Culture

PsychologySeptember 20, 2024

Moral Judgments May Shift with the Seasons

Certain values carry more weight in spring and autumn than in summer and winter

Anvita Patwardhan

Illustration of ear with sound waves on blue background

OpinionSeptember 18, 2024

How Your Brain Tells Speech and Music Apart

Simple cues help people to distinguish song from the spoken word

Andrew Chang

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Cover of the October 2024 issue of Scientific American against an orange background

CultureSeptember 17, 2024

Going Back to the Moon, Researching Chickadee Hybrids and Understanding Addiction

This month’s issue covers the reasons it’s so hard to go back to the moon, the science of empathy and new advances in treating sickle cell disease

Laura Helmuth

CultureSeptember 17, 2024

Contributors to Scientific American’s October 2024 Issue

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

Allison Parshall

Cover of the May 2024 issue of Scientific American against a gray background

CultureSeptember 17, 2024

Readers Respond to the May 2024 Issue

Letters to the editors for the May 2024 issue of Scientific American

Aaron Shattuck

OpinionSeptember 13, 2024

Elon Musk Owes His Success to Coming in Second (and Government Handouts)

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, owes his superstar success to self-satisfied competitors who blew obvious opportunities

Daniel Vergano

Stock photo, rear view of three multiethnic friends seated in an embrace on a colorful bench while looking out at the sea and mountains in the distance on a sunny day

OpinionAugust 30, 2024

Buy Experiences instead of Possessions to Build Social Connection

Shared experiences, more than material things, bring people together

Amit Kumar

Image of Beth Zaiken in front of a pre-historic landscape

CultureAugust 20, 2024

Contributors to Scientific American’s September 2024 Issue

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

Allison Parshall

Cover of the September 2024 issue of Scientific American.

CultureAugust 20, 2024

New Insights on Dinosaurs, Pain and Carbon Capture

How we’ll learn more about dark matter, quantum gravity and substitutes for lab animals

Laura Helmuth

CultureAugust 20, 2024

Readers Respond to the April 2024 Issue

Letters to the editors for the April 2024 issue of Scientific American

Aaron Shattuck

Silhouette of couple in black. The man's figure vanishes in smoke.

OpinionJuly 29, 2024

Parasocial Relationships Can Tell Us a Lot about the Social Brain

People can form surprisingly strong bonds with others—even when that tie is one-sided

Daisy Yuhas

Giant Olympic rings are seen fixed on the Eiffel tower, photographed from the grown below, framed by a tree's leaves closer to the camera

OpinionJuly 24, 2024

The Paris Olympics Are a Lesson in Greenwashing

The Olympics are a sustainability nightmare, and Paris, despite its efforts, is no exception

Jules Boykoff

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