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Top 10 research topics from 2021.

Find the answers to your biggest research questions from 2021. With collective views of over 3.7 million, researchers explored topics spanning from nutritional immunology and political misinformation to sustainable agriculture and the human-dog bond .

Research Topics:

1. Infectious disease

• 1,643,000 views
• 29 articles

2. Nutritional immunology

• 768,000 views

3. Music therapy

• 268,000 views
• 44 articles

4. Political misinformation

• 219,000 views
• 11 articles

5. Plant science

• 198,000 views
• 15 articles

6. Sustainable agriculture

• 168,000 views
• 49 articles

7. Mental health

• 136,000 views
• 22 articles

8. Aging brains

• 134,000 views
• 18 articles

Benefits of human-dog interactions

• 229,000 views
• 13 articles

10. Mood disorders

• 102,000 views
• 12 articles

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The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2021

Thrilling discoveries, hurdles in the fight against Covid and advancements in space exploration defined the past year

Associate Editor, Science

Covid-19 dominated science coverage again in 2021, and deservedly so. The disease garnered two entries on this list of our picks for the most important science stories of the year. But other key discoveries and achievements marked the year in science too, and they deserve more attention. NASA and private companies notched firsts in space. Scientists discovered more about the existence of early humans. And researchers documented how climate change has impacted everything from coral reefs to birds. Covid-19 will continue to garner even more attention next year as scientists work to deal with new variants and develop medical advances to battle the virus. But before you let stories about those topics dominate your reading in 2022, it’s worth it to take a look back at the biggest discoveries and accomplishments of this past year. To that end, here are our picks for the most important science stories of 2021.

The Covid Vaccine Rollout Encounters Hurdles

Last year the biggest science story of the year was that scientists developed two mRNA Covid vaccines in record time. This year the biggest Covid story is that the rollout of those vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, and one other by Johnson and Johnson, haven’t made their way into a large proportion of the United States population and a significant portion of the world. As of this writing on December 21 , roughly 73 percent of the U.S. population has received one dose, and roughly 61 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated. An incomplete rollout allowed for a deadly summer surge, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant . Experts pointed out that vaccination rates lagged due to widespread disinformation and misinformation campaigns . It didn’t help that some popular public figures —like Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers , musician Nick Minaj , podcast host Joe Rogan and rapper Ice Cube —chose not to get vaccinated. Luckily, by November, U.S. health officials had approved the Pfizer vaccine for children as young as five, providing another barrier against the deadly disease’s spread, and Covid rates declined. But while the wall against the disease in the U.S. is growing, it is not finished. As cases surge as the Omicron variant spreads around the country, building that wall and reinforcing it with booster shots is critically important. In much of the rest of the world, the wall is severely lacking where populations haven’t been given decent access to the vaccine. Only 8 percent of individuals in low-income countries have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and a WHO Africa report from this fall said that on that continent, less than 10 percent of countries would hit the goal of vaccinating at least 40 percent of their citizens by the end of the year. Globally, less than 60 percent of the population has been vaccinated. The holes in vaccination coverage will allow the virus to continue to kill a large number of individuals, and allow an environment where possibly other dangerous variants can emerge.

Perseverance Notches Firsts on Mars

NASA took a huge step forward in exploring the Red Planet after the rover Perseverance landed safely on Mars in February. Scientists outfitted the vehicle with an ultralight helicopter that successfully flew in the thin Martian atmosphere , a toaster-sized device called MOXIE that successfully converted carbon dioxide to oxygen , and sampling elements that successfully collected rocks from the planet’s floor. All of the achievements will lend themselves to a better understanding of Mars, and how to investigate it in the future. The flight success will give scientists clues on how to build larger helicopters, the oxygen creation will help scientists come up with grander plans for conversion devices, and the rocks will make their way back to Earth for analysis when they are picked up on a future mission. In addition to the rover’s triumphs, other countries notched major firsts too. The United Arab Emirates Hope space probe successfully entered orbit around the planet and is studying the Martian atmosphere and weather. China’s Zhurong rover landed on Mars in May and is exploring the planet’s geology and looking for signs of water. With these ongoing missions, scientists around the world are learning more and more about what the planet is like and how we might better explore it, maybe one day in person.

Is “Dragon Man” a New Species of Human?

The backstory of the skull that scientists used to suggest there was a new species of later Pleistocene human—to join Homo sapiens and Neanderthals—garnered a lot of ink. After the fossil was discovered at a construction site in China nearly 90 years ago, a family hid it until a farmer gave it to a university museum in 2018. Since then, scientists in China pored over the skull—analyzing its features, conducting uranium series dating, and using X-ray fluorescence to compare it to other fossils—before declaring it a new species of archaic human. They dubbed the discovery Homo longi , or “Dragon Man.” The skull had a large cranium capable of holding a big brain, a thick brow and almost square eye sockets—details scientists used to differentiate it from other Homo species. Some scientists questioned whether the find warranted designation as a new species. “It’s exciting because it is a really interesting cranium, and it does have some things to say about human evolution and what’s going on in Asia. But it’s also disappointing that it’s 90 years out from discovery, and it is just an isolated cranium, and you’re not quite sure exactly how old it is or where it fits,” Michael Petraglia of the Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Initiative told Smithsonian magazine back in June. Other scientists supported the new species designation, and so the debate continues, and likely will until more fossils are discovered that help to fill in the holes of human history.

Climate Change Wreaks Havoc on Coral Reefs

Increasing natural disasters—forest fires, droughts and heat waves—may be the most noticeable events spurred by climate change; a warming Earth has helped drive a five-fold uptick in such weather-related events over the last 50 years according the a 2021 report by the World Meteorological Organization . But one of the biggest impacts wrought by climate change over the past decade has occurred underwater. Warming temps cause coral reefs to discard the symbiotic algae that help them survive, and they bleach and die. This year a major report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network announced that the oceans lost about 14 percent of their reefs in the decade after 2009, mostly because of climate change. In November, new research showed that less than 2 percent of the coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef—the world’s largest such feature—escaped bleaching since 1998. That news came just two months after a different study stated that half of coral reefs have been lost since the 1950s , in part due to climate change. The reef declines impact fisheries, local economies based on tourism and coastal developments—which lose the offshore buffer zone from storms the living structures provide. Scientists say if temperatures continue to rise, coral reefs are in serious danger. But not all hope is lost—if humans reduce carbon emissions rapidly now, more reefs will have a better chance of surviving .

The Space Tourism Race Heats Up

This year the famous billionaires behind the space tourism race completed successful missions that boosted more than just their egos. They put a host of civilians in space. Early in July, billionaire Richard Branson and his employees flew just above the boundary of space—a suborbital flight—in Virgin Galactic’s first fully crewed trip. (But Virgin Galactic did delay commercial missions until at least late next year.) Just over a week after Branson’s mission, the world’s richest person, Jeff Bezos, completed Blue Origin’s first crewed suborbital flight with the youngest and oldest travelers to reach space. In October, his company Blue Origin repeated the feat when it took Star Trek actor William Shatner up. A month before that, a crew of four became the first all-civilian crew to circle the Earth from space in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience. More ambitious firsts for civilians are in the works. In 2022, SpaceX plans to send a retired astronaut and three paying passengers to the International Space Station. And beyond that, Bezos announced Blue Origin hopes to deploy a private space station fit for ten—called “Orbital Reef”—sometime between 2025 and 2030.

WHO Approves First Vaccine Against Malaria

In October, the World Health Organization approved the first vaccine against malaria. The approval was not only a first for that disease, but also for any parasitic disease. The moment was 30 years in the making, as Mosquirix—the brand name of the drug— cost more than $750 million since 1987 to develop and test. Malaria kills nearly a half million individuals a year, including 260,000 children under the age of five. Most of these victims live in sub-Saharan Africa. The new vaccine fights the deadliest of five malaria pathogens and the most prevalent in Africa, and is administered to children under five in a series of four injections. The vaccine is not a silver bullet; it prevents only about 30 percent of severe malaria cases. But one modeling study showed that still could prevent 5.4 million cases and 23,000 deaths in children under five each year. Experts say the vaccine is a valuable tool that should be used in conjunction with existing methods—such as drug combination treatments and insecticide-treated bed nets—to combat the deadly disease.

Discoveries Move Key Dates Back for Humans in the Americas

Two very different papers in two of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals documented key moments of human habitation in the Americas. In September, a study in Science dated footprints found at White Sands National Park to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago. Researchers estimated the age of the dried tracks known as “ghost prints” using radiocarbon dating of dried ditchgrass seeds found above and below the impressions. Previously, many archaeologists placed the start of human life in the Americas at around 13,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age, based on tools found in New Mexico. The new paper, whose results have been debated , suggests humans actually lived on the continent at the height of the Ice Age. A month after that surprising find, a study in Nature published evidence showing that Vikings lived on North America earlier than previously thought. Researchers examined cut wood left by the explorers at a site in Newfoundland and found evidence in the samples of a cosmic ray event that happened in 993 C.E. The scientists then counted the rings out from that mark and discovered the wood had been cut in 1021 C.E. The find means that the Norse explorers completed the first known crossing of the Atlantic from Europe to the Americas.

Humans Are Affecting the Evolution of Animals

New research published this year shows that humans have both directly and indirectly affected how animals evolve. In probably the starkest example of humans impacting animal evolution, a Science study found a sharp increase in tuskless African elephants after years of poaching. During the Mozambican Civil War from 1977 to 1992, poachers killed so many of the giant mammals with tusks that those females without the long ivory teeth were more likely to pass on their genes. Before the war, 20 percent were tuskless. Now, roughly half of the female elephants are tuskless. Males who have the genetic make-up for tusklessness die , likely before they are born. And killing animals isn’t the only way humans are impacting evolution. A large study in Trends in Ecology and Evolution found that animals are changing shape to deal with rising temps. For example, over various time periods bats grew bigger wings and rabbits sprouted longer ears—both likely to dissipate more heat into the surrounding air. More evidence along those lines was published later in the year in Science Advances . A 40-year-study of birds in a remote, intact patch of Amazon rainforest showed 77 species weighed less on average, and many had longer wings, than they used to. Scientists said the changes likely occurred due to rising temperatures and changes in rainfall.

Antiviral Pills That Fight Covid Show Promising Results

Almost a year after scientists released tests showing the success of mRNA vaccines in fighting Covid, Merck released promising interim test results from a Phase III trial of an antiviral pill. On October 1, the pharmaceutical giant presented data that suggested molnupiravir could cut hospitalizations in half. Ten days later, the company submitted results to the FDA in hopes of gaining emergency use. In mid-November, the U.K. jumped ahead of the U.S. and granted approval for the treatment. By late November, advisers to the FDA recommended emergency authorization of the pill, though it was shown by this time to reduce death or disease by 30—not 50—percent. The drug should be taken —four pills a day for five days—starting within five days of the appearance of symptoms. It works by disrupting SARS-CoV-2’s ability to replicate effectively inside a human cell.

Molnupiravir isn’t the only viral drug with positive results. In November, Pfizer announced its antiviral pill, Paxlovid, was effective against severe Covid. By December, the pharmaceutical giant shared final results that it reduced the risk of hospitalization and death by 88 percent in a key group. News about both pills was welcome , as they are expected to work against all versions of the virus, including Omicron. Though the drugs aren’t as big of a breakthrough as the vaccines, a doctor writing for the New Yorker called them “the most important pharmacologic advance of the pandemic.” Many wealthy countries have already agreed to contracts for molnupiravir, and the Gates Foundation pledged $120 million to help get the pill to poor countries. If approved and distributed fast enough, the oral antivirals can be prescribed in places, like Africa, where vaccines have been lacking. The pills represent another crucial tool, in addition to masks and vaccines, in the fight against Covid.

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Joe Spring is the associate digital science editor for Smithsonian magazine.

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MIT’s top research stories of 2021

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Despite the pandemic’s disruptions, MIT’s research community still found a way to generate a number of impressive research breakthroughs in 2021. In the spirit of reflection that comes with every new orbit around the sun, below we count down 10 of the most-viewed research stories on MIT News from the past year.

We’ve also rounded up the year’s top MIT community-related stories .

10. Giving cancer treatment a recharge . In October, researchers discovered a way to jump-start the immune system to attack tumors. The method combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy to spur immune cells into action. The researchers hope it could allow immunotherapy to be used against more types of cancer.

9. Generating 3D holograms in real-time . Computer scientists developed a deep-learning-based system that allows computers to create holograms almost instantly. The system could be used to create holograms for virtual reality, 3D printing, medical imaging, and more — and it’s efficient enough to run on a smartphone.

8. Creating inhalable vaccines . Scientists at the Koch Institute developed a method for delivering vaccines directly to the lungs through inhalation. The new strategy induced a strong immune response in the lungs of mice and could offer a quicker response to viruses that infect hosts through mucosal surfaces.

7. Assessing Covid-19 transmission risk . Two MIT professors proposed a new approach to estimating the risks of exposure to Covid-19 in different indoor settings. The guidelines suggest a limit for exposure based on factors such as the size of the space, the number of people, the kinds of activity, whether masks are worn, and ventilation and filtration rates.

6. Teaching machine learning models to adapt . Researchers in CSAIL developed a new type of neural network that can change its underlying equations to continuously adapt to new data. The advance could improve models’ decision-making based on data that changes over time, such as in medical diagnosis and autonomous driving.

5. Programming fibers . In June, a team created the first fabric fiber with digital capabilities. The fibers can sense, store, analyze, and infer data and activity after being sewn into a shirt. The researchers say the fibers could be used to monitor physical performance, to detect diseases, and for a variety of medical purposes.

4. Examining the limitations of data visualizations . A collaboration between anthropologists and computer scientists found that coronavirus skeptics have used sophisticated data visualizations to argue against public health orthodoxy like wearing a mask. The researchers concluded that data visualizations aren’t sufficient to convey the urgency of the Covid-19 pandemic because even the clearest graphs can be interpreted through a variety of belief systems.

3. Developing a Covid-detecting face mask . Engineers at MIT and Harvard University designed a prototype face mask that can diagnose the person wearing the mask with Covid-19 in about 90 minutes. The masks are embedded with tiny, disposable sensors that can be fitted into other face masks and could also be adapted to detect other viruses.

2. Confirming Hawking’s black hole theorem . Using observations of gravitational waves, physicists from MIT and elsewhere confirmed a major theorem created by Stephen Hawking in 1971. The theorem states that the area of a black hole’s event horizon — the boundary beyond which nothing can ever escape — will never shrink.

1. Advancing toward fusion energy . In September, researchers at MIT and the MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems ramped up a high-temperature superconducting electromagnet to a field strength of 20 tesla, the most powerful magnetic field of its kind ever created on Earth. The demonstration was three years in the making and is believed to resolve one of greatest remaining points of uncertainty in the quest to build the world’s first fusion power plant that produces more energy than it consumes.

