It might seem surprising, but federal research funding isn’t just for scientists. A component of many federal grants that support basic research requires that discoveries be shared with nonscientists.

In recent debates about government funding, certain quirky-sounding research projects — like studying shrimp on treadmills — have grabbed headlines and become easy targets for criticism. Politicians ...

From an anthropological point of view, the practice of science comes out of two possible impulses. One is a desire to understand the world and its manifestations, the other to make the world more ...