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The Absurd Pregnancy Math behind the Texas 'Six-Week' Abortion Ban 2021-09-04
The law the Supreme Court just failed to block is not just a blow to women; it’s biologically nonsensical
Michelle Rodrigues
You Have Probably Eaten This Natural Food Additive without Knowing It 2021-09-02
A new video series from Scientific American and Spektrum der Wissenschaft gives you a serving of science. In this episode, we take a look at something called inulin.
Spektrum, Scientific American Staff
Abortion Rights Are at the Greatest Risk since Roe v. Wade Was Decided in 1972 2021-09-02
The Supreme Court will hear a case in the upcoming term that could officially overturn that historic ruling
Elizabeth Nash
Rogue Antibodies Involved In Nearly One Fifth of COVID Deaths 2021-09-01
Self-targeting antibodies attack part of the immune system that plays a key role in fighting infection
Diana Kwon, Nature magazine
New Tool Shows Geology behind Kidney Stone Crystallization 2021-09-01
Rather than crystallizing all at once, kidney stones dissolve and re-form over and over
Harini Barath
Virus or Bacterium? Rapid Test Pinpoints Infection's Cause 2021-08-31
A generation of new tests could lessen overuse of antibiotics
Harini Barath
U.S. Forces Are Leaving a Toxic Environmental Legacy in Afghanistan 2021-08-30
Legal and practical obstacles make it difficult to clean the burn pits and health-damaging chemicals that remain at military bases
Kelsey D. Atherton
COVID, Quickly, Episode 13: Vaccine Approval, Breakthrough Infections, Boosters 2021-08-27
Today we bring you a new episode in our podcast series COVID, Quickly. Every two weeks, Scientific American’s senior health editors Tanya Lewis and Josh Fischman catch you up on the essential developments in the pandemic: from vaccines to new variants and everything in between. You can listen to all past episodes here.
Josh Fischman, Tanya Lewis, Jeffery DelViscio
YouTube's Plan to Showcase Credible Health Information Is Flawed, Experts Warn 2021-08-27
Search results may include a special section with videos from sources that are deemed reliable
Grant Currin
How to Reduce Racial Disparities in Smoking Deaths 2021-08-26
African Americans die at a higher rate than other groups and have a harder time quitting. But new evidence-based approaches can change that
Bryan W. Heckman, Anne Davis, James E.K. Hildreth
Humanitarians Push to Vaccinate in Conflict Zones 2021-08-26
Pandemic ceasefires offer an opportunity to expand vaccination efforts, experts say. But negotiation is tricky
Madeline Drexler, Undark
How COVID, Inequality and Politics Make a Vicious Syndemic 2021-08-26
Overlapping diseases and social conditions in the U.S. continue to dictate who is hurt most badly by the novel coronavirus
Emily Mendenhall, Clarence C. Gravlee
Unraveling the Mystery of Why Children Are Better Protected from COVID Than Adults 2021-08-26
Their immune system is more primed to fight off the novel coronavirus
Lars Fischer
COVID Vaccines Show No Signs of Harming Fertility or Sexual Function 2021-08-24
The novel coronavirus, in contrast, can disrupt both things in unvaccinated men and women
Emily Willingham
Policies Mandated by Multilateral Institutions Are Contributing to India's COVID Catastrophe 2021-08-22
The World Bank’s and the International Monetary Fund’s pressure to privatize India’s health care system deepened inequities in access—to lethal effect
Puja Changoiwala
The FDA Should Remove Its Restrictions on the 'Abortion Pill' Mifepristone 2021-08-21
The science is clear: abortion by medication is safe and effective
Kelly Cleland
Should You Get a Booster Shot? Here's What We Know 2021-08-20
Experts weigh in on common questions about whether and when additional doses of coronavirus vaccines may be needed
Tanya Lewis
Years Before COVID-19, Zombies Helped Prepare One Hospital System for the Real Pandemic 2021-08-20
An educational experiment used escape rooms and the undead to set the stage for a terrible situation that would become all too real
Maddie Bender
The True Haiti Earthquake Death Toll Is Much Worse Than Early Official Counts 2021-08-19
A tool built by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that the number of fatalities may range from 10,000 to 100,000 or more
Sara Reardon
A New Resource for Fighting Vaccine Misinformation 2021-08-19
The #ScienceUpFirst initiative was created to provide, support and amplify accurate scientific information to help people make informed health decisions