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113 Great Research Paper Topics

General Education

One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

• Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
• Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
• How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
• How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
• How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
• How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

Current Events

• What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
• How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
• How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
• Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
• How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
• How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
• How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
• What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
• What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
• What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
• Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
• Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
• Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
• Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
• Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
• What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
• Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
• Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
• Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
• How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
• Should graduate students be able to form unions?

• What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
• How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
• Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
• How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
• How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
• Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
• Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
• Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
• Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
• Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
• Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
• Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
• Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
• Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
• How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
• Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
• What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
• What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
• Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
• Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
• Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
• What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
• What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
• How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
• Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
• What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
• What were the causes of the Civil War?
• How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
• Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?
• Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
• What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
• How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
• What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

• Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
• Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
• How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
• How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
• What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
• What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
• How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

• How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
• How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
• Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
• Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
• How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
• How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
• What are the pros and cons of fracking?
• What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
• What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
• How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
• Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
• Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
• What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
• What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
• How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
• Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
• How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Has social media made people more or less connected?
• What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
• Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
• When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
• Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

What's Next?

Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? We break this sometimes tricky concept down so it's easy to understand in our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium .

Thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners have one of the fastest growing careers in the country, and we have all the information you need to know about what to expect from nurse practitioner school .

Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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HBR’s Most-Read Research Articles of 2021

• Dagny Dukach

A look back at the insights that resonated most with our readers.

What will it take to make work better? Over the past year, HBR has published a wide array of research-backed articles that explore topics ranging from retaining employees to overcoming meeting overload to fostering gender equity in the workplace. In this end-of-year roundup, we share key insights and trends from our most-read research articles of 2021.

As the workplace rapidly transforms in the wake of the pandemic, social movements, and more, a fundamental question remains: How can we ensure we’re making work better — for employees, organizations, and society at large?

• Dagny Dukach is a former associate editor at Harvard Business Review.

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125 Best Research Paper Topics of 2021

When you get into high school, you are not aware of the number of responsibilities you might have to face over your academics, making you feel clogged and exhausted, especially when writing and submitting research papers on time.

One of the most challenging parts of writing a research paper is to find a perfect topic to write. Luckily, we have done all the hard work for you and have created a list of 125 fascinating research paper topics.

For your further convenience, we have organized the topics into different categories covering a wide range of subjects so you can easily choose the best topic according to your interest and knowledge.

Besides the list of good research topics, I have also talked about selecting a good research topic and how you can use your subject to start writing an excellent paper.

How to Select a Perfect Research Paper Topic?

Before you start writing, you need to make sure you choose a great topic. Below mentioned are the three crucial factors to contemplate before selecting the best research paper topics.

Choosing a field, you are interested in

It is difficult to find a research paper topic because most high-school students are confused about selecting their major. However, you can always select an area of interest.

There are always specific research topics on trending. Many people seem interested in writing about the buzzing topics; never feel tempted or go with the crowd and make it your subject unless you genuinely have some interest in it.

There is enough information to foster your research.

Once you have chosen the best research paper topic and you're happy to write about it, it is still challenging to produce a good paper if there isn't enough information about the subject. 

This is possible for very particular or specialized topics, and sometimes some topics are too new to have enough research conducted on them at the moment. Simple topics will always have more than enough information to write a full-length paper. Writing a research paper on a topic that does not have enough information is extremely hard. Before you take up a topic, do primary research and make sure you have all the essential information to write your research paper.

The research paper fits your teacher guidelines. 

Always note down any specific requirements or restrictions your teacher may have implemented on some research topic ideas. If you are writing a research paper on a political science topic, deciding to write about technology’s impact on sports won’t be allowed. Still, there can be some sort of flexibility.

For example, if you want to write about the “Portrayal of minorities by Media” and your teacher wants you to write about “History,” you can combine both topics and develop something relevant. Like “How the portrayal of minorities by media go a long way back.” You can also use companies, like do my essay , to help you write your research paper.

For your convenience, we have organized the topics into different categories. It will also make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Simple research paper topics

• How important is diversity within the team, and why?
• What makes one sport more accepted than another?
• How would the world be different without the discoveries of Albert Einstein?
• Rise of anime; what made anime admired worldwide?
• Is the traditional music of a country foremost than the international music that is popular around the world?
• What causes people to change their leisure time activities as they get older?
• What is the best way to deal with procrastination?
• What are hobbies more favored with children and adults in your area?
• Are there hobbies you can easily do in your own country but not so comfortable when you go to another country? Why?
• What are stereotypes of people from your country, and how true are those?

Interesting research paper topics

• How true is it that older people are wiser and correct, always right in their choices?
• Can technology cause a gap between generations?
• How different are friendships between men from friendships between women, and why?
• Can amusement parks have an educational motive aside from an entertaining one? 
• What things make people in your country happy?
• What are the pros and cons of plastic surgery?
• Does beauty, in general, decide how much a person will be happy and successful in life?
• What other common sayings such as “Actions speak louder than words” exist in your language, and what life lessons they teach?
• What makes Nordic regions happier and more prosperous than others?
• Ways to communicate better with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers?

Controversial topics for research paper

These topics might stimulate terrible responses from some people because most of these subjects are controversial and are likely to raise some issues. Be careful before writing about such topics.

• What is the context of all terrorist attacks in the world?
• How to deal with a large number of immigrants?
• How to prevent a rise in the number of homeless children?
• What is the proper punishment for serial killers and rapists?
• Will religion survive the future? Explain

Aggressive research topics

• Are video games the reason for more antisocial people?
• What makes communism the best political system in the world?
• How will a rise in the minimum wage help increase economic mobility?
• Should steroids be allowed in sports?
• What can things be done on an individual level to prevent cyberbullying?

Research topics by different fields of study

In different fields of study, you can tell your brain to perform innovatively. Here, you can carry out extensive research to put forward new opinions.

• What were the devastating impacts of British rule in India ? 
• What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
• Was it necessary to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
• Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation ? 
• What caused the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan ?
• What are the important events in the history of Latin America? 
• How did Greece become a huge philosophical hub in ancient times?
• How did people study foreign languages before the 19th century?
• Who profited the most from wars in the Middle Ages?
• What caused Hitler's rise to power?

Sample History research papers

Environment 

• How deadly is the Earth’s climate change in the past few decades?
• How have previous oil spills changed regulations and cleaning methods?
• Make a detailed analysis of deforestation rates globally over a while.
• Impacts of Paris Climate Agreement on environment
• How to improve access to clean water around the world?
• Should developed countries rely more on nuclear energy?
• What to do to save amphibian species which are presently at risk of extinction?
• What impacts has climate change had on coral reefs?
• How are black holes created?
• Why has the number of natural disasters increased in the past few decades?

Sample Environment research papers 

• What can health issues be caused by emotional stress?
• What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
• What are the advantages and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
• How do the healthcare plans of different countries vary from each other?
• How to lower blood pressure using natural herbs?
• Is it appropriate for parents to skip vaccination?
• How can you encourage obese people to change their lifestyles?
• What are the cons of genetically modified foods?
• Explain the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
• How much work out/ exercise should the average adult be getting each week?

Sample Health research papers

• How is business etiquette changed in the past decade?
• How can the understanding of culture change the way you do business?
• Who are the exceptional businessmen in the 21st century?
• Who are the exceptional businesswomen in the 21st century?
• What are the traits of team leaders, and how to become one?
• Why is the cause in the rise of the popularity of stock markets?
• What are the pros and cons of an all-female working environment?
• The difference in Islamic banking systems from traditional ones?
• What are the effects of gold and diamonds on the economy?
• How do offshore bank accounts work – the case of Panama papers?
• Analyze the history and future of self-driving vehicles.
• How the invention of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
• Why has social media made people less connected to reality?
• Rise of Artificial Intelligence? Explain
• Do smartphones improve or reduce workplace productivity?
• What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
• How is social media manipulating and causing depression?
• What is the history behind the Internet of Things?
• Can everything be solar-powered?
• What is the distinction between open and closed systems?

Sample Technology research papers

• Why did we stop believing in multiple gods?
• Are religion and spirituality connected?
• What is Karma?
• Why are teenagers less religious than older people?
• How are terrorist attacks affecting religion? 
• What are the new ideologies becoming popular?
• How are Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism connected?
• Teachings of Hinduism (you can choose any religion)
• What influence do religions have on the perception of right and wrong?
• Can other religions help to change the view of women in Arabic cultures?

Social Media

• Are social media making us lonely, empty from the inside, and unsociable?
• How to protect children online?
• What are some techniques to identify pedophiles on social media?
• Why do people have the want to post everything online?
• How to prevent cyber-bullying?
• Can LinkedIn help people find jobs or further education?
• How to make a break from social media?
• Why are more adolescent generations obsessed with the number of followers and likes?
• How bad is social media addiction?
• Who are world-famous influencers on social media?
• What is causing the rise in popularity of classical music?
• Why are world-famous musicians more prone to become drug abusers?
• History and the rise of hip-hop culture
• Why do people listen to sad music when they do not feel good?
• What happens to your mind when you listen to 432 HZ frequency music?
• How is the US education system different from the education systems in other countries?
• Impact of college debt on the future life choices of students?
• What benefits do physical education classes have on students' health?
• Do children who attend preschool excel in school in the future?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Montessori Method ?
• Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
• Do students who get free meals at school get higher grades than those who do not receive any free meal?
• Impact of technology on studies
• What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
• Homeschoolers VS Traditional school; who performs better in the college 

Current Affairs

• How have the motives of feminists changed over the decades?
• What are the impacts of China’s one-child policy?
• What factors gave rise to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
• Difference between US immigration laws and immigration laws of other countries
• Explain the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
• Explain Brexit
• What factors contributed to China becoming a superpower?
• How has the “Black Lives Matter” movement affected the view about racism in the world?
• How will India become a superpower in 2050?
• History and rise of Bitcoin and another cryptocurrency 

Conclusion 

Make sure to do your research before you start writing. You do not have to make a mistake to start writing your research paper and then learn that there is not enough information to foster your research. 

In some cases, your research can contradict the points you are trying to explain. Get most of your research done before your start writing. Create an outline to understand your flow. This will help keep your paper clear and structured, and you will get clarity to produce a strong report.

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The 10 Most Popular Articles in 2021 (So Far)

Leading through change, hybrid work environments, and developing strategy for the post-pandemic era are among the most popular topics for readers in recent months..

• Workplace, Teams, & Culture
• Leading Change
• Organizational Behavior
• Remote Work

Following one of the most disruptive years in recent memory, 2021 has offered up many challenges and questions for managers: How can they keep teams safe and engaged in their work when they return to offices? How can they develop new skills and strategies at a time when things aren’t quite back to normal?

In the first half of the year, the most popular topics among readers have dived into answering these types of questions, with a focus on returning to physical offices, implementing hybrid work models, and redesigning organizational culture and strategy for the post-pandemic era. Other core issues for readers include understanding employee productivity and resilience, overcoming leadership failure, and developing strategies that can stand up against uncertainty and change.

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The following are the 10 most popular articles of the year so far. We hope they are inspiring and instructive for you and your teams in the months ahead.

#1 The Future of Team Leadership Is Multimodal

Robert hooijberg and michael watkins.

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a transformation in the ways we work by accelerating a shift to hybrid virtual and in-person models and requiring a fundamental change in the skills team leaders need to succeed. Leaders will need to play four roles as they adapt to managing a hybrid workforce.

#2 Redesigning the Post-Pandemic Workplace

Gerald c. kane, rich nanda, anh phillips, and jonathan copulsky.

As organizations plan for ways to bring remote employees back to the workplace, they should take advantage of the opportunity to rethink how and where work is best done, and how to combine the best aspects of remote and colocated work.

#3 The Future of Work Is Through Workforce Ecosystems

Elizabeth j. altman, david kiron, jeff schwartz, and robin jones.

Today’s leaders need best practices for dealing strategically and operationally with a distributed, diverse workforce that crosses internal and external boundaries. The authors contend that the best way to address the shift to managing all types of workers is through the lens of a workforce ecosystem — a structure that consists of interdependent actors, from within the organization and beyond, working to pursue both individual and collective goals.

About the Author

Ally MacDonald ( @allymacdonald ) is senior editor at MIT Sloan Management Review .

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Phillip jutras.

The 10 best research stories of 2021

Is the year over already?

2021 brought its fair share of big news and research breakthroughs, COVID and non-COVID alike. Given UC is the  global leader in cited scholarship , it’s no surprise that each campus produced numerous new ways of understanding our world.

We’ve rounded up some of the best stories from each campus: Some were extensively covered by the media, like UC San Francisco’s novel treatment for severe depression; others were underrated but deserving of more attention, like UC Santa Cruz’s study on the social factors that affect teen gender identity. Together, these stories show how the University of California propels research that changes the world.

1. Curing sickle cell disease (UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Francisco)

Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology discovered by UC Berkeley biochemist Jennifer Doudna, physicians are launching clinical trials aimed at correcting the defect that causes sickle cell disease. The inherited blood disorder, which is painful and often fatal, affects about 1 in every 365 Black or African American births. The trials will be led by doctors at UCSF and UCLA and are expected to begin by mid-2022. Tapping into UCLA’s expertise in genetic analysis and cell manufacturing and the decades-long expertise at  UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland  in cord blood and marrow transplantation and sickle cell gene therapy, they have the potential to create a cure for sickle cell disease that is both affordable and accessible. Doudna won a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2020 for the CRISPR technology that makes these trials possible. This research is being funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-led Cure Sickle Cell Initiative, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Learn more:   https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/fda-approves-first-test-crispr-correct-genetic-defect-causing-sickle-cell-disease  and  https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/03/420137/uc-consortium-launches-first-clinical-trial-using-crispr-correct-gene-defect

2. A new type of supernova (UC Santa Barbara)

Scientists found the first convincing evidence for a new type of stellar explosion — an electron-capture supernova. The concept of an electron-capture supernova had been theorized for 40 years without any real-world proof. The discovery, led by UC Santa Barbara scientists at Las Cumbres Observatory, has been called the Rosetta Stone of astrophysics because it is helping scientists decode thousand-year-old records from cultures around the world, including a supernova from A.D. 1045 so bright it was seen for 23 days, even at daytime.

Learn more:   https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2021/020338/goldilocks-supernova

3. Social factors affect teen gender expression (UC Santa Cruz)

A UC Santa Cruz study showed that a growing number of Gen Z teens are identifying as nonbinary — but this is influenced by regional differences in levels of resources, rights, and visibility for sexual and gender diversity. While almost 25 percent of the LGBTQ+ youth surveyed expressed some form of nonbinary gender, it was more prevalent in those who lived in the Bay Area compared to the Central Valley. Additionally, teens who were assigned female at birth seemed more comfortable with these forms of gender expression, whereas those who were assigned male at birth faced strong pressures to conform to standards of masculinity. The research sheds light on factors that can support or hinder sexual and gender expression among teens.

