Category: Film & Series
CDC Panel to Review Childhood Vaccines: What’s at Stake
CDC Panel to Review Childhood Vaccines: What’s at Stake What to know about the three shots under scrutiny by RFK Jr’s advisers and the data behind them By Mariana Lenharo & Nature magazine A child picks out a bandaid as he prepares to get his COVID vaccination in San Jose, Calif., in 2022. COVID shots are among several vaccines…
‘The Book of Stolen Dreams:’ A Book Review
I’m sure my mind is playing tricks on me. I definitely remember reviewing The Secret of the Blood Key by David Farr, but as I look back through my GeekDad posts, it doesn’t seem to be there. What’s weird about this, is that Secret of the Blood Key is the second book of a series,…
What Is Alpha-Gal Syndrome? Symptoms, Causes and Way to Get Tested
Alpha-Gal Syndrome Explained: The Tick-Borne Allergy Affecting Diets Worldwide A single tick bite can trigger a bizarre meat allergy—here’s how alpha-gal syndrome is reshaping people’s diets. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Imagine suddenly becoming allergic to a hamburger—or a steak or bacon…
Autism Has No Single Cause, Research Shows
Autism Has No Single Cause. Here’s How We Know Scientists will not find a simple answer to how autism arises, despite Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s promise to announce its causes sometime this month. Here’s what makes the condition so staggeringly complex By Allison Parshall edited by Dean Visser Soon after psychiatrist Leo Kanner first identified…
Early Experiments Show Fast-Acting Antidote Targets Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Early Experiments Show Fast-Acting Antidote Targets Carbon Monoxide Poisoning A study in mice and on human blood uses a new protein to snag carbon monoxide before it latches onto blood cells By Sara Novak edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier A new antidote is designed to rapidly address carbon monoxide poisoning. Join Our Community of Science…
Daniel Yon Explains Why Your Brain Is a Brilliant Illusionist
How Your Brain Constructs—And Sometimes Distorts—Your Experience of the World In his new book, Daniel Yon explains how our brain is constantly constructing reality By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. You probably think you’re listening to my voice right now. But what if…
North Korea executes citizens who distribute foreign TV shows, UN finds
Human rights report highlights crackdown on personal freedoms in most restrictive country in the world North Korea has executed people for distributing foreign television shows, including popular South Korean dramas, as part of an intensifying crackdown on personal freedoms, according to a UN human rights report. The curbs make North Korea the most restrictive country…
How the Italian anthem ‘Bella Ciao’ is connected to Charlie Kirk’s killing
Chloe Veltman One of the unfired bullet casings authorities are saying was found with the gun used in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is apparently inscribed with lyrics from a famous, old Italian anti-fascist anthem. The words “O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao” form the chorus of “Bella Ciao” —…
How Martin Sheen Reacted to Watching Charlie Sheen Documentary
Aka Charlie Sheen documentary director Andrew Renzi shared how Martin Sheen reacted to watching his son Charlie Sheen in the Netflix documentary, which premiered on the platform Sept. 10. Martin Sheen wants his son to have the spotlight. Two days after Charlie Sheen released his Netflix documentary, aka Charlie Sheen, the director of the two-part…
Measles Death Shows How Virus Can Hide in the Brain for Years
Child’s Death Shows How Measles in the Brain Can Kill Years after an Infection A child in Los Angeles County has died from a rare but always fatal brain disorder that develops years after a measles infection. Experts underscore the need for vaccination to protect the most vulnerable By Andrea Thompson edited by Clara Moskowitz…
Frances Glessner Lee, the Mother of Modern Forensic Science, Made Crime Scene Dioramas
Meet the Mother of Modern Forensic Science Who Made Crime Scene Dioramas How a determined socialite, inspired by true crime, helped professionalize the field of murder investigations By Katie Hafner, Marcy Thompson & The Lost Women of Science Initiative Frances Glessner Lee at work on a dollhouse crime scene reconstruction. Frances Glessner Lee discovered her…
Charlie Kirk’s assassination sparks grief and rage online
By Geoff Brumfiel , Huo Jingnan , Jude Joffe-Block , Audrey Nguyen As news of the death of Charlie Kirk broke yesterday, conservative journalist Megyn Kelly was interviewing Glenn Beck, a prominent political commentator on the right. “There are news outlets reporting the worst now Glenn,” Kelly said, choking back tears. “They’re reporting that Charlie…
Best-Yet Measurement of Merging Black Holes Confirms Einstein, Hawking and the ‘No Hair’ Theorem
New Black Hole Measurements Show More Ways Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein Were Right Spacetime ripples from a black hole collision across the cosmos have confirmed weird aspects of black hole physics By Clara Moskowitz edited by Lee Billings An illustration imagines GW250114, a powerful collision between two black holes observed in gravitational waves by…
Is There Life on Mars? This Rock May Hold the Answer
