Scientific American.com
There’s a Missing Human in Misinformation Fixes
Misinformation solutions target a rational, ethical ideal who doesn’t exist; to combat misinfo, we need to start with a richer concept of the human
‘Self-Cleaning’ Paint Could Break Down Pollutants on Surfaces and from the Air
Recycled materials contribute to a potential pollutant-neutralizing paint
A Widely Used Criminal Justice Algorithm For Assessing Child Pornography Recidivism Is Flawed
The CPORT algorithm, commonly used to estimate the risk that a child pornography offender will offend again, hasn’t been validated for use in the U.S.
Is CBD Safe for Cats and Dogs?
Although studies are still mixed and products are often inconsistent, many scientists have hope that cannabidiol can help furry patients with arthritis, allergies and anxiety
Quantum Internet Demonstrations Debut in Three Cities
It’s a “big deal” to demonstrate entangled quantum networks outside a lab
Bird Flu Makes Raw Milk Riskier, and Geomagnetic Storms Cause Colorful Skies
A rare geomagnetic storm lit up skies, eerie AI demonstrations and a cautionary word about raw milk.
Chemists Chase ‘Clean’ Ammonia to Replace Shipping Fuel
President Biden’s climate law is funding “green ammonia” projects in hopes of using the chemical to more cleanly power the grid, fuel cargo ships and make fertilizer
What Is Pasteurization, and How Does It Keep Milk Safe?
The pasteurization process was invented in the 1860s and continues to keep people safe from a range of foodborne illnesses
Hurricanes Caused Lost Income among at Least Half of Local Residents
Nearly half of residents lost income after a hurricane, a new study shows. Most were low-paid hourly workers in storefront shops
There Is Too Much Trash in Space
Debris from spacecraft threatens the burgeoning space economy. We need a global agreement to keep space clean
Slow Response to Bird Flu in Cows Worries Scientists
The H5N1 virus is a long way from becoming adapted to humans, but limited testing and tracking mean we could miss danger signs
Proposed Plastics Law Could Slash Wasteful Packaging
A law proposed in New York State seeks to reduce plastic packaging, ban certain plastic chemicals and mandate that producers of packaged consumer goods fund the recycling or disposal of what they sell
How Does ChatGPT ‘Think’? Psychology and Neuroscience Crack Open AI Large Language Models
Researchers are striving to reverse-engineer artificial intelligence and scan the “brains” of LLMs to deduce the how any why of that they are doing
This Year’s La Niña Could Worsen Atlantic Hurricane Season
Earth is shifting into a La Niña period, changing climate patterns all around the globe
AI Tool Predicts Whether Online Health Misinformation Will Cause Real-World Harm
A new AI-based analytical technique reveals that specific language phrasing in Reddit misinformation posts foretold people rejecting COVID vaccinations
How Can You ‘See’ a Black Hole?
How do astronomers find the darkest objects in the universe?
What’s Turning Cape Cod’s Water ‘Pea-Soup Green’?
Cape Cod’s water is turning “pea-soup green”—and after decades of scientific detective work, we know why.
Egypt’s Famed Pyramids Overlooked a Long-Lost Branch of the Nile
A former stretch of the Nile River, now buried beneath the Sahara Desert, may help scientists understand how Egyptians built the pyramids and adapted to a drying landscape
Device Decodes ‘Internal Speech’ in the Brain
Technology that enables researchers to interpret brain signals could one day allow people to talk using only their thoughts
Do We Have Enough Bird Flu Vaccines for a Potential Pandemic?
The U.S. government has a stockpile of H5N1 vaccines, and several companies could make millions more if needed. But scaling up the supply could take time