Opinions

An Ode to Stem Cells

Meenakshi Prabhune, PhD | Sep 13, 2024 | 3 min read

Leveraging the versatility of stem cells allows researchers to advance science across multiple disciplines.

Back to the Basics to Break Boundaries

Meenakshi Prabhune, PhD | Jun 14, 2024 | 2 min read

Armed with cutting-edge technologies, scientists find innovative ways to better use biological systems.

Robot hand holding glass sphere with glowing fiber neon communication wires

Gazing into Science’s Crystal Ball

Meenakshi Prabhune, PhD | Mar 15, 2024 | 3 min read

Basic research successes offer glimpses into future scientific advancements, but the outcomes are subject to change.

Illustration of scientists collaborating

When Scientists Collaborate, Science Progresses

Meenakshi Prabhune, PhD | Dec 4, 2023 | 3 min read

Behind every successful scientist, there is another scientist.

A silver tree showing roots and branches in a circle on a blue background.

Onward and Upward!

Kristie Nybo, PhD | Sep 8, 2023 | 9 min read

At The Scientist, we are strengthening our roots while reaching for the sky.

Illustration of a box opening with money inside

Opinion: A Call for Open Funding Procedures

Serge P. J. M. Horbach, Lex M. Bouter, and Joeri K. Tijdink | Feb 1, 2023 | 5 min read

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

A drone image of a field site with researchers

Opinion: Universities Must Incentivize Field-Based Research as an Equity Issue

Jessica C. Thompson | Dec 22, 2022 | 6 min read

Female and minority-identifying researchers face extra challenges in becoming field project leaders. Universities should be providing equivalent numbers of solutions.

A sign at the entrance to the University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Striking Workers Unions Reach Tentative Deal

Dan Robitzski | Dec 20, 2022 | 2 min read

The agreement, which is not yet ratified, would increase academic workers’ salaries, but some call for an ongoing strike as the raises are less than desired.

Medical test tube and glass flask with mouse on the desk

Insights Abound Even at Journey’s End

Bob Grant | Dec 14, 2022 | 3 min read

Although my time at The Scientist has drawn to a close, I am consistently surprised by science.

a person pours whiskey into a glass held by another person, with a smoking cigar in a tray in front

Study of Millions Finds Genetic Links to Smoking and Drinking

Katherine Irving | Dec 9, 2022 | 3 min read

In the largest study of its kind, scientists find nearly 4,000 genetic variants that may predispose people to alcohol and tobacco use behaviors.

A woman wearing a gray sweater and a bright orange scarf and hat blows her nose vaguely in the direction of the camera. A snowy landscape can be seen behind her.

How Cold Weather May Help You Catch a Cold

Dan Robitzski | Dec 6, 2022 | 3 min read

Warm nasal cells mount stronger defenses against cold-causing coronaviruses and rhinoviruses than those exposed to cooler temperatures, an in vitro experiment finds.

An aerial view of the Stanford University campus. Trees surround several buildings with the bell tower in the center.

Stanford President’s Past Research Under Investigation

Katherine Irving | Nov 30, 2022 | 3 min read

The university’s board of trustees will oversee a probe after allegations of errors and manipulated images in four papers Marc Tessier-Lavigne coauthored.

four wolves cluster together in the snow next to a tree. one wolf at the front looks out into the distance.

Toxoplasma-Infected Wolves More Likely to Lead Packs, Study Finds

Katherine Irving | Nov 29, 2022 | 3 min read

The parasite appears to make infected wolves less risk-averse, potentially influencing the behavior of packs.

Image of a white cardboard box with a blue vertical stripe on the left side, the word “Apixaban” in blue lettering at the bottom, and a depiction of apixaban’s molecular structure in black.

Blood Thinner Ineffective for COVID-19 Patients: Study

Dan Robitzski | Nov 28, 2022 | 2 min read

A clinical trial finds that the anticoagulant apixaban, which has been prescribed to help COVID-19 patients recover, is ineffective and in rare instances dangerous.

the facade of a building. crisscrossed white walls intersect sets of four black windows in a lattice structure, with a cloudless blue sky in the background.

Exosome Scientist Douglas Taylor Stole and Mislabeled Images: Report

Katherine Irving | Nov 23, 2022 | 2 min read

Taylor, formerly of the University of Louisville, is known for his discovery of and research on tumor-secreted exosomes.

A tetraplegic patient navigates a thought-controlled wheelchair

Tetraplegic Patients Take Mind-Controlled Wheelchair for a Spin

Christie Wilcox, PhD | Nov 18, 2022 | 2 min read

The mobility device interprets its paralyzed user’s thoughts to steer through cluttered spaces, a study reports.

Three flying foxes (a type of bat) hanging upside down on a bare branch

Climate Change, Deforestation Drive Bat Virus Spillover Into Humans

Amanda Heidt | Nov 17, 2022 | 4 min read

Bats that experience food shortages due to climate change and habitat loss end up roosting in urban settings, where they shed more of the deadly Hendra virus.