This Rock May Hold Proof of Life on Mars The Perseverance rover’s new findings set the stage for bringing Martian samples back to Earth to test whether microbes once inhabited the Red Planet By Humberto Basilio edited by Lee Billings NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie, made up of 62 individual images, on July…
Atlantic Hurricane Season Has Gone Quiet. Here’s Why
At the Peak of Hurricane Season, the Atlantic Is Quiet. Here’s Why Hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin is historically at its peak on September 10—but not this year By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson In May, as Atlantic that above-average tropical activity, combined with cuts to the federal government’s weather agency, could result…
BLS revision shows hiring was overstated by 911,000 jobs in past year
By Scott Horsley , Maria Aspan , Danielle Kurtzleben U.S. employers are adding far fewer jobs than initially tallied, in the latest sign that the labor market may be weaker than expected, according to a preliminary report from the Labor Department on Tuesday. The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows hiring for the…
The 2025 Student Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions
Steve Drummond Here are the honorable mentions from the 2025 Student Podcast Challenge. You can listen to our middle school and high school finalists here. Thanks again to students, teachers and educators for being a part of our annual contest! Please share your experience, send us photos and give us feedback at [email protected]. And if…
NASA’s InSight Lander Reveals Mars’s Lumpy Mantle in New Seismic Study
Marsquakes, Vaccine Politics and Mammoth Microbiomes A common nasal spray shows promise in reducing COVID risk, but vaccine access remains tangled in policy in the U.S. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Let’s kick off the week with a quick…
How Small, Easy Acts of Joy Improve Happiness and Well-Being
Small, Easy Acts of Joy Mean Big Gains in Happiness A community science project finds that modest reminders to find joy in the day can have benefits that are on par with those of more ambitious well-being interventions By Darwin A. Guevarra, Xuhai “Orson” Xu & Emiliana Simon-Thomas edited by Daisy Yuhas There is no…
Survey Results Show People Prefer More Human Involvement in AI-driven Art
Opinion People Want AI To Help Artists, Not Be The Artist We surveyed people in the U.S. about artificial-intelligence-generated art. Their answers told us a lot about how we value human creativity By Deni Ellis Béchard & Gabriel Kreiman Think of your favorite piece of art—a painting, a song, a novel, a movie or even…
Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ wins top prize at Venice Film Festival
By The Associated Press VENICE, Italy — “Father Mother Sister Brother,” Jim Jarmusch’s quietly humorous relationship triptych, won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival Saturday. The film about the relationships between adult siblings, and with their parents, stars Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps and Cate Blanchett. It was an upset win over some of…
Weather tracker: British Columbia breaks Canada’s September heat record
Temperatures climb above 40C, while a powerful hailstorm in the US lashes Kansas and Oklahoma A spate of extremely hot weather in British Columbia has broken Canada’s national maximum temperature record for September. On Tuesday, it reached 40C (104F) in Lytton, matching the previous all-time high. That was only the third time that temperature has…
Baby Pterosaur Fossils Show They Died in a Violent Storm
Storm-Tossed Baby Pterosaurs Died with Broken Wings, Fossil Evidence Suggests About 150 million years ago storm winds snapped bones in the wings of baby pterosaurs, sending them tumbling to their deaths in a muddy lagoon in what is now Germany By Mindy Weisberger edited by Andrea Thompson An artist’s impression of a tiny Pterodactylus hatchling…
The NFL is back. Here are 3 big questions as the season kicks off
Becky Sullivan The NFL season is here, and what a start: The league has made its season kickoff a weekend-long event, with a season opener hosted by the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles against the Dallas Cowboys Thursday night followed by three more primetime matchups on Friday, Sunday and Monday, each pitting together two Super Bowl…
Bacteria in Spacecraft Clean Rooms Can Go Dormant, Evading Death
This Sneaky Spacecraft Bacteria Can Play Dead to Survive A type of bacteria found in clean rooms has an unexpected method of survival, with implications for planetary protection By Stephanie Pappas edited by Clara Moskowitz NASA’s Curiosity rover is prepared for launch in the clean room at the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA’s Jet Propulsion…
A Giant Map Shows How DNA Changes as We Age
A Giant Map Shows How DNA Changes as We Age A map of DNA methylation changes in human organs—from the stomach to the retinas—could help researchers discover more targets for antiaging therapies By Chris Simms & Nature magazine The visible effects of ageing on our body are in part linked to invisible changes in gene…
A spine-tingling discovery: This dinosaur had spiked body armor