Jonathan N. Stea, Krishana Sankar

Run, Lucy, Run! Human Ancestors Could Jog but Not Very Far or Fast 2024-12-20
3D models of Australopithecus afarensis hint at the muscular adaptations that made modern humans better runners
Ancient Moon Melt Event May Explain 150-Million-Year Gap in Age Estimates 2024-12-20
The moon may have melted 4.35 billion years ago—explaining a lunar age mystery
Bird Flu Has Spread Out of Control after Mistakes by U.S. Government and Industry 2024-12-20
As the bird flu virus moved into cows and people, sluggish federal action, deference to industry and neglect for worker safety put the country at risk
Tech Stereotypes Discourage Girls from Computing and Engineering as Early as Age 6 2024-12-20
Early cultural exposure can influence kids’ ideas about gender and STEM in significant ways
What Gives Christmas Trees Their Crisp, Cozy Scent? 2024-12-20
Learn which molecules are responsible for giving Christmas trees their distinct, crisp-yet-spicy scent
The Winter Solstice Is Here. How Dark Days Affect the Human Body 2024-12-20
The winter solstice is the culmination of a period every year when each cell in our body literally craves more light
The Human Brainwaves Centennial Exposes a Darker Science History 2024-12-20
The centennial of the discovery of brain waves in humans exposes a chilling tale involving Nazis, war between Russia and Ukraine, suicide and the vicissitudes of history
How Do We Name the Stars? 2024-12-20
With billions of stars in the Milky Way, some nomenclature standardization is necessary
Conservation Efforts Save Pandas, Wolves and Panthers from Extinction 2024-12-20
There are so many species facing extinction—but today we’re telling stories about the animals making a comeback and the conservationists working hard to help.
This Year’s Nobel Prizes Are a Warning about AI 2024-12-20
Unless we pursue AI carefully, the Nobel committee will one day give a Peace Prize to the people cleaning up its terrible consequences, just as it did with nuclear physics
The UnitedHealthcare Tragedy Is Why Insurance Needs to Change Now 2024-12-19
I am a trauma surgeon and gunshot survivor who has experienced byzantine health insurance coverage firsthand. I understand why people are furious
Biden Pledges Huge Climate Emissions Cuts He Can’t Enforce. Here’s Why It Still Matters 2024-12-19
President Biden strengthened the U.S.’s commitment to slash climate pollution under the Paris Agreement knowing that President-elect Donald Trump could abandon it, but states and cities could still use it as a guide
Trump’s Pick for NIH Director Could Harm Science and People's Health 2024-12-19
With a possible bird flu outbreak looming, Donald Trump’s choice of Jay Bhattacharya, a scientist critical of COVID policies, for the NIH is the wrong move for science and public health
How Dartmouth’s Sexual Harassment Scandal Transformed the Lives of These Women in Science 2024-12-19
In 2017, a group of students at Dartmouth College filed a lawsuit that revealed an entrenched culture of power and abuse, and in doing so, they sparked a wider conversation about sexual violence in science.
Most Expensive Dinosaur Fossil Ever Could Reveal Stegosaurus Secrets 2024-12-19
The huge Stegosaurus fossil Apex, bought at auction for $44.6 million, has debuted on loan at the American Museum of Natural History
Earth Life Found inside Ryugu Asteroid Samples 2024-12-19
Material from asteroid Ryugu riddled with earthly microbes provides a cautionary tale for scientists seeking signs of alien life
Mysterious Constant that Makes Mathematicians Despair 2024-12-19
The proof that the Apéry constant is irrational remains one of the most bizarre events in the history of mathematics
Genetic Testing Is a Gift. But It Shouldn’t be a Present 2024-12-19
Think Twice before Giving Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Kits to Friends and Loved Ones
9 Space Images from NASA and Beyond That Stunned in 2024 2024-12-19
See the year’s most striking images from the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, NASA’s Mars rover and the best sky watching on offer
U.S. Has First Case of Severe Bird Flu, CDC Confirms in H5N1 Update 2024-12-18
Louisiana reported a person hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1, and the USDA has begun bulk milk testing

Asexuality Research Has Reached New Heights. What Are We Learning? 2024-02-23
A grassroots online movement has helped shift the way scientists think about asexuality. But much is still unknown.
