Race and ethnicity

Painting of a Renaissance family gathered around a table with a patterned cloth and fruit bowl, showcasing rich attire and expressions.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

DNA testing is easy. It can also turn your family upside down

DNA testing is bringing the era of family secrets to a close. When a surprise is uncovered, lives can change forever

by Libby Copeland

Woman seated at a cafeteria table reading a book, with her shoes kicked off.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

In defence of slouching: the bad science behind good posture

The idea that we should all stand straight is widely accepted. But this modern obsession has dubious origins

by Beth Linker

Photo of a hand on a table with a pulse oximeter measuring oxygen saturation and pulse rate on the index finger.
BIOETHICS

Some medical devices don’t mean to be racist, but they are

Oppression can get built into anything, including medical devices. How do they influence us, and what can we do about them?

by Vanessa Carbonell & Shen-yi Liao

Photo of a man in a grey shirt holding a cup, sitting among others in a room, with a pensive expression on his face.
MENTAL HEALTH

Bias in mental health diagnosis gets in the way of treatment

Some groups are at risk of receiving less accurate mental health diagnoses. The expanded use of diagnostic aids could help

by Howard N Garb

Photo of a bustling outdoor market with people browsing plants and stalls lined along brick buildings under a cloudy sky.
CIVIC LIFE

The surprising way to tackle prejudice in the real world

The good news is there are many effective anti-prejudice interventions, but the most promising remains relatively unknown

by Wing Hsieh

Photo of a person walking past a historic building with greenery and flowers in the background.
RACE AND ETHNICITY

Fitting in is human: forcing someone to fit in is oppression

We’re all cultural code-switchers, altering how we present ourselves to fit into the world. For some, it’s a losing game

by Arianna Falbo

Photo of three aged metal bars with small holes, standing vertically against a dark background.
TRAUMA AND PTSD

Racism has broadened ‘Black time’ to an always and everywhere

As a Black American woman, my life runs to a time embodied in a racist past, a time lost to trauma that I’ll never get back

by Desirée H Melton

Photo of two women in a hair salon, one with grey braids in a green top, the other in a colourful patterned outfit.
BEAUTY AND AESTHETICS

Black beauty doesn’t have to be natural to be powerful and true

Black, beautiful, and fake: ‘natural’ became the byword for Black beauty, but we should celebrate the artificial too

by Robyn Autry

Photo of a crowded street scene reflecting in a window while people eat inside a restaurant, with flags and confetti visible.
RACE AND ETHNICITY

If racial identity can be fluid, who changes their race?

Understanding how individuals change their self-described race helps us decode racial dynamics in the US and beyond

by Alexander Agadjanian

Photo of four children lying on a rug eating from colourful trays on a wooden floor with a patterned carpet.
PROGRESS AND THE FUTURE

Over-optimism about racial justice is widespread and harmful

Achieving racial justice takes work, but narratives of ever-unfolding progress can make it seem as if the job is already done

by Michael Kraus

A person sits in a chair on the phone in an art gallery, with two large paintings in the background and paintbrushes visible in the foreground.
PAINTING AND SCULPTURE

After years of struggle, an artist faces a new obstacle – staggering success

Directed by Titus Kaphar and Alex Mallis

An elderly woman in a patterned beanie holding a red card with holes punched into it in front of her face.
ARTISTS AND ART HISTORY

Circles possess a defiant beauty in the abstract works of Howardena Pindell

Directed by César Martínez Barba