Scientific American

What Are the Mystery Drones Reported Over New York and New Jersey?

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Reports of unidentified flying objects in the northeast U.S. are on the rise, but so far officials have few answers for alarmed residents

Google Makes a Major Quantum Computing Breakthrough

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Google’s new chip, Willow, has achieved the exponential suppression of errors. The advance is substantial, but Willow remains far from delivering on any practical applications

New Telescopes Will Illuminate a Cosmic Dark Age

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

The universe’s light-starved early epochs, as well as the first stars and galaxies, lie beyond the reach of conventional observatories but could be revealed by a new generation of radio telescope arrays

AI Will Turn Our Lives into The Truman Show

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Large language models can create muddled, misinformed multiverses

6 Wild Things We Learned about Earth in 2024

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:30:00 +0000

It’s been a fascinating year in earth science—from mysterious “dark oxygen” to an “unidentified seismic object,” here are some incredible things we’ve learned about our planet in 2024

Lead in Gasoline Linked to Mental Illness, and ‘Disease X’ Spreads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

A mysterious outbreak occurs in the Democratic of the Congo, and researchers find evidence that exposure to leaded gasoline was linked to increases in mental illness. Plus, we discuss orcas wearing salmon as hats.

Wuhan Lab Sequences Reveal No Close COVID Relatives, Virologist Says

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:30:00 +0000

Shi Zhengli, the virologist at the center of COVID lab-leak theory, reveals coronavirus sequences from the Wuhan institute

Climate ‘Tipping Point’ Language Doesn’t Spur Action

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:30:00 +0000

A new paper warns the concept of “tipping points” doesn’t do much to encourage climate action from laypeople and policymakers

Cinnamon and Other Spices Can Contain Lead. Here’s What to Know

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Amid concerns about lead found in certain cinnamon products, here’s what to know about how spices can pick up heavy metals and how worried to be

What’s Inside Our Galaxy’s Darkest Place?

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 11:45:00 +0000

Barnard 68 is often mistaken for a hole in space, but it’s actually a dense, opaque cloud of dust—for now

Iron Deficiency and Anemia May Be More Common in Young Women Than Doctors Know

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Underdiagnosed iron deficiency and anemia could be leaving people without affordable fixes for their concerns.

What’s at Stake in Supreme Court Case on Transgender Health Care

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 22:00:00 +0000

In United States v. Skrmetti, the Supreme Court is considering whether a law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth is discriminatory under the Constitution

Bird Flu Virus Is One Mutation Away from Adapting to Human Cells

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

A new study finds tweaking part of the H5N1 virus infecting dairy cows in a single spot could allow it to better attach to human cell receptors, raising concerns it could transmit more easily between people

Trump’s NASA Pick, Jared Isaacman, Is a Climate Mystery

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 18:30:00 +0000

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, is a major supporter of human-crewed space exploration, but his views on the climate science that the agency does are unclear

These Two Botanists Put Their Lives on the Line on the Colorado River All for Their Science

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:00:00 +0000

This is a science adventure story. Take a wild journey down the Colorado River in the company of two pioneering botanists: Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter.

For Orcas, Dead Salmon Hats Are Back in Fashion

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 15:30:00 +0000

Orcas off the coast of Washington State are balancing dead fish on their heads like it’s the 1980s, but researchers still aren’t sure why they do it

New Pneumonia Vaccine Guidelines Could Save More People from Deadly Disease

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:45:00 +0000

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in older adults and young children—vaccinations are an effective way to reduce illness

Trump Taps Jared Isaacman, Billionaire and Private Astronaut, to Lead NASA

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:55:00 +0000

NASA’s presumptive next leader, billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, already has big plans for the space agency

Hawaiian Crows Return to the Wild, Where They Are ‘Guides to Souls’

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 18:30:00 +0000

The Hawaiian crow, or ‘alalā, has been extinct in the wild since 2002. A new effort to reintroduce birds of this species—considered important guides to the souls of the dead in Hawaiian tradition—is underway

Does Sleep Training Work?

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 13:30:00 +0000

Many parents choose sleep training to get their babies to sleep through the night. But the evidence supporting it is flawed

What is Long-Acting Reversible Birth Control?

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

When Roe v. Wade fell, interest in long-acting and permanent birth control rose. Here’s what to know as Trump returns to office

Why Gen Z Men Voted for Trump

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0000

Gen Z can’t stand inequality. Why so many of its men voted Republican is a lesson in understanding male identity

Can Antarctic Wildlife Survive Another Deadly Bird Flu Season?

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Last year avian influenza brought death to the picturesque island of South Georgia off Antarctica. This season scientists hope things will be different

Anthony Fauci Warns of Bird Flu Dangers—And How Public Division Could Make It Worse

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

“America’s Doctor” says that our common enemy is the danger posed by viruses, not each other.

