Scientific American.com
Earth’s molten outer core is behaving in chaotic, unexpected ways
Scientists are working to solve a mystery of Earth’s molten outer core, which lies more than 2,000 kilometers beneath our feet
Rare Ebola-causing Bundibugyo virus is uniquely challenging to treat. Here’s why
Bundibugyo virus is an uncommon species of Ebola-causing virus that has been linked to only two other known outbreaks
Span wants to turn homes into mini data centers
Smart-panel start-up Span wants to turn spare household electricity into AI computing power. How far it can scale and what effect that would have on the residential grid remain unsettled
What will happen if the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies collide?
Our galaxy and its nearest large companion, Andromeda, may be headed for a collision on a cosmic scale. What happens then?
What is E15 fuel? Why higher-ethanol gasoline could raise summer smog levels
In an effort to reduce prices at the pump, an EPA wavier allows the sale of fuel with 15 percent ethanol content
Bixonimania’—the fake illness that AI fell for
How an experiment involving a made-up skin condition exposes the risks of increasingly popular AI medical advice
SpaceX scrubs launch of Starship V3—the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built
This launch, when it comes, will mark the 12th flight test of Starship and the first demonstration of its V3 design. A new attempt could come as soon as Friday
Hidden structural features inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid may have helped it withstand earthquakes, new study finds
Constructed by ancient Egyptians, the Great Pyramid has survived multiple earthquakes through the ages—now researchers think they know why
Hantavirus found in shocking number of Pacific Northwest rodents
These critters were carrying the Sin Nombre variant of hantavirus, which can be spread from rodents to humans but not from one person to another
JWST sees partly cloudy skies on a distant, giant exoplanet
An out-of-this-world weather report from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals how clouds move across a giant planet hundreds of light-years from Earth
A new study says you need 10 hours of exercise a week. Can that really be possible?
Experts question this study’s design and its recommendations—and point out that you probably get more exercise than you think
Scientists discover why gold doesn’t ‘rust’
Gold doesn’t tarnish like similar metals do. A new paper says that the key is the intricate “herringbone” pattern of its atoms.
NOAA predicts quieter Atlantic hurricane season for 2026—but the Pacific is another story
This year’s expected El Niño could hamper hurricanes in the Atlantic but boost them in the central and eastern Pacific
Trial of next-gen weight-loss drug retatrutide brings it one step closer to FDA approval
While drugs such as Wegovy target a single gut hormone, retatrutide is among a new class of GLP-1 drugs that aims at three hormone receptors
AI just solved an 80-year-old ‘Erdős problem,’ and mathematicians are amazed
A chatbot’s result for the 80-year-old “unit distance” conjecture is the first AI proof that would likely be published in math’s top journal if humans had done it alone
Can math predict the end of humanity? Inside the ‘doomsday argument’
This eerily simple math says our days are numbered—and nobody can agree why it’s wrong
Watch SpaceX launch Starship V3—the tallest and most powerful rocket yet
Friday’s flight could be the most pivotal test of the Starship megarocket
Daddy longlegs are actually bloodthirsty killers—of frogs
The wobbly, lanky arachnids known as harvestmen or daddy longlegs may be overlooked as predators of small vertebrates such as frogs, researchers say
Start-up reveals ‘artificial egg’ to resurrect extinct birds, but scientists say the work misses the point
The science of de-extinction does not exist, but Colossal Biosciences’ “artificial egg” is an interesting technical feat
Screen time limits can protect children’s health, U.S. surgeon general advisory says
The Trump administration warned that too much screen time for children has been linked to poor sleep, bad behavior, and less physical and social activity
