Politics, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 21, 2016

How to Survive Thanksgiving in a Postelection, Social Media World

So, it's Thanksgiving, and you're back at home, passing the mashed potatoes to your Aunt Jenny, whom you haven't seen in person in nearly a year. But you are friends with her on Facebook, so you know quite a lot about her thoughts on the election. Like ... every thought....

Jan 4, 2017

How Does the US President Decide on Science Policy?

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. One of the president's most important responsibilities is fostering science, technology and innovation in the U.S. economy. The relationship between science and policy runs in two directions: Scientific knowledge...

Jan 19, 2017

10 Wild Tales of Famous Spies

Secret agents Secret agent. (Image credit: sergign, Shutterstock.com)Spies. They operate in the shadows. The public isn't supposed to know who they are. Perhaps as a result, the most famous spies out there tend to be pretend: James Bond, Jason Bourne and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. Occasionally, though, the curtain gets...

Jan 20, 2017

The 15 Weirdest Presidential Inaugurations in US History

Inauguration Day The inauguration of George W. Bush on Jan. 20, 2005. (Image credit: White House)Later today (Jan. 20), Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in the country's 58th inauguration ceremony, and over the years, the otherwise serious ceremony of swearing in...

Jan 20, 2017

President Trump's 'Mysteries of Space' Joins Inaugural Speech Tradition

President Donald Trump took the oath of office in Washington, D.C., today (Jan. 20) and mentioned space exploration — if for one fleeting moment — as one of the paths forward to make America great again. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will...

Jan 20, 2017

Trump presidency: How US leaders stack up

What do an actor who co-starred with a chimpanzee; a peanut-farmer-slash-nuclear-physicist; and a hat salesman have in common? All three were presidents of the United States of America. When Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, he was unusual in (at least) one respect:...

Jan 21, 2017

Evolution, Climate and Vaccines: Why Americans Deny Science

The U.S. has a science problem. Around half of the country's citizens reject the facts of evolution; fewer than a third agree there is a scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, and the number who accept the importance of vaccines is ticking downward. Those numbers, all gleaned from recent Pew...

Jan 24, 2017

Trump Signs Orders Advancing Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines

President Donald Trump signed executive orders today (Jan. 24) to expedite completion of the stalled Keystone XL (KXL) and Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) construction projects. Trump said that forthcoming work on DAPL would be subject to terms and conditions negotiated by us and that we are going to renegotiate some...

Feb 2, 2017

Scientists Plan Washington March in Response to Trump

This story was updated Feb. 2 at 11:01 a.m. EST. What began as a political conversation on Reddit is turning into a national movement: Scientists are planning to march on Washington to express their support for rigorous scientific research. The idea for this activism began after President Donald Trump's administration...

Feb 16, 2017

Should Psychiatrists' Weigh in on Trump's Mental Health?

In recent months a growing number of mental health experts and members of the media have offered opinions on Pres. Donald Trump's psychiatric fitness. On Tuesday 35 U.S. psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers signed a letter to the editor of The New York Times warning about Trump's mental health. Its...

Feb 19, 2017

What Does the Vice President Do?

Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Saturday (Feb. 18), Vice President Mike Pence said that the United States would hold Russia accountable for their actions, such as the violence in Ukraine, and would stick by NATO, the military alliance that President Donald Trump had once said was obsolete, according to...

Feb 23, 2017

Conflicts of Interest: Are Humans Inherently Selfish?

President Donald Trump has been dogged by questions about conflicts of interest. He has declined to divest himself of his assets or put them in a blind trust, as is customary for presidents, news reports say. He has tweeted in defense of his daughter's clothing line. And taxpayer money may...

Feb 28, 2017

Red vs. Blue: Why Necktie Colors Matter

In high-stakes politics and business, there are only two colors of ties: red and blue. Oh, sure, you might spot purple or yellow now and then, but those are clear statements of aloofness, be they calculated or careless. Few world leaders or CEOs want to be seen as aloof. But...

Mar 4, 2017

100 Years of Women in Politics: How They've Served

One hundred years ago today, on March 4, 1917, Rep. Jeannette Rankin, R-Mont., became the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. Rankin's election was extraordinary, as it happened about three years before U.S. women had the right to vote. But although she herself couldn't vote at the time,...

Mar 8, 2017

The Weird Ways Your Politics Affects Your Morals

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. When news breaks about wrongdoings of our favorite politician, the other side inevitably argues that we have a scandal on our hands. We like to think that our superior...