By Alana Wise A dinosaur that roamed modern-day Morocco more than 165 million years ago had a neck covered in three-foot long spikes, a weapon on its tail and bony body armor, according to researchers who unearthed the curious beast’s remains. The discovery of the animal Spicomellus in the Moroccan town of Boulemane painted a…
Kelly Clarkson’s Talk Show Return Date for Season 7 Revealed
Kelly Clarkson’s eponymous daytime talk show is set to return for its seventh season Sept. 29, nearly two months after the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. Kelly Clarkson will be back in the daytime groove. The seventh season of her hit daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show will return Sept. 29, according to a press…
What to Know about Hurricane Season and Forecast Accuracy
How to Read Hurricane Maps and Avoid Common Mistakes Hurricane forecast maps are more complex than they appear. Understanding them could change how you prepare for the next storm. By Rachel Feltman, Andrea Thompson, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. While scientists have gotten much better…
Trump confirms U.S. strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat
By NPR’s International Desk Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela are rising. Days after sending U.S. gunboats to South American waters, President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy struck a vessel in the southern Caribbean carrying what he described as a Venezuelan drug shipment. Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event that the…
Fiber Optics Breakthrough Promises Faster Internet
New ‘Glass Straw’ Fibers Could Speed Up the Internet A cable design that sends light through air rather than solid glass could cut signal loss and make long-distance transmissions cheaper By Davide Castelvecchi & Nature magazine Typical optical fibres consist of thin, solid glass wires. Tweaking the design could allow them to carry more data…
The Science behind Hurricane Katrina: What Researchers Knew before the 2005 Disaster
The Storm That Drowned a City—And the Science That Saw It Coming Two decades after Katrina, we revisit the storm and discuss the evolution of hurricane preparedness since then. By Mark Fischetti, Andrea Thompson, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Twenty years…
Has Trump kept his campaign promises to American workers? Here’s what some say.
By Brittney Melton and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. by Andrea Hsu, NPR labor and workplace correspondent At this time last year, President Trump was courting America’s workers, promising them a renaissance if they helped send him back to the White House. Now seven…
Chimps, Humans and Macaques All Have a Drive to ‘People Watch’
The Primal Pull of People Watching Our social voyeurism may have deep evolutionary roots By Clarissa Brincat edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Macaques. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! The human fascination with watching others—whether through reality TV, Instagram stories or overheard drama—is often dismissed as nosiness. But new research suggests this impulse may be…
20 Years after Hurricane Katrina, Major Forecasting Advances Could Erode
20 Years after Katrina, Major Hurricane Forecasting Advances Could Erode Hurricane forecasts have made huge leaps since Katrina hit 20 years ago, but that progress is threatened by Trump administration cuts to research By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser In this satellite image from NOAA, a close up of the center of Hurricane Katrina’s…
As drug deaths hit five-year low, Trump continues to cite fentanyl as major threat
Brian Mann Drug deaths in the U.S. have plunged dramatically and steadily since the summer of 2023, according to the latest preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Figures released this month by CDC show fatal overdoses falling to 77,648 in the 12-month period ending in March of this year. That’s…
Type 1 Diabetes Patient’s Insulin Production Restored with New Cell Transplant Therapy
New Cell Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes Sidesteps Need for Immunosuppressants Scientists treated a person’s type 1 diabetes with genetically modified insulin-producing cells that evaded immune system attacks. This is the first therapy for the condition that does not require immunosuppressant drugs By Humberto Basilio edited by Lauren J. Young Insulin-producing cells can be genetically…
Middle schoolers are lauded for protecting younger kids during church shooting
By Bill Chappell , Liz Baker When gunfire shattered a routine Mass marking the first week of class at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, middle school students were among those who acted heroically, according to an emergency official, a principal and a parent whose children attend the school. As a lone shooter carried out a…
Tropical Storm, Typhoon, and More—Your Guide to Hurricane Season Jargon
Hurricane Science Has a Lot of Jargon—Here’s What It All Means Everything you need to know about hurricanes explained By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson Eye of Hurricane Ian as the storm headed towards South Carolina. When hurricane season is in full swing, the news can be difficult to parse. What’s the difference between…
CDC director is out after less than a month; other agency leaders resign
