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The Worst Story Ever Told

From claims that Jews kill children to make matzo, to accusations that immigrants in Ohio are devouring neighbors’ pets, the myth of the blood libel is a nightmare that never ends.

By Ákos Szegőfi

Culture

A Critical Deficit

Flawed thinking can lead us into a lifetime of pointless arguments and bad decisions. Fixing the problem won't be easy — but we know how to do it.

By Frederic Bertley

Controversies

Beyond Anthropomorphism

We need a new language to describe the reality that animals love, grieve, and fear.

By Ula Chrobak

Q&A

Science Without the BS

The public deserves honesty and respect. Scientists need to do a better job delivering, says Frederic Bertley, president of the COSI Science Center.

By Corey S. Powell

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OpenMind
Podcast and Q&A

Kristin Pauker: The Fight for Fairness

Everyone is biased, she says; it's built into the way we experience the world. But that doesn't mean that we are slaves to our instincts.

By Corey S. Powell

PART OF A SERIES SUPPORTED BY THE PULITZER CENTER

The Processed Food Fight

Some researchers are targeting artificial foods as a leading public health problem. As with so many dietary issues, though, the evidence tells a more nuanced tale.

By Amos Zeeberg

PART OF A SERIES SUPPORTED BY THE PULITZER CENTER

Polluted Minds

Airborne toxins can increase our risk for cognitive disability and disease. The science of exposomics is helping to identify effective responses.

By Sherry Baker

Podcast and Q&A

David Dunning: Overcoming Overconfidence

Dunning, co-discoverer of the Dunning-Kruger effect, investigates the misinformation gap built into our brains: We don't know what we don't know.

By Corey S. Powell

Podcast and Q&A

Rosalind Wright: Mapping the Exposome

New research shows how environmental exposures accumulated throughout life could explain subtle cognitive deficits and profound neurological disease.

By Corey S. Powell

PART OF A SERIES SUPPORTED BY THE PULITZER CENTER

TikTok: So You Think You Can Do Anything?

A little bit of knowledge might make you think you have expert status in areas from medicine to mountain climbing —when that happens, look to the Dunning-Kruger effect, and take extra care.

By Ben Rein