Chauvin guilty: Four scholars unpack trial verdict

Vaccine mandates aren’t the only – or easiest – way for employers to compel workers to get their shots

Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon

Can companies legally require workers to get vaccinated? Employers have gotten so good at finding ways to get employees to comply with their policies that it may not matter.

Environmental DNA – how a tool used to detect endangered wildlife ended up helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic

Jessica Alice Farrell, University of Florida; David Duffy, University of Florida; Liam Whitmore, University of Limerick

Technology that can identify stray bits of genetic material in the environment can help scientists monitor human and animal health.

Yes, online communities pose risks for young people, but they are also important sources of support

Benjamin Kaveladze, University of California, Irvine

A significant portion of teenagers' social development happens online. The risks are well known, but the benefits of peer support are often overlooked.

Why our dislikes should be celebrated as much as our likes

Jonathan Gray, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Loudly proclaiming your dislikes isn't snobbery. There can be a power and poetry to putrescence.

How parents can support a child who comes out as trans – by conquering their own fears, following their child’s lead and tolerating ambiguity

Em Matsuno, Palo Alto University

A psychologist and expert on gender diversity explains strategies for creating a healthy environment for trans or nonbinary kids.

Misinformation, disinformation and hoaxes: What’s the difference?

Michael J. O'Brien, Texas A&M-San Antonio; Izzat Alsmadi, Texas A&M-San Antonio

Though many people are just paying attention to these problems now, they are not new – and they even date back to ancient Rome.

Famine in the Bible is more than a curse: It is a signal of change and a chance for a new beginning

Joel Baden, Yale Divinity School

Famine was a constant threat during biblical times. The authors of the Old Testament used it to explain God's wrath, but also as a narrative device.

No, vaccine side effects don’t tell you how well your immune system will protect you from COVID-19

Robert Finberg, University of Massachusetts Medical School

It's normal for different people to mount stronger or weaker immune responses to a vaccine, but post-shot side effects won't tell you which you are.

COVID-19 public health messages have been all over the place – but researchers know how to do better

Todd Newman, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Emily Howell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

During the pandemic, clear and reliable health communication can literally be a life-and-death issue. Researchers who focus on the science of science communication highlight strategies that work.

Is magic immoral? It played a role in the development of early Christianity

Shaily Shashikant Patel, Virginia Tech

Although many modern people tend to see 'magic' and 'religion' as separate, magic was actually integral to the development of Christianity.

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