Scientific American

2024 Will Be the First Year to Exceed the 1.5-Degree-Celsius Warming Threshold

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 03:00:00 +0000

This year won’t just be the hottest on record—it could be the first to surpass the 1.5-degree-Celsius threshold laid out in the Paris climate accord

Election Grief Is Real. Here’s How to Cope

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:15:00 +0000

Understanding the psychology of ambiguous loss can help people struggling with grief and depression in the wake of the 2024 election results

Trump Victory Is a ‘Gut Punch’ to U.S. Climate Action

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:30:00 +0000

President-elect Trump vowed to promote fossil fuels, weaken pollution regulations and reverse Biden administration climate efforts

Misinformation Really Does Spread like a Virus, Epidemiology Shows

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:00:00 +0000

“Going viral” appears to be more than just a catchphrase when it comes to the rampant spread of misinformation

Astrology Was an Important Science for Medieval People

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

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.

Climate Is on State Ballots This Election

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Several downballot races in the 2024 presidential election will carry implications for climate policy far beyond state lines

These Bird Nests Show Signs of an Architectural ‘Culture’

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:45:00 +0000

Culture may play a role in how birds build collectively in the Kalahari Desert

The Myth that Musicians Die at 27 Shows How Superstitions Are Made

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 20:00:00 +0000

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

Clean Energy Is Bringing Electricity to Many in the Navajo Nation

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:15:00 +0000

Thousands of homes in Navajo and other tribal lands don’t have access to electricity. A $200-million federal funding effort aims to fix that problem with solar power and other clean energy

The Law Must Respond When Science Changes

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 13:30:00 +0000

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

How the 2024 Election Could Change Access to Education in the U.S. and Influence Global Climate Change Decisions

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election could set the climate agenda, reshape public education and shift the dynamics of global science collaboration.

Epic Gravity Lens Lines Up Seven-Galaxy View

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:45:00 +0000

A galaxy cluster bends light from seven background galaxies around it, letting astronomers peer into space and time

Voting Has Never Been More Secure Than It Is Right Now

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 10:45:00 +0000

Efficient machines, paper ballots and human checks make the U.S. voting system robust

The Virus That Causes Mpox Keeps Getting Better at Spreading in People

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

Analysis of a strain of the virus circulating in Central Africa shows genetic mutations indicative of sustained human-to-human spread

How to Calm Your Election Anxiety—Even after Polls Close

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:30:00 +0000

People are really stressed about the U.S. presidential election. A psychiatrist offers several self-help methods to reduce feelings of despair

New Prime Number, 41 Million Digits Long, Breaks Math Records

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 15:30:00 +0000

The discovery of a new prime number highlights the rising price of mathematical gold

How Superman Helped Launch the Hubble Space Telescope

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Long before it orbited Earth, the Hubble Space Telescope starred in a famous Superman comic

How the Brain Summons Deep Sleep to Speed Healing

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

A heart attack unleashes immune cells that stimulate neurons in the brain, leading to restorative slumber

The International Space Station Has Been Leaking for Five Years

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Pesky leaks on the International Space Station aren’t the most serious issue facing U.S. human spaceflight

There Are Three Types of Twilight

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:45:00 +0000

At dusk and dawn, the sky dances with three phases of in-between light

How the 2024 Election Could Change Access to Health Care in the U.S. and Influence Global Nuclear Policies

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:30:00 +0000

The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election could reshape policies from health care at home to nuclear proliferation abroad

Catastrophic Floods in Spain Kill at Least 95 People

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

Torrential rain, made worse by climate change, has lashed Spain, with Valencia bearing the brunt of the floodwaters

H5N1 Detected in Pig Highlights the Risk of Bird Flu Mixing with Seasonal Flu

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:15:00 +0000

Humans and pigs could both serve as mixing vessels for a bird flu–seasonal flu hybrid, posing a risk of wider spread

Dora Richardson Took Her Research Underground to Develop Lifesaving Tamoxifen

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:00:00 +0000

When chemist Dora Richardson’s employer decided to terminate the breast cancer research on the drug Tamoxifen in the early 1970s, she and her colleagues continued the work in secret.

The Climate and the Health of our Children Is on the Ballot on November 5

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:30:00 +0000

The 2024 presidential election will have enormous consequences for the climate, and the health and future of children

What Made This Bizarre ‘Dandelion’ Supernova?

