Critic at Large

A therapy for type 1 diabetes is the first to treat patients before symptoms appear, paving the way toward preventing this and other autoimmune diseases.

How funders can improve transparency to foster efficiency and diversity in research

Open science serves to make the research process more transparent. But we are still waiting to realize the fruits of open-data policies at scientific journals.

For too long, some scientists have acted like Gollums of the ivory tower, guarding precious study sites, model organisms, and even entire fields of inquiry.

The key to averting cataclysmic events, such as pandemics, climate change, and mass extinction of species, lies partly in what’s on our plates.

Gut microbiome–based solutions hold promise for addressing obesity, but are they overhyped?

Fasting, eating only at certain times of day, and restricting overall calorie intake can collectively contribute to lifespan extensions in animals. Could the same hold true in humans?

Too often, studies that aim to develop new treatments for patients fail to adequately cite and build upon research that preceded them.

As we continue to transition out of the print era of scientific publishing, funders and institutions are paying a steep price to have trustworthy publishers certify research outcomes.

COVID-19 has challenged the progress of Big Science. Here are the lessons learned.

In addition to causing more frequent natural disasters, global warming can have long-term health effects, which range from heat stress to mosquito-borne disease.

Reaching a science skeptic is not a matter of credentials; it’s a matter of heart.

The pandemic has yielded many lessons. One is that adequate and well-distributed diagnostics are key to battling disease outbreaks.

Can requiring users of Facebook and other platforms to pass critical thinking tests stem the tide of widely disseminated misinformation?

Selecting researchers who will drive research agendas forward requires a more quantitative approach to interviewing.

Preprints can be valuable additions to the scientific literature. But we must start seeing them as perishable commodities rather than akin to peer-reviewed, published studies.

The myth of female variability is shaping what we know about our brains.

RNA sequencing technology lags far behind researchers’ ability to decode and understand DNA. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted this dangerous shortcoming.

For too long, a physiological inability to conceive or carry a child through to birth has been seen as a minor medical issue.