By The Associated Press NEW YORK — The director of the nation’s top public health agency is out after less than one month in the job, and several top agency leaders have resigned. Officials did not explain why Susan Monarez was no longer with the agency, but her lawyers said she was targeted for standing…
Deep-Sea Nodules May Produce Oxygen—Raising Concerns over Ocean Mining
Mining the Deep Sea Could Threaten a Source of Ocean Oxygen Deep-sea rocks packed with valuable metals may also be making oxygen in the deep, dark ocean—raising new questions about the cost of mining them. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Clare Fieseler’s and Jason Jaacks’ reporting Pulitzer Center and co-published with the…
Whatever happened to our sibling series? It’s back! And guess who’s the heir apparent
By Benazir Samad Our series “The Science of Siblings” last year was immensely popular, tackling questions that many a sibling has pondered. How do you get siblings to be nicer to each other? Why is it that siblings may have weird traits in common? How do siblings remember — and make peace with — childhood…
Texas company pleads guilty to 2021 construction worker trench death
By Josh Peck A Texas construction company that was one of scores across the country whose employees have died after trenches they were working in collapsed, reached a plea deal Tuesday with prosecutors. Austin-based D Guerra Construction LLC agreed to plead guilty in connection with the death of Juan José Galvan Batalla, 24, of Bastrop,…
Microplastics Could Be Creating Dangerous Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Microplastics Could Be Turning Bacteria into Drug-Resistant Superbugs Microplastics are seemingly everywhere—and now growing research suggests they could be breeding grounds for drug-resistant bacteria By Marta Zaraska edited by Lauren J. Young For bacteria, microplastics are the perfect meetup spot—tiny, intimate surfaces where microbes can cling, huddle close and swap genes. And these crowded bacterial…
DNC chair says he’s tired of Democrats bringing ‘pencil to a knife fight’
Stephen Fowler MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin says President Trump is a “dictator-in-chief” whose agenda is “fascism dressed in a red tie” and his party must fight back against his policies. “Now look, folks, I’m sick and tired of this Democratic party bringing a pencil to a knife fight,” Martin said.…
Attendees could be in for thunderstorms, dust and hail at this year’s Burning Man
By Ayana Archie People descending on the Nevada desert for this year’s Burning Man event are being met with dust and wind, which could continue over the next few days. The event started Sunday in the Black Rock Desert, about 100 miles north of Reno, Nev. It is “not a festival,” but a “global cultural…
180 Years of Scientific American Means 180-Degree Turns in Science—Here Are Some of the Wildest Ones
Scientific American Celebrates 180 Years with Stories of Scientific U-turns In honor of SciAm’s 180th birthday, we’re spotlighting the biggest “wait, what?” moments in science history. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Drawings of Mars showing its ‘canals’ and polar ice caps in drawings created from observations made at the Lowell Observatory in…
Is Edinburgh’s Fringe still fringe, or has it — gasp — gone mainstream?
Lauren Frayer EDINBURGH, Scotland — For decades, devotees repeated rumors in hushed reverence about starving artists sleeping in bathtubs, out of dedication to the Fringe — one of the world’s biggest theater and comedy festivals. Now they deride and local residents for cashing in and renting out those mythical bathtubs. Fringe dates back to 1947,…
Dinner or a shower? Elderly people fear tough choices when Australia’s new aged care changes are rolled out
Advocates warn increased costs for basic assistance like showers and wound cleaning will push older people into aged care or hospital Margaret Duckett is scared for her friends. The 77-year-old pensioner is the recipient of a home care package – which allows her to get support with cleaning, gardening, transport, physiotherapy and podiatry – and…
How to Understand Hurricane Forecasts and the Cone of Uncertainty
How to Decode a Hurricane Forecast Hurricane forecasts feature a “cone of uncertainty,” but what is it actually showing? Scientific American breaks it down for you By Andrea Thompson If you’ve ever taken even a cursory glance at a hurricane forecast, you’ve seen some version of the “cone of uncertainty.” It sounds like some other-dimensional…
New Treatments for Peanut Allergies Offer Hope—Despite Lingering Questions
The Mystery of America’s Peanut Allergy Surge—And the Promising Science behind New Treatments Peanut allergies more than tripled in U.S. kids between the late 1990s and late 2000s, and the prevalence has risen even more since then. Scientists are still searching for answers—and new ways to treat them. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio, Fonda Mwangi…
How AI Chatbots May Be Fueling Psychotic Episodes
Truth, Romance and the Divine: How AI Chatbots May Fuel Psychotic Thinking A new wave of delusional thinking fueled by artificial intelligence has researchers investigating the dark side of AI companionship By Conor Feehly edited by Allison Parshall You are consulting with an artificial intelligence chatbot to help plan your holiday. Gradually, you provide it…
Will a Lunar Impact in 2032 Cause a Meteor Storm?