Why ‘Brain Rot’ Is 2024’s Word of the Year

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000

The phrase “brain rot” spiked 230 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the makers of the Oxford English Dictionary

Plate Tectonics May Be the Surprising Solution to Earth's Deepest Mystery

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Plate tectonics, or the recycling of Earth’s crust, may have begun much earlier than previously thought—and may be a big reason that our planet harbors life

Health Care Isn’t Working for Homebound Older Adults Living Alone

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:00:00 +0000

There is a large population of older adults with physical problems that prevent them from leaving home. Many have significant medical and practical needs that go unmet

The Arctic Could Be Functionally Ice-Free in Just a Few Years

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:15:00 +0000

The Arctic is likely to become “ice-free” by midcentury—and could pass that grim milestone much sooner—unless much more is done to combat climate change

Nectar-Eating Wolves May Be Pollinating Flowers

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

There are fewer than 500 Ethiopian wolves, and they may be the first large carnivore known to act as a pollinator

Global Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks Fail

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 17:45:00 +0000

A summit many hoped would yield a landmark treaty to tackle a global plastic pollution crisis ended in disappointment after oil- and gas-producing countries pushed back on limiting production

Why These Millennia-Old Brains Are So Well Preserved

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Misfolded proteins may preserve postmortem brains well after other tissues have decayed

What Caused This Seven-Mile Scar in Australia’s Outback?

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:30:00 +0000

A man scouring Google Earth found a mysterious scar in the Australian outback. And now scientists know what caused it

When Is Too Much Teeth Whitening Harmful to Oral Health?

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Using teeth-whitening treatments to achieve a brighter smile may be appealing, but experts say overdoing it could cause lasting damage

Lightning on Earth Knocks ‘Killer Electrons’ Loose in Orbit

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 11:45:00 +0000

High-energy electrons released by storms on Earth can threaten satellites and spacecraft

Math and Physics Can’t Prove All Truths

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Physicists have described a system that requires an incomputable number to fully understand, another example of the provably unprovable puzzles of mathematics

Hope Can Be More Powerful Than Mindfulness

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

In difficult times, a forward-looking mindset may be especially helpful

‘Marine Snow’ Studies Show How the Ocean Eats Carbon

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The ocean’s digestive system is dictated by picky microbes and precise dynamics of drifting debris

What Are Crepuscular Rays?

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 11:45:00 +0000

“Twilight rays” are but one of several viewing treats for the liminal time between day and night

Fossil Footprints Suggest Two Early Human Species Crossed Paths within Hours

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Two sets of fossilized footprints from early human species were made within a few hours of each other about 1.5 million years ago, researchers suggest

Your Friends Shape Your Microbiome—And So Do Their Friends

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 21:00:00 +0000

Analysis of nearly 2,000 people living in remote villages in Honduras reveals who’s spreading gut microorganisms to whom

Choosing Empathy Is Critical to Democracy

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:30:00 +0000

If we lose sight of why empathy matters, both individual dignity and democracy suffer

Walking Pneumonia Is Surging in Young Kids. Here's What to Know

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:10:00 +0000

Milder cases of pneumonia, dubbed “walking pneumonia,” are on the rise in young children this year

What Makes the Eastern U.S. Drought Different from the West’s

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:15:00 +0000

Drought is more synonymous with the western U.S., but the eastern part of the country can descend into such conditions surprisingly quickly

Science for True Well-Being

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

The latest research is an antidote to toxic quackery and honest confusion about health

Expressions of Pain May Have a Common Origin

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

From “ouch” to “aïe” to “yakayi,” languages across the world exclaim pain using similar-sounding words, hinting at a common origin

Why We Probably Won’t Find Aliens Anytime Soon

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Odds are that we’re not truly alone in the cosmos. But practically speaking, we might as well be

A Science Breakthrough Too Good to Be True? It Probably Isn’t

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The more exciting, transformative and revolutionary a science result appears, especially if it comes out of nowhere, the more likely it is to be dead wrong. So approach science headlines with a healthy amount of skepticism and patience

Fluoride in Drinking Water Is Safe. Here’s the Evidence

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:30:00 +0000

RFK, Jr., and other potential and current government officials have spread shaky health claims about fluoridated water. Scientists explain the evidence behind its safety and benefits

A Psychologist’s Tips for Avoiding Overconsumption this Black Friday

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Holiday deals are designed to be irresistible. A consumer psychologist explains how to avoid overconsumption and shop sustainably.

Fast Fashion Affects Climate, Exploits Workers and Creates Enormous Textile Waste

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:00:00 +0000

Fast fashion may seem cheap, but it’s taking a costly toll on the planet—and on millions of young people