Learn more:   https://news.ucsc.edu/2021/03/adolescent-gender-sexual-identity.html

4. Novel treatment for severe depression (UC San Francisco)

One of the most hopeful UC San Francisco stories this year was the successful treatment of severe, previously untreatable depression using customizable deep brain stimulation. Physicians were able to tap into a patient's unique brain circuit involved in her depression and interrupt it using the equivalent of a pacemaker for the brain. The breakthrough was hailed as a landmark in the years-long effort to apply advances in neuroscience to the treatment of psychiatric disorders. This precision medicine approach provided the patient with immediate, long-term symptom relief and could be transformative for other patients with chronic, treatment-resistant depression.

Learn more:   https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/hope-treatment-resistant-depression-brain-stimulation-demand

5. Tracking global wastewater testing for COVID-19 (UC Merced)

After the COVID-19 pandemic struck, scientists across the globe realized they could track the virus by testing sewage water. UC Merced professor Colleen Naughton pioneered a dashboard to host global findings, an innovation that earned her the 2021 Grand Prize in University Research by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. Wastewater monitoring allows scientists to test an entire group of people for COVID-19, not just one person at a time. It has also been shown to be effective at predicting outbreaks of COVID-19. Many cities, universities and countries have now adopted this testing approach and have reinforced the value of Naughton’s dashboard by sharing their results.

Learn more:   https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2021/naughton-lab-creates-dashboard-track-global-wastewater-testing-covid-19

6. Increased wildfire linked to human-induced climate change (UCLA)

Wildfires have been increasing over the last two decades. But how much of that trend has been caused by human-induced climate change and how much could be explained by other factors? This year, scientists from UCLA and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory set out to find answers. They analyzed a key variable tied to wildfire risk known as “vapor pressure deficit” — a term that reflects warm, dry air — and determined that 68 percent of the increase in vapor pressure deficit across the western U.S. between 1979 and 2020 was likely due to human-caused global warming. This suggests that human-induced climate change is the culprit for increasing fire weather in the western United States and that the trend is likely to worsen in the years ahead.

Learn more:   https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/frequent-wildfires-human-caused-climate-change

7. Feeding cattle seaweed reduces their greenhouse gas emissions (UC Davis)

Of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., 10 percent comes from agriculture — and half of that from cows and other ruminant animals belching methane throughout the day as they digest. In 2018, researchers from UC Davis were able to reduce methane emissions from dairy cows by over 50 percent by supplementing their diet with seaweed for two weeks. The seaweed inhibits an enzyme in the cow’s digestive system that contributes to methane production. This year, they tested whether those reductions were sustainable over time by feeding cows a touch of seaweed every day for five months. The results were clear: Cattle that consumed seaweed emitted much less methane, and there was no drop-off in efficacy over time.

Learn more: https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/news/feeding-cattle-seaweed-reduces-their-greenhouse-gas-emissions-82-percent

8. Flame retardants linked to autistic-like behavior (UC Riverside)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are a class of ubiquitous fire-retardant chemicals, found in upholstery, carpets, curtains, electronics and even infant products. Thanks to the inadvertent digestion of contaminated household dust, they can also be detected in breast milk around the world. A research team led by UC Riverside scientists found that when female mice exposed to PBDEs pass on these chemicals to their developing offspring, the female offspring show traits similar to autism spectrum disorders. In addition to shedding light on a potential cause of autism, the study signals the importance of toxicology studies so that chemicals like PBDEs can be investigated before they are commercially released.

Learn more: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/flame-retardants-linked-autistic-behavior

9. Plant extract to prevent morphine addiction (UC Irvine)

Over the past two decades, dramatic increases in opioid overdose mortality have occurred in the United States and other nations, with the COVID-19 pandemic only worsening the problem. A UC Irvine-led study has pointed to a possible new therapy in an unlikely place — YHS, an extract of the plant Corydalis yanhusuo, which prevents morphine tolerance and dependence while also reversing opiate addiction. Even better, YHS has been used as an analgesic in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. It is considered safe and readily available for purchase, either online or as a “botanical” in certain grocery stores. The extract could have an immediate, positive impact in curbing the opioid epidemic.

Learn more: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/uc-irvine-led-study-finds-medicinal-plant-extract-prevent-morphine-addiction

10. No serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects in breastfeeding moms (UC San Diego)

Mothers who are breastfeeding can get vaccinated and still continue to breastfeed their babies, researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine reported. Researchers found that breastfeeding mothers who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination reported the same localized symptoms as non-breastfeeding women, with no serious side effects in their breastfed infants. The results not only demonstrated that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were not red flags for breastfeeding mothers but encouraged lactating women to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to continue to breastfeed their infants: Thankfully, they did not have to choose one over the other.

Learn more: https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2021-09-08-study-no-serious-covid-19-vaccine-side-effects-in-breastfeeding-moms-infants.aspx

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The 10 Most Popular Articles of 2021

Many people began 2021 with optimism, hopeful that a COVID-19 vaccine would be widely available within months. Surely the pandemic would end soon, right?

It was, perhaps, a naïve thought in a pandemic-weary world. Nevertheless, companies around the globe took steps toward normalcy, returning to offices and forging new paths in hybrid and remote work models. Many workers decided they didn’t want to suffer through long commutes or return to jobs they hated and joined the “Great Resignation.” And ultimately, virus variants and infection surges thwarted many thoughtful workplace plans.

Not surprisingly, the 10 most-read articles on Harvard Business School Working Knowledge reflected the mood swings of another challenging, complex year for managers and employees everywhere.

The 10 most popular articles

1. COVID Killed the Traditional Workplace. What Should Companies Do Now? To mark the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, 13 HBS faculty members offered advice on everything from time management to employee mental health for companies trying to prepare for the “next normal.”

2. For Entrepreneurs, the Benefits of Slowing Down Even as the pandemic loomed large over the global economy, venture capital investment continued at a steady clip. After several heady months for startups, Jeffrey Bussgang offered radical advice for founders: just chill.

3. The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2021 At the start of a summer brimming with vaccine-fueled promise, many people looked forward to taking delayed vacations. HBS faculty members shared books they planned to read during their downtime, pulling from the worlds of technology, history, and science fiction.

4. How to Learn from the Big Mistake You Almost Make A brush with disaster can lead to important innovations, but only if employees have the psychological safety to reflect on these close calls, says research by Amy C. Edmondson , Olivia Jung , and colleagues.

5. How a Company Made Employees So Miserable, They Killed Themselves Aggressive downsizing at France Télécom culminated in 19 employee suicides. Case studies by Cynthia Montgomery and Ashley Whillans show how mistreating workers can have deadly consequences.

6. Dying to Lead: How Reaching the Top Can Kill You Sooner A study of General Electric employees by Tom Nicholas shows how the stress of chasing professional success can shorten an executive's life.

7. Commuting Hurts Productivity and Your Best Talent Suffers Most Companies that prize innovation should keep employees out of soul-crushing transit, even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, suggests research by Andy Wu .

8. The Hard Truth About Being a CEO CEOs rarely get the full story from advisers and don't seem to know when to step down, says David Fubini . His book Hidden Truths offers candid wisdom for leaders.

9. Want Hybrid Work to Succeed? Trust, Don’t Track, Employees Many companies want employees back at desks, but workers want more flexibility than ever. Tsedal Neeley offers three rules for senior managers trying to forge a new hybrid path.

10. When Your Nerves Get the Best of You, Change the Narrative Anxiety can hobble even the most confident leaders. Francesca Gino offers three strategies that she uses to turn nerve-wracking situations into meaningful experiences.

Browse the most popular articles of 2020 >

[Image: Unsplash/Joshua Fuller]

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Striking findings from 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, here are some of Pew Research Center’s most striking research findings from the past year. These 15 findings cover subjects ranging from extreme weather to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing demographic shifts in the United States. And they represent just a small slice of the year’s full list of research publications .

A growing share of childless Americans say it is unlikely they will ever have children, an October survey found. Some 44% of non-parents ages 18 to 49 say it is not too or not at all likely that they will have children someday, an increase from the 37% who said the same in 2018. Meanwhile, 74% of adults younger than 50 who are already parents say they are unlikely to have more kids, virtually unchanged since 2018.

What’s behind the growing share of non-parents younger than 50 who expect not to have children? A majority (56%) say a major reason is that they just don’t want to. Among those who point to some other reason, about two-in-ten (19%) say it’s due to medical reasons, 17% say it’s for financial reasons and 15% say it’s because they do not have a partner. Roughly one-in-ten point to their age or their partner’s age (10%), or to the state of the world (9%).

Around seven-in-ten U.S. adults (72%) said in an August survey that they personally know someone who has been hospitalized or died from COVID-19. As has been the case throughout the COVID-19 outbreak , larger shares of Black (82%) and Hispanic (78%) adults than White (70%) and English-speaking Asian adults (64%) said they personally know someone who had been hospitalized or died as a result of the coronavirus.

Across other major demographic groups, there were modest or no differences in the shares who say this. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, for example, were about as likely as Republicans and GOP leaners to say they know someone who had been hospitalized or died (74% and 71%, respectively).

More than 600,000 Americans had died from the virus at the time of the August survey. Since then, the death toll has risen to more than 800,000 .

Americans voted in record numbers in the 2020 presidential election, as turnout rose in every state, according to a January analysis by the Center. Nearly two-thirds of the estimated number of eligible voters and more than six-in-ten people of voting age cast ballots in the election.

Nationwide, presidential election turnout was about 7 percentage points higher than in 2016, regardless of which of three different turnout metrics we looked at. Turnout rates increased in every state compared with 2016, but of the 10 states where it rose the most, seven conducted the vote entirely or mostly by mail.

Minnesota had the highest turnout of any state, with 79.4% of estimated eligible voters casting ballots for the presidential election. Colorado, Maine and Wisconsin all followed close behind at about 75.5%; Washington state, at 75.2%, rounded out the top five. The lowest-turnout states were Tennessee (59.6% of estimated eligible voters), Hawaii and West Virginia (57% each), Arkansas (55.9%) and Oklahoma (54.8%).

About eight-in-ten Asian Americans say violence against them is increasing in the U.S., an April survey found. The survey was fielded after the  fatal shooting  of six Asian women and two other people in the Atlanta area in March, and following  other assaults on Asian Americans .

Amid widespread reports of discrimination and violence against Asian Americans during the coronavirus outbreak , 45% of Asian adults said they had experienced at least one of five specific types of incidents since the start of the pandemic.

Around a third (32%) said they had feared someone might threaten or physically attack them – a greater share than among people in other racial or ethnic groups who said this. Some 27% of Asian adults said people had acted as if they were uncomfortable around them. Another 27% said they had been subject to slurs or jokes. Lower shares said someone had made a remark that they should go back to their home country (16%) or that they were to blame for the coronavirus outbreak (14%).

At the same time, 32% said someone has expressed support for them since the start of the pandemic.

Across 16 publics surveyed in spring 2021 , a median of just 17% of adults said democracy in the U.S. is a good example for other countries to follow. A median of 57% said American democracy used to be a good example for other countries to follow but has not been in recent years. A median of 23% said American democracy has never been a good example for other countries to follow.

Americans largely shared the view that their country is no longer a good model of democracy: 72% said U.S. democracy used to be a good example for others to follow but has not been recently. Democrats and Democratic leaners were twice as likely as their Republican and GOP leaning counterparts to say the U.S. has never been a good model of democracy.

More broadly, the U.S. political system also received generally lukewarm ratings across the 16 advanced economies surveyed. People were split on how the  system is functioning , with a median of 50% saying it works well and 48% who disagreed.

In just five years, the percentage of Republicans with at least some trust in national news organizations has fallen by half – dropping from 70% in 2016 to 35% this year, a June survey found.  

Democrats remain far more likely than Republicans to say they have a lot or some trust in the information that comes from national news organizations (78% vs. 35%). The 43-point partisan gap is the widest measured since at least 2016. 

Women in the U.S. are now more likely than men to have a four-year college degree, according to a November analysis . Around four-in-ten women ages 25 and older (39%) have a bachelor’s degree, compared with a slightly smaller share of men in the same age group (37%). Among those ages 25 to 34 specifically, women are now 10 percentage points more likely than men to have a bachelor’s degree (46% vs. 36%).

The reasons for not completing a four-year degree differ for men and women, according to an accompanying survey of adults who do not have such a degree and are not currently enrolled in college. Men are more likely than women to point to factors that have more to do with personal choice. Roughly a third of men without a bachelor’s degree (34%), for example, say a major reason they didn’t complete college is that they just didn’t want to. Only one-in-four women say the same.

Most Democrats in the U.S. see voting as a fundamental right, while most Republicans view it as a privilege that comes with responsibilities, according to a July survey .

The vast majority of Democrats (78%) say voting is a “fundamental right for every adult U.S. citizen and should not be restricted in any way.” Two-thirds of Republicans say voting is “a privilege that comes with responsibilities and can be limited if adult U.S. citizens don’t meet some requirements.”

Overall, a majority of Americans (57%) say voting is a fundamental right that should not be restricted while 42% express the view that voting is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.

About three-in-ten Americans are religiously unaffiliated, a 10 percentage point rise from a decade ago, according to a survey conducted between May and August . Currently, 29% of U.S. adults are religious “nones” – those who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular.” By comparison, 16% described themselves this way when the Center first asked the question in 2007.

Christians continue to make up a majority of the U.S. population (63%), but their share is 12 points lower in 2021 than it was in 2011. Christians now outnumber religious “nones” by a ratio of a little more than two-to-one. In 2007, when the Center began asking its current question about religious identity, Christians outnumbered “nones” by almost five-to-one (78% vs. 16%).

Democrats and Republicans were deeply divided over former President Donald Trump’s role in the events of Jan. 6, according to a March survey .

The vast majority of Democrats (87%) said Trump’s conduct surrounding the riot at the U.S. Capitol was wrong and that senators should have voted to convict him during his impeachment trial, while just 11% of Republicans said the same. Around two-thirds of Republicans (65%) said Trump’s conduct was not wrong and that he should not have been impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives; just 4% of Democrats said the same.

Overall, about half of Americans (52%) said Trump’s conduct was wrong and that senators should have voted to convict him, while 31% said his conduct was not wrong and that he should not have been impeached by the U.S. House. Some Americans (15%) said Trump’s conduct was wrong but that senators should not have voted to convict him.

For the first time, the number of Americans who identify as non-Hispanic White declined between 2010 and 2020, according to the Center’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. The White population of the United States declined by about 5.1 million people during that timespan.

In a related Pew Research Center survey in July , about six-in-ten U.S. adults (61%) said the decline in the White share of the U.S. population is neither good nor bad for society. About two-in-ten (22%) said it is bad, including 9% who said it is very bad. Slightly fewer (15%) said it is good, including 7% who said it is very good.

