Social Sciences

Science in meter and verse

Oak trees have genetic flexibility that allows them to solve ecological problems. But even they will need our help to survive climate change

Archaeological and genetic discoveries topple long-standing ideas about the domestication of equines

Alcohol in space; basking in the limelight

U.N. statistics show progress toward the goal of gender equality but a long way left to go

Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories

Discovering weird new shapes, turning oil rigs into reefs and making the ocean absorb more greenhouse gases

Letters to the editors for the July/August 2024 issue of Scientific American

Examining body camera videos at scale reveals racial differences in how police treat drivers during traffic stops—and what corrective programs really work

In medieval times, astrology was considered a serious science, a branch of astronomy. Curator Larisa Grollemond of the Getty Museum, walks us through the medieval zodiac and how someone’s sign decided their day-to-day life.

Famous people who die at age 27, such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse, get even more famous because of the mythology surrounding that number—an example of how modern folklore emerges

What was once fair under the law may become unfair when science changes. The law must react to uphold due process