Pinewood derby racing — and the dads who just can’t get enough — Dan Inman had anticipated this moment for months. It was the first Saturday of December 2018 — tournament day — and he thought the cars he’d built could outperform anyone’s. They were compact. Sleek. Speedy. He watched anxiously as his pinewood derby racers took their spots at the top of…

Urban forests are dying. Baltimore shows us how to bring them back. — Walk through Baltimore’s neighborhoods, and look up. The fan-shaped ginkgo leaves and ­ruby-red pearls dangling from cherry branches are the literal fruits of how Gene DeSantis has spent the predominant part of his life. On Saturdays, the slight, cap-wearing 57-year-old plants trees. …

There’s still a lack of openness, and even awareness, when it comes to men and infertility struggles — Scott Burkholder lay on his couch, huddled under a blanket, stunned and silent. It was 2018, just a few weeks before Christmas. He had a lump in his throat. Water in his eyes. And a urologist seated by his feet, delivering the news: There was no sperm in his testicles…

A plant-based food startup is building the machinery to replace America’s favorite meat at an industrial scale — Plant-based meat is having a moment. Impossible Whoppers are available at Burger Kings nationwide, and Dunkin’ now carries a Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich. Even McDonald’s is going to launch a line of plant-based products. The growth in alternative meats is largely driven by the view that meat made from plants…

What the federal lawsuit against Prevagen says about the American supplement industry and the brain — About one month went by until Mary realized she no longer had trouble remembering other people’s names. Jim says it only took three weeks for him to notice an improvement in his memory. Meanwhile, Sue experienced perhaps the most profound effects: She’s less absentminded, a better multitasker, and her recall…

Inside the movement to launch a human challenge trial for Covid-19 — During Josh Morrison’s first year at Harvard Law School in 2007, while preparing for exams, he took a break from his studies and turned to the New York Times Magazine. That’s when he read an article that changed the trajectory of his life. The author, a woman named Sally Satel…

Nonresidents must wear masks, and some residents are staying in their rooms — On the first day of October 2019, Julia O. Test moved into a Starcity co-living house in Los Angeles. Soon, the 34-year-old photographer was joined by more housemates, about a dozen people in all from their twenties through their forties. In Starcity housing, everyone has their own bedroom — and…

Even Dr. Pimple Popper is tackling the coronavirus — Dr. Franz Wiesbauer could not believe what he was seeing. It was the middle of February, and the Diamond Princess cruise ship was idling in port in Japan. On board, the number of passengers infected with the novel coronavirus was steadily climbing: first 10, then 200, then more than 600…

Some have doubts — This article is part of Into the Valley, a feature series from OneZero about Silicon Valley, the people who live there, and…