Politics, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 10, 2017

Trump's Eavesdropping Allegations: How Do Wiretaps Work?

President Donald Trump recently accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of wiretapping the current president's phones during the U.S. election. Though the claims are unsubstantiated, they have raised questions about how such technology really works. Some people may think wiretapping involves breaking into someone's house or office, clipping wires to a...

Mar 10, 2017

Trump Executive Order May Foul US Drinking Water Supply

Pres. Donald Trump insists he wants clean water. In a speech to Congress last week, he vowed to promote clean air and clean water. And in an interview with The New York Times last November, he said, Clean water, crystal clean water is vitally important. Ironically, though, the president just...

Mar 28, 2017

Trump Ditches Clean Power Plan: What It Means for Science & Health

President Donald Trump signed an executive order today (March 28) that dismantles the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era regulation that would have set limits on emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from power plants. The executive order is aimed, in part, at reviving the coal industry, according to Trump....

Apr 28, 2017

The History of the 'First 100 Days': How Did Most Presidents Fare?

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The federal government is currently being funded by a continuing resolution that expires on April 28, 2017 – which also happens to be the 99th day of Donald Trump's...

May 2, 2017

Trump Fuzzy on Andrew Jackson, Civil War History

President Donald Trump delivered pronouncements yesterday (May 1) about President Andrew Jackson and the Civil War that left many people scratching their heads over the current president's interpretation of American history. In an audio interview clip shared on Twitter by the political news radio channel SiriusXM Politics, Trump told Washington...

May 31, 2017

Trump's Proposed Science Cuts Go Far Beyond Climate Programs

The Trump administration is proposing sweeping cuts to US science agencies in its $4.1 trillion budget for 2018, asking Congress to kill a variety of medical, energy, and basic research programs, while boosting funding for defense and homeland security. With a president who came into office calling climate change a...

Jun 2, 2017

Trump's Base the Big Winner from Paris Withdrawal

President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement provides no clear benefits to American workers or industries. His announcement on Thursday merely hands a symbolic victory to his political base — nationalists who resent internationalism and global cooperation. During a 28-minute speech announcing that the U.S. — which...

Jun 2, 2017

False! Trump Claims Paris Deal Would Only Make 'Tiny' Difference

A comment that Donald Trump made yesterday in the White House Rose Garden when he announced the United States would pull out of the international Paris climate agreement was not based in science. Trump said yesterday (June 1): Even if the Paris Agreement were implemented in full, with total compliance...

Jun 2, 2017

Want to Really Boost the Economy? Stay in the Paris Agreement

President Donald Trump yesterday justified pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accord largely, he said, because it would hurt the United States economy. As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the nonbinding Paris accord and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement...

Jun 14, 2017

A Politician's Name & Face: Why a Good Match May Win Votes

Politicians who have names that are better matched to their faces tend to get more votes, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at men running for the U.S. Senate, and found that the political candidates who had facial shapes that were the most well-matched to the sound of their names...

Jun 16, 2017

Rep. Scalise's Injuries: Why a Bullet in the Hip Can Be So Damaging

Congressman Steve Scalise remains in critical condition today, after being shot in the hip on Wednesday (June 14). Although the public may perceive a bullet to the hip as being less serious than say, one to the chest or head, doctors say a gunshot wound to the pelvic area can...

Jun 20, 2017

Moral Outrage: Why Some Expressions of Anger Backfire

Many Americans are morally outraged that U.S. President Donald Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey, who had been investigating possible links between Trump's election campaign and the Russian government. Many others are angry that Comey accused President Trump of lying about the FBI. Still others are mad that Trump...

Oct 23, 2017

Happy Mole Day! Mayors Celebrate Scientific Date with Research Push

Move over Pi Day: Mayors across the U.S. are celebrating the day of the mole — which began at 6:02 a.m. today (10/23) in honor of the vast number of atoms or molecules in a mole of matter (6.02 X 10^23) — by advocating unfettered scientific research. So far, 20...

Mar 28, 2018

How Easy Would It Be to Repeal the 2nd Amendment? History Has an Answer

A former Supreme Court justice is calling for its repeal. One in five Americans want to see it go. The president has come out swinging in its defense. The Second Amendment has emerged as a dubious target in the U.S. gun debate after a March 27 New York Times op-ed...

Apr 26, 2018

Hey, Congress: Scientists Are Coming for Your Seats

From commanding eight nuclear reactors to building a telecom infrastructure in Central America, the experiences of U.S. political candidates have gotten more interesting of late. A wave of political hopefuls with science-y backgrounds may soon bring fascinating experiences and vital knowledge to the country's governing bodies. Famed astrophysicist and science...