Washington Area Secular Humanists

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

What's it like to live and work in space?

Right now, video calls to space seem as exciting and futuristic as the first transcontinental radio broadcast must have felt to people who witnessed it. But one day, they'll be as normal as cell phones. Susan Fourtané reports on an interview with an astronaut and forecasts a future of cosmos-wide connectivity.

ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot speaks from the International Space Station.

06/12/2026

Five progressive leaders offer a powerful reminder of the country's unfinished journey.

06/12/2026

What is RCP8.5 and why should we celebrate its demise?

Here's the best climate news you'll hear all year: RCP8.5 is dead. Sound bland and boring? Then let Adam Lee explain what this apocalyptic scenario was, why it's gone, and why we should rejoice.

We've avoided the worst-case scenario.

06/12/2026

This country cannot deliver on its promises until we collectively act to ensure equal protection for all.

This country cannot deliver on its promises until we collectively act to to ensure equal protection for all.

06/12/2026

Why does America still have such a simplistic view of race?

Former president Barack Obama, like many other politicians and celebrities of mixed ethnicity, is almost invariably identified as Black. Why does this identity seem to override all the other contributions to a human being's background? Rick Snedeker suggests that America's views on race could benefit from some more nuance.

American perceptions of racial identity are still influenced by the archaic "one-drop" rule.

06/12/2026

The pamphleteer’s insistence that America live up to its revolutionary vows still rings true 250 years later.

06/12/2026

One in five Americans believes aliens have already made contact.

Many have watched recently released UFO videos, but most still think the government knows more than it is saying.

06/12/2026

Researchers discover biological driver of co***ne addiction in the liver, suggesting how the body metabolizes co***ne may predict addiction; most prior research has focused on the brain.

UC San Diego researchers have identified genetic drivers of co***ne addiction, uncovering a potential new treatment target in the liver. This large-scale study maps how metabolism influences addiction-like behavior to bridge the gap to human medicine.