AI takes a stab at Beethoven's unfinished symphony

Half of unvaccinated workers say they’d rather quit than get a shot – but real-world data suggest few are following through

Jack J. Barry, University of Florida; Ann Christiano, University of Florida; Annie Neimand, University of Florida

While surveys have shown a large share of unvaccinated workers threatening to quit over a mandate, the reality is few actually do.

More Americans couldn’t get enough to eat in 2020 – a change that hit the middle class hardest

Zheng Tian, Penn State; Stephan J. Goetz, Penn State

Food insufficiency rates rose across the board, researchers who analyzed government data found.

What Harvard’s humanist chaplain shows about atheism in America

Penny Edgell, University of Minnesota; Wendy Cadge, Brandeis University

Americans are getting more comfortable with new forms of spirituality, but their views of atheists are still complicated.

How conservative comic Greg Gutfeld became America’s most popular late-night TV host

Nick Marx, Colorado State University; Matt Sienkiewicz, Boston College

Critics have long pooh-poohed conservative comics. But in today’s fragmented media environment, right-wing comedy has become both a moneymaker and a force in politics.

School year off to a rocky start? 4 ways parents can help kids get back on track

Christopher A. Kearney, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

COVID-19 upended families’ morning routines. Getting kids back on schedule and sticking to it will help ease difficult transitions, a child psychologist explains.

Fossil footprints prove humans populated the Americas thousands of years earlier than we thought

Matthew Robert Bennett, Bournemouth University; Sally Christine Reynolds, Bournemouth University

The New Mexico findings could rewrite the history of human migration to the Americas.

Federal police reform talks has failed – but local efforts stand a better chance of success

Thaddeus L. Johnson, Georgia State University; Natasha N. Johnson, Georgia State University

Months of bipartisan talks in Congress aimed at reaching consensus over policing reforms have ended with no agreement. Two policing scholars argue that federal efforts are better placed focusing on supporting local measures.

Long power outages after disasters aren’t inevitable – but to avoid them, utilities need to think differently

Seth Blumsack, Penn State

Building even more power poles and transmission lines won’t avert outages when major disasters strike.

US, China commit to phase down climate-warming HFCs from refrigerators and air conditioners – but what will replace them this time?

Scott Denning, Colorado State University

HFCs keep refrigerators cool, but when these short-lived climate pollutants leak, they warm the planet.

Preliminary research finds that even mild cases of COVID-19 leave a mark on the brain – but it’s not yet clear how long it lasts

Jessica Bernard, Texas A&M University

Reduced brain volume in people who have experienced COVID-19 resembles brain changes typically seen in older adults. The implications of these findings are not yet clear.

Have climate change predictions matched reality?

Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation

How scientists are improving their understanding of the connection between extremes and climate change – and what’s to come. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.

German election: continuing popularity of far-right AfD has roots in east-west divide

Charlotte Galpin, University of Birmingham; Maren Rohe, University of Birmingham

Support for Alternative for Germany continues in the former East Germany in particular. It’s worth really asking why.

Powerful, local stories can inspire us to take action on climate change

Kamyar Razavi, Simon Fraser University

Storytelling can be a powerful tool to communicate complicated crises like climate change. Telling relatable and local stories can help motivate people to action.

New preliminary evidence suggests coronavirus jumped from animals to humans multiple times

Hamish McCallum, Griffith University

It’s more evidence a lab leak is very unlikely.

As of September 2021, how many known near-Earth asteroids are there?

1. A. More than 7,000
2. B. More than 11,000
3. C. More than 26,000
4. D. More than 42,000

Click here for the answer.