Blogs - Science






Scientific American
- The Absurd Pregnancy Math behind the Texas 'Six-Week' Abortion Ban 2021-09-04The law the Supreme Court just failed to block is not just a blow to women; it’s biologically nonsensicalMichelle Rodrigues
- You Have Probably Eaten This Natural Food Additive without Knowing It 2021-09-02A 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 2021-09-02The Supreme Court will hear a case in the upcoming term that could officially overturn that historic rulingElizabeth Nash
- Rogue Antibodies Involved In Nearly One Fifth of COVID Deaths 2021-09-01Self-targeting antibodies attack part of the immune system that plays a key role in fighting infectionDiana Kwon, Nature magazine
- New Tool Shows Geology behind Kidney Stone Crystallization 2021-09-01Rather than crystallizing all at once, kidney stones dissolve and re-form over and overHarini Barath
- Virus or Bacterium? Rapid Test Pinpoints Infection's Cause 2021-08-31A generation of new tests could lessen overuse of antibioticsHarini Barath
- U.S. Forces Are Leaving a Toxic Environmental Legacy in Afghanistan 2021-08-30Legal and practical obstacles make it difficult to clean the burn pits and health-damaging chemicals that remain at military basesKelsey D. Atherton
- COVID, Quickly, Episode 13: Vaccine Approval, Breakthrough Infections, Boosters 2021-08-27Today 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 2021-08-27Search results may include a special section with videos from sources that are deemed reliableGrant Currin
- How to Reduce Racial Disparities in Smoking Deaths 2021-08-26African Americans die at a higher rate than other groups and have a harder time quitting. But new evidence-based approaches can change thatBryan W. Heckman, Anne Davis, James E.K. Hildreth
- Humanitarians Push to Vaccinate in Conflict Zones 2021-08-26Pandemic ceasefires offer an opportunity to expand vaccination efforts, experts say. But negotiation is trickyMadeline Drexler, Undark
- How COVID, Inequality and Politics Make a Vicious Syndemic 2021-08-26Overlapping diseases and social conditions in the U.S. continue to dictate who is hurt most badly by the novel coronavirusEmily Mendenhall, Clarence C. Gravlee
- Unraveling the Mystery of Why Children Are Better Protected from COVID Than Adults 2021-08-26Their immune system is more primed to fight off the novel coronavirusLars Fischer
- COVID Vaccines Show No Signs of Harming Fertility or Sexual Function 2021-08-24The novel coronavirus, in contrast, can disrupt both things in unvaccinated men and womenEmily Willingham
- Policies Mandated by Multilateral Institutions Are Contributing to India's COVID Catastrophe 2021-08-22The World Bank’s and the International Monetary Fund’s pressure to privatize India’s health care system deepened inequities in access—to lethal effectPuja Changoiwala
- The FDA Should Remove Its Restrictions on the 'Abortion Pill' Mifepristone 2021-08-21The science is clear: abortion by medication is safe and effectiveKelly Cleland
- Should You Get a Booster Shot? Here's What We Know 2021-08-20Experts weigh in on common questions about whether and when additional doses of coronavirus vaccines may be neededTanya Lewis
- Years Before COVID-19, Zombies Helped Prepare One Hospital System for the Real Pandemic 2021-08-20An educational experiment used escape rooms and the undead to set the stage for a terrible situation that would become all too realMaddie Bender
- The True Haiti Earthquake Death Toll Is Much Worse Than Early Official Counts 2021-08-19A tool built by the U.S. Geological Survey suggests that the number of fatalities may range from 10,000 to 100,000 or moreSara Reardon
- A New Resource for Fighting Vaccine Misinformation 2021-08-19The #ScienceUpFirst initiative was created to provide, support and amplify accurate scientific information to help people make informed health decisionsJonathan N. Stea, Krishana Sankar
Scientific American Content: Global
- OSIRIS-REx's Asteroid Samples Are Finally Down to Earth 2023-09-24OSIRIS-REx—the first U.S. mission to attempt a sample return from a space rock—has successfully sent materials from asteroid Bennu back to EarthLeonard David
