Who can build a better chair? (The Guardian)
by Sara Hendren
Many of us spend much of our days sitting in chairs. Yet it’s only recently that this particular piece of furniture has become ubiquitous. And, honestly, chairs are often not very comfortable. Design principles invented by people outside the non-disabled, working-adult “norm” might be able to help.
How to remember happy moments (Forge)
by Ashley Abramson
It’s a cruel trick of evolution that scary or traumatic memories stick in our brains, while pleasant moments are typically much more fleeting. But there are some ways to fix ordinary happy days in our minds, ready to be called up in worse times.
When cops see a “good guy with a gun” (Vox)
by Zack Beauchamp
Civilians carrying guns make cops’ lives more dangerous. So why do we so often see police supporting armed vigilantes? One sociologist interviewed dozens of police chiefs to find out.
A step toward defeating a plague (Nature)
by Ewen Callaway
As the world struggles with COVID-19, scientists have achieved an “epochal” victory against a different deadly disease: dengue fever. The success involves creating a whole new infection—one that affects mosquitoes.
The other problem with mail-in voting (The Conversation)
by Jennifer Selin
So far, concerns about mail-in voting have focused mainly on funding for the U.S. Postal Service. But there are also costs and logistical issues for 8,000 local election offices across the country, many of which are not ready to process a huge influx of mailed-in ballots.
Got a hot tip about a well-researched story that belongs on this list? Email us here.