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China’s Tianwen-3 Mission Could Beat the U.S. in the Race to Grab Mars Rocks
Launching in 2028, China’s Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission could bring Red Planet rocks back to Earth as early as 2031—years ahead of competing U.S.-European efforts
For Dolphins, Echolocation May Be More Like ‘Touching’ Than ‘Seeing’
Dolphins seem to “feel” their way across the sea with narrow, sweeping beams of sonar
Could AI Make Drone Shows Less Technically Challenging?
AI can allow engineers to focus on artistry over technical details for drone shows
4 Nonfiction Books Scientific American Recommended In June
Here's a collection of exclusive book recommendations, from slithering snakes to a river's impact, for your summer reading lists, curated by Scientific American
U.S. National Climate Assessments Website Goes Dark
Links to the U.S.’s most comprehensive climate reports—the National Climate Assessments—disappeared from the Internet on Monday, along with the official government website that houses them
Could China’s New Ozempic-like Drugs Beat Out Current Weight-Loss Medications?
GLP-1 drugs currently being tested in China target complications associated with obesity such as heart disease, fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes
Russia’s Space Program Is Another Casualty of the War in Ukraine
To achieve its ambitious plans for missions to the moon and beyond, Russia needs other spacefaring nations as partners. But the war in Ukraine is making that help increasingly hard to find
See Earth’s Forests as Never Before in Biomass Satellite’s First Images
New images from the European Space Agency’s Biomass mission show how the satellite uses advanced radar to map flows of carbon through our planet’s most precious and remote ecosystems
Rubin Observatory Data Flood Will Let the Universe Alert Astronomers 10 Million Times a Night
Astronomers have never had this much data available this quickly before
Summer Learning Loss Happens, but Kids Quickly Recover
During the summer, kids can forget some of what they learned during the school year. They recover quickly, but here are some tips to stem the slide
World’s Oldest Rocks Confirmed in Canada
In 2008 scientists reported that rocks in Canada were the world’s oldest. New data appear to confirm this contested claim
Cells Can ‘Hear’ Sounds—And Respond Genetically
Audible sound can affect gene activity in mouse cells, boosting the attachment of muscle precursors to surrounding tissue and decreasing fat accumulation
Why Did the Company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline Sue Greenpeace?
Energy Transfer, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, sued the nonprofit Greenpeace over alleged conspiracy—the host of Drilled explains why
Weather Forecasters Lose Crucial Hurricane Detection Microwave Satellite Data
Microwave satellite data are key to capturing major changes in a hurricane’s strength, such as when a storm undergoes rapid intensification. But a main source of those data is being abruptly shut off
Solar-Powered Slug Steals Chloroplasts and Stores Them for Emergency Food
A certain species of sea slug steals chloroplasts from algae and houses its contraband in special organelles that it can raid for food in times of need
Meditation’s Benefits Stretch Beyond the Person Who Meditates
Often framed as a boon for personal wellness, meditation helps us connect with and support others, too
New Proof Dramatically Compresses Space Needed for Computation
Surprising new work bucks 50 years of assumptions about the trade-offs between computation space and time
Could the Solar System Lose a Planet to a Passing Star?
Close stellar encounters could change the structure of our planetary system, potentially dooming Earth or other worlds to oblivion
Creating Bird Flu Vaccines for Humans at a Biosecure Laboratory
This San Antonio, Tex., lab takes biosecurity seriously. Suit up with its scientists and go behind the scenes of the science of vaccine creation.
Does Using ChatGPT Really Change Your Brain Activity?
Scientists warn against reading too much into a small experiment about ChatGPT and brain activity that is receiving a lot of buzz