Only 34% of U.S. adults under the age of 30 now get TV through cable or satellite, down from 65% in 2015, according to a survey fielded in January and February . There were declines in other age groups, too, with decreases of 27 percentage points among those ages 30 to 49 and 14 points among those 50 to 64.

Adults under 30 who are nonsubscribers are also much more likely than older nonsubscribers to have never received TV at home via cable or satellite – and to say they don’t currently subscribe because they can find the content they want online instead.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults say extreme weather events across the country have been occurring more often than in the past, a September survey found. Far fewer Americans say they’re happening about as often (28%), and only 4% say they are happening less often.

Nearly half of Americans (46%) also say the area where they live has had an extreme weather event over the past 12 months, according to the same survey.

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (73%) in the West South Central  census division , which includes Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, say they’ve experienced extreme weather within the past year. A majority of adults (59%) say the same in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. By contrast, far fewer say they’ve experienced extreme weather in other regions over the past year.

In most census regional divisions, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to report experiencing extreme weather within the past year. Overall, 51% of Democrats say the area where they live has experienced this, compared with 39% of Republicans.

A growing share of U.S. adults are neither married nor living with a partner , according to an October study . In 2019, roughly four-in-ten adults ages 25 to 54 (38%) were unpartnered – that is, neither married nor living with a partner, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data for that year (the most recent available). This share was up sharply from 29% in 1990. Men were more likely to be unpartnered than women.

All of the growth in the unpartnered population since 1990 has come from a rise in the number who have never been married, although the unpartnered population does include some adults who were previously married (those who are separated, divorced or widowed).

Around the world, more people mention their family as a source of meaning in their lives than any other factor, according to an open-ended survey question the Center posed to people in 17 advanced economies in the spring.

In 14 of the 17 nations surveyed, more people mentioned their family as a source of meaning than anything else. Respondents highlighted their relationships with parents, siblings, children and grandchildren; quality time spent with their relatives; and the pride they get from family members’ accomplishments. Many also expressed the desire to live a life that leaves an improved world for their offspring.

Read the other posts in our striking findings series:

• 20 striking findings from 2020
• 19 striking findings from 2019
• 18 striking findings from 2018
• 17 striking findings from 2017
• 16 striking findings from 2016
• 15 striking findings from 2015
• Asian Americans
• Climate, Energy & Environment
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Discrimination & Prejudice
• Donald Trump
• Election 2020
• Political & Civic Engagement
• Politics & Policy
• Racial & Ethnic Shifts
• Racial Bias & Discrimination
• Voter Participation

Katherine Schaeffer is a research analyst at Pew Research Center .

Người Mỹ Gốc Á: Tổng quan nhanh về dữ liệu khảo sát (All Asian Americans VI)

아시아계 미국인: 설문조사 데이터 스냅샷 (all asian americans ko), 한국계 미국인: 설문조사 데이터 스냅샷 (korean americans ko), mga asian american: isang snapshot ng data ng survey (all asians tl), mga filipino american (pilipinong amerikano): isang snapshot ng data ng survey (filipino american tl), most popular.

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The 5 most popular scientific papers of March 2021 in the Nature Index journals

A self-decapitating sea slug and strategies for mitigating wildlife predation by house cats feature in these widely discussed studies.

Factors such as diet and play can make cats less likely to hunt wildlife, according to a popular study. Credit: Chris Winsor/Getty Images

28 June 2021

Chris Winsor/Getty Images

Factors such as diet and play can make cats less likely to hunt wildlife, according to a popular study.

March’s most talked-about natural-sciences papers explore the possibility of lightning bolts as a source of an essential building block of life, and the development of iBlastoids, a new cellular structure designed for the study of early human development.

Also featured are observations of whole-body regeneration in certain species of sea slugs and non-invasive methods for curbing wildlife harm by house cats.

The sole COVID-19-related study in the list relates to immune responses to the virus in those who have been infected and their close contacts.

Here is an Altmetric ranking of March’s most popular papers in the natural sciences, published in the 82 high-quality journals tracked by the Nature Index.

1. “Extreme autotomy and whole-body regeneration in photosynthetic sea slugs”

Current Biology Some sea slugs from the genus Elysia can decapitate themselves and generate an entirely new body in a matter of weeks, according to this study led by Sayaka Mitoh, a PhD candidate at Nara Women’s University in Japan.

Mitoh and her supervisor Yusa Yoichi observed that these sea slugs could sever their heads at a “breakage plane” in the neck. The disembodied head would regenerate a new body, including a whole heart, within three weeks. The discarded body was left to decompose.

Only young sea slugs appeared to have this ability; slugs that were more than a year old died when their heads were severed.

Mitoh and Yoichi suggest that the sea slugs survive in their newly separated bodies by using the energy produced via photosynthesis occurring in cells they gained from eating algae. “[W]e propose that this unique characteristic may facilitate survival after autotomy and subsequent regeneration,” they write .

It’s not clear why certain species of sea slugs cut their entire bodies loose, but Mitoh and Yoichi suggest that it could be a way to shed parasites.

The study has been covered by more than 400 online news outlets to date. It’s reached an estimated audience on Twitter of more than 9 million.

2. “Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 generates T-cell memory in the absence of a detectable viral infection”

Nature Communications

Scientists from China and Australia teamed up to run this study on T-cell immunity against COVID-19, an important factor in recovery from the disease and a source of heightened immunity against re-infection.

The team collected samples from 90 COVID-19 patients between 48 and 86 days after the onset of the disease and 69 close contacts (family members or friends who had stayed with a SARS-CoV-2 infected individual within days of the disease onset), and compared them to samples collected from 63 healthy people at a blood donation centre in September 2019.

They found that most of the recovered COVID-19 patients had developed pools of memory T-cells that could mount an immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Their close contacts, who did not contract COVID-19, were also found to have had levels of SARS-CoV-2 specific memory T-cell immunity.

Only 3.17% of the healthy donor samples were found to contain virus-specific memory T-cells, likely developed in response to other coronaviruses that were in circulation before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We ... demonstrate the size and quality of the memory T-cell pool of COVID-19 patients are larger and better than those of close contacts,” the team reports .

“However, the proliferation capacity, size and quality of T-cell responses in close contacts are readily distinguishable from healthy donors, suggesting close contacts are able to gain T-cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 despite lacking a detectable infection.”

The study has been covered by only a couple of news sources so far, according to Altmetric, but has reached an estimated audience on Twitter more than 7 million.

3. “Lightning strikes as a major facilitator of prebiotic phosphorus reduction on early Earth”

Bolts of lightning may have given early Earth one of its most important building blocks of life: the element phosphorus.

According to this study by Benjamin L. Hess from Yale University and Sandra Piazolo and Jason Harvey from the University of Leeds , UK, there is evidence to suggest that lightning strikes rivalled meteorites as important sources of prebiotic phosphorus when Earth was around 3.5 billion years old.

Phosphorus forms the backbone of DNA and RNA and other structural and functional elements in cells, but is often packaged up in minerals that are insoluble and unreactive, Hess told Phil Sansom at The Naked Scientists .

But there’s a phosphide mineral called schreibersite that readily reacts with water to free up the phosphorus inside. Not only is schreibersite commonly found in some types of meteorites, but it’s sometimes found in glasses formed by lightning strikes called fulgurites.

“When lightning hits the ground, it heats it to thousands of degrees Celsius and melts it immediately. And then it reforms [in fulgurites],” Hess told Sansom.

Based on calculations by Hess and his co-authors, “lightning could have been a significant source of prebiotic, reactive phosphorus” on early Earth, they report , and “could likewise provide a continual source of prebiotic reactive phosphorus independent of meteorite flux on other Earth-like planets, potentially facilitating the emergence of terrestrial life indefinitely”.

The paper has been covered by more than 300 news outlets. It’s reached an audience on Twitter of almost 1 million.

4. “Provision of High Meat Content Food and Object Play Reduce Predation of Wild Animals by Domestic Cats Felis catus ”

Current Biology

Rather than trying to impede the hunting of wildlife by house cats through confinement or the use of bells and bibs, non-invasive measures such as providing high-meat-protein food and regular object play could help reduce the tendency to hunt, according to this paper.

With Martina Cecchetti from the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter , UK as lead author, the study recorded decreases of 36% and 25%, respectively, in the numbers of animals captured and brought home by cats in households that implemented a high-meat-protein diet and 5–10 minutes of daily object play.

Cat bells were found to have no discernible effect, and while fitting Birdsbesafe collar covers (large, doughnut-shaped collars) reduced the numbers of birds captured and brought home by 42%, they had no discernible effect on the number of mammals preyed upon.

The study authors say cat owners might engage more with measures that not only benefit wildlife, but also their cats, than with more invasive strategies.

The paper has been covered by 250 online news outlets to date and has reached an estimated audience on Twitter of more than 1.5 million.

5. “Modelling human blastocysts by reprogramming fibroblasts into iBlastoids”

Led by an Australian team from Monash University in Melbourne, and involving researchers from the United States and Singapore, this study describes how they reprogrammed fibroblasts, or skin cells, into a three-dimensional cellular structure that is similar in physical and molecular composition to human blastocysts, the stage that the human embryo reaches roughly five to six days after fertilization.

Called iBlastoids, these structures could be used for in-vitro research into early human development and the causes of early miscarriage and infertility.

The study was conducted in the lab of Jose Polo from Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute , and involved the use of a technique called nuclear reprogramming , which allowed the researchers to change the cellular identity of human fibroblasts that organized into blastocyst-like structures when placed in a 3D ‘jelly’ scaffold.

The team says that while iBlastoids present a good option to researchers studying early human development, they are not completely identical to a blastocyst.

“For example, early blastocysts are enclosed within the zone pellucida, a membrane derived from the egg that interacts with sperm during the fertilization process and later disappears,” Polo explains . “As iBlastoids are derived from adult fibroblasts, they do not possess a zona pellucida.”

The paper has been mentioned by almost 300 news outlets to date and has reached an audience on Twitter of more than 700,000, according to Altmetric.

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Science News

These are the most-read science news stories of 2021.

The International Space Station spotted the origins of a bizarre type of upside-down lightning called a blue jet (illustrated) zipping up from a thundercloud into the stratosphere in 2019. The discovery ranked among  Science News ' most-read stories of 2021.

DTU SPACE, DANIEL SCHMELLING/MOUNT VISUAL

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By Science News Staff

December 23, 2021 at 9:00 am

Science News drew over 21 million visitors to our website this year. Here’s a rundown of the most-read news stories and long reads of 2021.

Top news stories

1. space station detectors found the source of weird ‘blue jet’ lightning.

Instruments on the International Space Station detected the origins of an odd type of lightning called a blue jet. The bizarre bolt is sparked by a “blue bang” — a flash of bright blue light that may be brought on by the turbulent mixing of oppositely charged regions within a thundercloud ( SN: 2/13/21, p. 14 ).

2. A newfound quasicrystal formed in the first atomic bomb test

The first atomic bomb test, in 1945, forged a peculiar, glassy material called trinitite — and within it, a rare form of matter called a quasicrystal . Quasicrystals’ atoms are arranged in an orderly structure like normal crystals, but the structure’s pattern doesn’t repeat ( SN: 6/19/21, p. 12 ).

3. An Indigenous people in the Philippines have the most Denisovan DNA

The Ayta Magbukon people in the Philippines set the record for the highest known level of Denisovan ancestry — about 5 percent of their DNA comes from the ancient hominids . The finding suggests that several Denisovan populations independently reached Southeast Asia and interbred with Homo sapiens groups that arrived thousands of years later ( SN: 9/11/21, p. 16 ).

4. Astronomers may have seen a star gulp down a black hole and explode

In a first, astronomers caught a glimpse of a rare double cosmic cannibalism : A star swallowed a black hole or neutron star, which then gobbled that star from within, resulting in an astonishing explosion ( SN: 10/9/21 & 10/23/21, p. 6 ).

5. Frog skin cells turned themselves into living machines

Skin stem cells plucked from frog embryos organized themselves into miniature living robots, dubbed “xenobots,” that can swim, move around debris and even self-heal . Xenobots may one day serve a useful purpose, but ethical questions need to be considered ( SN: 4/24/21, p. 8 ).

Favorite video

Acrobatic rabbits bewitched online readers in our most-viewed YouTube video posted this year. The video — accompanying the story “ A gene defect may make rabbits do handstands instead of hop ” ( SN: 4/24/21, p. 13 ) — shows a sauteur d’Alfort rabbit walking on its front paws (below). Such hop-less bunnies may have adopted the odd gait because of a mutation in a gene called RORB , scientists discovered.

Top feature stories

1. new drugs that block a brain chemical are game changers for some migraine sufferers.

A class of drugs that inhibits a neurotransmitter called calcitonin gene-related peptide is helping some patients who suffer from chronic, debilitating migraines ( SN: 3/27/21, p. 16 ).

2. Einstein’s theory of general relativity unveiled a dynamic and bizarre cosmos

Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity has served as the bedrock of our understanding of the cosmos. In the last 100 years, scientists have confirmed its most radical predictions, including black holes, gravitational waves and an expanding universe ( SN: 2/13/21, p. 16 ).

3. Chemists are reimagining recycling to keep plastics out of landfills

No matter people’s dedication to sorting and recycling plastics, most still end up in landfills because the materials are too difficult to transform into useful new products. Some chemists are trying to change that ( SN: 1/30/21, p. 20 ).

4. Psychology has struggled for a century to make sense of the mind

In the last 100 years, psychologists and other social scientists have dug into the muddy “science of us” and developed conflicting theories about human thought and behavior. From the messy, contentious research bloomed insights into what makes humans tick ( SN: 8/14/21, p. 18 ).

5. Fossils and ancient DNA paint a vibrant picture of human origins

From the Taung Child to Lucy, the last century of paleoanthropology has sketched a rough timeline of how humans came to be. Scientists now agree that human evolution has its roots in Africa, but many mysteries in our history remain to be solved ( SN: 9/25/21, p. 20 ).

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Disruptive Innovation 2021: These 15 big ideas are most likely to change the world

ARK Invest defines ''disruptive innovation'' as the introduction of a technologically enabled new product or service that potentially changes the way the world works. ARK focuses solely on offering investment solutions to capture disruptive innovation in the public equity markets.

ARK began publishing Big Ideas in 2017. This annual research report seeks to highlight the latest developments in innovation and offers some of our most provocative research conclusions for the year. ARK notes that risks associated with investment in disruptive innovation include: rapid pace of change, exposure across sectors and markets, uncertainty and unknowns, regulatory hurdles, political and legal pressures and competitive landscape.    

Special Feature

Special report: 5g: what it means for edge computing (free pdf).

This ebook, based on the latest ZDNet / TechRepublic special feature, helps business leaders understand how cloud providers, telecoms, and carriers will make 5G part of their edge-computing plans.

