Cats know more than they let on (Scientific American)
by Jim Daley
A new study finds that cats recognize their own names—at least from the mouths of their human companions. But that doesn’t mean they’ll come when called.

Building a doubt machine (Aeon)
by Hakwan Lau
One way of improving machine learning is pitting a network that generates images against another network that tries to determine whether they’re real or fake. This bears a striking resemblance to the way our minds use sensory perception and preexisting knowledge.

Christianity’s future is African (Quartz)
by Yomi Kazeem
By 2060, six African countries will be home to almost a quarter of the world’s Christians. Already, the growth of Christian institutions, including megachurches that are almost cities, is transforming much of the continent.

Do cooking and cleaning wreck our lungs? (The New Yorker)
by Nicola Twilley
Cooking Thanksgiving dinner generates levels of indoor pollution worse than outdoor air in the most polluted cities. Scientists are just beginning to understand the chemical reactions happening as we go about our days indoors, mopping, cooking, and just breathing.

Don’t worry about scientific literacy (Fivethirtyeight)
by Maggie Koerth-Baker
Did you hear about that survey that shows how many Americans don’t know basic science facts? It turns out it’s not as bad as you might think. More importantly, being science-savvy doesn’t lead to adopting science-backed policy ideas anyway.

Got a hot tip about a well-researched story that belongs on this list? Email us here.