The UniverseFridays If This Asteroid Hits the Moon, Watch for Shooting Stars and Stricken Satellites The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. Could such a lunar collision create a dangerous new meteor shower? By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows a small meteoroid striking…
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art
Mandalit del Barco The list of objectionable content comes a week after White House officials sent a letter asking eight of the Smithsonian’s museums to submit their current and future plans for exhibitions, social media content and other material. The institution’s director Lonnie Bunche was told it had 120 days to comply for what the…
One civilian injured in crash with D.C. National Guard military vehicle
Luke Garrett A National Guard military vehicle crashed into a car in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning, injuring the driver. The incident comes after President Trump ordered hundreds of Guard troops to the District as a part of his D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (MATV) — a military…
Swimmers are warned to avoid East Coast beaches as Hurricane Erin moves north
By Joe Hernandez Federal forecasters are warning people to avoid beaches along the East Coast as Hurricane Erin moves north and slams much of the shoreline with dangerous waves and other severe weather. Though the massive storm was roughly 365 miles from Cape Hatteras, N.C., as of 11 a.m. ET, the effects of Erin will…
Too much to pack, not enough hugs: A Kenyan man’s last 48 hours in America
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán LANSING, Mich. — Five suitcases are scattered around Samuel Kangethe’s living room in his home in West Lansing, a neighborhood lined with tall trees and big front yards in Michigan’s capital. Clothes mixed with finance and accounting books, and somewhere in the chaos are his Air Jordan sneakers. “I just want to take…
Ex-Israel military intelligence chief said 50,000 Gaza deaths ‘necessary’
By Itay Stern TEL AVIV, Israel — Leaked audio recordings broadcast Friday reveal remarks by Israel’s former chief of military intelligence about the price he believed Palestinians should pay for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The tape recordings, aired by Israel’s Channel 12 TV, captured former Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva saying in Hebrew, “The fact…
Jesse Metcalfe Addresses Rumored Desperate Housewives Cast Drama
Jesse Metcalfe admitted that he was completely “oblivious” to any behind-the-scenes drama between his Desperate Housewives costars—including Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman and creator Marc Cherry. Jesse Metcalfe was desperately unaware of any on-set drama. Indeed, the Desperate Housewives alum insisted he was “oblivious” to the rumored tension between his costars—including Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman, Nicollette…
A Male Birth Control Pill Moves to the Next Clinical Trial Stage
This Hormone-Free Pill Could Finally Expand Birth Control Options for Men A new hormone-free birth control pill that reversibly stops sperm production has passed its first safety trial in humans, offering hope for more reversible contraceptive options. By Rachel Feltman, Hannah Seo, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m…
What Is Experimental Archaeology? Sam Kean Explores Ancient Tools, Surgeries and Feasts in Dinner with King Tut
Sam Kean’s New Book Dinner with King Tut Explores the Wild World of Experimental Archaeology In his new book, Sam Kean reveals how re-creating ancient tools, techniques and traditions can unlock secrets about how our ancestors lived—and what they felt. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly,…
Human Embryo Implantation Revealed in First-Ever 3D Images
First 3D Images of Human Embryo Implantation Reveal New Details of the Process Analyzing embryo movements in uteruslike environments could offer clues to improving the success rate of in vitro fertilization By Humberto Basilio edited by Lauren J. Young Confocal microscopy image of a nine-day-old human embryo. Specific proteins and cellular structures have been coloured…
With replay review and ‘robot umps,’ who is still trying to become an MLB umpire?
