Scientific American.com

Did the U.S. Really Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Program?
Nuclear policy specialist David Albright explains how his organization is monitoring for damage to nuclear sites following U.S. and Israeli strikes
Dark Matter ‘Droplets’ Could Solve Multiple Cosmic Mysteries
Inspired by superconductivity, a strange new theory that seeks to explain dark matter might explain dark energy, too
To Make Better Choices, Understand How Your Brain Processes Values
The brain weighs factors based on their importance to oneself and one’s social world as part of a complex calculation that shapes behavior
The Hidden Game Theory of Sherlock Holmes
In the early 20th century, a mathematician and economist sought the optimal strategy for Holmes to escape Moriarty’s pursuit
NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft, Exploring Solar System Origins, Is Back on Track after Thrusters Lost Power
This explorer spacecraft is heading to a rare asteroid with a naked metal core. It could hold clues to how Earth began
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