The Conversation - The formula behind doctors' bills

Abortion decision cherry-picks history – when the US Constitution was ratified, women had much more autonomy over abortion decisions than during 19th century

Maurizio Valsania, Università di Torino

A scholar of 18th-century America and the founders analyzes the Supreme Court opinion overturning the constitutional right to abortion, which he says relies on an incomplete version of US history.

Politicians live longer than the populations they represent: new research

Philip Clarke, University of Oxford; An Tran-Duy, The University of Melbourne; Laurence Roope, University of Oxford

The public expects transparency about politicians’ earnings, but it’s not the only area where elite groups have an advantage.

Brain stimulation can rewire and heal damaged neural connections, but it isn’t clear how – research suggests personalization may be key to more effective therapies

Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad, University of Washington; Alec Greaves-Tunnell, University of Washington; Julien Bloch, University of Washington

Existing brain connections may influence the effectiveness of neurostimulation. Tailoring treatments to each individual brain could expand the number of conditions brain stimulation can treat.

What’s behind the enduring popularity of crystals?

Joseph P. Laycock, Texas State University

Crystals are part of a larger tradition of metaphysical religions that have a long history in the U.S.

Alaska on fire: Thousands of lightning strikes and a warming climate put Alaska on pace for another historic fire season

Rick Thoman, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fires today are hotter and more destructive, thanks in part to a warming climate.

Medical aid in dying is still called ‘assisted suicide’; an anthropologist explains the problem with that

Anita Hannig, Brandeis University

Terminally ill patients who seek an assisted death have no desire to end their life. Calling their decision ‘assisted suicide’ can have harmful consequences.

White children are especially likely to be overdiagnosed and overtreated for ADHD, according to a new study

Paul L. Morgan, Penn State

ADHD diagnoses are on the rise, a trend that might in part be driven by overdiagnosis. A new study finds that white children are especially likely to be overdiagnosed and overtreated for ADHD.

A growing number of women give birth at Catholic hospitals, where they do not receive the same reproductive health options – including birth control – provided at other hospitals

How math and language can combine to map the globe and create strong passwords, using the power of 3 random words

Viruses can change your scent to make you more attractive to mosquitoes, new research in mice finds