Meghan McDonough
Political Ads Can Target Your Personality. Here's What Could Go Wrong 2024-02-21
This banner year for elections worldwide may witness the arrival of advertising tailored to your personality
Stephan Lewandowsky, Almog Simchon, Matthew Edwards
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning 2024-02-21
Engaging the fine motor system to produce letters by hand has positive effects on learning and memory
Charlotte Hu
People with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome May Have an "Exhausted" Immune System 2024-02-21
A long-awaited study of people with ME/CFS revealed differences in their immune and nervous system. The findings may offer clues about long COVID
Kamal Nahas
How to Close the 'Orgasm Gap' for Heterosexual Couples 2024-02-21
Researchers once faced death threats for asking women what gives them pleasure. Now they’re helping individuals and couples figure it out themselves.
Meghan McDonough
Virtual Bar Scenes Are a New Tool to Study Why People Commit Crimes in the Heat of the Moment 2024-02-21
Virtual-reality could assist researchers in decoding how emotions spur a decision to commit a crime
Ingrid Wickelgren
Anger Can Help You Meet Your Goals 2024-02-21
This emotion can push people to overcome obstacles, though results are best when people keep their long-term aims in mind
Heather Lench
How Sleep Engineering Could Help Heal the Brain 2024-02-21
Stimulating the sleeping brain may ease suffering from memory loss, stroke or mental health problems
Ingrid Wickelgren
Dominatrices Are Showing People How to Have Rough Sex Safely 2024-02-16
Research shows rough sex is becoming more common. Dominatrices are helping the general public catch up.
Meghan McDonough
Farmers in Crisis, Long Overlooked, Are Finally Getting Mental Health Support 2024-02-15
Amid a mounting mental health crisis among farmers, experts are working to make help more accessible
Anna Mattson
Valentine's Day Got You Blue? There's an Upside 2024-02-14
Unpleasant emotions like sadness and anger can feel overwhelming, but recent research suggests they can trigger behaviors that lead to something better
Heather Lench, The Conversation US
Jeopardy! Winner Reveals Entwined Memory Systems Make a Trivia Champion 2024-02-13
A former Jeopardy! winner led a new study that probes how linked memory systems may give trivia buffs an edge in their game
Hannah Seo
You Can't Fix Burnout With Self-Care 2024-02-12
Individual interventions for burnout don’t work. Researchers explain why.
Shayla Love, Timmy Broderick
Aggression Disorders Are Serious, Stigmatized and Treatable 2024-02-09
Researchers have a clearer picture than ever before of how common conditions that involve aggressive behavior emerge and how treatment can help
Abigail Marsh
'Gas Station Heroin' Is a Dangerous and Often Contaminated Supplement 2024-02-06
Tianeptine, an addictive drug at high doses, is being sold as a dietary supplement in gas stations and convenient stores. But such products could be contaminated with metals, microorganisms or other undisclosed drugs
C. Michael White, The Conversation US
People Have Very Different Understandings of Even the Simplest Words 2024-02-01
Distinctive meanings for a word like “risk” can have a big impact on public messaging, especially when it comes to issues like climate change
Simon Makin
Here's the Happiness Research that Stands Up to Scrutiny 2024-01-31
From meditation to smiling, researchers take a second look at studies claiming to reveal what makes us happy
Amber Dance, Knowable Magazine
Elon Musk's Neuralink Has Implanted Its First Chip in a Human Brain. What's Next? 2024-01-30
The wealthiest person on Earth has taken the next step toward a commercial brain interface
Ben Guarino
The Secret to Accomplishing Big Goals Lies in Breaking Them into Flexible, Bite-Size Chunks 2024-01-29
Subgoals can make all the difference when ambitious targets seem too daunting
Aneesh Rai, Marissa Sharif, Edward Chang, Katy Milkman, Angela Duckworth
Consciousness Is a Continuum, and Scientists Are Starting to Measure It 2024-01-26
A new technique helps anesthesiologists track changes in states of consciousness
Christian Guay, Emery Brown

Changing Car Culture Can Benefit Our Health and Our Planet 2024-03-01
We need to rethink the American love affair with the automobile and redesign cities to reduce car pollution
The Editors
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Memory and Learning 2024-02-21
Engaging the fine motor system to produce letters by hand has positive effects on learning and memory
Charlotte Hu
Scientists Are Putting ChatGPT Brains Inside Robot Bodies. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? 2024-02-21
The effort to give robots AI brains is revealing big practical challenges—and bigger ethical concerns
David Berreby
The Sophisticated Threads behind a Hat That Senses Traffic Lights 2024-02-21
A new technique to make electronic fibers could help solve wearable technology’s flexibility problem
