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    Scientific American

          Europe's wildfires are igniting forgotten WWII and Cold War bombs

          Europe is full of buried explosives left over from 20th century wars, and the continent’s wildfires are now big enough, hot enough and last long enough to reach them

          Sarah Njeri, Christina Greene, The Conversation US
          August 9, 2026 Natural Disasters

        How spaceflight changes astronauts' ability to eat and drink

        Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation US
        August 9, 2026 Space Exploration

        Monkeys keep pets and maintain friendships with other animals

        Cyril Grueter, The Conversation US
        August 8, 2026 Animals

        Why loneliness and not social isolation may be making you sick

        Zoe Reed, The Conversation US August 8, 2026 Psychology

        Latest Pentagon UFO files release includes video of mysterious ‘cold orbs’

        Adam Kovac August 7, 2026 Extraterrestrial Life
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          Popular

        OpenAI’s latest math breakthroughs commit research misconduct, experts say

        OpenAI released 10 AI-generated results over the weekend. Some mathematicians are unhappy with their approach

        Joseph Howlett August 6, 2026 Mathematics

            Science YouTuber Hank Green used AI to research his videos. His fans pushed back

            The backlash raises a bigger question for science communicators: where should AI fit into their work?

            Mary Randolph August 8, 2026 Artificial Intelligence

        Life on Earth may have emerged not once but twice

        The last common ancestor of all living things may not have been alive at all

        Stephanie Pappas August 7, 2026 Evolution

          Popular

        Mathematicians make a breakthrough on Gauss’s riddle, unsolved for 200 years

        A solution to part of the Cohen-Lenstra conjecture helps resolve a long-standing mystery about quadratic forms

        Lyndie Chiou August 5, 2026 Mathematics

            The eclipse chaser’s guide to the 2026 total solar eclipse

            All the tips and tricks you need to watch and photograph this incredible celestial phenomenon

            Lucie McCormick August 7, 2026 Astronomy

        How a sheet of paper can take you to the moon

        Folding a piece of paper makes it thicker. How many folds would it take to reach the moon—and beyond?

        Phil Plait August 7, 2026 Universe

          It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

            Our subscribers support more than 180 years of science journalism. You get the facts, and you help us ensure that science is shared with rigor and independence.
            Support Science Journalism

          Popular

        NASA’s Voyager 2 survives daring ‘big bang’ maneuver

        After 49 years in space, NASA’s Voyagers are running low on power—but an audacious move should extend the tenures of the two spacecraft

        Meghan Bartels August 7, 2026 Space Exploration

        Cover Art Jigsaw: March 1971

        Explore Scientific American’s most fascinating magazine covers

        K. R. Callaway August 2, 2026 Games

        AI just created a virus not found in nature, and scientists are worried

        This technique could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bugs, but some scientists say the technology could be misused

        Adam Kovac August 7, 2026 Viruses

          The Young American Scientists

            American science is at a crossroads, but these extraordinary people, with their passion for knowledge and their dedication to our competitive future, are building its next chapter.
            Read the Report

          Popular

        It’s 90 degrees in the Arctic right now

        The Arctic is heating faster than the rest of the planet. New data illustrate how dire that is

        Jackie Flynn Mogensen August 3, 2026 Climate Change

        Birdsong follows a fundamental law of human language

        A fundamental law of human language has now been found in both songbirds and whales

        Cody Cottier August 7, 2026 Animals

        Can quantum computers solve math’s hardest problem?

        A million-dollar math mystery may someday be resolved in a physics lab. A new study brings this vision one step closer.

        Joseph Howlett August 6, 2026

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          Popular

        How much of our existence do we owe to sugar?

        It may be time to rethink our relationship with the sweet stuff

        Jackie Flynn Mogensen August 6, 2026 Food

        New documentary Wild Inside examines the controversy behind Flaco the owl

        This sweet film uncovers bitter disagreements among urban ecology and conversation experts that go way beyond just one owl

        Emma Gometz August 7, 2026 Ecology

        In a first, U.S. approves powerful new mRNA vaccine for flu

        This flu shot, mFlusiva, was shown in a clinical trial to be up to 27 percent more effective than a standard flu jab

        Claire Cameron August 6, 2026 Public Health

        AI agents went rogue again—this time with a heap of deception

        A U.K. safety evaluation found agents powered by Anthropic and OpenAI took unauthorized actions online, exposing a growing problem of control

        Chris Stokel-Walker August 7, 2026 Artificial Intelligence

        DeepMind broke up the AlphaFold team. Here’s why scientists aren’t alarmed

        This artificial intelligence system largely accomplished the task it was built to solve, and researchers outside DeepMind have already been carrying its work forward

        Mary Randolph August 7, 2026 Biotech

        Is Gen Z actually smoking more? An investigation

        Smoking in movies and TV is up, and “cigfluencers” have become a thing, but lags in data make it unclear if the vibe shift has any reality to it

        Adam Kovac August 7, 2026 Smoking

        Discussions

        “Much as many of us may not like the notion that wealthy collectors can buy prized fossil specimens, as Dr. Kamat points out, there is at present no legal restriction for doing so. What should happen is that UNESCO or other world organizations should regulate such deals through international consent. That is unlikely to happen quickly nor universally given present…”
        — Klaus R

