Scientific American.com
How a Harris or Trump Presidency Could Affect Gun Policy
Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump offer starkly different responses to gun violence
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Awarded for Discovery of MicroRNA Gene Regulation
The award was given to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for a discovery of an important mechanism of gene regulation in cells
Fallout from Hurricane Helene, Stem Cell Treatments for Diabetes and Spread of Marburg Virus
We cover the spread of Marburg virus, a stem cell treatment for diabetes and the way dolphins smile in this week’s news roundup.
Challenging Big Oil’s Big Lie about Plastic Recycling
California’s lawsuit against Exxon is about ending the lie that most plastic is recyclable
How Hurricane Helene’s Floods Are Disrupting Voting Access This Election
With voting underway, election officials in flood-ravaged North Carolina must mail new ballots and replace destroyed polling places after Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene Signals the End of the ‘Climate Haven’
Experts say the effects of global warming are playing a greater role in where people decide to move
Astronomers Spot a ‘Super-Mars’ Exoplanet around Barnard’s Star
Claims of worlds orbiting Barnard’s star have been made before. But an advanced instrument could provide the breakthrough that finally confirms the star hosts a planetary system
Hurricane Helene Made Me a Climate Change Refugee
A climate advocate learns firsthand on the price of climate change in our lives, and calls for voters to head off future disasters
How the 2024 Election Will Shape the Future of AI
Both U.S. presidential candidates voice support for innovation in AI, but Kamala Harris has been more outspoken about its risks to individuals
How Dark Is the Night Sky?
The night sky isn’t perfectly dark—instead it glows faintly, and the source isn’t exactly local
Today’s Mathematicians Seek Modern Solutions to Complex Problems
Today’s mathematicians grapple with higher-order mathematical questions and real-world applications.
In Floods like Hurricane Helene’s, Toxic Chemicals Are a Silent and Growing Threat
People living near industrial facilities often have few details about the chemicals inside, which poses major risks when floods occur
Harris' Focus on Maternal Health Care Gains Support Among Black Women
Polls show an increased number of Black women voters back Kamala Harris. Her emphasis on maternal mortality, reproductive rights and gun control may be contributing
Hurricane Helene Survivors Face a Second Disaster—Insurance Woes
Only 2 percent of households in parts of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina that were flooded by Hurricane Helene can get insurance payments
Where Did All the Thalidomide Pills Distributed in the U.S. Go?
FDA medical examiner Frances Oldham Kelsey saved American lives by refusing to approve thalidomide. But millions of pills had been sent to doctors in the U.S. for so-called clinical trials
How to Save the World from Apocalyptic Asteroids
Sooner or later a doomsday asteroid will wipe out most life on Earth—unless, that is, we prevent threatening space rocks from hitting us in the first place
Why Mount Everest Is the World’s Tallest Mountain
A model suggests a massive uplift caused by a phenomenon called “river piracy” partly explains Everest’s impressive height
Hard Nuclear Weapons Choices Await Harris or Trump as President
Whoever wins the 2024 presidential election will face heightened nuclear geopolitics, deadlines on nuclear deals with Russia and Iran and decisions on a $2-trillion weapons-modernization effort
What Linguistic Analysis from the 2024 Debates Reveals about Harris, Trump, Walz and Vance
Linguist and sociophonetician Nicole Holliday analyzes the language used by candidates in the recent presidential and vice presidential debates
Largest Brain Map Ever Reveals Fruit Fly’s Neurons in Exquisite Detail
Wiring diagram lays out connections between nearly 140,000 neurons and reveals new types of nerve cell