Payal Dhar
What Apple's New Vision Pro Headset Might Do to Our Brain 2024-02-21
The release of Apple’s mixed-reality headset raises questions about hours spent in a virtual replacement of our world
Lauren Leffer
Electric Vehicles Aren't Ready for Extreme Heat and Cold. Here's How to Fix Them 2024-02-15
New materials would help the cars of the future survive cold snaps and other climate disruptions
Molly Glick
How AI Bots Could Sabotage 2024 Elections around the World 2024-02-13
AI-generated disinformation will target voters on a near-daily basis in more than 50 countries, according to a new analysis
Charlotte Hu
Cybercrime Security Gap Leaves People Who Aren't Proficient in English Poorly Protected 2024-02-12
Our research finds that language is often a barrier for people dealing with cybercrime issues and that it’s important to close this security gap
Fawn Ngo, The Conversation US
Tougher AI Policies Could Protect Taylor Swift--And Everyone Else--From Deepfakes 2024-02-08
In January Taylor Swift became the latest high-profile target of nonconsensual deepfake images. It’s time for regulations that ban this kind of abusive AI content, cyberadvocates say
Brian Contreras
Europe's New AI Rules Could Go Global--Here's What That Will Mean 2024-02-07
A leaked draft of the European Union’s upcoming AI Act has experts discussing where the regulations may fall short
Chris Stokel-Walker
Even ChatGPT Says ChatGPT Is Racially Biased 2024-02-07
When asked, ChatGPT declared that its training material—the language we humans use every day—was to blame for potential bias in stories it generated
Craig Piers
New AI Circuitry That Mimics Human Brains Makes Models Smarter 2024-02-07
A new kind of transistor allows AI hardware to remember and process information more like the human brain does
Anna Mattson
AI Unravels Ancient Roman Scroll Charred By Volcano 2024-02-06
AI helps decipher the text of a 2,000-year-old scroll burned at Pompeii
Jo Marchant, Nature magazine
We Need Cybersecurity in Space to Protect Satellites 2024-02-05
Amid rising numbers of cyber threats, safeguarding our satellites is no longer optional but a necessity for global security and reliability
Sylvester Kaczmarek
The Government's Former UFO Hunter Found Something More Concerning than Aliens 2024-02-05
Sean Kirkpatrick looked into the skies and deep into government archives for extraterrestrials. What he found is, to him, more concerning than little green men.
Daniel Vergano, Jeffery DelViscio
Why Is Superconductivity Research Plagued by Controversy? 2024-02-02
A materials scientist unravels the hype around research on high-temperature superconductor research like LK-99
Dan Falk, Undark
A Camera-Wearing Baby Taught an AI to Learn Words 2024-02-01
Most machine-learning models rely on mountains of data to replicate human text, but new research suggests the recipe for learning language might be simpler
Lauren Leffer
Forgotten Electrical Engineer's Work Paved the Way for Radar Technology 2024-02-01
Sallie Pero Mead made major discoveries about how electromagnetic waves propagate that allowed objects to be detected at a distance
Erica Huang, Katie Hafner, The Lost Women of Science Initiative
An Alliance Calling For More Open AI Should Heed Their Own Call 2024-02-01
The word “open” is often thrown around in describing AI transparency, but the companies and groups calling for it must themselves be open about their practices
Wai Chee Dimock
AI's Climate Impacts May Hit Marginalized People Hardest 2024-01-31
A Brookings Institution report warns that energy-hungry artificial intelligence tech will worsen the climate crisis
Thomas Frank, E&E News

Readers Respond to the April 2021 Issue 2021-08-28
Letters to the editor from the April 2021 issue of Scientific American
Scientific American
Poem: 'Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz (1822–1907)' 2021-08-21
Science in meter and verse
Jessy Randall
In Case You Missed It 2021-08-14
Top news from around the world
Maddie Bender
One Head, 1,000 Rear Ends: The Tale of a Deeply Weird Worm 2021-08-08
Ramisyllis multicaudata is an animal that seems to have adopted the lifestyle of a fungus
Jennifer Frazer
O UFOs, Where Art Thou? 2021-08-05
Five reasons why sorting all of this out is so scientifically challenging
Caleb A. Scharf
50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: August 2021 2021-08-01
Tasty radio; early fake leather
Mark Fischetti
The Human Framework for Alien Life 2021-07-29
Andrea Gawrylewski
Why So Many Young People Hate STEM Courses 2021-07-28
Take it from someone who almost gave up on her dream of being a scientist
Rhea Wanchoo
NASA Investigates Renaming James Webb Space Telescope after Anti-LGBT+ Claims 2021-07-26
Some astronomers argue the space agency’s next flagship observatory will memorialize discrimination. Others are waiting for more evidence
Alexandra Witze, Nature magazine
Quantum Mechanics, Plato's Cave and the Blind Piranha 2021-07-24
Can we ever really know the world?