- Discrimination Has Trapped People of Color in Unhealthy Urban 'Heat Islands' 2023-09-24People of color, more than other groups, live in neighborhoods prone to excess heat and the illnesses that go with itMelba Newsome
- Rosalind Franklin Deserves a Posthumous Nobel Prize for Co-discovering DNA Structure 2023-09-24Awarding Rosalind Franklin a Nobel Prize posthumously for her role in DNA discovery is the honorable—and scientific—thing to doNaomi Oreskes
- Poem: 'Message to My Beloved Sibling' 2023-09-23Science in meter and verseJonathan Katz
- More People Die from Venomous Snakebites Each Year Than Have Ever Died from Ebola 2023-09-23In low- and middle-income nations, snakebite envenoming is more deadly than almost any other neglected tropical diseaseCassandra Willyard
- Valley Fever Is a Growing Fungal Threat to Outdoor Workers 2023-09-23The disease hits farmworkers and outdoor laborers disproportionately hardAshli Blow
- Online Ads Can Infect Your Device with Spyware 2023-09-23An investigative report reveals that new spyware can slip in unseen through online ads—and there is currently no defense against itClaire Seungeun Lee, The Conversation US
- U.S. Will Weigh Cost of Carbon Pollution in More Government Decisions 2023-09-22Calculations determining the climate damage of greenhouse gas emissions—called the social cost of carbon—will be considered in federal agencies’ budgets, permitting decisions and, eventually, government purchasesJean Chemnick, E&E News
- People Who Are Changing the Environment One Community at a Time 2023-09-22These four researchers are highlighting environmental inequities and improving the health of their communitiesKatherine Bourzac
- See How AI Generates Images from Text 2023-09-22Generative AI algorithms use probability to create visuals from noiseSophie Bushwick, Matthew Twombly, Amanda Hobbs
- These Adorable Jellyfish Show Learning Doesn't Even Require a Brain 2023-09-22Human scientists—used to the benefits of a centralized, complex brain—have been underestimating what a simple nerve network can doMeghan Bartels
- This Researcher Captured Air from the Amazon in Dive-Bombs--And Found Grim Clues That the Forest Is Dying 2023-09-22One researcher has been hiring planes to strafe the sky over the Amazon rain forest to collect the air coming off the trees, and what she is finding is cause for alarm.Daniel Grossman
- Artificial Intelligence Could Finally Let Us Talk with Animals 2023-09-22AI is poised to revolutionize our understanding of animal communicationLois Parshley
- Fixing Air Pollution Could Dramatically Improve Health Disparities 2023-09-22The most marginalized people are breathing the most polluted air, and improving it could improve health equity worldwideJyoti Madhusoodanan
- The Equinox Is Not What You Think It Is 2023-09-22The equinox is not when day and night have equal lengths. Instead it’s something more nuanced but no less gloriousPhil Plait
- AI Tool Pinpoints Genetic Mutations That Cause Disease 2023-09-21Researchers have adapted the AI network to search for genetic changes linked to ill healthEwen Callaway, Nature magazine
- World Governments Recommit to 2030 Goals to Save Humanity 2023-09-21United Nations secretary-general António Guterres is proposing a $500-billion annual stimulus package to meet the Sustainable Development Goals to preserve the environment and end poverty and hungerJeff Tollefson, Nature magazine
- Prominent Consciousness Theory Is Slammed as Bogus Science 2023-09-21Researchers publicly call out theory that they say is not well supported by science, but that gets undue attentionMariana Lenharo, Nature magazine
- Jupiter's Moon Europa May Hide Tantalizing Carbon in Mysterious Ocean 2023-09-21Jupiter’s mysterious moon Europa may hold carbon in the ocean lurking beneath its icy shellMeghan Bartels
- This Efficiency-Obsessed Psychologist (and Mother of 11) Revolutionized Kitchen Design 2023-09-21Lillian Gilbreth pioneered time and motion efficiency in workplaces and revolutionized kitchen designKatie Hafner, Johanna Mayer, The Lost Women of Science Initiative
Scientific American: Mind & Brain
- These Adorable Jellyfish Show Learning Doesn't Even Require a Brain 2023-09-22Human scientists—used to the benefits of a centralized, complex brain—have been underestimating what a simple nerve network can doMeghan Bartels
