Science

Garden centipede (Lithobius forficatus), Lithobiidae, German cockroach (Blattela germanica), Blatellidae, Garden tiger moth (Arctia caja). Artwork by Dale Edna Evans.

Mo' Money, Mo' Bug Problems: Wealthier Homes Are Rich In Insects Too

5:27pm August 03, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Looking for a healthy variety of bugs? You might want to try searching in your wealthiest friend's house. Neighborhood income is a good predictor of the number of kinds of bugs in homes.

Jeana West touches the headstone of her son, Generro Sanchez, at a cemetery in Stuart, Okla., in February. He was killed by a college classmate who was found to have antisocial personality disorder.

Does A Psychopath Who Kills Get To Use The Insanity Defense?

5:22pm August 03, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Having a serious mental diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean that juries will consider an insanity defense. Some states have changed their laws to exclude people with antisocial personality disorder.

The Rawlings plant in Dolgeville, N.Y., makes about 300,000 bats a year and employs about 40 people.

A Beetle May Soon Strike Out Baseball's Famous Ash Bats

4:31pm August 03, 2016

by Brian Mann

Rawlings baseball bats have a big place in sports history. But now the ash trees used to make those iconic bats are threatened by an invasive beetle that's spreading in forests across the Northeast.

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Corpse Flower Creates Monster Stench In Washington, D.C.

4:30pm August 03, 2016

by Will Huntsberry

Every 10 years, the corpse flower blooms, filling the air around it with the scent of rotting meat. What better way to spend a summer evening than with friends at the fragrant event.

In 23 states and Washington, D.C., the nighttime driving restriction for unsupervised teens begins at midnight or later.

Most Nighttime Crashes With Teen Drivers Happen Before Midnight

4:28pm August 03, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Nighttime driving restrictions on teens may save lives, a study finds, but should probably be shifted to include late evening. A third of all fatal crashes with teen drivers happen after dark.

'Guilty But Mentally Ill' Doesn't Protect Against Harsh Sentences

1:25pm August 02, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Jurors often are reluctant to acquit someone who committed a crime while mentally ill, or to find that person guilty. So they take a third option: guilty but mentally ill. It's far from perfect.

Chicken served at McDonald's won't necessarily be raised completely without antibiotics â but it will be raised without antibiotics used for human medicine.

McDonald's Now Serving Chicken Raised Without Antibiotics — Mostly

12:36pm August 02, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

The fast-food chain's suppliers are still allowed to use certain types of antibiotics that aren't used to treat people.

A Neuroscientist Explores The Illogical Behaviors Of The Mind In 'Idiot Brain'

12:20pm August 02, 2016

Dean Burnett says the human brain is like a computer that files information in a way that defies logic. According to Burnett, brains can alter memory, cause motion sickness and affect intelligence.

Three things people can do that robots can't: Tell a story. Solve a mystery. Give a hug.

3 Things People Can Do In The Classroom That Robots Can't

11:06am August 02, 2016

by Anya Kamenetz

Artificial intelligence is getting stronger. Education must adapt. Here's a framework for separating out the things schools can and should teach that are uniquely human.

Science

How A Child's Gender May Affect Parents' Willingness To Bend The Truth

10:29am August 02, 2016

by Shankar Vedantam

An experiment found that parents cheated at a game less when their kids were present, but gender made a big difference: The parents modeled honest behavior more with daughters than with sons.

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