In the past year, I've had multiple social scientists tell me that people are the hardest thing to study. Sure, you don't need a Large Hadron Collider. And the chances of suddenly requiring a HAZMAT suit are pretty slim. But people almost never give you the kind of solidly reliable data you can get out of subatomic particles or viruses. The hard part isn't doing the research. The hard part is getting trustworthy, universal answers for anything. If you want to see a good example of those problems in action, check out this great piece on drinking during pregnancy, written by Melinda Moyer.
Moms, booze, and why social science is so damn hard
Survey finds 22% of scientists who do media interviews about COVID get violent threats
Nature surveyed 300 scientists who've done media interviews about COVID. The results had some surprisingly positive notes — 85% said "their experiences of engaging with the media were always or mostly positive, even if they were harassed afterwards". But as you might expect, a significant chunk described some ghastly abuse. Fully 15% got death threats,… READ THE REST
Solving the mystery of the boom that rocked New Hampshire on Sunday morning
On Sunday morning, residents of New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts were rocked by a massive boom that shook homes in the region and understandably freaked people the hell out. Early theories that it was a supersonic aircraft or earthquake were quickly proven wrong. So what was it? Most likely a meteor exploded above New… READ THE REST
WHO approves the first malaria vaccine
Exciting vaccine news that's not about Covid: there's now a WHO-approved vaccine for malaria, a disease caused by a single-celled microorganism of the Plasmodium group— not a bacteria or virus. According to the NYT, this vaccine is "the first developed for any parasitic disease. Parasites are much more complex than viruses or bacteria, and the quest… READ THE REST
Bake up a good deal when you snag a bread maker for over 40% off
If you were like everyone at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, then you probably tried your hand at bread-making. Maybe you were successful, but evidenced by the fact that so many people have left the hobby behind, it seems like bread-making was too much to handle for some. But what if you could automate… READ THE REST
Don't want to pay a premium for a MacBook? This refurbished model works like new for $399
Let's be honest, not all of us need the newest MacBook Pro with all the bells and whistles to complete our personal or professional tasks, nor is paying the highest price a reasonable option. So what about a refurbished MacBook Pro? You'd be pleased to know that this doesn't mean sacrificing the quality associated with… READ THE REST
Take 70% off this 8K drone and elevate your photos and videos to pro status
It seems like everyone and their brother is a photographer or videographer these days. After all, our smartphones have high-quality cameras that allow us to snap publish-worthy shots and videos in a matter of seconds. However, if you're looking to take a modest hobby and turn it into something truly professional, you should get your… READ THE REST