ARK Big Ideas 2021 include the following:

• Deep Learning
• The Reinvention of the Data Center
• Virtual Worlds
• Digital Wallets
• Bitcoin Fundamentals
• Bitcoin: Preparing For Institutions
• Electric Vehicles (EVs)
• Autonomous Ride-Hailing
• Delivery Drones
• Orbital Aerospace
• 3D Printing
• Long Read Sequencing
• Multi-Cancer Screening
• Cell and Gene Therapy: Generation 2

The ARK Big Ideas 2021 report is quite comprehensive, covering several key emerging and new technologies and innovation opportunities. I recently interviewed ARK with a focus on the future of autonomous electric vehicles and Tesla. In this article I will share some of the big ideas that I believe to be the most immediately impactful and disruptive innovation for 2021 and beyond. 

executive guide

What is machine learning everything you need to know.

Here's how it's related to artificial intelligence, how it works and why it matters.

DEEP LEARNING

According to ARK, Deep Learning could be the most important software breakthrough of our time.  According to ARK's research, deep learning will add $30 trillion to the global equity market capitalization during the next 15-20 years. Deep Learning is creating the next generation of computing platforms including: 

• Conversational computers: Powered by AI, smart speakers answered 100 billion voice commands in 2020, 75% more than in 2019.
• Self-driving cars: Waymo's autonomous vehicles have collected more than 20 million real-world driving miles across 25 cities, including San Francisco, Detroit, and Phoenix.
• Consumer apps: TikTok, which uses deep learning for video recommendations, has outgrown Snapchat and Pinterest combined.

Deep Learning is software 2.0 

Deep Learning requires boundless computational power. ARK states: "While advances in hardware and software have been driving down AI training costs by 37% per year, the size of AI models is growing much faster, 10x per year. As a result, total AI training costs continue to climb. We believe that state-of-the-art AI training model costs1 are likely to increase 100-fold, from roughly $1 million today to more than $100 million by 2025."

Deep Learning will also create a boom in the AI chips. ARK estimates that data center spending on AI processors will scale more than four-fold during the next five years, from $5 billion a year today to $22 billion in 2025. ARK is forecasting an expansion of AI from vision to language. The reports notes: "2020 was the breakthrough year for conversational AI. For the first time, AI systems could understand and generate language with human-like accuracy. Conversational AI requires 10x the computing resources of computer vision and should spur large investments in the coming years."

Total AI chip market 

Perhaps the biggest bold estimate in the reports is that Deep Learning could create more economic value than the Internet did. ARK believes that deep learning will add $30 trillion to equity market capitalizations during the next 15-20 years.

The economic impact of deep learning may be bigger than the Internet. 

AR and VR mean business: Everything you need to know

An executive guide to the technology and market drivers behind the hype in AR, VR, and MR.

VIRTUAL WORLDS

A virtual world is defined as a computer-simulated environment (video games, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)), that can be accessed by anyone at any time. Society interacts daily with virtual worlds which today are in their infancy. According to ARK, revenue from virtual worlds will compound 17% annually from roughly $180 billion today to $390 billion by 2025. 

By 2022, consumer-grade AR headsets should turbocharge investments in augmented reality on mobile devices.  ARK forecasts that by 2030 the AR market could scale from under a $1 billion today to $130 billion. ARK estimates that virtual reality could approach realty by 2030 with best-in-class VR headsets only achieving 10% of human visual immersion today.

Augmented Reality AR market growth projections. 

The revenue from virtual worlds could approach $400 billion by 2025. Based on our research, the global gaming market will increase at a 16% compound annual rate during the next five years, from $175 billion in 2020 to roughly $365 billion by 2025. The AR & VR markets will grow at a 59% compound annual rate during the next five years, from $3 billion to $28 billion in 2025.

The global gaming and VR/AR market by 2025. 

Digital wallets

ARK estimates that digital wallets represent a $4.6 trillion opportunity in your pocket. ARK points to Venmo, Cash App, and venture funded startups who are likely to upend traditional banking by activating the mobile phones — the bank branches — in users' pockets and handbags.

According to ARK's research, digital wallets are valued between $250 and $1,900 per user today but could scale to $20,000 per user, representing a $4.6 trillion opportunity in the US by 2025. ARK references China as the best example of digital wallet adoption. Per ARK: The volume of mobile payments in China has exploded more than 15-fold in just five years, from roughly $2 trillion in 2015 to an estimated $36 trillion, nearly three times the size of China's GDP in 2020.

Digital wallets are now a global phenomenon 

In the US, digital wallet users are surpassing the number of deposit account holders at the largest financial institutions. Square's Cash App and PayPal's Venmo each amassed roughly 60 million active users organically in the last 7 and 10 years, respectively, a milestone that took J.P. Morgan more than 30 years and five acquisitions to reach.

Deposit accounts versus cash apps in the US

The most important takeaway here is that digital wallets can acquire customers for a fraction of banks' customer acquisition cost.  According to ARK's research, compared to the roughly $1,000 that a traditional financial institution might pay to acquire a new checking account customer, digital wallets invest only $20 thanks to viral peer-to-peer payment ecosystems, savvy marketing strategies, and dramatically lower cost structures. Given the rising cost of bank branches, the benefits of mobile banking and digital wallets is key to offset expenditures and also deliver a more seamless user experience.

Digital wallets is the most cost effective methods for customer acquisitions in the banking industry 

ARK highlights a potential sizable risk to traditional banks. According to ARK estimates, bank interest income on credit cards fell more than 10%, or roughly $16 billion in 2020 and is likely to drop more than 25% further, from $130 billion in 2019 to $95 billion by 2025. ARK also estimates that at maturity, each digital wallet user could be worth about $20,000. If digital wallets were to become consumer financial dashboards, ARK estimates that the net present value associated with their financial service revenues will exceed $10,000 per average US user. 

The value of a digital wallet owner to a bank in a mature market. 

According to ARK's research, if each of the estimated 230 million US digital wallet users were valued at $19,900 in 2025, the US digital wallet opportunity would be worth $4.6 trillion.

Cryptocurrency 101: What every business needs to know

There’s promise and peril in the still-evolving world of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether.

• Payment distancing: Apple and Google, we need our cashless society even more in pandemic times

Bitcoin fundamentals

As bitcoin's price hit an all-time high, ARK's research indicated that its network fundamentals remained healthy. Per ARK research, if all S&P 500 companies were to allocate 1% of their cash to bitcoin, ARK estimates that its price would increase by approximately $40,000.  As of November 2020, roughly 60% of Bitcoin's supply had not moved in more than a year, a testament to the market's longer-term focus and a holder base with stronger conviction. Another interesting data point about the hype around bitcoins is that ARK shows that bitcoin's search interest is low relative to the increase in its price. As its price neared all-time highs, Bitcoin's Google search interest was at 15% of its all-time high.

Bitcoin's Market Participants Never Have Been More Long-Term Focused

ARK notes that Bitcoin could play a pivotal role as corporate cash. The research sites Square and MicroStrategy, both with balance sheet investments in bitcoin, are showing the way for public companies to deploy bitcoin as a legitimate alternative to cash. According to our research, if all S&P 500 companies were to allocate 1% of their cash to bitcoin,1 its price could increase by approximately $40,000.

Electric Vehicles 

2021 is the year of EVs.  Electric vehicles are approaching sticker price parity with gas-powered cars. Leaders in the EV market are developing innovative battery designs to enable longer range vehicles at lower costs.

Based on Wright's Law, ARK forecasts that EV sales should increase roughly 20-fold from ~2.2 million in 2020 to 40 million units in 2025. ARK believes the biggest downside risk to our forecast is whether traditional automakers can transition successfully to electric and autonomous vehicles. The total cost of ownership for a like-for-like EV dropped below that of a Toyota Camry in 2019.1 Soon, sticker prices likely will do the same. The auto market is undergoing a shift to both electric and autonomous. ARK believes that traditional automakers lack the software and electrical engineering talent necessary to succeed.

EVs Are Competing On Range And Performance

According to @ARKInvest , @Tesla is 3-4 years ahead of all autonomous electrical vehicle competitors. In addition, potential new ride-hailing services and the @boringcompany can further solidify Tesla’s dominant EV leadership position. https://t.co/CZZAf3z1Df — Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) January 27, 2021

If traditional automakers overcome obstacles, global EV sales could scale roughly 20-fold from 2.2 million in 2020 to 40 million by 2025. ARK expects that sales of smaller, cheaper, "neighborhood electric vehicles" will rise dramatically as a share of total EV sales.

Global Electric Vehicle Sales: 40 million by 2025

Special feature

Ai, automation, and tech jobs.

There are some things that machines are simply better at doing than humans, but humans still have plenty going for them. Here's a look at how the two are going to work in concert to deliver a more powerful future for IT, and the human race.

The robots are coming to help you and create jobs. Per ARK: automation has the potential to shift unpaid labor to paid labor. For example, as food services automate, they will transform food prep, cleanup, and grocery shopping into market activities including food delivery.

ARK believes automation will add 5%, or $1.2 trillion to US GDP during the next five years. Thanks to increased productivity and automation, ARK expects a combination of the following four outcomes:

• Higher wages: benefiting employees
• Lower prices: benefiting consumers
• Higher margins: benefiting companies
• Higher investments: creating virtuous cycles

According to ARK's research, for every percentage drop in labor share in the industrial and agricultural sectors, operating margins increased 30 basis points and 280 basis points, respectively. ARK would not be surprised to see a similar relationship in all industries. If labor share were to fall 15%, in line with manufacturing, operating margins could double to more than 20%.

Automation could add 5%, or $1.2 trillion, to US GDP during the next five years. ARK believes automation will boost US real GDP growth by 100 basis points on average per year to 3.4%.

Automation could add 5%, or $1.2 trillion, to US GDP during the next five years.

The big ideas 2021 report from ARK is incredibly insightful. Here are some more bold predictions you can find in the report: 

• AUTONOMOUS RIDE-HAILING : ARK's research suggests that autonomous ride-hailing platforms will generate more than $1 trillion in profits per year by 2030. In addition, automakers and fleet owners could enjoy profits of $250 billion and $70 billion, respectively. Enterprise value for autonomous platform operators could scale to 3.8T by 2025.
• DRONES :  ARK believes that drone delivery platforms will generate roughly $275 billion in delivery revenues, $50 billion in hardware sales, and $12 billion in mapping revenue by 2030. ARK estimates that at some point during the next five years, drones will deliver more than 20% of parcel shipments and significantly drive e-commerce adoption. While not yet commercialized, ARK estimates that drone delivery platforms will generate nearly $50 billion in revenues, $14 billion in hardware sales, and $3 billion in mapping revenues by 2025.
• 3D PRINTING : ARK believes 3D printing will revolutionize manufacturing, growing at an annual rate of roughly 60% from $12 billion last year to $120 billion in 2025.  ARK estimates that drone hardware revenues will total roughly $100 billion by 2025.  

To learn more about the 15 disruption innovation categories in the ARK Invest Big Ideas 2021 report, visit here . 

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MIT’s Top Research Breakthroughs of 2021

The year’s popular research stories include a promising new approach to cancer immunotherapy, the confirmation of a 50-year-old theorem, and a major fusion breakthrough.

Despite the pandemic’s disruptions, MIT ’s research community still managed to generate a number of impressive research breakthroughs in 2021. In the spirit of reflection that comes with every new orbit around the sun, below we count down 10 of the most-viewed research stories on MIT News from the past year.

10. Giving cancer treatment a recharge . In October, researchers discovered a way to jump-start the immune system to attack tumors. The method combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy to spur immune cells into action. The researchers hope it could allow immunotherapy to be used against more types of cancer.

9. Generating 3D holograms in real-time . Computer scientists developed a deep-learning-based system that allows computers to create holograms almost instantly. The system could be used to create holograms for virtual reality, 3D printing, medical imaging, and more — and it’s efficient enough to run on a smartphone.

8. Creating inhalable vaccines . Scientists at the Koch Institute developed a method for delivering vaccines directly to the lungs through inhalation. The new strategy induced a strong immune response in the lungs of mice and could offer a quicker response to viruses that infect hosts through mucosal surfaces.

7. Assessing COVID-19 transmission risk . Two MIT professors proposed a new approach to estimating the risks of exposure to COVID-19 in different indoor settings. The guidelines suggest a limit for exposure based on factors such as the size of the space, the number of people, the kinds of activity, whether masks are worn, and ventilation and filtration rates.

6. Teaching machine learning models to adapt . Researchers in CSAIL developed a new type of neural network that can change its underlying equations to continuously adapt to new data. The advance could improve models’ decision-making based on data that changes over time, such as in medical diagnosis and autonomous driving.

5. Programming fibers . In June, a team created the first fabric fiber with digital capabilities. The fibers can sense, store, analyze, and infer data and activity after being sewn into a shirt. The researchers say the fibers could be used to monitor physical performance, to detect diseases, and for a variety of medical purposes.

4. Examining the limitations of data visualizations . A collaboration between anthropologists and computer scientists found that coronavirus skeptics have used sophisticated data visualizations to argue against public health orthodoxy like wearing a mask. The researchers concluded that data visualizations aren’t sufficient to convey the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic because even the clearest graphs can be interpreted through a variety of belief systems.

3. Developing a COVID-detecting face mask . Engineers at MIT and Harvard University designed a prototype face mask that can diagnose the person wearing the mask with COVID-19 in about 90 minutes. The masks are embedded with tiny, disposable sensors that can be fitted into other face masks and could also be adapted to detect other viruses.

2. Confirming Hawking’s black hole theorem . Using observations of gravitational waves , physicists from MIT and elsewhere confirmed a major theorem created by Stephen Hawking in 1971. The theorem states that the area of a black hole ’s event horizon — the boundary beyond which nothing can ever escape — will never shrink.

1. Advancing toward fusion energy . In September, researchers at MIT and the MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems ramped up a high-temperature superconducting electromagnet to a field strength of 20 tesla, the most powerful magnetic field of its kind ever created on Earth. The demonstration was three years in the making and is believed to resolve one of the greatest remaining points of uncertainty in the quest to build the world’s first fusion power plant that produces more energy than it consumes.

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MARK H. EBELL, MD, MS, AND ROLAND GRAD, MD, MSc

Am Fam Physician. 2022;106(1):61-69

Published online June 1, 2022.

Author disclosure: Dr. Ebell is cofounder and editor-in-chief of Essential Evidence Plus; see Editor’s Note. Dr. Grad has no relevant financial relationships.