          * Should private buyers be allowed to own scientific specimens?
          * View all Discussions

        Why experts are worried cigarette smoking could be making a comeback among Gen Z

        Smoking rates remain low, but experts say social media, stress and shifting attitudes could be fueling a cigarette revival

        August 7, 2026 Smoking

        CDC warns of Salmonella outbreak tied to jalapeño peppers

        As cases of a parasite-caused disease tied to shredded iceberg lettuce continue to climb, the nation’s top public health body is warning of a new foodborne illness

        Adam Kovac August 6, 2026 Public Health

        Scientists discover a ‘skinny gene’ mutation that acts like Ozempic

        One in 7,000 people carry this gene mutation

        Jacek Krywko August 5, 2026 Genetics

          SciAm Games

          KenKen (4x4)

            Test your logic and arithmetic daily with 4x4 KenKen®

            Play now

        Sunlight could be the key to making quantum computers less energy-hungry

        A proof-of-principle experiment used concentrated sunlight to produce entangled photons

        Sanidhya Sharma August 6, 2026 Quantum Physics

        U.S. lawmakers vote to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress

        Fauci previously served as the chief medical officer to President Joe Biden and led the U.S. COVID pandemic response effort during the first Trump administration

        Jackie Flynn Mogensen August 6, 2026 Public Health

        Newly discovered carnivorous plant is as deceptive as it is deadly

        Charles Darwin predicted in 1875 that some members of the Saxifraga genus could be carnivorous—now scientists have finally proven him right

        Mary Randolph August 4, 2026 Plants

          July/August 2026 Issue

            Presenting our inaugural class of Young American Scientists: 28 researchers who are redefining the future of science. For early-career scientists, it's a tumultuous time of funding cuts and general uncertainty. Their dedication and optimism, however, provide plenty of reason for hope.

            Elsewhere in the issue: Labs That Run Themselves | How to Fix Science | Craig Venter's Final Interview

          View Full Contents
            View ArchiveSign up for the New Issue Alert

        Washington’s wildfires are a warning for the entire U.S.

        Dry conditions and climate change are putting forests across the country at risk for disaster

        Mary Randolph August 3, 2026 Climate Change

        Elon Musk reveals SpaceX plans to build satellite factories on the moon

        Musk outlined his vision to investors after SpaceX posted a $542-million loss from its space launch sector in its first quarter as a public company

        Adam Kovac August 5, 2026 Engineering

        An Ichthyosaur’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day 160 million years ago

        A rare fossil find shows a tooth embedded an ichthyosaur’s vertebra, where it was likely left when a giant pliosaurid chomped down on this dolphin-resembling reptile

        Sara Novak August 4, 2026 Paleontology

          Scientific American Travel

          Winter in Yellowstone

            with Andrea Thompson

            Learn More

        Could psilocybin be the key to treating anorexia?

        An active ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybin has shown early promise for treating eating disorders

        Alexandra Pattillo August 5, 2026 Psychedelics

        Trump CDC pick Erica Schwartz confirmed to lead nation’s top public health agency

        The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn’t had a full-time leader in almost a year

        Claire Cameron August 5, 2026 Public Health

        Urban landscapes can boost storms—or break them up

        New work shows how different storm types are shifted by cities’ microclimates

        Damien Pine August 6, 2026 Weather

        How living near mountain lions might actually make you safer

        Mountain lions (also known as cougars or pumas) make roads safer by scaring deer and elk that can cause collisions with cars into more remote areas

        Gennaro Tomma August 5, 2026 Ecology

        Spectacular images reveal never-before-seen whirlpools on the sun

        Strange whirlpools of plasma seen in the sharpest images ever captured of our star help explain the deep origins of Earth-threatening space weather and more

        Lee Billings August 5, 2026 Astrophysics

        A complete guide to the 2026 total solar eclipse

        Here’s everything you need to know about this eclipse, from the weather to the best viewing locations

        Claire Cameron August 6, 2026 Astronomy

        Neanderthal genes may give modern humans’ muscles a boost

        Most of the world’s population carries at least a little Neanderthal DNA

        Jackie Flynn Mogensen August 5, 2026 Evolutionary Biology

        Behold the newfound ice age toad

        This marks only the second extinct ice age amphibian found in North America—and it gives researchers vital information about the ancient climate

        Damien Pine August 5, 2026 Paleontology

        Daddy long leg sex is weirder than you might imagine

        Some female daddy longlegs will perform fellatio, perhaps to avoid potential violence from males, while males of another species entice females with a secretion on their penises

        Christa Lesté-Lasserre August 3, 2026 Animals

        Eating less protein could help you live longer

        While “protein maxxing” is all the rage, reducing your protein intake could add years to your life

        Adam Kovac July 31, 2026 Diet

        Wormholes could be the key to time travel

        Wormholes are one way that physicists have imagined traveling into the past. But if something gets there, is it physically possible to change anything?

        Manon Bischoff August 4, 2026 Math
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