Announcing the #SciAmInTheWild Photography Contest Short List
To celebrate Scientific American’s 180th anniversary, we invited readers to place our magazine covers in the wild. See our staff’s favorite submissions
We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future.
Scientific American celebrated its 180th birthday on August 28, 2025, by highlighting the many ways science has evolved over nearly two centuries.
Since Scientific American’s inception 180 years ago, its covers have taken readers on epic journeys—from deep oceans to distant galaxies. Decade by decade, the magazine’s covers have showcased incredible artistic renderings of breakthrough science and debuted 27 different . To honor the long-standing legacy of the brand and our vast archive of covers, we invited readers to take part in a visual storytelling challenge called #SciAmInTheWild.
The task for our readers was to take an original, high-quality photograph of the cover of any physical issue of Scientific American magazine in an interesting, beautiful or unexpected setting where science met scenery that reflected or complemented the theme of the cover. Settings could include but were not limited to natural landscapes, cityscapes, laboratories or museums. Those who took part in the contest e-mailed us or posted their photographs on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn or TikTok. The concept of this challenge was born while we were poking around our archive. As the longest continuously published magazine in the U.S., our history quite literally predates everybody on our staff and even the discovery of Neptune.
If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The submissions exceeded our wildest expectations! Have a look at some staff favorites below. Although the contest has officially ended, our curiosity and the spirit of exploration don’t end here. We continue to challenge you to get out in the world and bring #SciAmInTheWild!
Saransh S.
Istanbul, Türkiye
September 2025
“Amid the colorful chaos of the Egyptian Bazaar, where centuries of trade, spices, and stories converge. Surrounded by mountains of peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and cashews, I placed my copy of Scientific American [which has a cover that reads] ‘The End of Food Allergies?’ It felt symbolic—here in a place where food is history, culture, and livelihood, science is offering hope that everyone may one day share fully in these flavors without fear.”
Walter F.
Pullman, Wash.
May 1977
“The May 1977 issue of Scientific American had a cover story on herbaria and featured an engraving of hepatica. This issue is posed next to a hepatica specimen at the Marion Ownbey Herbarium at Washington State University.”
Ilgın A.
Istanbul, Türkiye
December 2024 Special Edition
“While visiting my home country, Türkiye, I brought this issue from last year for SciAm’s 180th anniv contest. I thought it was a perfect match for the cover, with people who usually run here and the Bosphorus Bridge in the background, which connects Asia and Europe.”
Ben G.
Bridgton, Me.
June 2025 Special Edition
“It’s hard to book a trip to the quantum realm, but I’ve enjoyed reading about it during my vacation in Bridgton, Maine! Coincidentally, Bridgton is home to @rufusportermuseum [the Rufus Porter Museum Of Art And Ingenuity], whose exhibits highlight the artistic & technical achievements of @scientific_american [and] @sciam.bsky.social’s founding editor!”
Ralph L.
Portland, Ore.
September 1977
Jennifer M.
Englewood, Colo.
December 2024
“I had to use our library’s hard copy of your magazine, since I always read them online and through Libby. I don’t think it ruins the shot. Thanks!!”
David D.
Escondido, Calif.
February 1970
“Here is a photo of the February 1970 SciAm displaying a portion of an integrated circuit with over 800 transistors. I placed a Raspberry Pi computer on top for comparison. This version has billions of internal transistors. This just shows how far forward SciAm is always thinking!”
Adrian J.
Boulder, Colo.
April 2025
Kayla R.
Svínafellsjökull Glacier, Iceland
July/August 2025
“Just me and a few billion tons of ancient ice.”
Marc E.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
September 2024
“A fun idea!”
Gregg G.
Newtown, Conn.
February 1908
“I guess it never got built.”
Denise C.
Claremont, Calif.
May 2025
“The Robert Day Sciences Center, Claremont McKenna College.”
Christine & Jolyn P.
Canton, Ohio
July/August 2024
Karen A.
Manorville, N.Y.
May 1981
Lisa H.
September 2023
Elverta, Calif.
Sunya Bhutta is an audience-development strategist and chief audience engagement editor at Scientific American. Previously she was associate editor at . Her work has also been published in Time Out New York, Chronogram and Hudson Valley magazine. She has a B.A. in English and journalism from SUNY New Paltz and studied magazine and website publishing at New York University.
Isabella Bruni is a digital producer at Scientific American. She has a B.S. in journalism from St. John’s University and studied publishing and digital media at the Columbia Journalism School.
Brianne Kane is the editorial workflow and rights manager at Scientific American.
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you , you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, , must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
Thank you,
David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American
Source: www.scientificamerican.com