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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

BMI Sidelined in New Obesity Definition That Favors Health Evaluation 2025-01-17
Instead of using the controversial body mass index, or BMI, to assess weight, an international group of scientists proposes an approach that looks at how excess body fat affects health
Los Angeles Fires Were Fueled by Climate Change 2025-01-17
Many factors, such as strong Santa Ana winds and urban planning decisions, played into the recent destructive wildfires in the Los Angeles area. But the evidence is clear that climate change contributed
SpaceX Starship Explosion Likely Caused by Propellant Leak, Elon Musk Says 2025-01-17
The seventh test flight of SpaceX’s Starship ended with a successful landing of the rocket’s first stage but also the loss of the Starship vehicle
This Supermassive Black Hole May Harbor a Bizarre Undead Star 2025-01-17
Strange x-ray pulses hint at a surprisingly long-lived white dwarf orbiting precariously close to a supermassive black hole
Could Inflicting Pain Test AI for Sentience? 2025-01-17
A new study shows that large language models make trade-offs to avoid pain, with possible implications for future AI welfare
These Prime Numbers Are So Memorable That People Hunt for Them 2025-01-17
Math enthusiasts challenge one another to find special prime numbers, including those that are palindromes and Smarandache numbers
How NASA Used the Hubble Space Telescope to Look at the Sun 2025-01-17
A little-known chapter of the Hubble Space Telescope’s history is a reminder of the risks of looking at the sun
Linguists Point to Expressions of Pain as a Possible Universal Language 2025-01-17
Linguists think that the words that we use to express pain might tell us something about our shared biology and the commonality of language.
Is Red No. 3 Harmful? How Does It Compare with Other Dyes? 2025-01-16
The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of the dye Red No. 3 in all food and ingested drugs. Here’s what foods and drugs contain the coloring, and how it compares with Red No. 40 and other artificial dyes
Climate Action Now Threatened by ‘Powerful Forces,’ Biden Warns 2025-01-16
In his farewell address, President Biden warned that a powerful “oligarchy” could undo four years of progress on climate policy
What Caused the L.A. Wildfires? How Investigators Will Find Out 2025-01-16
Wildfires like the Los Angeles blazes destroy so much, but they often spare some evidence of the cause of their ignition
The Supreme Court’s Trans Health Case Shows Why Patients Should Make the Decisions 2025-01-16
Supreme Court arguments over trans health care makes plain how badly we need personalized health care in all of medicine
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Finally Takes Flight 2025-01-16
The heavy-lift New Glenn rocket soared to success, reaching orbit on its highly anticipated inaugural flight but failing to land its booster on an ocean barge
U.S. TikTok Users Flock to RedNote as Ban Looms 2025-01-15
Thousands of U.S. TikTok users are joining China-based app RedNote, spawning memes, jokes and confusion
Data Centers Run on Clean Energy Now Welcome on Publicly Owned Land 2025-01-15
President Biden issued an executive order to permit data centers on federal lands in a move aimed at bolstering clean energy and protecting national security during a boom in artificial intelligence
Wildfires Started by Human Activities Are Often More Destructive 2025-01-15
Fast-moving fires, such as the recent ones in the Los Angeles area, and those started by humans, whether accidentally or not, are often some of the most destructive
Does Fact-Checking Work on Social Media? 2025-01-15
Communication and misinformation researchers reveal the value of fact-checking, where perceived biases come from and what Meta’s decision could mean
Migrating Birds Sing to Team Up with Other Species 2025-01-15
Songbirds may socialize across species during nighttime migrations
How the Polar Vortex Can Bring Arctic Blasts to the U.S. 2025-01-15
Vast weather patterns can carry blasts of frigid air far from the polar regions—here’s how it works
Visas for Guest Workers Can Spur High Technology and U.S. Jobs 2025-01-15
Although warring MAGA factions seem locked in a foreign worker battle with no middle ground, two straightforward changes would provide global talent while minimizing domestic job losses

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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