Becky Sullivan MILWAUKEE — To baseball umpires, timing matters. By the time registration opened at 8 a.m., more than 100 aspiring professional umpires had already arrived at the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark for Major League Baseball’s one-day umpire camp. These camps are, for a lucky few, the first step toward a career as an MLB umpire.…
Trump Order Would Give Political Appointees Power over Science Funding Decisions
Trump Order Gives Political Appointees Vast Powers over Research Grants Researchers are alarmed that an expansive executive order issued by President Donald Trump might upend a long-standing tradition of peer-review for grants By Dan Garisto & Nature magazine US President Donald Trump issued an expansive executive order (EO) yesterday that would centralize power and upend…
How This AI Breakthrough with Pure Mathematics and Reinforcement Learning Could Help Predict Future Crises
How an Unsolved Math Problem Could Train AI to Predict Crises Years in Advance An artificial intelligence breakthrough uses reinforcement learning to tackle the Andrews-Curtis conjecture, solving long-standing counterexamples and hinting at tools for forecasting stock crashes, diseases and climate disasters By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Dean Visser & Clara Moskowitz Imagine knowing that…
Taylor Swift Announces New Album on Travis Kelce’s Podcast
Taylor Swift announced her new album The Life of a Showgirl during her first appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast for the Aug. 13 episode. Taylor Swift‘s album announcements will never go out of style. While making her debut on boyfriend Travis Kelce and brother Jason Kelce‘s New Heights podcast…
The Perseid Meteor Shower Is Peaking. Here’s How to Watch
How to Watch the Year’s Best Meteor Shower, the Perseids The Perseids are the best annual meteor shower, but this year’s show will be dimmed by a bright gibbous moon By Clara Moskowitz edited by Meghan Bartels Join Our Community of Science Lovers! One of the best annual meteor showers, the Perseid meteor shower, is…
Canada wildfire season already second worst on record as experts warn of ‘new reality’
More than 470 Canadian fires classified as ‘out of control’ as scientists say climate change exacerbating the burning With hundreds of wildfires burning out of control, Canada’s 2025 fire season is already the second-worst on record, as scientists report climate change is prolonging and exacerbating the burning, leading to more destruction, evacuations and smoke-filled skies.…
Growing pains: can rice production in Africa keep up with demand?
Africa Rice initiative aims to give farmers more control over their land in order to reduce flooding and increase yields Salmata Ouattara remembers 2023 as the turning point for her rice farm. June is usually the peak of the rainy season in Ivory Coast, but in the preceding years she and other farmers in M’Be…
Congressman Eric Sorensen on Defending Climate Science, Depoliticizing Weather and Bringing Scientific Rigor to Capitol Hill
By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois. Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois spent 22 years forecasting the weather on television before winning his congressional seat in 2022. He now finds himself defending scientific agencies from unprecedented attacks…
Trump orders colleges to share admissions data, with an eye on affirmative action
Cory Turner President Trump signed a presidential memorandum Thursday requiring colleges and universities to submit expanded admissions data to the U.S. Department of Education. The move is the latest salvo in the administration’s fight against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and is intended to reveal if schools are still preferencing race in admissions even…
Video shows Department of Justice official urging Jan. 6 rioters to ‘kill’ cops
Tom Dreisbach Police bodycam footage introduced at the trial of Jared Wise showed him berating police officers on Jan. 6, 2021 and yelling “kill ’em” as rioters attacked law enforcement. Less than five years after urging rioters to “kill” police at the Capitol, a former Jan. 6 defendant is working as a senior adviser for…
NASA Budget Cuts Could Halt Space Missions, Climate Research, Experts Warn
NASA Faces Deep Budget Cuts—Every Living Former Science Chief of the Agency Is Sounding the Alarm NASA faces historic budget cuts that could shutter missions and stall vital research, prompting a bipartisan outcry from all of the agency’s living former science chiefs. By Rachel Feltman, Lee Billings, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura & Jeffery DelViscio Rachel…
NASA Boosts Plans for Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
NASA’s Plan for a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon Could Be a Lunar Land Grab Spurred by competition from China and Russia, the Trump administration is pushing for nuclear power on the moon by 2030 By Lee Billings edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy testifies during a congressional hearing on July…
India snatch victory to draw dramatic Test series against England
This video can not be played India win dramatic final Test by six runs to clinch series draw Fifth Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day five of five) India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33, Tongue 3-57) & 396 (Jaiswal 118; Tongue 5-125) England 247 (Crawley 64; Krishna 4-62, Siraj 4-86) & 367 (Brook 111, Root…
U.S. Nuclear Energy Policy Could Accelerate Weapons Proliferation
Opinion U.S. Nuclear Energy Plans Could Proliferate Weapons By Alan J. Kuperman Recent events in Iran demonstrate that dropping “bunker buster” bombs on nuclear plants is not an ideal, or even necessarily effective, way to prevent proliferation. It is far preferable to prevent the spread of nuclear-weapon-usable technologies in the first place. A simplistic way…
