sciencebriefs
Topic

Power

Who holds it, how it is kept, and what it costs.

1
in science
13:14
average
13 min
in total
91
across the network
Power across the network →
Refine23
Fields
Physics 186Chemistry 58Astronomy & space 81Earth & climate 49Evolution 70Genetics 61Neuroscience 46Medicine 85Ecology 37Computing & AI 47Engineering 60Energy 16Materials 20
Verdict
Worth your time 544Worth it in part 17
Topics
Scientific method 146Physics 139Genetics 71Astronomy 63Medicine 61Evolution 60Chemistry 59Mathematics 59All 121 topics →
All briefs1
13:14

Stanford prison experiment

Philip Zimbardo

The Stanford prison experiment was a 1971 simulation study conducted by Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University, using 24 male college students randomly assigned as prisoners or guards in a mock prison in the psychology building basement. Its goal was to assess the psychological effects of role assignment, focusing on how roles, rules, symbols, group identity, and situational forces shape behavior. Results showed rapid, extreme role adaptation by both groups, leading to dangerous and psychologically damaging conditions; Zimbardo himself became immersed in his role as superintendent until intervened by Christina Maslach. The core conclusion was that situational forces can exert far greater influence on behavior than commonly recognized.

More from science

All briefs →
8:07

Henry Gee

Henry Gee is a British palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist, a senior editor at Nature, and the author of books on deep time, the origin of vertebrates and human evolution.
10:09

Horizontal gene transfer

Zinder and Lederberg · 1951

Bacteria can pick up genes from other cells by transformation, transduction or conjugation, not only by inheriting them. Lederberg and Zinder showed in 1951 that a virus could carry genes from one strain of Salmonella to another, and Lederberg's earlier work with Edward Tatum showed that E. coli can exchange genes by conjugation. The material treats the process as the main route by which antibiotic resistance spreads among bacteria.

10:16

Jennifer Doudna

Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier

Doudna and Charpentier’s 2012 work established CRISPR-Cas9 as the first programmable, RNA-guided DNA cleavage system. It relies on Cas9 protein and a synthetic guide RNA chimera. It works in vitro. It does not demonstrate editing in living organisms or repair outcomes. It is the origin of all subsequent CRISPR applications — not a refinement, but the first functional design.

9:54

3D printing

Chuck Hull

3D printing is a layer-by-layer fabrication method rooted in Chuck Hull’s 1984 stereolithography patent. It evolved from rapid prototyping in the 1980s into an industrial production option by 2019. Its real advantage is enabling previously impossible geometries—like hollow or truss-structured parts—that cut weight and waste. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) was the most common process as of 2020. It does not replace conventional manufacturing at scale. It does not solve material consistency, certification, or throughput problems. Its impact is precise, not pervasive.