This article summarizes the top 20 research studies of 2021 identified as POEMs (patient-oriented evidence that matters) that did not address the COVID-19 pandemic. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists prevent adverse cardiovascular and renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and also reduce all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Most older adults (mean age, 75 years) with prediabetes do not progress to diabetes. Among patients in this age group with type 2 diabetes treated with medication, an A1C level of less than 7% is associated with increased risk of hospitalization for hypoglycemia, especially when using a sulfonylurea or insulin. For patients with chronic low back pain, exercise, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, duloxetine, and opioids were shown to be more effective than control in achieving a 30% reduction in pain, but self-discontinuation of duloxetine and opioids was common. There is no clinically important difference between muscle relaxants and placebo in the treatment of nonspecific low back pain. In patients with chronic pain, low- to moderate-quality evidence supports exercise, yoga, massage, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. For acute musculoskeletal pain, acetaminophen, 1,000 mg, plus ibuprofen, 400 mg, without an opioid is a good option. Regarding screening for colorectal cancer, trial evidence supports performing fecal immunochemical testing every other year. For chronic constipation, evidence supports polyethylene glycol, senna, fiber supplements, magnesium-based products, and fruit-based products. The following abdominal symptoms carry a greater than 3% risk of cancer or inflammatory bowel disease: dysphagia or change in bowel habits in men; rectal bleeding in women; and abdominal pain, change in bowel habits, or dyspepsia in men and women older than 60 years. For secondary prevention in those with established arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, 81 mg of aspirin daily appears to be effective. The Framingham Risk Score and the Pooled Cohort Equations both overestimate the risk of cardiovascular events. Over 12 years, no association between egg consumption and cardiovascular events was demonstrated. Gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine, and venlafaxine provide clinically meaningful improvements in chronic neuropathic pain. In patients with moderate to severe depression, initial titration above the minimum starting dose of antidepressants in the first eight weeks of treatment is not more likely to increase response. In adults with iron deficiency anemia, adding vitamin C to oral iron has no effect. In children with pharyngitis, rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis, or acute otitis media, providing education combined with a take-and-hold antibiotic prescription results in 1 in 4 of those children eventually taking an antibiotic.

Annually for 23 years, a team of clinicians has systematically reviewed English-language medical journals to identify the research most likely to change and improve primary care. The team includes experts in family medicine, pharmacology, hospital medicine, and women’s health. 1 , 2

The goal of this process is to identify POEMs (patient-oriented evidence that matters). A POEM must report at least one patient-oriented outcome, such as improvement in symptoms, morbidity, or mortality. It should also be free of important methodologic bias, making the results valid and trustworthy. Finally, if the results were applied in practice, some physicians would change what they do by adopting a new practice or discontinuing an old one shown to be ineffective or harmful. Adopting POEMs in clinical practice should improve patient outcomes. Of more than 20,000 research studies published in 2021 in the journals reviewed by the POEMs team, only 260 met criteria for validity, relevance, and practice change. These POEMs are emailed daily to subscribers of Essential Evidence Plus (Wiley-Blackwell, Inc.).

The Canadian Medical Association purchases a POEMs subscription for its members, many of whom receive the daily POEM. As these physicians read each POEM, they can rate it using a validated questionnaire. This process is called the Information Assessment Method ( https://www.mcgill.ca/iam ). POEM ratings address the domains of clinical relevance, cognitive impact, use in practice, and expected health benefits if that POEM is applied to a specific patient. 2 , 3 In 2021, each of the 260 daily POEMs were rated by an average of 1,189 physicians.

In this article, the 11th installment of our annual series ( https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/content/top-poems.html ), we present the 20 most clinically relevant POEMs of 2021 as determined by Canadian Medical Association members. Looking beyond COVID-19, our patients continue to face the usual (and unusual) health problems of everyday life. Thus, we summarize the clinical questions and bottom-line answers for research studies about a variety of topics that were identified as top 20 POEMs, followed by a brief discussion. This set of 20 POEMs includes the most relevant practice guidelines of the year. The full POEMs are available online at https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/content/top-poems/2021.html .

The five most highly rated POEMs in 2021, and eight of the top 15, were about the COVID-19 vaccines and their effectiveness in different populations. Because of the emergence of variants and widespread endorsement of the vaccine by family physicians, these POEMs are not as likely to lead to practice changes as they were when originally published. One additional COVID-19 POEM reported the incidence of myocarditis following vaccination with the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines in U.S. military personnel. The incidence of approximately 4 more cases than expected per 100,000 patients is significantly lower than the more than 300 per 100,000 patients seen among those with SARS-CoV-2 infection. 4 The rest of this article includes POEMs not related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The first three POEMs in this category are about the management of type 2 diabetes ( Table 1 ) . 5 – 8 The first study identified 2,482 adults with a mean age of 75 years who had prediabetes (defined as an A1C level between 5.7% and 6.4%, a fasting glucose level between 100 and 125 mg per dL [5.55 and 6.94 mmol per L], or both). 5 Over an average of 6.5 years, only 8% to 9% of patients progressed to diabetes, many regressed to normoglycemia, and the remainder stayed at prediabetic levels. These results will help reassure physicians and avoid overtreatment of older patients with prediabetes. Of note, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend screening for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes beyond 70 years of age. 9

A study in the United Kingdom identified 6,288 people 70 years and older with type 2 diabetes and three consecutive A1C measurements of less than 7%. 6 Approximately 90% were taking a sulfonylurea. Compared with a similar group of people with type 2 diabetes who did not have A1C levels of less than 7% and were not taking a sulfonylurea, those with tight control were 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for severe hypoglycemia, with a 1 in 7 risk of hospitalization over 10 years. Use of a sulfonylurea or insulin was associated with severe hypoglycemia and death. A more relaxed A1C target of 7.0% to 8.0% is more appropriate, especially for older patients, and sulfonylureas should be used with caution.

A systematic review assessed the effectiveness of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes. 7 The authors did not receive pharmaceutical funding. Both classes of drugs reduced all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and kidney failure. SGLT-2 inhibitors were more effective at reducing hospital admission, whereas GLP-1 receptor agonists were more likely to reduce nonfatal stroke. The absolute benefit of treatment increased with a patient’s cardiac risk. For example, over five years, there were 2 to 5 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients at low cardiac risk compared with 24 to 48 fewer deaths per 1,000 patients at the highest risk. A useful calculator that allows estimates of benefit at various risk levels is available at https://magicevidence.org/match-it/200820dist .

The final study is a meta-analysis that examined the effect of SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with and without type 2 diabetes or heart failure. 8 These drugs similarly reduced all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with or without type 2 diabetes and with or without heart failure (overall hazard ratio for all-cause mortality = 0.84 [95% CI, 0.78 to 0.91]). SGLT-2 inhibitors reduced the progression of renal disease in all patients.

Musculoskeletal Conditions

The next, and largest, category of POEMs addresses musculoskeletal conditions ( Table 2 ) . 10 – 14 The first three present research on low back pain, one of the most challenging conditions in primary care. The first POEM is a systematic review of a broad range of therapies for chronic low back pain. 10 The review included 63 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting a clinical response, generally a reduction in pain of at least 30%, to any one of 15 interventions. Exercise was effective at reducing pain (number needed to treat [NNT] = 7) and had a sustained benefit. Although other medical therapies such as oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NNT = 6), duloxetine (Cymbalta; NNT = 10), and opioids (NNT = 16) also reduced pain, they did not have sustained benefits and were associated with adverse effects. Lower-quality data suggest that manipulation and topical capsaicin are also effective.

Another systematic review, this time looking at muscle relaxants for nonspecific low back pain, found small reductions in pain intensity that were not clinically important and not seen when only the highest-quality studies were included. 11 We have said it before—it is inappropriate to routinely prescribe muscle relaxants for low back pain.

The next study showed the power of language on health outcomes. 12 Patients with low back pain and no red flags on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or indications for surgery were randomized to receive their MRI results in one of two ways: by stating that all findings were normal and incidental or age-related or by stating that all findings were normal and incidental or age-related but also including words such as degeneration, tears, ruptures, and neural compression. Patients receiving the easily misinterpreted version of the report that used alarming words had more pain, lower self-efficacy, and less function over six weeks of follow-up compared with patients who were essentially told their findings were normal. Physicians should develop their own script for sharing results that avoids catastrophizing language.

The next POEM studied several types of musculoskeletal pain other than back pain. 13 Patients presenting in the emergency department with acute musculoskeletal pain were randomized to one of five single-dose pain regimens: (1) acetaminophen, 1,000 mg, with ibuprofen, 400 mg; (2) acetaminophen, 1,000 mg, with ibuprofen, 800 mg; (3) acetaminophen, 300 mg, with codeine, 30 mg; (4) acetaminophen, 300 mg, with hydrocodone, 5 mg; or (5) acetaminophen, 325 mg, with oxycodone, 5 mg. Pain scores decreased by about 3 points on a 10-point scale in all five groups at one hour and by about 4.5 points at two hours, with no significant difference between groups. About 1 out of 4 patients in each group required rescue pain medication, again with no difference. Nausea and vomiting were more common in patients receiving an opioid. Thus, a good choice is acetaminophen, 1,000 mg, plus ibuprofen, 400 mg, or even acetaminophen alone, without an opioid. 15

A large systematic review asked the question: Which nondrug therapies are effective for chronic musculoskeletal pain? 14 For chronic low back pain, exercise, massage, yoga, cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, acupuncture, spinal manipulation, low-level laser therapy, and rehabilitation all reduced pain and/or improved function. There was evidence for the use of exercise, massage, low-level laser therapy, acupuncture, and Pilates in the treatment of chronic neck pain. Only exercise and cognitive behavior therapy were helpful for knee osteoarthritis. There is evidence only for the use of exercise and manual therapies for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis. Patients with fibromyalgia benefited from cognitive behavior therapy, myofascial release massage, tai chi, qi gong, acupuncture, rehabilitation, and exercise.

Gastrointestinal

The next set of POEMs addresses colorectal cancer screening, constipation treatment, and vague abdominal symptoms ( Table 3 ) . 16 – 18 Most countries screen for colorectal cancer using fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) as the initial method. Canada includes flexible sigmoidoscopy as an option, and the United States most commonly uses colonoscopy. The first POEM on gastrointestinal conditions is a Norwegian RCT that invited previously unscreened adults 50 to 74 years of age to undergo flexible sigmoidoscopy (52% had the procedure) or FIT every two years (68% had at least one test). 16 Although flexible sigmoidoscopy initially identified more cancers and advanced adenomas, FIT surpassed it over time, with a cancer detection rate of 0.49% after three rounds of FIT testing vs. 0.27% with flexible sigmoidoscopy. This is a very important point—screening programs must be compared over time, not just after a single round, using different tests. RCTs comparing FIT with colonoscopy over time are underway.

In a systematic review of over-the-counter treatments for chronic constipation, polyethylene glycol (Miralax) and senna were the most effective initial options. 17 Fiber supplements, other stimulant laxatives, magnesium-based products, and fruit-based products were also effective.

The final POEM evaluated the predictive value of common abdominal symptoms for cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. 18 Combinations of symptoms, such as change in bowel habits with rectal bleeding, were more predictive but varied by age and sex. Dysphagia or changes in bowel habits in men and rectal bleeding in women should prompt referral for further workup to exclude cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. Dyspepsia was largely unhelpful, except in patients older than 60 years. The severity and duration of gastrointestinal symptoms and whether they appear to be progressive were not part of this study but are important additional factors.

Cardiovascular Disease

Four POEMs about cardiovascular disease made the top 20 list ( Table 4 ) . 19 – 22 The first two addressed prevention. One was a large pragmatic trial that randomized 15,076 patients with established arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease to 81 mg or 325 mg of aspirin daily and evaluated the likelihood of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke after a median of two years. 19 There was no difference between groups for these outcomes (7.3% for 81 mg and 7.5% for 325 mg) and no difference in hospitalization for major bleeding. The trial was a bit messy, with 7% in the 81-mg group switching to 325 mg and 42% in the 325-mg group switching to the lower dose. It is not clear why so many switched to the lower dose, but, for whatever reason, there is no advantage with the higher dose.

U.S. guidelines for cardiovascular prevention all begin with an assessment of cardiovascular risk using the Pooled Cohort Equations. The second cardiovascular POEM warns us that this score significantly overestimates risk. The Canadian researchers identified more than 80,000 people 40 to 79 years of age and estimated their risk using the Framingham Risk Score and the Pooled Cohort Equations. 20 Cardiovascular risk estimates from both tools were about twice as high as the real-world risk. The overestimates occurred in all groups regardless of age and sex but tended to be larger in younger patients. This is important for shared decision-making. For example, an estimated risk of 10% based on the Pooled Cohort Equations might lead to prescribing a statin, but the true cardiovascular risk may be significantly lower.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force draft guidelines recommend prescribing a statin for adults 40 to 75 years of age with at least one cardiovascular risk factor (dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, or smoking) and an estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk of 10% or greater. Statins should be selectively offered to those with a risk factor and a risk between 7.5% and 10% because the benefits are smaller than those at higher risk. 23

Another calibration issue was addressed by the third POEM. The researchers compared the blood pressure measurements used by researchers in SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) with those recorded by the patients’ regular primary care physicians. 21 The physician-recorded systolic blood pressure measurements were about 5 to 7 mm Hg higher; therefore, the SPRINT recommendations to lower systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg need to be interpreted accordingly—in the real world, achieving a level of 130 mm Hg is probably similar to 120 mm Hg in the trial setting.

The next POEM made our day, as egg lovers. This systematic review included 23 observational studies with nearly 1.4 million patients. 22 Eating more eggs was not shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular events. In fact, compared with eating one or no eggs per day, those eating more than one egg per day had a decreased risk of coronary disease (hazard ratio = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.86 to 0.93).

Miscellaneous

Four top POEMs do not fall easily into a single category ( Table 5 ) . 24 – 27 A systematic review addressed treatment of chronic pain caused by diabetic neuropathy or postherpetic neuralgia. 24 It included only studies reporting an outcome of clinically meaningful response, defined as a 30% improvement on a pain or function score. Moderate-quality evidence supported the use of the anticonvulsants gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) and the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors duloxetine and venlafaxine, and low-quality evidence supported the use of rubefacients (usually salicylates). The NNT was 7 or 8 for all the identified therapies. Opioid studies were of low quality and also showed more harms (number needed to harm = 12). Only a few trials with low-certainty evidence studied acupuncture and tricyclic antidepressants.

A systematic review identified RCTs that compared treatment of moderate to severe depression using the minimum licensed dose of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, venlafaxine, or mirtazapine (Remeron) with a dosing regimen that allowed titration to higher doses. 25 There was no improvement in the balance of effectiveness and harms between taking the minimum dose and titrating to higher doses, although patients taking venlafaxine may respond to a higher dose if they show no response to the minimum dose.

