Gene editing is on the horizon — and we’re not ready

Most young voters support Kamala Harris − but that doesn’t guarantee they will show up at the polls

John Holbein, University of Virginia

Voter turnout among young people is historically low in the United States. And there is indication that a relatively small percentage of young voters could cast their ballot in November.

US military presence in Syria carries substantial risks, but so does complete withdrawal

Sefa Secen, The Ohio State University

The US maintains close to 1,000 troops in Syria and supports Kurdish groups in the northeast and some opposition groups in the southeast.

His crayon is purple – but is Harold a Black boy?

Philip Nel, Kansas State University

The choices of author and illustrator Crockett Johnson during the printing process – as well as his civil rights advocacy – make it entirely within the realm of possibility.

Complicated app settings are a threat to user privacy

Joseph K. Nwankpa, Miami University

Knowing you should set your apps’ privacy permissions might not be enough to protect you. A cybersecurity expert explains how complicated privacy settings can trip you up.

Archaeologists conduct first ‘space excavation’ on International Space Station – and discover surprising quirks of zero-gravity life

Justin St. P. Walsh, Chapman University; Alice Gorman, Flinders University

Where do astronauts keep their toiletries? What’s with all the velcro? Here’s what we learned from doing archaeology on the International Space Station.

US has its first national strategy to reduce plastic pollution − here are 3 strong points and 1 big gap

Sarah J. Morath, Wake Forest University

Better measuring standards, more responsibility for producers and an end to single-use products are all positive steps. But the US has not yet endorsed a cap on plastic production.

Hard-to-treat traumas and painful memories may be treatable with EMDR – a trauma therapist explains why it is gaining popularity

Laurel Niep, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, can help patients process painful memories and reduce anxiety and depression stemming from those events.

West Nile virus season returns − a medical epidemiologist explains how it’s transmitted and how you can avoid it

Daniel Pastula, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Most people who get infected with West Nile virus have mild symptoms, but in certain cases the illness can become serious or even deadly.

Mpox outbreak in Africa was neglected – it could now turn into the next global pandemic

Wolfgang Preiser, Stellenbosch University; Cheryl Baxter, Stellenbosch University; Jean Nachega, Stellenbosch University

The global health system needs to wake up to the reality that an outbreak in one part of the world is a concern for everyone.

Americans love free speech, survey finds − until they realize everyone else has it, too

Imane Khelif’s gold medal run shows how sex testing in women’s sports puts regulators in an impossible bind

3 years after fall of Kabul, US Congress has still not acted to secure future of more than 70,000 Afghan evacuees in US

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

Which potential treatment for PTSD did the FDA reject last Friday?

1. A. Turmeric
2. B. Zyn
3. C. Ketamine
4. D. MDMA

Test your knowledge