Scientific American.com

AI and Data Centers Could Cut More Climate-Change-Causing Emissions Than They Create
Power-hungry AI and associated data centers could make the grid cleaner, eventually cutting more climate-change-causing emissions than they produce
Orcas’ Social Skin-Care Routine Uses Kelp as a Tool
Massaging one another with kelp could help orcas keep their skin healthy
How H5N1 Went from an Illness in Wild Birds to a Global Pandemic Threat
The first hints that a new strain of avian illness is emerging could be found on this beach on Delaware Bay, where migrating birds flock. Here’s what virus detectives who return there every year know right now.
Rubin Observatory’s First Images Just Unveiled the Universe as We’ve Never Seen It Before
Astronomy fans can zoom in practically forever into the stunning first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Elon Musk Launches the Robotaxi—Can Tesla’s Cybercab Share the Road with America’s Myth of the Highway?
For more than a century, cars have meant freedom, escape and self-reinvention to Americans. Now Tesla’s forthcoming Cybercab makes us ask whether we can have the romance of the open road without actually driving it
First Near-Complete Denisovan Skull Reveals What This Ancient Human Cousin Looked Like
A Denisovan skull has been identified for the first time. The find was based on proteins and calcified dental plaque
Hurricane Hunter Flights Improve Hurricane Forecasts, But Trump Budget Cuts Could Threaten Them
NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter airplane missions significantly increase the accuracy of hurricane forecasts, but President Trump’s proposed budget cuts jeopardize the data-gathering efforts and other forecasting tools
How Does a Gravitational Slingshot Work?
Spacecraft can get a significant boost by stealing energy from planets
What Is Testosterone Replacement Therapy, and Is It Safe?
As more men turn to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for energy, mood and muscle, experts warn the risks are still not fully understood.
Here’s How Plastic Bag Bans Are Keeping Trash off Shorelines
Data from beach cleanups show that banning or taxing single-use plastic bags makes a difference in ecosystems
Humpback Whales Are Blowing ‘Bubble Rings’ at Boats. Are They Trying to Communicate?
Researchers bring a SETI approach to the question of what—if anything—humpbacks’ underwater smoke rings might be trying to “say”
Gaia, Europe’s Galactic Cartographer, Is Gone But Not Forgotten
Gaia, Europe’s Milky Way–mapping spacecraft, shut down earlier this year. It was arguably the most important—and most overlooked—astronomy project of the 21st century
SpaceX’s Starship Explodes in Texas During Preflight Testing
The latest catastrophic explosion of a Starship upper stage is a significant setback for SpaceX
The Weather Expert Who Answered the $64,000 Question
As the first trained Black TV meteorologist, June Bacon-Bercey always worked to help women and people of color to follow in her footsteps
Supreme Court Skrmetti Decision Permits Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Children
The Supreme Court has decided to uphold a state ban on gender-affirming care for minors in U.S. v. Skrmetti
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bomb Israel Wants to Destroy Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Facility
American military engineers designed the GBU-57/B bomb to devastate deeply buried bunkers without radioactive fallout. It’s the only nonnuclear weapon that can reach Iran’s hardest target
When Wildfire Smoke Arrived from Canada, Federal Safety Experts Were Gone
Health specialists were put on leave, and a report on how to protect 20 million workers from wildfire smoke has stalled
When Baboon Dads Stick Around, Their Daughters Live Longer
New research shows father-daughter relationships have a positive influence on female baboons’ lives—when the dads stick around
Mysterious Link between Earth’s Magnetism and Oxygen Baffles Scientists
The strength of Earth’s magnetic field and the amount of oxygen in its atmosphere seem to be correlated—and scientists want to know why
Why Can Beef Be Cooked Rare but Chicken Can’t?
Food microbiologists explain how to ensure different proteins, such as beef, chicken and pork, are prepared safely