There’s an old Roman insult that goes like this: “He can’t read or swim.” The presumption is that just about anyone who applied himself (or herself) could learn these skills. Indeed, many countries ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided front row seats to an underappreciated truth about science. I’m not referring to white coats and spinning test tubes. I’m referring to the part of science dealing ...

Young people who are hooked on watching fantasy or reading science fiction may be on to something. Contrary to a common misperception that reading this genre is an unworthy practice, reading science ...

How does science make progress? How do scientists know what they claim to know? What does it mean when scientists say they have come to a consensus? These questions are far more than academic. We live ...

Your support goes further this holiday season. When you buy an annual membership or give a one-time contribution, we’ll give a membership to someone who can’t afford access. It’s a simple way for you ...

Jeremiah Ramirez rolled the green modeling dough into two balls and placed a positive lead from a 9-volt battery into one and a negative into the other. Next, the 8-year-old spread the prongs of a ...

People who often read on electronic devices may have a difficult time understanding scientific concepts, according to researchers. They suggest that this finding, among others in the study, could also ...

Scientists are often accused of poorly communicating their findings, but improving scientific literacy is everyone's responsibility. Scientific reports are not very readable. That's the conclusion of ...

While this fall marks my 38 th year in education, it has been 28 years since I was a classroom teacher. Teaching elementary school was the hardest job I ever had, but there are many parts of the role ...

At a time of rising interest nationwide in phonics-focused reading instruction, few California districts are using so-called “science of reading” curricula as their basis for teaching elementary ...

Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting. We have allowed one of the most amazing and sophisticated human accomplishments – ...