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Photo of John Calhoun crouches within his rodent utopia-turned-dystopia
Universe 25 Experiment
A series of rodent experiments showed that even with abundant food and water, personal space is essential to prevent societal collapse, but Universe 25's relevance to humans remains disputed.
Universe 25 Experiment
Universe 25 Experiment

A series of rodent experiments showed that even with abundant food and water, personal space is essential to prevent societal collapse, but Universe 25's relevance to humans remains disputed.

A series of rodent experiments showed that even with abundant food and water, personal space is essential to prevent societal collapse, but Universe 25's relevance to humans remains disputed.

research ethics

Scientists or veterinary workers doing experiments in lab with experimental animals biological genetic engineering research
Addressing the Problematic Past of Animal Behavior Research
Holly Root-Gutteridge, PhD and Anna Korzeniowska | Apr 3, 2023 | 4 min read
Some of the foundational studies in the field were neither ethical by today’s standards nor replicable. But we can do better.
Collage of faces
Remembering Those We Lost in 2022
Lisa Winter | Dec 26, 2022 | 5 min read
A look at some noteworthy scientists who died this year, leaving behind a legacy of research excellence.
Matthieu Groussin sits with three other people on stools in front of a low table, on which there are several bowls of food. Another person stands above Groussin spooning something into a bowl.
Q&A: Gathering Diverse Microbiome Samples
Katherine Irving | Nov 3, 2022 | 8 min read
Cofounders of a microbiome biobank speak with The Scientist about their new partnership with nonprofit OpenBiome and how to ethically work with donors.
Image of Gollum
Opinion: The Problem with Researchers Hoarding Resources
Jose Valdez and Sandeep Sharma | Nov 1, 2022 | 4 min read
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.
News feature
Photo of a long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) sitting on a rock overlooking a large body of water.
What Happens to Science When Model Organisms Become Endangered?
Dan Robitzski | Oct 13, 2022 | 9 min read
The long-tailed macaque and pig-tailed macaque are now endangered in the wild according to the IUCN Red List, which says exports for monkey research are partially to blame.
a section of a rat brain is imaged in dull green. a much brighter green human organoid takes up a large portion of the left side of the brain.
Researchers Transplant Human Neurons into Rat Brains
Katherine Irving | Oct 12, 2022 | 2 min read
The human cells, engineered to respond to blue light, influenced rat behavior when stimulated.
blue-gloved hands pipetting from test tube
What’s Next for Ancient DNA Studies After the Nobel?
Mary Prendergast, The Conversation | Oct 5, 2022 | 4 min read
The award highlights tremendous opportunities for aDNA as well as challenges related to rapid growth, equity, and misinformation.
A black and white photo of a woman in a plumed hat in a laboratory classroom with several men
Birth of The Pill, 1956–1960
Andy Carstens | Oct 3, 2022 | 2 min read
Researchers overseeing the clinical trial for the first FDA-approved oral contraceptive claimed the drug gave the Puerto Rican participants power over their family planning. Critics claimed the women were exploited.
A postcard from the early 1900s depicting an Indigenous midden in Damariscotta, Maine.
Sticks and Bones, Circa 8000 BCE
Dan Robitzski | Sep 1, 2022 | 3 min read
Ancient stashes of animal bones, tools, and other artifacts are often dismissed as archaic garbage heaps, but the deposits provide glimpses of the cultural practices and environmental conditions of past Indigenous settlements.
A close up of filing folders with tabs that read "funding," "grants," and "projects"
Agreement Reached on Research Assessment Reforms
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 19, 2022 | 5 min read
The document, which was facilitated by the European Commission, establishes new benchmarks regarding how research assessments should be performed.
A red sign that reads “Clinical Center, Building 10” outside of a brick building
NIH Fails to Enforce Rules for Reporting Clinical Trial Results
Amanda Heidt | Aug 18, 2022 | 3 min read
A review by the US Office of Inspector General found that only about half of the scientists running clinical trials funded by the NIH in 2019 and 2020 appropriately recorded their findings in a federal database, as is legally required.
white rat on black background
Opinion: Hold Animal Use Committees Accountable for Their Failures
Lisa Jones-Engel | Jul 27, 2022 | 7 min read
As a former committee member who now advises PETA, I believe that claims that the identities of committee members must be kept secret to protect their safety are unfounded.
beagle
Research Beagle Facility Ordered to Clean Up, Halt Breeding
Andy Carstens | Jun 20, 2022 | 2 min read
A federal judge ruled that Envigo can finalize the sales for 500 of its remaining 3,000 research dogs, but it needs to improve the safety and health of the animals remaining at its facilities while federal officials decide their fate.
Octopus in tank lined with black dots
Do Invertebrates Have Emotions?
Natalia Mesa, PhD | May 26, 2022 | 10+ min read
And how do scientists go about answering that question?
People holding signs
NYU Defends Against Backlash Over Potential Hire
Amanda Heidt | Apr 29, 2022 | 8 min read
Hundreds of the school’s faculty, students, and trainees are protesting its consideration of David Sabatini, who left his previous posts after alleged sexual misconduct.
Smartphone with thumb over twitter icon
UK Funding Agency Apologizes for Role in Researchfish Controversy
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 20, 2022 | 3 min read
Researchfish is a platform commonly used to track the status of grants and the impacts of research. When academics were critical of the company online, Researchfish shared these comments with the largest funding agency in the UK, and the scientists’ comments were sometimes shared with their employers.
Zebrafish with fluorescent nervous system in green.
Oust the Mouse: A Plan to Reduce Mammal Use in Drug Development
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Mar 15, 2022 | 7 min read
The Scientist spoke to Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory’s Jim Strickland about the institute’s new MDI Bioscience initiative to perform more drug testing and development in nonmammalian models.
A Theranos sign outside the company's headquarters
Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud
Amanda Heidt | Jan 4, 2022 | 4 min read
After a week of deliberation, a jury returned a guilty verdict on four charges related to wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
mummy
Scratchy Scalps Help Glue Together Pieces of an Ancient Past
Chloe Tenn | Dec 29, 2021 | 3 min read
Scientists find human DNA preserved in lice cement from the heads of South American mummies.
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