Selected Works
"‘We are all unwell’: a scholar’s radical approach to health"
Mimi Khúc discusses the concept of unwellness and how it is shaped by the structures around us in a new book, dear elia
"Where Are The Good Climate Change Apps?"
Apps could help us track our individualized carbon footprints, but some experts are skeptical.
"Does Long-Term Benadryl Use Increase Dementia Risk?"
Benadryl, which contains diphenhydramine, is a drugstore mainstay and just one medication out of many that could possibly damage brain health
"America Is Getting Lonelier and More Indoorsy. That’s Not a Coincidence."
Our relationship to nature and our relationships with one another are deeply intertwined.
"The Lady Gaga Ferns Are Losing Their Home. It’s Surprisingly Tragic for Science and Society."
Duke University is closing its century-old herbarium—a legendary plant collection and training ground—to the outcry of many.
"Stop Calling It 'Climate Anxiety.' It's Climate Dread."
The phrase “climate dread” better legitimizes the real and tangible threat coming toward us.
"How Heat Waves Take a Toll on Mental Health"
Extreme heat can influence mood and raise the likelihood of a more serious mental health issue. Here’s what to know.
"The case for inviting everyone to everything"
In a time when loneliness is more pervasive than ever, why not extend an invitation?
"Jeopardy! Winner Reveals Entwined Memory Systems Make a Trivia Champion"
A former Jeopardy! winner led a new study that probes how linked memory systems may give trivia buffs an edge in their game.
"What does it mean to be likable – and who has to abide by those rules?"
‘Likability’ is hardly an objective measure – it’s a vague idea at best, mired in gendered, racialized and political connotations.
"What Can Hypnosis Do for Your Health?"
This 200-year-old treatment can be effective for a variety of conditions, but it does take work.
"How to Stop Ruminating"
Stuck in a mental loop of worries and problems that seem to have no end? Here’s what you can do.
"Why some people don’t feel the buzz of caffeine"
Genetics, smoking and medications can all influence how our bodies react to caffeinated beverages.
"Untangling Race From Hair"
One anthropologist has made it her mission to remove racial prejudices from the study of hair and find the evolutionary roots of hair diversity.
"Essay: Does Making Predictions Impede the Formation of Memories?"
When your brain is presented with a scenario, it makes a decision.
"The ups and downs of a great vertical migration"
Many water dwellers – from plankton to large fish – commute daily from the depths to the surface.
"Extinction obituary: the sudden, sad disappearance of the Christmas Island forest skink"
Gump was the last lizard of her kind when she died in 2014, and her demise should be ‘a scar on our conscience’
"The First Global Vaccination Expedition Set Sail in 1803"
A brave doctor and a group of orphans embarked on a voyage to save the world from smallpox.
"How to Live With Covid When You Are Tired of Living With Covid"
The BA.5 surge is a reminder that we need to take precautions.
"Blah Blah Blah: The Lack of Small Talk Is Breaking Our Brains"
Chit-chat is often dismissed as mindless and boring. But its absence over the past year is affecting you more than you think.
"Indigenous harvest rights still under attack in the upper Great Lakes"
Tribal leaders say racism and harassment persist as members exercise treaty rights.