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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
Addiction Risk Shows up in Children’s Brain Scans before Drug Use Starts
Brain differences in children and teens who experiment with drugs early show up before they take their first puff or sip
Texas Flood Forecasts Were Accurate but Not Sufficient to Save Lives
The National Weather Service issued timely alerts, meteorologists say, but few were listening in the hours before the early-morning flash floods along the Guadalupe River
Pulsing Magma in Earth’s Mantle Drives Tectonic Plates Tearing Africa Apart
Chemical fingerprints from volcanic rock offer hints of what’s happening in the mantle below the area where three rift zones meet in East Africa
Astronaut Matthew Dominick Speaks to Scientific American, Live from the International Space Station
We spoke with NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick in an exclusive, first-ever interview from the cupola of the International Space Station.
Math’s Block-Stacking Problem Has a Preposterous Solution
In principle, this impossible math allows for a glue-free bridge of stacked blocks that can stretch across the Grand Canyon—and into infinity
Climate Change’s Fingerprints Came Early, a Thought Experiment Reveals
Climate change left its signature on the atmosphere early in the industrial revolution, reveals a thought experiment investigation
Workers Have Died in Extreme Heat as OSHA Has Debated Protections
The June heat dome contributed to the deaths of at least three people. They have died as federal regulators have weighed whether to finalize the nation’s first heat protection rule for workers
Human Gut Bacteria Can Gather Up PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’
When tested on their own and in mice, these bacterial strains from the human microbiome show promise in accumulating PFAS
Can Life Survive the Death of the Sun?
The future is bright—too bright—for life as we know it once the sun transforms into a red giant star
Proof That Adult Brains Make New Neurons Settles Scientific Controversy
Adult brains grow new neurons, and scientists have finally pinpointed where they come from
First Human Genome from Ancient Egypt Sequenced from 4,800-Year-Old Teeth
Forty years after the first effort to extract mummy DNA, researchers have finally generated a full genome sequence from an ancient Egyptian, who lived when the earliest pyramids were built
How Massive Medicaid Cuts Will Harm People’s Health
Evidence shows that Medicaid improves people’s health and is particularly vital for babies, older people in need of long-term care and people in rural communities
New Interstellar Object Comet 3I/ATLAS—What We Know So Far as It Zips through the Solar System
All eyes are on Comet 3I/ATLAS as astronomers worldwide chase the exotic ice ball through our solar system
Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act Will Raise U.S. Climate Emissions
Four research firms project that the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will raise greenhouse gas emissions and likely put U.S. and global climate goals out of reach
Record-Breaking Results Bring Fusion Power Closer to Reality
Breakthroughs from two rival experiments, Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X and the Joint European Torus, suggest the elusive dream of controlled nuclear fusion may be within reach
How Trump’s Federal Funding Cuts Are Hurting Early-Career Researchers and American Health
Canceled grants and slashed budgets are disproportionately affecting junior health researchers, dealing a major blow to the future of science and society in the U.S.
AI Could Help Save Patients from Extreme Heat
AI could be used to comb through electronic health records and warn vulnerable people about dangerous heat waves
Astronomers Found the Most Self-Destructive Planet in the Sky
This planet triggers flares on its star—spelling its ultimate doom