The SAT Problem That Everybody Got Wrong

The coin rotation paradox flummoxed SAT test writers even though we encounter this math problem every day | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Missing Titanic Sub: What Could Have Gone Wrong?

A submersible called Titan has gone missing on a dive to the remains of of the Titanic | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Switching to Electric Cars Could Prevent 89,000 Deaths in the U.S.

The American Lung Association says a proposed EPA rule to curtail tailpipe pollution, which would bolster electric car adoption, could help the country avoid premature deaths and millions of asthma attacks | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Today's Deep-Sea Explorers Are Mineral Miners and Ultrawealthy Hobbyists

A new history of the deep ocean, seeking truth through math, a space opera about self-identity, and more books out now | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Inside the Minds of People, Parrots and Bees

Tornados are moving east, OSIRIS-REx’s asteroid sample is coming to Earth soon, and there’s fresh treasure under the seafloor | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Parrots Are Taking Over the World

Smart, adaptable and loud, parrots are thriving in cities far outside their native ranges | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Adjusting Your Body Clock May Stave Off Cancer

Research shows that disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm raises cancer risk, and resetting it may bring that risk down | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Some Lizards Can Smell Their Rivals' Size

Wall lizards can “size up” invading competitors by smell alone | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

JWST's Glimpses of Early Galaxies Could Shed Light on Dark Matter

Bold new simulations suggest the James Webb Space Telescope might be able to distinguish between competing dark matter models by studying primordial dwarf galaxies | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Poems: 'The Southern Lights at –50° Fahrenheit' and 'Lake Vostok'

Science in meter and verse | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Kids Need More Places to Play, Not Fat Shaming

We should pay less attention to children’s weight and more to their overall health by encouraging outdoor play | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Could Endometriosis Be Caused by Bacteria? Study Offers Fresh Clues

A link between endometriosis and bacterial infection suggests a potential way to treat the painful disorder | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

We Live in the Rarest Type of Planetary System

New work suggests four distinct star system types—and finds our own in the rarest category | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Quantum Light Experiment Proves Photosynthesis Starts with a Single Photon

Scientists have used quantum technology to track individual particles of light as they begin the process of photosynthesis | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

When a Wildfire Burns a City Built for Extracting Oil

A wildfire rages against the Alberta tar sands, aliens induce existential crises for people (and cats), the hype and potential of MDMA, and more books out now | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Physicists Make Matter out of Light to Find Quantum Singularities

Experiments that imitate solid materials with light waves reveal the quantum basis of exotic physical effects | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Science News Briefs from around the World: July/August 2023

Unlikely pollinators in Brazil, climate-resilient coffee in Uganda, credible cryptozoology down under, and more in this month’s Quick Hits | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

How Greyhound Racing Drove the Evolution of a Superparasite

The greyhound racing industry has been implicated in the rise of drug resistance in hookworms—which can infect dogs and humans | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Why Dads and Their Babies Need to Go Skin-to-Skin

Fathers and nonbirthing parents benefit from skin-to-skin contact with their newborns | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Pebbles from an Asteroid Are about to Be Delivered to Earth, and It's Totally Awesome

The OSIRIS-REx mission will return samples from the asteroid Bennu that could rewrite our solar system’s history | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Found: Giant Freshwater Deposits Hiding under the Sea

Researchers are discovering freshwater reservoirs below the coastal seafloor that might someday save dry regions from drought | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Brain Waves Synchronize when People Interact

The minds of social species are strikingly resonant | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Scientists Create Human Embryo-like Structures with Stem Cells

To better understand early pregnancy loss without using actual human embryos, scientists employed stem cells to create models that mimic this stage of development | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Scientists Solve Star Spin Mystery

Magnetic fields help to explain why some stars are spinning more slowly than astronomers thought they should | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Young People in Historic Climate Trial Rest Their Case

Young people suing Montana to take action on climate change are ready to wrap up their arguments in a first-of-its-kind trial. The state takes the stand next week | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Do Insects Feel Joy and Pain?

Insects have surprisingly rich inner lives—a revelation that has wide-ranging ethical implications | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Wildfires Will Only Get Worse. We Need Satellite Tracking of Air Pollution

Satellite monitoring of air quality could help reduce premature death from smoke exposure | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Extreme Heat Is Deadlier Than Hurricanes, Floods and Tornadoes Combined

When dangerous heat waves hit cities, better risk communication could save lives | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Which Creature Was the First to Take a Nap?

Animals have been catching z’s for at least half a billion years. Here’s the first evidence of an animal sleeping | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Why Does Smoke Turn the Sky Orange?

The wildfire smoke that smothered the U.S. Northeast last week has surprising connections to astrophysics—and to the historic search for our place in the cosmos | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Have Astronomers Seen the Universe's First Stars?

The James Webb Space Telescope is giving us our first glimpse of stars in the early universe | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

There's No Evidence for Claims That Environmentally Friendly Investments Are Bad for the Poor

There is no evidence for Republican claims that considering the environmental impacts of investment is bad for the poor—part of the party’s growing opposition to environmental, social and governance investments | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Secret Messages Can Hide in AI-Generated Media

In steganography, an ordinary message masks the presence of a secret communication. Humans can never do it perfectly, but a new study shows it’s possible for machines | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

When Disaster Strikes, Is Climate Change to Blame?

Scientists are specifying how much damage climate change is adding to extreme weather events, potentially influencing court cases, insurance claims and public policy | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Here's What the Supreme Court's Clean Water Act Ruling Means to You

Formerly “adjacent” wetlands in more than half of all states may be dredged or filled now that their federal protections have been stripped | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Useful Feedback, More Than Praise, Helps Students Flourish

Teacher feedback that gives students options can make them feel empowered | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

New Tool Reveals How AI Makes Decisions

Large language models such as ChatGPT tend to make things up. A new approach now allows the systems to explain their responses—at least partially | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

This Tiny Fish Can Recognize Itself in Photos

A fish species recognizes its own face digitally edited onto another fish’s body. What does this mean for self-awareness? | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Draconian Laws Deter Pregnant Women from Treating Drug Abuse

In some states, punitive drug laws require physicians to report a pregnant person with a substance use disorder, leading to the removal of their child after birth | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Climate Change Has Made California's Wildfires Five Times Bigger

New research finds that the area burned by wildfires during summer in California has increased fivefold since 1971 because of more arid conditions caused by climate change | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

A New Therapy for Multiple Personality Disorder Helps a Woman with 12 Selves

Therapy for dissociative identity disorder has aimed to meld many personalities into one. But that’s not the only solution, a caring therapist shows | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

AI Chatbots Could Help Provide Therapy, but Caution Is Needed

Therapy apps are incorporating AI programs such as ChatGPT. But such programs could provide unvetted or harmful feedback if they’re not well regulated | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

This Ancient Language Has the Only Grammar Based Entirely on the Human Body

An endangered language family suggests that early humans used their bodies as a model for reality | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

AI Promises Humanity One Last Job. Helping AI Help Humanity

With AI threatening to overtake the world of work, at least one pretty good job will always be in demand | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

How to Protect Yourself from Ticks and the Dangerous Diseases They Spread

Experts explain why tick-borne illnesses are increasing in the U.S. and offer tips to prevent bites | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Can You Change Your Metabolism?

Though you might not be able to significantly rev up your metabolism, there are ways to boost the energy your body burns while doing nothing | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Cleo, the Mysterious Math Menace

In 2013 a new user took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today they’re an urban legend. But who were they? | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago

Cleo, the Mysterious Math Menace

In 2013 a new user took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today they’re an urban legend. But who were they? | Continue reading


@scientificamerican.com | 11 months ago