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000

A strange supernova remnant first appeared as a “guest star” seen in 1181 by sky watchers in China and Japan

Why Election Polling Has Become Less Reliable

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:30:00 +0000

Election polls are increasingly vulnerable to huge mistakes

How to Make Your Own Zoetrope

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Put your own spin on a zoetrope with homemade drawings—or carve one into a pumpkin

Does the Coriolis Effect Cause Your Cowlick?

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

No, but the direction of our hair whorls could teach us about human development

The Universe in 100 Colors Provides a Stunning Tour through Science

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:45:00 +0000

A science photo book probes the colors we can see—and even “forbidden” colors we can’t

Is Election Anxiety Keeping You Awake? Sleep Experts Share Advice

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:30:00 +0000

Scientific American staff and sleep experts share advice on how to get better sleep in the stressful days leading up to the U.S. presidential election—and those that come after

In 2024’s Record-Hottest Year, U.S. Voters Will Decide Climate’s Path Forward

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:30:00 +0000

Global temperatures through September point to 2024 besting 2023 as the hottest year on record. How many future years set records depends in part on the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election

One in Three Tree Species Is at Risk of Extinction

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:00:00 +0000

A review of 47,282 tree species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found that more than one third are at risk of extinction

Do Spiders Dream Like Humans Do?

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

During the pandemic, researcher Daniela Rößler couldn't go out, so she started looking around her for her next research project. Then she found a really big one, and it had been right in front of her all along.

A Bird Flu Vaccine Might Come Too Late to Save Us from H5N1

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:30:00 +0000

If the influenza virus infecting cattle workers starts a pandemic, help in the form of a vaccine is months away

Why Are Close Elections So Common?

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:30:00 +0000

When voters decide between two alternatives, as is effectively the case in the U.S. presidential election, it usually comes down to a neck-and-neck race. Researchers can now explain this mathematically

More Men Are Getting Vasectomies Since Roe Was Overturned

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Recent studies show that the Supreme Court ruling that overturned the national right to abortion led to a sharp increase in people—particularly younger, single individuals—seeking a vasectomy or a tubal sterilization procedure

Fastest Known Planetary System May Have Been Pushed by Our Galaxy’s Supermassive Black Hole

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:45:00 +0000

This blazingly-fast star is shooting through the Milky Way with a planet in tow

Exploring the Science of Spookiness at the Recreational Fear Lab

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

Host Rachel Feltman and behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner explore our fascination with fear and what drives our obsession with all things spooky.

Underwater Temple from ‘Indiana Jones Civilization’ Discovered

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:30:00 +0000

An ancient temple made by Arabian immigrants from the Nabataean culture has finally been found off the Italian coast

Math and Puzzle Fans Find Magic in Martin Gardner’s Legacy

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Scientific American columnist Martin Gardner started a long mathematical conversation that continues today

People Overestimate Political Opponents’ Immorality

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000

To heal political division, start with common moral ground, a study suggests

This Sponge Pulls Gold from Electronic Waste

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0000

A self-building sponge that efficiently collects gold could eliminate some harsh methods used to process e-waste

We Must Restore Trust in Science in ‘Antiscientific America’

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Anti-intellectualism is a prevalent and pernicious force in American public life. Stimulating interest in science may combat its influence

How Harris’s Medicare Plan Could Make At-Home Care for Older Adults Easier

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 10:45:00 +0000

Harris recently proposed a Medicare plan that would cover at-home health aides and other long-term care services, which could provide much needed relief to older adults and caregivers

Wildfires Are Moving Faster and Causing More Damage

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:30:00 +0000

A small number of fast-moving wildfires cause almost all the property damage by forcing firefighters to focus on saving lives

Why We All Need a U.N. Study of the Effects of Nuclear War

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000

A new United Nations expert study of the effects of nuclear war would spur informed and inclusive global debate on what nuclear war means for people and the planet today

New ‘Unconscious’ Therapies Could Help Treat Phobias

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:45:00 +0000

These therapies dampen fears absent direct exposure—no need to be in the room with a live tarantula

Plans to Destroy the International Space Station Preview a Bigger Orbital Junk Problem

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

A special spacecraft will guide the space station through Earth’s atmosphere, but what about other large pieces of space debris?

An Enormous Meteorite, Bird Flu in Washington State and a Troubling Scurvy Case Study

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000

We cover a 3.26-billion-year-old meteorite impact, the spread of bird flu and a scurvy case study that serves as a cautionary tale in this week’s news roundup.