What’s in the Pandora Papers? And why does South Dakota feature so heavily?

Beverly Moran, Vanderbilt University

A taxation expert explains why South Dakota has become a favorite state for the ultra-rich when it comes to squirreling away their wealth.

The 2021 Nobel Prize for medicine helps unravel mysteries about how the body senses temperature and pressure

Steven D. Munger, University of Florida

The joint award recognizes the long road to deciphering the biology behind the brain’s ability to sense its surroundings – work that paves the way for a number of medical and biological breakthroughs.

Winners of 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics built mathematics of climate modeling, making predictions of global warming and modern weather forecasting possible

David Randall, Colorado State University

Modern climate and weather models can predict what the weather will be next week and what the climate may be in 100 years. They would not exist without Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi.

As American independence rang, a sweeping lockdown and mass inoculations fought off a smallpox outbreak

Woody Holton, University of South Carolina

In the summer of 1776, Boston offered smallpox inoculation to everyone and required those who declined to leave town or stay in their homes.

Is social distancing unraveling the bonds that keep society together?

Ilana Horwitz, Tulane University

The relationships that people form with others outside of their homes can translate into crucial help in a disaster. But what happens if they can’t build those ties because of social distancing?

Coral reefs are dying as climate change decimates ocean ecosystems vital to fish and humans

Sam Purkis, University of Miami

During a 2015 heat wave, scientists watched as a coral reef died before their eyes. By the end of the century, almost all the world’s corals will be gone if climate change continues at this pace.

Becoming a parent through surrogacy can have ethical challenges – but it is a positive experience for some

Danielle Tumminio Hansen, Emory University

Surrogacy can be exploitative, but a theologian writes how it can also remind individuals that family is not just biological but also social and relational.

4 trends in public school enrollment due to COVID-19

Tareena Musaddiq, University of Michigan; Andrew Bacher-Hicks, Boston University

Fewer students enrolled in public school and more were home-schooled during the 2020-21 school year. Researchers analyzed records in Michigan to understand what drove parents to make these decisions.

Global shortage of shipping containers highlights their importance in getting goods to Amazon warehouses, store shelves and your door in time for Christmas

Anna Nagurney, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Before the container was standardized, loading and unloading goods was very labor-intensive, inefficient and costly.

Cherry-picking the Bible and using verses out of context isn’t a practice confined to those opposed to vaccines – it has been done for centuries

John Fea, Messiah College

A historian of the Bible in American life explains how Bible verses are being picked out of context to make a case for the anti-vaxxer movement.

Tylenol could be risky for pregnant women – a new review of 25 years of research finds acetaminophen may contribute to ADHD and other developmental disorders in children

Ann Z. Bauer, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Tylenol has long been considered a go-to medication for low to moderate pain and for fever reduction, even during pregnancy. But mounting evidence suggests that it is unsafe for fetal development.

Today’s graphic

From the story, Biden urges countries to slash methane emissions 30% – here’s why it’s crucial for protecting climate and health, and how it can pay for itself