“You-know-who would have loved to join us.” “Hah, yeah.” “Well, we might be friendly, but she’ll never be in our inner—” “No, she won’t be anything.” “Well, we might be friends, but not friends-friends.” [Silence] “Look, I’d like to like my brother’s wife—” “She is your sister-in-law!” “But I don’t like her.” – “I can’t [...]

Today’s political rhetoric in the U.S. makes it easy to fall into the trap of viewing abortion services as outside the realm of women’s health care—but a recent event in Manhattan belied that logical flaw, just as Scientific American did in an editorial in its May 2012 issue. Abortion services, which can include counseling, pain [...]

A Wikipedia edit-a-thon seems like a fitting tribute to the woman many consider to be the first computer programmer. October 16 is Ada Lovelace Day, an annual observation designed to raise awareness of the contributions of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. Groups in the U.S., U.K., Sweden and India are marking [...]

Since last August, I’ve been counting down the days until my 30th birthday this Wednesday. You see, I’ve got money coming my way—not just in the form of birthday checks from my grandmother and aunts—but an even larger chunk of change, spread out over the entire year. Starting August 1, I, along with millions of [...]

What is the dirtiest thing on your desk? If you work in a typical office, it’s not actually your computer mouse or your keyboard or even your desk. According to a new study, published online May 30 in PLoS ONE, it’s your phone—but your chair’s not far behind. Before you drop that receiver or leap [...]

Remember the Miss USA pageant earlier this year, when contestants were asked if evolution should be taught in schools? Only two of the them fully supported Darwin; thankfully, the pageant winner was one of them. Recognizing that these young women often serve as role models for teens, and concerned about their lack of awareness of [...]

The spare tire many U.S. adults carry around their middles has been linked to a host of health risks, including, some research has found, decreased cognitive ability in men. The relationship between weight and dementia has been controversial, however, and some researchers have had difficulty finding a consistent association between these two health issues—especially in [...]