Loni Anderson, star of hit TV series ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 79
By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Loni Anderson, who played a struggling radio station’s empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died Sunday, just days before her 80th birthday. Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness, said her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan. “We are heartbroken to…
Lebanon mourns beloved artist Ziad Rahbani
By Michael Levitt Lebanon has lost one of its most beloved artists, the playwright and musician Ziad Rahbani. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: Lebanon this week mourned the passing of one of its most beloved artists. Musician and playwright Ziad Rahbani died a week ago. NPR’s Michael Levitt has this remembrance. (SOUNDBITE OF ZIAD RAHBANI SONG, “ANA…
Miniature Neutrino Detector Catches Elusive Particles at Nuclear Reactor
Miniature Neutrino Detector Promises to Test the Laws of Physics A relatively small detector caught neutrinos from a nuclear reactor using a technique known as coherent scattering By Davide Castelvecchi & Nature magazine A nuclear power plant in Liebstadt, Switzerland, hosted the CONUS+ neutrino detector. Physicists have caught neutrinos from a nuclear reactor using a…
Anthropic’s Claude 4 Chatbot Suggests It Might Be Conscious
Claude 4 Chatbot Raises Questions about AI Consciousness A conversation with Anthropic’s chatbot raises questions about how AI talks about awareness. By Rachel Feltman, Deni Ellis Béchard, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Today we’re going to talk about an AI chatbot that appears to believe…
Wednesday Cast Reveals What Goes Down in the Show’s 18 Group Chats
Wednesday’s Emma Myers and Joy Sunday detailed the cast’s close bond in an exclusive interview with E! News—and what they talk about in their many group chats. Despite their altogether ooky demeanors onscreen, the Wednesday cast have a lot of love to give. In fact, the stars of the Netflix series, including Jenna Ortega, Emma…
Why Do Allergens Make Us Cough and Sneeze?
Allergens May Make Us Cough and Sneeze by Poking Holes in Airway Cells The immune system senses damage to cell membranes caused by pore-forming proteins and mounts a response By Rachel Fieldhouse & Nature magazine Join Our Community of Science Lovers! The sneezing, itchy eyes and coughing elicited by some allergens are caused by proteins…
4 Science Book Recommendations We Loved Reading in July
What Books Scientific American Read in July Check out Scientific American’s fiction and nonfiction book recommendations for July By Brianne Kane edited by Andrea Gawrylewski July 2025 has been a sweltering month, but we at Scientific American have still squeezed in some fun in the sun and a hot dog or two, all while choosing…
What makes a tsunami — and what to do if one comes
Michal Ruprecht Tsunami alerts lit up Siri Zama’s phone on Tuesday. The 28-year-old high school teacher in Kapolei, Hawaii, fled inland. “It was raining, and the clouds got real dark. It was just a little scary. I was a little worried because everyone from here was stressing,” Zama recalled. Those stress-inducing alerts had been triggered…
Jimmy Hoffa vanished 50 years ago. The unsolved mystery and his legend endure
Don Gonyea His full name is James Riddle Hoffa. But everyone knew him as Jimmy. A labor leader who thrived in the rough and tumble world of union organizing, of contracts, and picket lines… and of standing up for workers right no matter what. When he disappeared it was front page news. But how many…
Hurricane Forecasters Keep Access to Threatened Defense Department Satellite Data
Hurricane Forecasters Keep Crucial Satellite Data Online after Threatened Cuts By Andrea Thompson edited by Jeanna Bryner Infrared satellite imagery of Hurricane Otis compared with microwave imagery of the storm in October 2023. In the later view, the center of the storm is more visible and indicates the hurricane was strengthening. Microwave satellite imagery helped…
See Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids Meteor Showers This Summer
Summer Meteor Showers, Short Summer Days and Ancient Arthropods Set your alarm on Wednesday to see some of the summer’s stunning meteor showers. By Rachel Feltman & Fonda Mwangi Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. It’s been a while, but we’re finally back with our usual science news…
Immigrants in the US illegally fight the Trump administration’s new no-bail policy
By Tovia Smith A class action lawsuit has been filed challenging the Trump administration’s new policy requiring immigrants illegally in the U.S. who are arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remain in detention while fighting their deportation. It’s an abrupt reversal of long-standing practice of allowing individuals who are deemed not a flight risk…
Male Birth Control Pill YCT-529 Passes Human Safety Test
First Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill Shown Safe in Early Human Trial A hormone-free pill, called YCT-529, that temporarily stops sperm production by blocking a vitamin A metabolite has just concluded its first safety trial in humans, getting a step closer to increasing male contraceptive options By Hannah Seo edited by Lauren J. Young Photo…
Nonfiction and Fiction Summer Reading Recommendations from Scientific American
Bring These Scientific American–Recommended Books to the Beach This Summer If you’re seeking a summer read, Scientific American has some fantastic fiction and notable nonfiction to recommend. By Rachel Feltman, Brianne Kane, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. You might not know this, but Scientific American…
Heat Dome’s Extreme Heat and Humidity Triggers Alerts across Eastern U.S.
