Social Selection in 2016

'Trap’ URLs can help publishers to catch automated downloading, but critics say that the approach is clumsy.

A science writer challenges the sceptics community to move beyond tackling just ‘easy’ issues.

Scientists attack Siddhartha Mukherjee’s feature exploring gene regulation.

Data on Sci-Hub activity prompts discussion about why the research-paper website is so popular.

A request to christen the newborn animal kicks off a flurry of physics puns.

The animal ‘fights’ of Mammal March Madness foster conversations about wildlife biology.

Apparently creationist research prompts soul searching over process of editing and peer review.

Researchers on social media ask at what point replication efforts go from useful to wasteful.

A preliminary study suggests code-edits by female software developers are more successful — except when their gender is known.

Field researchers discuss online the challenges of having a period in remote areas.

The hashtag #scientistherdnames began with a blog post about the lack of group terms for scientists.

Studies about the diversity of indoor insects, fairy-tale origins and insightful dog gazes attracted attention on social media.

A Harvard professor reveals how his hiring committee whittles down the pile of job applications.

A spoof paper about mothers kissing their children’s ‘boo-boos’ draws attention on social media.