The Lesbian Dream of Babies without Men (Slate)
by Allison Miller
In the 1970s heyday of lesbian separatism, some activists turned to the rapidly advancing science of reproduction in the hopes of developing human parthenogenesis. Things got strange, and ethically troubling, fast.

Breaking Whale Science from Medieval Sources (Smithsonian Magazine)
by Nina Goldman
Medieval manuscripts tell of sea monsters using a particular feeding technique—a technique modern scientists detected for the first time among whales in 2011. Could the ocean giants be readopting a fishing style from their past?

The Trouble with Debating Science (Vox)
by Keren Landman
Science evolves through contentious disagreements. So why are many scientists reluctant to engage in real-time public debates? And how can science communication really reach people whose ideas are well outside a discipline’s consensus?

An Indigenous Critique of “Natural” Parenting (Aeon)
by Francesca Mezzenzana
Among college-educated Americans, parenting techniques like baby-wearing and breastfeeding on demand are often described as “natural” and based on Indigenous practices. But, as one mom found while visiting her Runa relatives in the Amazon, Indigenous people don’t necessarily agree.

What Asian American Therapy Patients Need (Knowable Magazine)
by Diana Kwon
American mental health professionals often emphasize goals like self-disclosure and direct communication—without recognizing that these reflect culturally specific values. Some psychologists are rethinking what therapy could look like for Asian Americans, who often come to mental health treatment with different experiences and expectations.

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