Millions Swelter under Relentless Heat Dome Smothering Eastern U.S. High humidity and low overnight temperatures will put tens of millions of people under heat alerts over the course of the coming week By Meghan Bartels edited by Clara Moskowitz HeatRisk forecast for July 27, 2025. The NWS HeatRisk is an experimental color-numeric-based index that provides…
What Scientists on Greenland’s Ice Sheet Are Learning about Our Changing Climate
What It’s Like to Live and Work on the Greenland Ice Sheet Think: subzero temperatures, bone-rattling storms and mysteries about the future of our planet under the ice. By Jeffery DelViscio & Rachel Feltman Barbara Olg Hild, the polar bear guard, stands in the GreenDrill camp during a blizzard that lasted for two straight days.…
Review – Green Arrow #26: Drugged
Ray: Chris Condon’s second arc dials back the clock to one of the darkest chapters of Green Arrow’s history – Roy Harper’s addiction, and the horrible way Ollie reacted when he found him shooting up in that infamous issue. Now, Roy’s seemingly relapsed – being found unconscious in an alley, in a coma, after a…
Trump’s EPA now says greenhouses gases don’t endanger people
Jeff Brady The Trump administration wants to overturn a key 2009 Environmental Protection Agency finding that underpins much of the federal government’s actions to rein in climate change. The EPA has crafted a proposal that would undo the government’s ‘endangerment finding,’ a determination that pollutants from burning fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane,…
Get in the Game With ‘Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV’
When it launched last October, Super Mario Party Jamboree quickly became my family’s go-to for competitive multiplayer, not to mention a series favorite for Mario Party’s special brand of digital boardgame tomfoolery. Fast forward nine months, and Jamboree is back with fresh features, new mini-game types, and a much longer name. Super Mario Party Jamboree…
How effective is ‘precooling’ your home during off-peak hours? It depends
By Ayana Archie Heat waves have swept through much of the U.S. already this summer, breaking temperature records, straining power grids and buckling roads. And a long-lasting heat dome is set to bake much of the country’s midsection in triple-digit temperatures in the coming days, according to AccuWeather. And when the heat is on, so…
Review – Absolute Batman #10: Locked in Ark M
Ray: Scott Snyder has been writing DC Comics for so long that it’s hard to remember that he used to be very well-known as a hard-boiled horror writer. So he likes to remind us occasionally – Severed, Night of the Ghoul, and Dark Spaces: Dungeon are some of the most disturbing comics I’ve ever read.…
Review – Absolute Flash #5: Heating Up
Ray: The Absolute line continues to have an unparalleled creative record, as just about every issue is phenomenal. That’s definitely the case for this issue, as Wally West faces his largest-scale threat ever – but it may not be a villain at all. Last issue saw the runaway teenager still struggling to master his powers…
Review – Superman Unlimited #3: Krypto vs. Kryptonite
Ray: With the new wave of Kryptonite on Earth, everything has gotten more dangerous for the Super-family – and that includes the best boy on Earth. This issue focuses on Krypto – not just in the new paradigm, but looking back at his time on Earth. I did notice that this Krypto seems to be…
Toronto film festival: Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan and Keanu Reeves lead lineup
The 50th edition of the Canadian film festival will also feature world premieres starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Sydney Sweeney and Matthew McConaughey World premieres starring Angelina Jolie, Saoirse Ronan and Keanu Reeves lead this year’s lineup for the Toronto film festival. The 50th edition of the festival will again feature a string of films hoping to…