interview

Post-flight interview: Astronaut’s daughter reflects on her own launch on Blue Origin

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Laura Shepard Churchley is not sure if she is now an astronaut. The eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, America’s first astronaut to fly into space, Churchley followed in her father’s footsteps — and trajectory — lifting off on Dec. 11 aboard the New Shepard, Blue Origin’s suborbital launch vehicle named after her dad. The 10-minute … Read more

Elisabeth Bik: I scanned thousands of research images by eye to expose academic fraud

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Science consultant Elisabeth Bik is on a mission to detect duplicate images in scientific papers, exposing either genuine mistakes or signs of fraud. Humans 19 February 2020 , updated 2 December 2021 Voyagerix/Getty Images Microbiologist Elisabeth Bik has spent years searching for duplicated and manipulated images within scientific papers, scouring for clues as to whether … Read more

Steven Pinker interview: Why humans aren’t as irrational as they seem

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To explain the paradox of a smart species that embraces fake news, conspiracy theories and paranormal woo, we need to rethink rationality, says psychologist Steven Pinker Humans 8 December 2021 By Graham Lawton Jennie Edwards HUMANITY faces some huge challenges, from the coronavirus pandemic and climate change to fundamentalism, inequality, racism and war. Now, more … Read more