- Artificial Intelligence Could Finally Let Us Talk with Animals 2023-09-22AI is poised to revolutionize our understanding of animal communicationLois Parshley
- Prominent Consciousness Theory Is Slammed as Bogus Science 2023-09-21Researchers publicly call out theory that they say is not well supported by science, but that gets undue attentionMariana Lenharo, Nature magazine
- Period Food Cravings Are Real. A New Brain Finding Could Explain Why They Happen 2023-09-21A new study suggests that changes in the brain's sensitivity to insulin during phases of the menstrual cycle may be linked to appetiteJocelyn Solis-Moreira
- Suppressing an Onrush of Toxic Thoughts Might Improve Your Mental Health 2023-09-20Counter to the conventional wisdom, suppression of distressing thoughts could be an invaluable addition in treating depression, anxiety and traumaIngrid Wickelgren
- A Newly Discovered Brain Signal Marks Recovery from Depression 2023-09-20Implanted electrodes pick up a pattern of brain waves that can signal the presence or absence of depression and perhaps predict its relapseIngrid Wickelgren
- Behind the Scenes of Scientific American's Redesign 2023-09-19Today we introduce to the world Scientific American’s redesign, which we hope will nod to our rich history while also look forward to the everchanging landscape of publishingMichael Mrak
- Forgotten Memories May Remain Intact in the Brain 2023-09-15Everyday lapses in memory can be a part of learningDaisy Yuhas
- Some Patients Who 'Died' but Survived Report Lucid 'Near-Death Experiences,' a New Study Shows 2023-09-14In some cardiac arrest patients, a flurry of brain activity during life-saving CPR may be a sign of a “near-death experience”Rachel Nuwer
- Moon Landing Denial Fired an Early Antiscience Conspiracy Theory Shot 2023-09-14Apollo moon landing conspiracy theories were early hints of the dangerous anti-vax, antiscience beliefs backed by politicians todayPhil Plait
- A Broken Employment System Leaves Autistic Adults Stranded 2023-09-13Only 1.1 percent of autistic adults in the U.S. access key publicly funded employment services. A broken disability service system is whyAnne Roux, Lindsay Shea
- Neuropeptide Y May Have Made Humans Smart and Overindulgent 2023-09-11A brain chemical may play a role in the development of our complex brain, as well as our inclination toward obesity and addictionJoanna Thompson
- Trying to Train Your Brain Faster? Knowing This Might Help with That 2023-09-08Are you working really hard to learn something? Remember this counterintuitive fact, and you might improve your learning curve.Karen Hopkin, Jeffery DelViscio
- What Does It 'Feel' Like to Be a Chatbot? 2023-09-08Generative AI has made giant strides toward machine intelligence. Can machine consciousness be far behind?Christof Koch
- Reading for Pleasure Helps Kids' Brain Development 2023-09-04The simple and fun act of reading for pleasure in early childhood produces better cognition, mental health and educational attainment in adolescenceBarbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Christelle Langley, Jianfeng Feng, Yun-Jun Sun, The Conversation US
- Online Talk Therapy Works as Well as an In-Person Session, a New Study Shows 2023-08-31A study of 27,500 patients in the U.K.’s health system suggests that getting people into mental health treatment faster is a huge boon of online therapyStephanie Pappas
- If AI Becomes Conscious, Here's How We Can Tell 2023-08-30A checklist derived from six neuroscience-based theories of consciousness could help assess whether an artificial intelligence system achieves this stateMariana Lenharo, Nature magazine
- Why Delays in Delivering Justice Lead to Harsher Sentencing 2023-08-29People want swift punishment and will even penalize perpetrators for delays outside their controlTimothy Kundro, Samir Nurmohamed, Hemant Kakkar, Salvatore Affinito
- Brain-Reading Devices Allow Paralyzed People to Talk Using Their Thoughts 2023-08-24Two studies report considerable improvements in technologies designed to help people with facial paralysis to communicateMiryam Naddaf, Nature magazine
