Scientific American.com

How and Why Humans Began to Sing, a Musicology and Neuroscience Perspective
Musicologists and neuroscientists have been trying to understand what turns speech into music.
Trump Names Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as Interim NASA Chief
The selection of Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to temporarily lead NASA adds to the deep political uncertainties already facing the space agency
Nanoplastics Make Up Most of the Ocean’s Plastic Pollution
Nanoplastics—particles smaller than a human hair—can pass through cell walls and enter the food web. New research suggests 27 million metric tons of nanoplastics are spread across just the top layer of the North Atlantic
Extreme Heat Endangers AI Data Centers
A new analysis warns that AI facilities could be forced to stop operating because of water shortages and blackouts
Ancient Tooth Proteins Rewrite the Rhino Family Tree—Are Dinosaurs Next?
Molecules from the 20-million-year-old teeth of a rhino relative are among the oldest ever sequenced, opening tantalizing possibilities to scientists
Can AI Replace Air Traffic Controllers to Reduce Airline Accidents?
Tests in London and Singapore could reveal whether AI can improve the safety of air travel
Attacks on Higher Education Are Attacks on All Americans
If Americans don’t fight back against efforts to dismantle higher education, the U.S. will lose lifesaving medical research, innovation that spurs our economy and the ability to freely study science and society
Four New Autism Subtypes Link Genes to Children's Traits
Autism has at least four subtypes, an analysis of more than 5,000 children’s genes, traits and developmental trajectories has shown
‘Science Fair’ of Lost Research Protests Trump Cuts
A protest at a congressional office building highlighted future research findings that vast cuts to science will erase
Texas Floods Were a Known Risk, but Little Has Been Done for Protection
Texas has identified more than $50 billion in flood control needs, but lawmakers have devoted just $1.4 billion to address them
Japan’s New Undersea Earthquake Detection System Will Improve Tsunami Prediction
Japan’s new earthquake-detection network lengthens warning times, and researchers in Wales have harnessed nuclear blast detectors to gauge tsunami risks. But the U.S. lags in monitoring the massive Cascadia megathrust fault
ChatGPT and Gemini AIs Have Uniquely Different Writing Styles
ChatGPT and Gemini AI write in different idioms, linguists find
Tracking Coral Reef Health with Bioacoustics
The underwater world relies on sound signals—so what happens when a noisy reef falls silent?
Gut Microbe Deficiency in U.S. Babies Tied to Asthma, Allergies, Autoimmune Disorders
Babies lacking in key gut bacteria are at greater risk of developing asthma, allergies or eczema
Flood Forecasts in Texas and Beyond Could Worsen with Trump NWS Cuts
Forecasts and warnings largely worked during the recent flooding catastrophe in Texas. Those systems are expected to degrade as President Donald Trump’s cuts to the National Weather Service, satellites and other key services take hold
Science Makes the U.S. a Great Nation
History tells us what happens when great nations attack science
Cutting-Edge Physics and Chemistry Now Unfold One Attosecond at a Time
An attosecond—or 0.000000000000000001 second—is no time at all for a person. That is not so for electrons, atoms and molecules, and laser-wielding scientists are revealing the action
Why Texas ‘Flash Flood Alley’ Is So Deadly, Explained by Geology
A hydrologist explains why Texas Hill Country is known as Flash Flood Alley and how its geography and geology can lead to heavy downpours and sudden, destructive floods
The Benefits of Raising Conscientious Kids
Being conscientious will serve kids in the long run. Here are some tips to help them learn that trait
Why Did Texas Flash Flood Waters Rise So Quickly?
Flash floods happen when heavy rains unleash more water than the ground can absorb, causing that water to pile up and flow to low-lying areas