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— Peter Hammill

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Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
Updated: 22 hours 15 min ago

China just launched a bunch of fake human embryos into space on a new research mission

Tue, 05/26/2026 - 12:30pm

China’s artificial embryos are part of an experiment to learn more about how human pregnancies could develop under microgravity conditions

Categories: Astronomy

A toothless, beaked, bipedal crocodile cousin roamed Earth 200 million years ago

Tue, 05/26/2026 - 8:00am

Like modern crocodiles, this bizarre ancient reptile was likely a carnivore, but otherwise it bears little resemblance to them

Categories: Astronomy

How mathematicians use Minecraft to calculate pi

Mon, 05/25/2026 - 7:00am

A battle between “slimes” and “zoglins” could be the best way to calculate pi—at least for fans of this megahit game

Categories: Astronomy

Experts explain how sunscreen really works—and why better ones may be coming soon

Mon, 05/25/2026 - 6:00am

Thick and creamy, gloopy or spray-on, sunscreen can be confounding. This science-backed guide can help you get ready for summer

Categories: Astronomy

Tiny alienlike blue octopus discovered lurking off the Galápagos Islands

Sun, 05/24/2026 - 9:35am

This teensy creature was discovered along a deep-sea mountain

Categories: Astronomy

Ocean census reveals more than 1,100 new species

Sun, 05/24/2026 - 6:00am

Over the course of 13 expeditions and other efforts between mid-2025 and mid-2026, scientists found hundreds of previously undiscovered creatures living under the waves

Categories: Astronomy

The universe could have 18 possible shapes

Sat, 05/23/2026 - 8:00am

Our universe appears flat—but this observation still leaves plenty of options for its true shape. In fact, our cosmos could resemble a donut

Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX launches Starship V3—the world’s most powerful and tallest rocket ever

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 6:30pm

Friday’s test flight marks a major milestone for SpaceX as the company gears up to go public and to participate in NASA’s Artemis III mission in 2027

Categories: Astronomy

Far side moon photos reveal hidden lunar minerals in brilliant color

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 1:00pm

An astrophotographer teamed up with Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman to create these stunning new images of the lunar surface

Categories: Astronomy

Why lawyers keep citing fake cases invented by AI

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 1:00pm

The trend of attorneys getting caught citing AI-hallucinated cases points to a broader problem: instead of checking AI’s work, people keep trusting it

Categories: Astronomy

Earth’s molten outer core is behaving in chaotic, unexpected ways

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 11:35am

Scientists are working to solve a mystery of Earth’s molten outer core, which lies more than 2,000 kilometers beneath our feet

Categories: Astronomy

Rare Ebola-causing Bundibugyo virus is uniquely challenging to treat. Here’s why

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 11:00am

Bundibugyo virus is an uncommon species of Ebola-causing virus that has been linked to only two other known outbreaks

Categories: Astronomy

Span wants to turn homes into mini data centers

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 8:00am

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

Categories: Astronomy

What will happen if the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies collide?

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 6:45am

Our galaxy and its nearest large companion, Andromeda, may be headed for a collision on a cosmic scale. What happens then?

Categories: Astronomy

What is E15 fuel? Why higher-ethanol gasoline could raise summer smog levels

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 6:30am

In an effort to reduce prices at the pump, an EPA wavier allows the sale of fuel with 15 percent ethanol content

Categories: Astronomy

Bixonimania’—the fake illness that AI fell for

Fri, 05/22/2026 - 6:00am

How an experiment involving a made-up skin condition exposes the risks of increasingly popular AI medical advice

Categories: Astronomy

SpaceX scrubs launch of Starship V3—the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built

Thu, 05/21/2026 - 7:35pm

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

Categories: Astronomy

Hidden structural features inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid may have helped it withstand earthquakes, new study finds

Thu, 05/21/2026 - 3:30pm

Constructed by ancient Egyptians, the Great Pyramid has survived multiple earthquakes through the ages—now researchers think they know why

Categories: Astronomy

Hantavirus found in shocking number of Pacific Northwest rodents

Thu, 05/21/2026 - 3:15pm

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

Categories: Astronomy

JWST sees partly cloudy skies on a distant, giant exoplanet

Thu, 05/21/2026 - 2:05pm

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

Categories: Astronomy