- Scientists Tried to Re-create an Entire Human Brain in a Computer. What Happened? 2023-08-24The Human Brain Project wraps up in September after a decade. It had notable achievements and a troubled pastMiryam Naddaf, Nature magazine
Scientific American: Technology
- Online Ads Can Infect Your Device with Spyware 2023-09-23An investigative report reveals that new spyware can slip in unseen through online ads—and there is currently no defense against itClaire Seungeun Lee, The Conversation US
- See How AI Generates Images from Text 2023-09-22Generative AI algorithms use probability to create visuals from noiseSophie Bushwick, Matthew Twombly, Amanda Hobbs
- AI Tool Pinpoints Genetic Mutations That Cause Disease 2023-09-21Researchers have adapted the AI network to search for genetic changes linked to ill healthEwen Callaway, Nature magazine
- This Efficiency-Obsessed Psychologist (and Mother of 11) Revolutionized Kitchen Design 2023-09-21Lillian Gilbreth pioneered time and motion efficiency in workplaces and revolutionized kitchen designKatie Hafner, Johanna Mayer, The Lost Women of Science Initiative
- New Soft Electrode Unfolds inside the Skull 2023-09-21An electrode inspired by soft robotics could provide less invasive brain-machine interfacesSimon Makin
- Satellite Internet Companies Could Help Break Authoritarianism 2023-09-18In Iran and elsewhere, governments restrict Internet access to restrict freedoms. Companies that launch communications satellites can ensure a free and open Internet for allPouria Nazemi
- This Insect-Sized Robot Can Carry 22 Times Its Own Weight 2023-09-18The four-legged miniature machine is powered by tiny explosionsKatharine Sanderson, Nature magazine
- Here's How to Actually Keep Kids and Teens Safe Online 2023-09-18Controversial policy proposals such as the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) are making headway across the country, but there are other ways to help protect young people in the digital worldLauren Leffer
- Dams Worldwide Are at Risk of Catastrophic Failure 2023-09-15Here’s why disasters like Libya’s dam collapses happen and how to prevent themLauren Leffer
- Why Japan Is Building Its Own Version of ChatGPT 2023-09-15Some Japanese researchers feel that AI systems trained on foreign languages cannot grasp the intricacies of Japanese language and cultureTim Hornyak, Nature magazine
- High-Tech Cars Might Be More Trouble Than They're Worth 2023-09-14Drivers may sacrifice safety and privacy in exchange for the advanced tech features in their “smart” carsLauren Leffer
- Without Small Data, AI in Health Care Contributes to Disparities 2023-09-12Artificial intelligence systems in health care must be trained on the data of lived experience to prevent bias and disparitiesFay Cobb Payton
- Candy Crush Is Complicated--Even from a Mathematical Point of View 2023-09-12Don’t be annoyed if you fail at a certain level of the popular game Candy Crush Saga; computers also have their problems with itManon Bischoff
- Scientists Are Beginning to Learn the Language of Bats and Bees Using AI 2023-09-11The new field of digital bioacoustics is using machine learning to try decipher animal speak, including honeybee toots and quacks and whoops.Sophie Bushwick, Kelso Harper, Jeffery DelViscio
- How Fires, Floods and Hurricanes Create Deadly Pockets of Information Isolation 2023-09-11Telecommunications grids are vulnerable to worsening climate disasters—which highlights the importance of one age-old survival systemTimmy Broderick
- 'Robo-Taxi Takeover' Hits Speed Bumps 2023-09-08Self-driving cars are expanding their ranges in a handful of U.S. cities, but the reality doesn’t yet match the hypeLauren Leffer
- Algorithms Are Making Important Decisions. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? 2023-09-07Seemingly trivial differences in training data can skew the judgments of AI programs—and that’s not the only problem with automated decision-makingAnanya
- Why High-Speed Bullet Trains Won't Work in the U.S. Right Now 2023-09-05Amtrak will soon get 28 high-speed rail cars. But they won't operate at high speeds because Amtrak tracks are outdatedMinho Kim, E&E News
- Physicists Explain How Heat Kills Machines and Electronics 2023-09-05Extreme heat can slow and even damage electronics ranging from computers to carsSrinivas Garimella, Matthew T. Hughes, The Conversation US
