feminist demonstration vector illustration
Unionization Efforts Pick Up Across US Universities
Catherine Offord, Andy Carstens, and Amanda Heidt | Sep 1, 2022 | 10 min read
Members of newly certified workers’ organizations at campuses across the US speak about how they achieved official recognition and what they’re planning for the years ahead.
Three luminous liquids in test tubes
What If Scientists Shared Their Reagents for Free?
Amanda Heidt | Jul 18, 2022 | 9 min read
Some researchers have decided to provide their products without financial compensation or expectations of authorship on resulting papers, prompting a flurry of new work.
Illustration of a doctor in medical coat and mask speaking at camera
Making the Most of Media Interviews
Katarina Zimmer | May 16, 2022 | 10 min read
As the pandemic has underscored the importance—and benefits—of communicating science to the general public, it’s also highlighted the challenges that researchers can face in speaking with journalists.
Illustration of scientists collaborating
How to Bring the Public into the Scientific Process
Amanda Heidt | Mar 14, 2022 | 10+ min read
A new wave of research is recruiting patients and other members of the public to serve as equal partners, bringing fresh perspectives to research on diseases and other conditions.
Researcher fighting misinformation online
Twitter’s Science Stars Fight Misinformation
Jef Akst | Jan 17, 2022 | 10+ min read
COVID-19 has thrown science and scientists into the spotlight. Some have accepted the challenge, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and using the ongoing pandemic as a “teachable moment.”
Hand drawing a red line between the UK and the rest of the European Union. Concept of Brexit.
How Brexit Is Transforming the UK’s STEM Community
Katarina Zimmer | Nov 1, 2021 | 8 min read
Scientists face the ramifications of the country’s departure from the European Union, from delays in laboratory supplies to difficulties hiring international students and faculty.
Illustration of a person confused looking at a computer
When Researchers Sound the Alarm on Problematic Papers
Shawna Williams | Sep 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Finding and reporting an irregularity in a published study can lead people down an unexpected path.
Push to Address Long-Standing Challenges for Parents in STEMM
Amanda Heidt | Jul 21, 2021 | 9 min read
The organizers behind a Mothers in Science conference say that it’s time academia provide more support to researchers who are pregnant or looking after children.
Pandemic Accelerates Trend Toward Remote Clinical Trials
Jef Akst | May 1, 2021 | 8 min read
Now more than ever before, recruiting patients for a research study doesn’t have to mean getting them to leave their homes.
Science with Borders: Researchers Navigate Red Tape
Max Kozlov | Mar 1, 2021 | 10 min read
Scientists who work with foreign biological specimens face a patchwork of permits that threaten to block their projects, with potentially harmful consequences for the ecosystems they study.
Steps to End “Colonial Science” Slowly Take Shape
Ashley Yeager | Jan 1, 2021 | 10 min read
Scientists from countries with fewer resources are pushing collaborators from higher-income countries to shed biases and behaviors that perpetuate social stratification in the research community.
Scientists, Publishers Debate Paychecks for Peer Reviewers
Shawna Williams | Nov 1, 2020 | 8 min read
While some academics have called for compensation for assessing other scientists’ work, publishers haven’t warmed to the idea.
Science and Policy Collide During the Pandemic
Diana Kwon | Sep 1, 2020 | 8 min read
COVID-19 has laid bare some of the pitfalls of the relationship between scientific experts and policymakers—but some researchers say there are ways to make it better.
Amidst Uncertainty, Flexibility Is Key in Higher Ed, Faculty Say
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 1, 2020 | 8 min read
Life sciences professors and other staff make contingency plans for more coronavirus-related disruptions in the coming school year.
When Your Supervisor Is Accused of Research Misconduct
Katarina Zimmer | Jun 1, 2020 | 10 min read
Early career researchers face unique challenges when a senior collaborator becomes embroiled in allegations of scientific malpractice.
Do English-Only Policies Foster or Damage Inclusivity in Science?
Shawna Williams | Dec 1, 2019 | 9 min read
Speaking a common language is key to a well-integrated team, but guidance is sparse on what—if anything—principal investigators should do about it.
Fixing the Flaws in Animal Research
Diana Kwon | Sep 1, 2019 | 8 min read
Many preclinical studies carried out in vivo are poorly designed and generate irreproducible data, but efforts to address the problem are on the rise.
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