Editor's note
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Tomorrow the most diverse Congress in U.S. history will be sworn in. And yet, the number of Republican women serving will drop by 10 seats. Political scientists Shauna Shames and Malliga Och ask what our democracy loses when one major party – in this case, the Republicans – fails miserably at electing women to office.
The new year is a good time to think about protecting yourself from hackers, trolls, bots and wayward social media companies. Computer scientist Elissa Redmiles offers six straightforward changes to make – some technical, others cognitive – to stay free of malware and disinformation.
And, as you think about making New Year’s resolutions, you might also want to think about the ancient role of evolution. Humans are not living the lives we have evolved to live, writes Arash Javanbakht, professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University. He explains why we would be happier if we did.
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Emily Costello
Deputy Editor
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Top Stories
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Carol Miller of West Virginia is the only newly elected Republican woman joining the 116th Congress.
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Malliga Och, Idaho State University; Shauna Shames, Rutgers University
Republican women face higher barriers to reaching elected office. A GOP allergy to identity politics plays a role too.
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What dangerous experiences lurk behind the use of this trackpad?
Amy Walters/Shutterstock.com
Elissa Redmiles, University of Maryland
Protect yourself from hackers, trolls, bots, social media executives and programmers in need of ethics training.
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Exercise and activity are important parts of living the lives humans are meant to live from an evolutionary standpoint.
Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com
Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University
As the new year gets underway, millions will make resolutions. The author explains why resolving to live in accordance with the way humans have evolved could go a long way to increasing happiness.
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Politics + Society
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Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State University
The new Congress is divided into a GOP Senate and Democratic House. History provides a glimpse of what this could mean: Democrats hold the power to investigate, if not to legislate.
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Benjamin H. Bradlow, Brown University
Brazil's new president – often called the 'Trump of the tropics' for his inflammatory, right-wing rhetoric – won over poorer voters by stoking fear and resentment. Can he make them happy?
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Science + Technology
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Bruce Barry, Vanderbilt University; Thomas Bateman, University of Virginia
New Year's resolutions are one thing. But what does it take to devote your life to a work goal with such a long time horizon you might never reach it in your lifetime?
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Kelly Lambert, University of Richmond
Decades of work with lab rats lead to suggestions on how to stay grounded in the here and now, with benefits for brain health.
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Ethics + Religion
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Elizabeth Brake, Arizona State University
Singles can face mistaken stereotypes and value judgments that they are less happy, or lonelier. For many, being single is simply a relationship preference or even an orientation.
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Jeremy David Engels, Pennsylvania State University
Why you might be getting gratitude all wrong.
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Most Read on Site
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Micaela Martinez, Columbia University Medical Center; Kevin M. Bakker, University of Michigan
Did you ever consider that human beings might have a breeding season? Birth seasonality exists – and has interesting implications for childhood disease outbreaks.
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Jennifer Tucker, Wesleyan University
The lamps that once lit London's streets have come to symbolize a certain time and place in British history.
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Laura Haynes, University of Connecticut
Anyone who's had the flu can attest that it makes them feel horrible. But why? What is going on inside the body that brings such pain and malaise? An immunologist explains.
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