Inside the system that keeps planes safe

How the distortion of Martin Luther King Jr.‘s words enables more, not less, racial division within American society

Hajar Yazdiha, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Conservatives have a long history of contorting the words of Martin Luther King Jr. to further political goals at odds with King’s vision of a colorblind society.

Special counsels, like those examining Biden’s and Trump’s handling of classified documents, are intended to be independent – but they aren’t entirely

Joshua Holzer, Westminster College

Special counsels can help administrations avoid the perception of bias, but politics is never fully out of the picture.

What the FDA’s accelerated approval of a new Alzheimer’s drug could mean for those with the disease – 5 questions answered about lecanemab

James E. Galvin, University of Miami

In clinical trials, lecanemab slowed disease progression by 27% and reduced the amount of plaque found in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sitting all day is terrible for your health – now, a new study finds a relatively easy way to counteract it

Keith Diaz, Columbia University

Short, frequent walks throughout the day are key to helping prevent the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

Marriage provides health benefits – and here’s why

Libby Richards, Purdue University; Melissa Franks, Purdue University; Rosie Shrout, Purdue University

Most marriage and health studies have focused on married men and women. But more recent studies examine relationships in which partners have the same gender identity, the same biological sex and who are gender diverse.

What is racial battle fatigue? A school psychologist explains

Geremy Grant, Alfred University

Racial hostility can produce symptoms similar to what soldiers experience as a result of going to war.

Inflation report is a mixed bag – an economist explains why some items are rising faster than others

Edouard Wemy, Clark University

A drop in gas prices helped tame inflation in December 2022. But grocery prices and housing costs continued to rise.

What does ESG mean? Two business scholars explain what environmental, social and governance standards and principles are

Luciana Echazú, University of New Hampshire; Diego C. Nocetti, Clarkson University

Many investors and corporations believe that accounting for the impact that businesses have on the environment, society as a whole and their own workforces benefits their bottom line.

Bringing manufacturing back to the US requires political will, but success hinges on training American workers

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

The incentives to bring manufacturing back to the US will affect productivity, but in ways that might be surprising.

Native eastern fence lizards changed their bodies and behavior in response to invasive red imported fire ants

Catherine Tylan, Penn State; Tracy Langkilde, Penn State

The ways eastern fence lizards have changed in response to red imported fire ants demonstrate how species can adapt to survive the presence of invasive predators.

Why is 13 considered unlucky? Explaining the power of its bad reputation

Barry Markovsky, University of South Carolina

A sociologist unpacks how common superstitions like fear of 13 can gain steam.

We offer a gold star to all the quizzers who sent us their perfect scores last week. Here's the honor roll:

Lida A., Tim S., Emory D, Lorna E., Lucien L., Barbara M., Lei Lani L., Tina H., Pamela D., Ben M., Whitney G., Quentin K., Joyce K., Tom S., Sher M., Mary O., Maricopa A., Linnea C., Patricia G., Christopher B., Linda S., Vianna Z., Laura R., Mark D., John F., Eugene B., Tracy D. and Rinna H.

Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:

A recent study shows that college students with jobs are 20% less likely than their peers to do what?

1. A. Suffer from depression
2. B. Default on student loans
3. C. Graduate from college
4. D. Binge-watch ‘White Lotus’

Test your knowledge

Jeff Beck dies of bacterial meningitis – what you need to know about the disease

Ukraine war: the bloody battle for Soledar and what it tells us about the future of the conflict

Like Prince Harry a quarter of British people have consulted a psychic – here’s the science on why