The next POEM identified 436 children with pharyngitis, rhinosinusitis, acute bronchitis, or acute otitis media whose treating physician had reasonable doubts about the need for an antibiotic. 26 Patients were randomized to no antibiotics; an immediate antibiotic; or an antibiotic prescription to be filled only if the child had fever, felt much worse after 24 hours, or was not improving after a longer period (varied by type of infection). Only 25% of children in the delayed antibiotic group and 12% in the no antibiotic group ultimately filled a prescription, and there was no difference between these groups and the immediate antibiotic group in the duration of symptoms (eight days) or complications. Gastrointestinal symptoms and cost were higher in those receiving an antibiotic.

Finally, clinicians have long recommended that people taking iron supplements also take vitamin C because it theoretically improves absorption. A study tested the theory by randomizing 440 adults with iron deficiency anemia to ferrous succinate, 100 mg, plus vitamin C, 200 mg, or to ferrous succinate alone, each given every eight hours. There was no difference in hemoglobin or serum ferritin levels at three months. 27

Practice Guidelines

POEMs sometimes summarize high-impact clinical practice guidelines. Key messages from the three highest-rated guidelines, which address antibiotics for common infections, non–low back musculoskeletal injuries, and tobacco screening and cessation, are summarized in Table 6 . 28 – 30

Editor's Note: This article was cowritten by Dr. Mark Ebell, deputy editor for evidence-based medicine for AFP and cofounder and editor-in-chief of Essential Evidence Plus, published by Wiley-Blackwell, Inc. Because of Dr. Ebell’s dual roles and ties to Essential Evidence Plus, the concept for this article was independently reviewed and approved by a group of AFP ’s medical editors. In addition, the article underwent peer review and editing by four of AFP ’s medical editors. Dr. Ebell was not involved in the editorial decision-making process.—Sumi Sexton, MD, Editor-in-Chief

The authors thank Wiley-Blackwell, Inc., for giving permission to excerpt the POEMs; Drs. Allen Shaughnessy, Henry Barry, David Slawson, Nita Kulkarni, and Linda Speer for selecting and writing the original POEMs; the academic family medicine fellows and faculty of the University of Missouri–Columbia for their work as peer reviewers; Canadian Medical Association Joule for supporting the POEMs CME program in Canada; Pierre Pluye, PhD, for codeveloping the Information Assessment Method; and Maria Vlasak for her assistance with copyediting the POEMs.

Shaughnessy AF, Slawson DC, Bennett JH. Becoming an information master: a guidebook to the medical information jungle. J Fam Pract. 1994;39(5):489-499.

Ebell MH, Barry HC, Slawson DC, et al. Finding POEMs in the medical literature. J Fam Pract. 1999;48(5):350-355.

Grad RM, Pluye P, Mercer J, et al. Impact of research-based synopses delivered as daily e-mail: a prospective observational study. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2008;15(2):240-245.

Montgomery J, Ryan M, Engler R, et al. Myocarditis following immunization with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in members of the US military. JAMA Cardiol. 2021;6(10):1202-1206.

• Rooney MR, Rawlings AM, Pankow JS, et al. Risk of progression to diabetes among older adults with prediabetes [published correction appears in JAMA Intern Med . 2021;181(4):570]. JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(4):511-519.

Ling S, Zaccardi F, Lawson C, et al. Glucose control, sulfonylureas, and insulin treatment in elderly people with type 2 diabetes and risk of severe hypoglycemia and death: an observational study. Diabetes Care. 2021;44(4):915-924.

• Palmer SC, Tendal B, Mustafa RA, et al. Sodium-glucose cotransporter protein-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials [published correction appears in BMJ . 2022;376:o109]. BMJ. 2021;372:m4573.
• Salah HM, Al'Aref SJ, Khan MS, et al. Effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on cardiovascular and kidney outcomes. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Am Heart J. 2021;232:10-22.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Final recommendation statement. Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: screening. August 24, 2021. Accessed March 15, 2022. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-for-prediabetes-and-type-2-diabetes

Kolber MR, Ton J, Thomas B, et al. PEER systematic review of randomized controlled trials: management of chronic low back pain in primary care. Can Fam Physician. 2021;67(1):e20-e30.

Cashin AG, Folly T, Bagg MK, et al. Efficacy, acceptability, and safety of muscle relaxants for adults with non-specific low back pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2021;374:n1446.

Rajasekaran S, Dilip Chand Raja S, Pushpa BT, et al. The catastrophization effects of an MRI report on the patient and surgeon and the benefits of ‘clinical reporting’: results from an RCT and blinded trials. Eur Spine J. 2021;30(7):2069-2081.

Bijur PE, Friedman BW, Irizarry E, et al. A randomized trial comparing the efficacy of five oral analgesics for treatment of acute musculoskeletal extremity pain in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2021;77(3):345-356.

Skelly AC, Chou R, Dettori JR, et al. Noninvasive nonpharmacological treatment for chronic pain: a systematic review update. Comparative Effectiveness Review no. 227. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2020. Accessed May 13, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556229/

Gong J, Colligan M, Kirkpatrick C, et al. Oral paracetamol versus combination oral analgesics for acute musculoskeletal injuries. Ann Emerg Med. 2019;74(4):521-529.

Randel KR, Schult AL, Botteri E, et al. Colorectal cancer screening with repeated fecal immunochemical test versus sigmoidoscopy: baseline results from a randomized trial. Gastroenterology. 2021;160(4):1085-1096.e5.

Rao SSC, Brenner DM. Efficacy and safety of over-the-counter therapies for chronic constipation: an updated systematic review. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(6):1156-1181.

Herbert A, Rafiq M, Pham TM, et al. Predictive values for different cancers and inflammatory bowel disease of 6 common abdominal symptoms among more than 1.9 million primary care patients in the UK: a cohort study. PLoS Med. 2021;18(8):e1003708.

Jones WS, Mulder H, Wruck LM, et al.; ADAPTABLE Team. Comparative effectiveness of aspirin dosing in cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(21):1981-1990.

Ko DT, Sivaswamy A, Sud M, et al. Calibration and discrimination of the Framingham Risk Score and the Pooled Cohort Equations. CMAJ. 2020;192(17):E442-E449.

Drawz PE, Agarwal A, Dwyer JP, et al. Concordance between blood pressure in the systolic blood pressure intervention trial and in routine clinical practice. JAMA Intern Med. 2020;180(12):1655-1663.

Krittanawong C, Narasimhan B, Wang Z, et al. Association between egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2021;134(1):76-83.e2.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Draft recommendation statement. Statin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: preventive medication. February 22, 2022. Accessed March 10, 2022. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/statin-use-primary-prevention-cardiovascular-disease-adults

