The space agency’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which studied cataclysmic cosmic explosions, is expected to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year

Meet the researchers who may one day change the world

The fossilized remains of more than 450 whales have amassed along a 750-mile-long stretch of the Indian Ocean floor

The hantavirus cruise outbreak may not have started in a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina, after all

Does it ever feel like an elevator is always going in the wrong direction? Mathematics can explain why

Rather than slowly condensing over millions of years, the first building blocks of Earth and other planets may have formed rapidly in a chaotic disk at the dawn of the solar system

Fresh takes on Apollo’s famous “Earthrise” and “Blue Marble” images showed off our planet’s beauty just weeks before Earth Day

NEW YORK (April 13, 2026) – The reporters, editors, producers, and other professionals involved in producing a successful print and digital product at Scientific American unionized with the Writers Gu...

Scientists have learned how male octopuses' specialized sperm-depositing arm knows where to go

An annual world happiness ranking for 2026 explores how the use of social media influences well-being

It wasn’t Saint Patrick but a long history of chilly weather and geographic isolation that kept the Emerald Isle snake-free

When people understand the system and process behind AI art, its moral implications become harder to accept

When it comes to health advice, more people trust the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association than they do federal health agencies, according to a new poll

Many of the team behind NASA’s Artemis II mission were children 40 years ago, when the space shuttle Challenger disaster reshaped spaceflight

A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life

Lawmakers aim to support science research despite cuts proposed by the Trump administration

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reducing the recommended number of vaccines for children to those that protect against 11 diseases instead of the protections against 17 illnesse...

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a bizarre-looking exoplanet that defies explanation

New guidance from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel would do away with a decades-old universal birth dose recommendation for hepatitis B that helped cut infections by 99 percent in the U.S.

Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices seemed confused about a proposed recommendation for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine

We did not see that coming.

Using direct imaging, astronomers have found a brown dwarf that could help test technology for taking snapshots of Earthlike exoplanets

Skipping meals before a big holiday feast probably isn’t the best idea for gut health, experts say. Here’s how to prevent overeating on an empty stomach—and tips for if you do

Scientific American asked experts which type of Thanksgiving pie spikes blood sugar the most—and how to eat healthier while still enjoying the holidays

New work pinpoints origins for the planet Theia, whose ancient collision with Earth likely produced the moon

What would the world look like if we changed the value of pi? Whether in the real world or a game environment, the answer is complex

YouTube video by Wendy Carlos - Topic

Horror movie composers use musical tricks to hijack your nervous system and put you on edge

Researchers simulated the effects that different web decorations had on vibrations, adding fresh insight to a decades-old debate about the function of these structures

A nearly perfect alignment of factors has enabled Hurricane Melissa to become one of the most intense Atlantic storms ever recorded

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa’s exceptional strength and slow pace could make it more destructive than Hurricane Gilbert, which hit Jamaica in 1988

It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows

Researchers have finally traced the origin of the spotted ratfish’s bizarre forehead teeth, which are used for mating

The state’s elimination of vaccine mandates is a courageous first step toward decluttering itself of any excess kids.

Hurricane forecasts have made huge leaps since Katrina hit 20 years ago, but that progress is threatened by Trump administration cuts to research

Hurricane forecasts feature a “cone of uncertainty,” but what is it actually showing? Scientific American breaks it down for you

Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have spotted a moon nestled near Uranus’s rings that’s so small you could walk around it

"Bird Flu, Salmonella and Other Health Risks from Raw Eggs Explained", "How to Protect Pets and Backyard Chickens from Bird Flu", "How Influenza Reassortment May Make Bird Flu More Dangerous" and more

Tests in London and Singapore could reveal whether AI can improve the safety of air travel