John Horgan
For Good Science, You Need Engaged Citizens 2021-07-22
They strengthen the institutions that ensure a strong democracy, leading to rational decisions
Gregory E. Kaebnick, Michael K. Gusmano
These Dinosaurs Had a Complicated Air Conditioner in Their Skull 2021-07-21
Cooling 5,000-pound, armor-plated giants was no small feat.
Aaron Martin
Moths Have an Acoustic Invisibility Cloak to Stay under Bats' Radar 2021-07-21
New research finds they fly around on noise-cancelling wings
Karen Hopkin
Hardy Microbes Hint at Possibilities for Extraterrestrial Life 2021-07-21
Studies of extreme ecosystems on Earth can guide the search for Martian life and may reveal the fundamental limits of biology
Brianne Palmer
Jeff Bezos Launches into Space on Blue Origin's First Astronaut Flight 2021-07-20
The billionaire and three others take a suborbital trip onboard the craft New Shepard
Mike Wall, SPACE.com
Behold the 'Borg': Massive DNA Structures Perplex Scientists 2021-07-20
Researchers say they have discovered unique and exciting DNA strands in the mud; others are not sure of their novelty
Amber Dance, Nature magazine
Play Is Serious Business for Elephants 2021-07-20
Young dogs, apes and other animals develop skills needed to survive and reproduce
Caitlin O'Connell
Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin Are Finally Flying to Space 2021-07-19
After nearly twenty years pursuing a lifelong dream of spaceflight, the world’s wealthiest person is at last ready for lift off
Mike Wall, SPACE.com
The Idea That Trees Talk to Cooperate Is Misleading 2021-07-19
It’s a romantic notion, but pretending they’re like humans could actually harm the cause of conservation
Kathryn Flinn
Poem: 'Lesson from the West African Lungfish (Protopterus annectens)' 2021-07-17
Science in meter and verse
Christina Olson

This Astrophysicist Makes Stellar Nurseries That Fit in the Palm of Your Hand 2024-02-21
How artist and astrophysicist Nia Imara makes 3-D prints of the birth of stars
Tulika Bose, Jason Drakeford, Kelso Harper
Cape Cod Faces a Rising 'Yellow Tide' 2024-02-12
Tourism is big business on the cape, but a growing environmental issue could disrupt the lives of tourists and residents, alike.
Duy Linh Tu, Sebastian Tuinder, Barbara Moran, Anaissa Ruiz Tejada, Joseph Polidoro, Jeffery DelViscio
Science Is Using Mechanical Moss to Fight Climate Change on the Canary Islands 2024-02-01
On the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands, a group of researchers is racing to fight drought as the climate changes rapidly around them. Their defense is a new approach to a very, very old technology from nature.
Meghan McDonough
Waiting for the 'White Water' 2024-01-23
In Nigeria, one community that has never had potable water finally gets it.
Franklin Adegbie
Incredible Footage of the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland 2023-12-22
The eruption in Iceland may look beautiful, but what is happening just below the surface is threatening safety and livelihoods on the surface.
Micah Garen, Marie-Hélène Carleton, Jason Drakeford, Jeffery DelViscio
Breath Of Life: Bridging the Oxygen Gap in Kenya 2023-12-20
After COVID devastated Kenya, oxygen prices began to skyrocket, causing people to lose their life. Ruth Wambui, a nurse-entrepreneur, set out to bridge the oxygen gap in the country.
Wanjiru Njoroge, Brian Obra

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