Stories by Elizabeth Svoboda

Research is revealing the key to motivating empathy—and making it stick

Therapy chatbots are increasingly popular and may benefit some people, but it's dangerous to trust AI during a mental health crisis

Preventing initial episodes might stop depression from becoming a disabling chronic condition

Health policy makers need to cultivate social trust and plan effective communication strategies well before the next pandemic

A specific kind of trauma results when a person’s core principles are violated during wartime or a pandemic

Bacteria are helping corals in lab tests, but risks rise as treatments are applied in the wild

Coral skeletons have recorded changes in the ocean environment over thousands of years

If gut bacteria can sway their hosts to be selfless, it could answer a riddle that goes back to Darwin

Feldman creates mathematical models that reveal how cultural traditions can affect the evolution of a species

Forensic archaeologists are finally exploring what lies beneath the dirt—but not without resistance

Researchers have begun to catalogue how soil microbes are changing the world

Cyberbullies take advantage of the unique psychology of online communities to attack, intimidate and hurt others. Here is what makes trolls tick— and how to stop them

Your smartphone can monitor your vital signs in real time, alerting you to the first sign of trouble

10 new technologies that will make a difference

Tiny knives could be important weapons against superbugs

New devices may spare patients from monitoring their blood glucose

Ten thoughts, trends and technologies that have the power to transform our lives

A new approach to DNA sequencing could revolutionize our understanding of genetics

Our highly selective list includes Teflon, dropped calls and the space shuttle

Lasers, parasites and other methods could help prevent a disease that afflicts hundreds of millions of people

Despite a known preventative, polio still maims and cripples 1,000 people annually

Afraid of crumbling when it counts? Try not to think so hard.