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			As per �5 Sect.1 of the Austrian E-Commerce Law, we are required to publish this information: FN: 279356v Landesgericht Salzburg When diving into academic research, finding the right topic is half the battle. But with the rapid advancements in the realm of sciences, identifying relevant and timely subjects can be a challenge. This article will explore 10  from 2021, as well as shedding light on the significance of selecting a pertinent research subject. If you've been grappling with ideas for your next research paper or looking to delve into social sciences, we've got you covered. In 2021, there were many compelling areas of study, and the science community was abuzz with new findings and discoveries. Research topics ranged from the intricacies of to the worldwide impact of globalization. Here's a list of the top 10 research subjects from 2021 that caught the attention of scholars and students alike: The year 2021 was notable for its advancements in various scientific fields. The allblogthings database showcased over 400 different research subjects, but a few stood out. delved into understanding the early stages of certain diseases, managing conflict within society, and the impacts of social and political changes on global scales. While largely focused on tangible and experimental research, studies topics ventured into the realm of the social sciences. They provided a deep dive into the socio-political fabric of society, exploring issues like the protection of minority groups, gender dynamics, and societal impacts of emerging technologies. By engaging with these topics, researchers could draw comparisons between various systems around the world and derive insightful conclusions. If you were a student in 2021, chances are you came across a plethora of . These ranged from studying the molecular structures of new-age materials to the ongoing studies on the effects of certain medications. It was a year of vast research possibilities, with the internet brimming with resources like offering guidance on how best to approach these topics. For those leaning towards the social sciences, 2021 was a goldmine. There were a whopping available for deep dives. These explored a myriad of areas, such as the impact of corruption on developing nations, the intricacies of social stratification, and the ongoing debate on whether certain historical figures should be abolished from the academic curriculum. Looking ahead, 2023 promises even more captivating areas of study. With the continuous evolution of technology and its integration into various sectors, are expected to be even more interdisciplinary. From the development of AI-driven medical procedures to the sociological implications of virtual reality, the future of research seems boundless. For those keen on staying updated with the latest in the world of research, subscribing to journals like the is essential. This journal is known for its meticulous peer reviews and its comprehensive coverage of both contemporary and historical research topics. When it comes to undertaking research, there are certain practices you should adopt and others you should avoid. DO ensure your research topic is relevant and timely. DON'T pick a subject merely because it seems trendy. DO utilize reputable sources and journals like the one mentioned above. DON'T rely on unverified internet sources. By adhering to these guidelines, you ensure your research is both credible and impactful. Q: Where can I find a comprehensive list of research topics from 2021? A: Websites such as allblogthings and journals like the Journal of Social Science Research and Review offer exhaustive lists and insights. Q: How do I determine the relevance of a research topic? A: Assess its current societal, technological, or scientific importance. Topics that address pressing issues or pave the way for future innovations are typically deemed relevant. Embarking on a research journey requires dedication, passion, and a relevant topic. Whether you're a budding researcher or a seasoned academic, staying updated with the latest trends and subjects is crucial. As we transition from 2021 to 2023, the realm of research continues to evolve, offering myriad opportunities for discovery and learning. So, immerse yourself in the world of , and who knows, you might just stumble upon the next big breakthrough. Useful Resources:  � 2007 . All rights reserved. | about us Top-notch Research Paper Topics List 29 November, 2020 16 minutes read Author:  Kate Smith You know how they say: “Be strong; the beginnings to great things are always the hardest”? And though you might not consider writing a research paper and choosing a good research paper topic a really great thing, you see our point. If you are having troubles getting started with the composition in question, we have good news for you. We have come up with a lengthy list of good research paper topics that will come in handy if you are running out of research paper ideas. Sounds like something you can use? Then don’t hesitate to make the most out of it! And if you would rather order a whole piece from a professional, we can be of much help here too. Our research paper writing service can craft a piece for you at any time and on any topic. Just drop us a line! But before we dive into various topics we have to offer, consider checking out our recommendations on how to find argumentative research paper topics all by yourself. What is a Good Topic for a Research Paper? There are several facets of a good research paper topic. To put it short, your theme should be: When you pose a topic for your research, be sure that it is clear. A reader should be able to understand its purpose right away. If he doesn’t, you did not do a very good job formulating the subject line. No kidding: you should do your best to be innovative even if you are writing a paper on something as old as time. It might not be simple, but we’re sure you can find a new perspective if you dedicate enough time to the search. The paper must contain precise figures or facts. They are at the core of your research. Don’t confuse this type of composition with descriptive writing. They have nothing in common. So, focus on precise data: that’s exactly what your readers expect from you. How to Choose Interesting Research Paper Topics Before you take one of the topics we suggest, we recommend you to try to come up with a good topic yourself. It might be easier than you think. Here are several ways to spot an interesting idea: Think of Something You Find Interesting. There are always things we find astonishing but don’t have enough time to explore deeper. Maybe this is your chance to give it some time and conduct in-depth research. Of course, take into account the discipline and the academic level required. Thus, it’s pretty clear that you can’t talk about the Vietnam War for the Social Studies class paper (unless you’re looking into the differences of the military operations impact on the civilians and soldiers). Choose a Topic With Sufficient Data for the Research. The main point of writing this paper lies in finding information at various credible sources and refining it. Therefore, if you pick a subject that is somewhat new or wasn’t studied well in the past, you’ll have no information to work with. That is why the availability of credible information is vital to the success of the writing process. Narrow the Subject Down. The subject you find great interest in might be too broad. Not to sound too shallow, it’s better for you to pick just one perspective of the problem and study it carefully. This way you will be able to dive deep enough into the research instead of just hitting the high spots. These are our recommendations on how to choose a theme on your own. Now let’s look into other tips we’d like to offer to you before you get down to writing. Related post: How to write an Argumentative essay  How to write an outline for a research paper While you can find all the essential information in our guide on how to write a perfect research paper outline , here we’ll introduce you to the basics. Find an engaging topic. For it, read on to see what subject line we have to offer. Create a list of credible sources to take a look at. You can either ask you tutor for recommendations, surf the web, or go old school and visit a library for suggestions. Mark all the elements you will add to your outline. Briefly explain what each of these components will be about. But don’t bury the blueprint under too many details. Keep it short! Finally, find good examples to explore. Now, that you understand how to craft a plan for your paper, have our tips to help you out along the way, your only job is to find good topic ideas to write about. And we can help you with that too! Note that our company provides academic writing help. You can buy a research paper written from scratch by our  essay writer . Now that you know your ways around crafting good research papers, we want to introduce you to our list of various ideas you can conduct a thorough research on. Use our ideas if coming up with your own is something you don’t want to deal with at the moment. Psychology Research Paper Topics Are people with the IQ level above the average really unhappy? Eating disorders: Are they necessarily associated with the self-image issues? The impact of stress on the mental health of a person. The nature and causes of child violence. Insomnia as a valid excuse for breaking the rules or committing crimes. Race relations in the USA in the 20th century and today. The nature and causes of sexual orientation: Different perspectives on the issue. Easy Research Paper Topics The glass ceiling: Myth or reality? Popular ventures started without money. The history of the social media boom around the globe. Top tech startups of the 21st century. Video games and their impact on the development of young people. Animal testing across the globe. Is global warming real? Has the Internet become a safer place with the cybersecurity principles implementation? The impact of the screen time on a child’s mental development. The US election system: The history and principles behind it. World History Research Paper Topics The life and traditions of the first Gladiators. Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Bits and pieces of the tragedy. The history of Singapore: From worst to first. North Korea: Dictatorship ideology and its complications. The establishment of the League of Nations. Racial discrimination origins. The history of the Gutenberg Bible. The most powerful opponent of Germany in the WWI. Egyptian pyramids: The history and meaning. The history of Christianity. Controversial Topics for Research Paper The history of modern Israel. Abortion: “My body – my rules” or the discrimination of the unborns’ rights? How Facebook shaped the way people communicate today. Beauty pageants: Celebration of the beauty or discrimination in disguise? Death penalty around the globe. Implications of gun control in the USA. Creationism against Evolution. Physical punishment as a core principle of children’s upbringing. The origins of the “invasion of privacy” notion across the world. The impact of social media addiction on young people. Genetic predisposition to committing a crime. High School Research Paper Topics School uniform: The good, the bad, and the ugly. The effect of sexual acts displays on TV. The American Dream of Generation X and the Millennials. Biggest cults existing today in the world. Learning disabilities: Their nature, causes, and solutions. The history of Somalia. The portrayal of a woman in the social media today and 20 years ago. Freedom of expression. The poorest nations in the world. The effect of feminism on Europe. The impact of classical music on one’s brain. Literature Research Paper Topics The relevance of the US Literature class choices to the modern youth. Examples of literature pieces that shaped whole cultures across the globe. Feminism in literature. The issue of the Holocaust in the world’s literature. The first translations of the Bible. Literature is known to be most effective in the struggle against illiteracy in different cultures. The brightest images of Death in literature. The history of slavery in Africa in world literature. Romanticism in Spanish literature. The moralism of the British literature of the 20th century. College Research Paper Topics Success stories of college dropouts. The rarest phobias and fears people have. The history of e-learning around the globe. Can higher education grant a successful future career? Should grades be banned from the educational system? The use and harm of vaccination. The new emerging specializations and professions of the 21st century. The most effective teaching methods today. The History of the Ivy League. College re-organization for the better future of education. Private vs. Public colleges in the USA: Pros and cons. Persuasive Research Paper Topics Antisemitism origins. Sex education pushes the youth to involve in sexual relations too early. The last days of newspapers in our media-controlled world. The danger of the GMO. Impact of Instagram on teenagers’ self-esteem. Pros and cons of studying at a single-sex school. Overpopulation management. Deforestation: Are we digging our own grave this way? People using cell phones while driving should be held criminally liable. Paying children for good grades: Different perspectives on the issue. Sports Research Paper Topics The greatest athlete in the history of the world. The history of the Olympic Games. Why are cybersports considered sports? The history of marathons and their use today. Doping in sports. The use of playing competitive sports. The most dangerous sports from all over the world. Should sports be used as a therapy in prisons? Should student athletes be paid for playing sports? The effect of physical activities on the human’s brain. Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics Prisoners falsely accused and then released should receive financial compensation from the state. Sexual harassment problem in Europe and the USA. Should corporate abuse be considered a criminal injustice case? The death penalty in different countries. Hate crime history in the USA. Control over the brutal behavior of guardsmen at prisons. Should mental issues affect the court judgment? Sex slavery: Should people buying and selling sex slaves be sentenced to the death penalty? Should the criminals be allowed to vote? Two sides of the Mandatory Minimum sentencing. Topics about Technology for the Research Paper Will artificial intelligence substitute humans at a workplace? Saving the Earth today with the aid of state-of-the-art technologies. Self-driving cars development history. The history of Virtual and Augmented realities. Positive use of nuclear energy and the future. How does the lie detector work? Is this a trustworthy technology? The history of aviation in the world. Medical Research Paper Topics Why animal testing should be stopped. The history of the Placebo treatment. Euthanasia: What doctors from different countries think about it. The use of vegetarianism: The myth or reality? Mental breakdown: Causes and prevention. The notion of mood in medicine. Should marijuana be allowed for recreational purposes? Should vaccination be mandatory? The history of plague in Europe. The most dangerous virus of today. Ethics Research Paper Topics Religion and morality: Are people with strong moral beliefs more moral than atheists? Should teachers be allowed to carry weapons to school? Prostitution across the globe. Should recycling be made mandatory? Paparazzi and the invasion of celebrities’ privacy. Parents should monitor their kids’ Internet use. Do laws generally patronize women and discriminate against men? Adoption by single parents vs. adoption by a two-parent family today. Countries that use child labor: Should we use their products? Should breastfeeding in public be banned? Tips on Writing a Research Paper Write an outline. An outline will help you stay focused. Since this type of writing is quite lengthy, it is easy to lose track along the way. That is why crafting a detailed outline is in your best interest. It will serve as a roadmap or a blueprint of the whole project. Start bright. You only have one chance to make a positive first impression. That is why you simply cannot afford writing a dull introduction. There are certain rules on how to start a research paper, and you’d better stick to the rules as described in our guide. A bright opening paragraph will ensure the genuine interest of your audience in what you have to say about the topic and will keep them engaged as you write. Use immaculate grammar and spelling. Nothing kills a good paper like poor grammar or spelling. It distracts the reader from the main point and makes him stumble while reading. And if you’re worried that grammar and spelling checking will take up too much of your time, don’t worry: you can always use technologies like Grammarly to do the job for you in seconds. Compose a compelling thesis statement. A thesis statement is the central point of your research paper. You need to insert it in the introduction and make sure that this central idea is exactly one sentence long. Make it loud and clear. However, given the length of this vital part of a research paper, don’t bore readers with too many unnecessary details. This means that you should mention what issue you will look into and why but don’t explain in which ways you will achieve this. Here is a complete guide on what is a thesis statement that will walk you through the process step by step. Enjoy! Stay within the word count limits. This type of writing has a rather strict word count limit. And you need to stay within it. Tutors don’t have all the time in the world to read long pieces. If you can’t stay within word count limits, they’ll assume you didn’t spend enough time filtering the most vital information out of the research (even if you did). So, not to give them that false impression, don’t make it too short or too long. Make it just right. This is the case when the size matters! Ask for help. After spending long hours crafting this paper, you are likely to miss some important points. The thing is that you know exactly what you wanted to say, and mistakes seem to be left unnoticed. Not to let them slip into your text, ask your peers, friends, or family to take a look at your writing. Their fresh perspective might be of much help to you! We hope our research paper topics ideas will help you pick a theme you are genuinely interested in. We promise: conducting research and diving into the search can be a lot of fun as long as you choose an engaging subject. Related posts: Argumentative essay topics | Compare&Contrast essay topics A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […] Ethical Research Paper Topics Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […] Art Research Paper Topics Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […] Best of JAMA Network Most viewed articles 2023 – jama. Quick Links: Most Viewed - JAMA Most Viewed Most Discussed Read the most popular JAMA articles in 2023 including studies of ivermectin for COVID-19, new anti–amyloid-β monoclonal antibody (MAb) treatments for dementia, psilocybin for depression, weight loss drugs for obesity, and more. Effect of Higher-Dose Ivermectin for 6 Days vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA Original Investigation February 20, 2023 Donanemab in Early Symptomatic Alzheimer Disease: The TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA Original Investigation July 17, 2023 Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection JAMA Original Investigation May 25, 2023 Single-Dose Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA Original Investigation August 31, 2023 Quantity of Melatonin and CBD in Melatonin Gummies Sold in the US JAMA Research Letter April 25, 2023 Salve Lucrum: The Existential Threat of Greed in US Health Care JAMA Viewpoint January 30, 2023 Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss JAMA Research Letter October 5, 2023 Cefepime vs Piperacillin-Tazobactam in Adults Hospitalized With Acute Infection: The ACORN Randomized Clinical Trial JAMA Original Investigation October 14, 2023 Risk of Death in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 vs Seasonal Influenza in Fall-Winter 2022-2023 JAMA Research Letter April 6, 2023 Death by Patient Portal JAMA A Piece of My Mind June 30, 2023 The New Crisis of Increasing All-Cause Mortality in US Children and Adolescents JAMA Viewpoint March 13, 2023 Surgical Site Infection Prevention: A Review JAMA Review January 17, 2023 Register for email alerts with links to free full-text articles Access PDFs of free articles Manage your interests Save searches and receive search alerts Work & Careers Life & Arts US Elections 2024 Kamala harris is more trusted than donald trump on the us economy, continue reading and get the indispensable us election countdown newsletter for free.. 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This subscription does not include access to ft.com or the FT App. Global news & analysis Expert opinion Special features Exclusive FT analysis FT App on Android & iOS FT Edit app FirstFT: the day's biggest stories 20+ curated newsletters Follow topics & set alerts with myFT FT Videos & Podcasts 20 monthly gift articles to share Lex: FT's flagship investment column 15+ Premium newsletters by leading experts FT Digital Edition: our digitised print edition Weekday Print Edition FirstFT newsletter Videos & Podcasts 10 gift articles per month Premium newsletters 10 additional gift articles per month FT Weekend Print delivery Everything in Standard Digital Everything in Premium Digital Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. 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Find the answers to your biggest research questions from 2021. With collective views of over 3.7 million, researchers explored topics spanning from nutritional immunologyand political misinformationto sustainable agricultureand the human-dog bond. Research Topics: 1. Infectious disease. Google Scholar reveals its most influential papers for 2021 The five-year-old paper's astonishing ascendancy continues, from 25,256 citations in 2019 to 49,301 citations in 2020 to 82,588 citations in 2021. We wrote about it last year here. The 2021 ... The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2021 Joe Spring. Associate Editor, Science. December 23, 2021. From amazing firsts on Mars to the impacts of climate change on Earth, these science stories stood out as the most important of 2021 Photo ... MIT's top research stories of 2021 The year's popular research stories include a promising new approach to cancer immunotherapy, the confirmation of a 50-year-old theorem, and a major fusion breakthrough. In 2021, MIT researchers made advances toward fusion energy, confirmed Stephen Hawking's black hole theorem, developed a Covid-detecting face mask, and created a ... 113 Great Research Paper Topics 113 Great Research Paper Topics. One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily ... HBR's Most-Read Research Articles of 2021 HBR's Most-Read Research Articles of 2021. Summary. What will it take to make work better? Over the past year, HBR has published a wide array of research-backed articles that explore topics ... 125 Best Research Paper Topics of 2021 This will help keep your paper clear and structured, and you will get clarity to produce a strong report. One of the most challenging parts of writing a research paper is to find a perfect topic to write. Luckily, we have done all the hard work for you and have created a list of 125 fascinating research paper topics. 2021 Top 25 Health Sciences Articles Here, the authors investigate the fluctuations of physiological indices along aging trajectories and observed a characteristic decrease in the organism state recovery rate. Timothy V. Pyrkov ... The 10 Most Popular Articles in 2021 (So Far) Leading through change, hybrid work environments, and developing strategy for the post-pandemic era are among the most popular topics for readers in recent months. Ally MacDonald July 27, 2021 Reading Time: 3 min. Subscribe Share. Following one of the most disruptive years in recent memory, 2021 has offered up many challenges and questions for ... 2021 Top 25 COVID-19 Articles 2021 Top 25 COVID-19 Articles. The 25 most downloaded ... These papers highlight valuable research into the biology of coronavirus infection, its detection, treatment as well as into vaccine ... Journal Top 100 Journal Top 100 This collection highlights our most downloaded* research papers published in 2021. Featuring authors from around the world, these papers highlight valuable research from an ... The 10 best research stories of 2021 The 10 best research stories of 2021. Sickle cell disease is caused by a mutation in the beta-globin gene that makes red blood cells warp into a sickle shape (foreground) as compared to the normal circular shape seen in the background. The sickled cells clog arteries, leading to intense pain and organ damage. The 10 Most Popular Articles of 2021 After several heady months for startups, Jeffrey Bussgang offered radical advice for founders: just chill. 3. The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2021. At the start of a summer brimming with vaccine-fueled promise, many people looked forward to taking delayed vacations. Striking findings from 2021 As 2021 draws to a close, here are some of Pew Research Center's most striking research findings from the past year. These 15 findings cover subjects ranging from extreme weather to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing demographic shifts in the United States. And they represent just a small slice of the year's full list of research publications. 100+ Healthcare Research Topics (+ Free Webinar) A mega list of research topic ideas in healthcare, including allopathic and alternative medicine, dentistry, rehab, optometry and more. ... (Sanchez, 2021) On the Incentives of Medicare's Hospital Reimbursement and an Examination of Exchangeability (Elzinga, 2016) ... to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a ... 1000+ Research Topics & Research Title Examples For Students 1000+ FREE Research Topics & Title Ideas. Select your area of interest to view a collection of potential research topics and ideas. AI & Machine Learning. Blockchain & Cryptocurrency. Biotech & Genetic Engineering. Business & Management. Communication. Computer Science & IT. Cybersecurity. The 5 most popular scientific papers of March 2021 in the ... Factors such as diet and play can make cats less likely to hunt wildlife, according to a popular study. Credit: Chris Winsor/Getty Images. The 5 most popular scientific papers of March 2021 in the ... These are the most-read Science News stories of 2021 stories of 2021. The International Space Station spotted the origins of a bizarre type of upside-down lightning called a blue jet (illustrated) zipping up from a thundercloud into the stratosphere ... Disruptive Innovation 2021: These 15 big ideas are most likely to Based on our research, the global gaming market will increase at a 16% compound annual rate during the next five years, from $175 billion in 2020 to roughly $365 billion by 2025. The AR & VR ... MIT's Top Research Breakthroughs of 2021 The year's popular research stories include a promising new approach to cancer immunotherapy, the confirmation of a 50-year-old theorem, and a major fusion breakthrough. Despite the pandemic's disruptions, MIT 's research community still managed to generate a number of impressive research breakthroughs in 2021. 15 Trending Nutrition Research Articles from 2021 2021 has come to a close, take a look back at some trending nutrition research articles from ASN's four journals: The Journal of Nutrition, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Advances in Nutrition, and Current Developments in Nutrition.Here are 15 articles that were mentioned the most in news and social media this year. 55 Research Paper Topics to Jump-Start Your Paper 55 Research Paper Topics to Jump-Start Your Paper. Matt Ellis. Updated on October 9, 2023 Students. Coming up with research paper topics is the first step in writing most papers. While it may seem easy compared to the actual writing, choosing the right research paper topic is nonetheless one of the most important steps. Top 20 Research Studies of 2021 for Primary Care Physicians Adopting POEMs in clinical practice should improve patient outcomes. Of more than 20,000 research studies published in 2021 in the journals reviewed by the POEMs team, only 260 met criteria for ... The Ultimate Research Topic Mega List (1000+ Research Topics ... The list provides 1000+ topic ideas across 25 research areas, including: Accounting & finance. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Biotech and genetic engineering. Blockchain and crypto. Business, management and leadership. Communication. Cybersecurity. Unraveling 2021's Top Science Research Topics: A Look Back and Ahead Research topics ranged from the intricacies of gender stratification to the worldwide impact of globalization. Here's a list of the top 10 research subjects from 2021 that caught the attention of scholars and students alike: Sciences Research Topics in 2021. The year 2021 was notable for its advancements in various scientific fields. 127 Best Research Paper Topics (2023 Update) HandMadeWriting High School Research Paper Topics. School uniform: The good, the bad, and the ugly. The effect of sexual acts displays on TV. The American Dream of Generation X and the Millennials. Biggest cults existing today in the world. Learning disabilities: Their nature, causes, and solutions. Best of JAMA 2023 Best of JAMA Network Most Viewed Articles 2023 - JAMA. Quick Links: ... Research Ethics Topics and Collections Visual Abstracts War and Health Women's Health ... 2022 IAS-USA Recommendations CONSERVE 2021 Guidelines for Reporting Trials Modified for the COVID-19 Pandemic Creation and Adoption of Large Language Models in Medicine Global Burden ... Kamala Harris is more trusted than Donald Trump on the US economy The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House More Americans trust Kamala Harris to handle the US economy than Donald Trump, according to a new poll that marks a ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis