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What is a semiconductor? An electrical engineer explains how these critical electronic components work and how they are made

  • Written by Trevor Thornton, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University
imageA silicon disc, or 'wafer,' yields dozens of semiconductor chips.Steve Jurvetson/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

Semiconductors are a critical part of almost every modern electronic device, and the vast majority of semiconductors are made in Tawain. Increasing concerns over the reliance on Taiwan for semiconductors – especially given the tenuous...

Read more: What is a semiconductor? An electrical engineer explains how these critical electronic components...

Old age isn't a modern phenomenon – many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too

  • Written by Sharon DeWitte, Professor of Anthropology, University of South Carolina
imageIf you made it past early childhood, your chances got better to see your golden years.Grafissimo/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Every year I ask the college students in the course I teach about the 14th-century Black Death to imagine they are farmers or nuns or nobles in the Middle Ages. What would their lives have been like in the face of...

Read more: Old age isn't a modern phenomenon – many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too

Don't be too quick to blame social media for America's polarization – cable news has a bigger effect, study finds

  • Written by Homa Hosseinmardi, Associate Research Scientist in Computational Social Science, University of Pennsylvania
imageJoe Biden and Donald Trump supporters, like these two, are more likely to be polarized by TV news than online echo chambers.AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

The past two election cycles have seen an explosion of attention given to “echo chambers,” or communities where a narrow set of views makes people less likely to challenge their own...

Read more: Don't be too quick to blame social media for America's polarization – cable news has a bigger...

Boosting renewable energy use can happen quickly – and reduce harm to low-income people if done thoughtfully

  • Written by Erin Baker, Professor of Industrial Engineering Applied to Energy Policy, UMass Amherst
imageOffshore wind farms will assist in the renewable energy transition and offset the effects of climate change. Abstract Aerial Art/DigitalVision via Getty Images

With many nations making efforts to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, SciLine interviewed Erin Baker, a professor of industrial engineering and operations at UMass...

Read more: Boosting renewable energy use can happen quickly – and reduce harm to low-income people if done...

How the FBI knew what to search for at Mar-a-Lago – and why the Presidential Records Act is an essential tool for the National Archives and future historians

  • Written by Shannon Bow O'Brien, Associate Professor of Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts
imageThe gate to former President Donald Trump's home at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Aug. 8, 2022. Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

The FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, on Aug. 8, 2022, has sparked a vigorous outcry from Trump and his allies. The details of the search are not clear, but repor...

Read more: How the FBI knew what to search for at Mar-a-Lago – and why the Presidential Records Act is an...

Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is 'urgently needed,' while also calling sunscreens essential protection against skin cancer

  • Written by Robert Richmond, Professor of Biology and Director, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, University of Hawaii
imageSunscreens for sale at a Walgreens drug store.Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Studies have shown that the same active ingredients in sunscreens that protect people from cancer-causing ultraviolet rays can be toxic to a range of species in oceans, rivers and lakes. With both of these risks in mind, a new report from the...

Read more: Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is...

Safety in and near the water – a pediatric emergency medicine physician offers tips

  • Written by Linda Quan, Professor of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington
imageMany beaches are short lifeguards this summer. Properly supervising children and weaker swimmers is key to making sure everyone has a safe trip to the pool or beach. Roc Canals/Moment via Getty Images

A lifeguard shortage in many parts of the U.S. means an increased drowning risk at pools and beaches this summer. Earlier this summer, SciLine intervi...

Read more: Safety in and near the water – a pediatric emergency medicine physician offers tips

How 'living architecture' could help the world avoid a soul-deadening digital future

  • Written by Tim Gorichanaz, Assistant Teaching Professor of Information Studies, Drexel University
imageWhich lesson should the technology field take from architecture: modernist efficiency or 'living structure'?Jamie Street/Unsplash; Peter Morville/Flickr, CC BY-SA

My first Apple laptop felt like a piece of magic made just for me – almost a part of myself. The rounded corners, the lively shading, the delightful animations. I had been using...

Read more: How 'living architecture' could help the world avoid a soul-deadening digital future

To break unhealthy habits, stop obsessing over willpower – two behavioral scientists explain why routines matter more than conscious choices

  • Written by Asaf Mazar, Postdoctoral fellow in Behavioral Science, University of Pennsylvania
imageMany people attribute their coffee drinking to the need to feel more alert, but research shows that habit is just as big a driver behind caffeine consumption.Westend61/Getty Images

If you’re like many Americans, you probably start your day with a cup of coffee – a morning latte, a shot of espresso or maybe a good ol’ drip brew.

A...

Read more: To break unhealthy habits, stop obsessing over willpower – two behavioral scientists explain why...

Key parts of US laws are hard for the public to find and read

  • Written by D. R. Jones, Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Law Library, University of Memphis
imageThe full text of a law may not be in this book – nor in its online equivalent.RunPhoto/The Image Bank via Getty Images

It happens in court cases from time to time: Lawyers and judges discussing the meaning of a law can’t access the text they need to review.

It happened in a federal court in Rhode Island in 2004 and in the Indiana...

Read more: Key parts of US laws are hard for the public to find and read

More Articles ...

  1. 58% of human infectious diseases can be worsened by climate change – we scoured 77,000 studies to map the pathways
  2. Rise of precision agriculture exposes food system to new threats
  3. How does monkeypox spread? An epidemiologist explains why it isn't an STI and what counts as close contact
  4. The most recent efforts to combat teacher shortages don't address the real problems
  5. The climate bill could short-circuit EV tax credits, making qualifying for them nearly impossible
  6. 75 years ago, Britain's plan for Pakistani and Indian independence left unresolved conflicts on both sides – especially when it comes to Kashmir
  7. Monkeypox is now a national public health emergency in the U.S. – an epidemiologist explains what this means
  8. How Vin Scully scored his Dodgers gig at 22 years old
  9. Why it's important to think about social media use as a form of dissociation, rather than addiction
  10. What is neoliberalism? A political scientist explains the use and evolution of the term
  11. Proving war crimes isn't simple – a forensics expert explains what's involved with documenting human rights violations during conflicts, from Afghanistan to Ukraine
  12. Social media provides flood of images of death and carnage from Ukraine war – and contributes to weaker journalism standards
  13. Monkeypox vaccines: A virologist answers 6 questions about how they work, who can get them and how well they prevent infection
  14. Crossing the US-Mexico border is deadlier than ever for migrants – here's why
  15. Long COVID-19 and other chronic respiratory conditions after viral infections may stem from an overactive immune response in the lungs
  16. Inflation rates are rising in the US – an economist explains why
  17. Illuminating the brain one neuron and synapse at a time – 5 essential reads about how researchers are using new tools to map its structure and function
  18. China has a new global development initiative, but who will actually benefit from it?
  19. Who benefits from renewable energy subsidies? In Texas, it's often fossil fuel companies that are fighting clean energy elsewhere
  20. Handwritten diaries may feel old fashioned, but they offer insights that digital diaries just can’t match
  21. Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki left survivors wrestling with spiritual questions – here's how Buddhists and Catholics responded
  22. Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit sparked international tension, but isn't likely to shake up her popularity with Chinese American voters at home in San Francisco
  23. From whistling arrows and trumpeting elephants to battle cries and eerie horns, ancient soldiers used sound to frighten and confuse their enemies
  24. More than 1 in 5 US adults don’t want children
  25. Coyotes are here to stay in North American cities – here's how to appreciate them from a distance
  26. Charities that don't embrace common financial norms tend to outperform their peers
  27. Why Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan puts the White House in delicate straits of diplomacy with China
  28. Who was Ayman al-Zawahri? Where does his death leave al-Qaida and what does it say about US counterterrorism?
  29. Congress is considering making same-sex marriage federal law – a political scientist explains how this issue became less polarized over time
  30. 5 of the biggest threats today's K-12 students and educators face don't involve guns
  31. What are automotive 'over-the-air' updates? A marketing professor explains
  32. Why food insecurity among Gen Z is so much higher than for other age groups
  33. The story behind 'Star Trek' actress Nichelle Nichols' iconic interracial kiss
  34. If all the vehicles in the world were to convert to electric, would it be quieter?
  35. How to keep high school athletes safe from heat illness in a brutally hot summer
  36. Inflation is spiking around the world – not just in the United States
  37. How to college: 4 essential reads for incoming first-year students and their parents on mental health, libraries and more
  38. Climate change is intensifying the water cycle, bringing more powerful storms and flooding – here's what the science shows
  39. A new third party for US politics – 3 essential reads on what that means
  40. Charles Henry Turner: The little-known Black high school science teacher who revolutionized the study of insect behavior in the early 20th century
  41. Taking certain opioids while on commonly prescribed antidepressants may increase the risk of overdose
  42. Is the US in a recession? Well, that depends on whom you ask – and what measure they use
  43. A better way to do flood and wildfire risk ratings: Translating risk to future costs helps homebuyers and renters grasp the odds
  44. Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens a cultural heritage the two countries share, including Saint Sophia Cathedral
  45. 'Rage giving': Charities can get a boost from current events, such as controversial Supreme Court rulings
  46. Nature is the world's original pharmacy – returning to medicine's roots could help fill drug discovery gaps
  47. An antidemocratic philosophy called 'neoreaction' is creeping into GOP politics
  48. Pushing 'closure' after trauma can be harmful to people grieving – here's what you can do instead
  49. How forests lost 8,000 years of stored carbon in a few generations – animated maps reveal climate lessons for tree-planting projects today
  50. Top democracy activists were executed in Myanmar – 4 key things to know