- Want to solve a complex problem? Applied math can help
- Inadequate compensation for lost or downgraded protected areas threatens global biodiversity: Study
- Only 5 women have won the Nobel Prize in physics—recent winners share advice for young women in the field
- Madagascar's mining rush has caused no more deforestation than farming, study finds
- Scientists explore microbial diversity in sourdough starters
Scientific American
How Polio Entered Gaza, and How the Vaccination Campaign is Going
Flawed implementation of a global eradication strategy brought poliovirus to Gaza, and wartime conditions let the infection spread
Milgram’s Infamous Shock Studies Still Hold Lessons for Confronting Authoritarianism
Why ordinary people will follow orders to the point of hurting others remains a critical question for scientists—though some answers have emerged
What Really Happened at the Pentagon’s Once-Hidden UFO Office?
An office in the Pentagon investigated UFOs—and the paranormal—over a decade ago, segueing into a long saga leading to Congressional hearings and breathless news stories today. But the real story looks more like former defense officials pushing their personal mythology, rather than any cover-up of aliens
Category 4 Hurricane Helene Will Bring Strong Winds, Flash Flooding and Storm Surge
Category 4 Hurricane Helene is a large storm set to bring substantial storm surge to the coast of Florida, as well as wind and rain-driven flooding up into Tennessee and South Carolina
Birds Are Goofy Runners—And Dinosaurs Might Have Been, Too
Looking silly when they run saves birds energy—and some dinosaurs may have done the same
Tiny Asteroid Will Briefly Become Earth’s Mini Moon
A small asteroid, 2024 PT5, will spend the next two months alongside our planet as a mini moon before swooping back to deep space
Quantum Entanglement in Quarks Observed for the First Time
Physicists report the first observations of quantum entanglement in top and anti-top quarks, the heaviest known fundamental particles and their antimatter counterparts, inside the Large Hadron Collider
Why So Many Kids Still Die in Hot Cars Every Year
Cases of deadly heatstroke of children in cars have remained stubbornly persistent—here’s why they happen and how we can prevent them
Has Generative AI Lost Its Strange Charm?
From spotless giraffes to secret squirrels, Janelle Shane probes the absurdity (and dangers) of generative AI
PCOS Linked to Greater Risk of Eating Disorders
A study reports higher prevalence of eating disorders among people with polycystic ovary syndrome, regardless of their body mass index.
Scientists Nuke an Asteroid in a Lab Mock-Up
Experiment shows that a nuclear explosion could save the planet from a deadly asteroid impact
Florida Surgeon General Spreads COVID Misinformation in Booster Guidelines
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo told Floridians to avoid mRNA vaccines, citing false safety concerns
Why Chemistry, Physics and Medicine Nobel Prizes can be Shared, and How That Works
Joint Nobel laureates aren’t necessarily direct scientific collaborators, and the prize money isn’t always split evenly
Geoengineering Wins Reluctant Interest from Scientists as Earth’s Climate Unravels
More and more climate scientists are supporting experiments to cool Earth by altering the stratosphere or the ocean
How Many Dinosaur Species Roamed Earth? It’s Surprisingly Hard to Know
The incompleteness of the fossil record complicates efforts to figure out how life on Earth is faring today
Dark Matter Black Holes Could Fly through the Solar System Once a Decade
The universe’s hidden mass may be made of black holes, which could wobble the planets of the solar system when they pass by
Stunning Bird Photographs Showcase Incredible Views of Life on the Wing
Quirky perspectives, separated lovebirds and a tobogganing penguin star in 2024 winners of the world’s largest bird photography competition
Uterus Transplants, Once Highly Experimental, Have Led to Dozens of Births
Uterus transplants are becoming more common, opening up the possibility of pregnancy and parenthood to people with certain health conditions
Meet the New Autocrats Who Dismantle Democracies from Within
The new interconnected breed of autocrats gains and retains power by deception, globally undermining democracies through their own institutions
Cave Fish Adolescence Means Sprouting Taste Buds in Weird Places
Cave fish develop taste buds on their head and below their chin—and even in humans, taste cells grow in truly unexpected locations