Scientific American.com

Researchers found that fetuses were more likely to yawn when their mother did, suggesting humans may experience yawn contagion throughout their life

A growing minority believes it’s a mistake to tie so many mathematical formulas to the famed 3.14... value. Another value, tau, could be better

NASA announced that this uncrewed lander, named Endurance, completed vacuum testing on Earth—a key step toward a planned launch later this year

Scientists gave people a “heroic” dose of psilocybin and then looked at their brain. Here’s what happened

The Internet loves fitness-motivation content. Olympian and researcher Valerie Gruest explains why it can be so harmful

Stuart Orkin and Swee Lay Thein shared a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for their research on genetic causes of sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia that set the stage for approved gene therapies. The treatments are not accessible to everyone, though

Scientists are trying to decode why humpback whales can be observed hanging around with their mouth open, with no apparent explanation

Want to go to the moon? Travel vicariously through the more than 12,000 photos NASA just posted from the Artemis II mission

Greenland sharks have hearts that can function normally for more than a century

On Monday the Supreme Court paused a ruling by a federal appeals court that prevented health care providers from prescribing mifepristone by telemedicine, setting the stage for further action from the nation’s highest court

Banning cell phones in schools has been touted as a silver bullet for poor test scores and low student well-being and attendance, but new research suggests the results are more mixed

Tiny plastic particles drifting in Earth’s atmosphere could have a significant warming effect, a new study finds

Massive investments in AI may bring synergy and revenue to SpaceX, or could create problems for it and NASA, especially if the AI bubble pops

Hantavirus spreads through contact with rodents and causes rare infectious diseases that can lead to kidney failure or a buildup of fluid in the lungs

Marijuana is far from a “silver bullet” for various illnesses, but it has some promising applications, scientists say

Three 2026 Breakthrough Prize winners reflect on developing Luxturna, a gene therapy that treats blindness caused by rare inherited eye diseases

A look at what makes scorpions so deadly, why there’s hope for preeclampsia and how President Trump is gutting wind energy

This annual meteor shower occurs as Earth passes through the dusty debris left behind by Halley’s Comet as it journeys around the sun

A new analysis shows that the Trump administration has terminated more than 100 advisory committees to science agencies—and reduced the transparency and independence of those that remain.

The FDA rejected the promising skin cancer drug RP1 twice, leaving many puzzled and worried about what this means for other drug approvals