- What the Luddites Can Teach Us about AI 2023-09-01The Luddites did not hate technology—but they did fight the way it was used to exploit humans.Sophie Bushwick, Elah Feder
Scientific American
- Readers Respond to the April 2021 Issue 2021-08-28Letters to the editor from the April 2021 issue of Scientific AmericanScientific American
- Poem: 'Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz (1822–1907)' 2021-08-21Science in meter and verseJessy Randall
- In Case You Missed It 2021-08-14Top news from around the worldMaddie Bender
- One Head, 1,000 Rear Ends: The Tale of a Deeply Weird Worm 2021-08-08Ramisyllis multicaudata is an animal that seems to have adopted the lifestyle of a fungusJennifer Frazer
- O UFOs, Where Art Thou? 2021-08-05Five reasons why sorting all of this out is so scientifically challengingCaleb A. Scharf
- 50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: August 2021 2021-08-01Tasty radio; early fake leatherMark Fischetti
- The Human Framework for Alien Life 2021-07-29 Andrea Gawrylewski
- Why So Many Young People Hate STEM Courses 2021-07-28Take it from someone who almost gave up on her dream of being a scientistRhea Wanchoo
- NASA Investigates Renaming James Webb Space Telescope after Anti-LGBT+ Claims 2021-07-26Some astronomers argue the space agency’s next flagship observatory will memorialize discrimination. Others are waiting for more evidenceAlexandra Witze, Nature magazine
- Quantum Mechanics, Plato's Cave and the Blind Piranha 2021-07-24Can we ever really know the world?John Horgan
- For Good Science, You Need Engaged Citizens 2021-07-22They strengthen the institutions that ensure a strong democracy, leading to rational decisionsGregory E. Kaebnick, Michael K. Gusmano
- These Dinosaurs Had a Complicated Air Conditioner in Their Skull 2021-07-21Cooling 5,000-pound, armor-plated giants was no small feat.Aaron Martin
- Moths Have an Acoustic Invisibility Cloak to Stay under Bats' Radar 2021-07-21New research finds they fly around on noise-cancelling wingsKaren Hopkin
- Hardy Microbes Hint at Possibilities for Extraterrestrial Life 2021-07-21Studies of extreme ecosystems on Earth can guide the search for Martian life and may reveal the fundamental limits of biologyBrianne Palmer
- Jeff Bezos Launches into Space on Blue Origin's First Astronaut Flight 2021-07-20The billionaire and three others take a suborbital trip onboard the craft New ShepardMike Wall, SPACE.com
- Behold the 'Borg': Massive DNA Structures Perplex Scientists 2021-07-20Researchers say they have discovered unique and exciting DNA strands in the mud; others are not sure of their noveltyAmber Dance, Nature magazine
- Play Is Serious Business for Elephants 2021-07-20Young dogs, apes and other animals develop skills needed to survive and reproduceCaitlin O'Connell
- Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin Are Finally Flying to Space 2021-07-19After nearly twenty years pursuing a lifelong dream of spaceflight, the world’s wealthiest person is at last ready for lift offMike Wall, SPACE.com
- The Idea That Trees Talk to Cooperate Is Misleading 2021-07-19It’s a romantic notion, but pretending they’re like humans could actually harm the cause of conservationKathryn Flinn
- Poem: 'Lesson from the West African Lungfish (Protopterus annectens)' 2021-07-17Science in meter and verseChristina Olson
Scientific American Content: Videos
- The Father of Environmental Justice Reflects on the Movement He Helped to Start 2023-09-19Four decades into his activism, Robert Bullard looks back on his legacy and the work ahead.Carin Leong, Kelso Harper
- The Ozone Hole Showed Humans Could Damage Earth and That We Could Heal It 2023-09-12The discovery of a hole in Earth’s protective ozone layer in 1985 led to a worldwide effort to heal it. But are there lessons that can be applied to today’s treaty talks on climate change?Jonathan Schienberg, Retro Report
- These Salamanders Steal Genes and Can Have up to Five Extra Sets of Chromosomes 2023-07-31Unisexual salamanders in the genus Ambystoma appear to be the only creatures in the world that reproduce the way they do. Researchers know how, but the why is still being figured out.Aaron Martin