Scientific American.com
Woman Receives Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant after Heart Pump Surgery
A woman with life-threatening heart and kidney disease became the second person ever to receive a genetically modified pig kidney and the first person to receive a heart pump and a transplanted organ together
How Sugar Gliders Got Their Wings
Several marsupial species, including sugar gliders, independently evolved a way to make membranes that allow them to glide through the air
New Geothermal Technology Could Expand Clean Power Generation
Long confined to regions with volcanic activity, geothermal promises to become a much more versatile energy source thanks to new technologies
Soviet-Era Pseudoscience Lurks behind ‘Havana Syndrome’ Worries
Dodgy studies and fantastic claims have long powered a belief in devious Russian brain weapons, from mind control to microwave devices
Lemon-Scented Marijuana Compound Reduces Weed’s ‘Paranoia’ Effect
The molecule that gives cannabis its citrusy smell can make THC less anxiety-inducing
A Singular Climate Experiment Takes Shape in the Amazon
After years of delay, researchers are ready to inject carbon dioxide into jungle plots.
This Simple Strategy Might Be the Key to Advancing Science Faster
The incentives in science don’t always encourage openness—but being wrong might just be the key to getting it right.
A Golden Age of Renewables Is Beginning, and California Is Leading the Way
California has hit record-breaking milestones in renewable electricity generation, showing that wind, water and solar are ready to cover our electricity needs
Glow-in-the-Dark Animals May Have Been Around for 540 Million Years
Ancestors of so-called soft corals may have developed bioluminescence in the earliest days of deep-ocean living
New Interactive Map Shows Where Extreme Heat Threatens Health
People in the U.S. will be able to see where extreme heat is a threat to health with a new interactive tool created by the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
An Epitaph for Daniel Dennett, Philosopher of Consciousness
Is consciousness nothing more than an illusion? That idea defined the work of Daniel Dennett (1942–2024)
Is There a Human Hiding behind That Robot or AI? A Brief History of Automatons That Were Actually People
When human labor is hidden under the veneer of a robot or AI tool, that’s “fauxtomation”
How Ugandan Tobacco Farmers Inadvertently Spread Bat-Borne Viruses
By cutting trees in response to international demand for tobacco, farmers induced wildlife to start eating virus-laden bat guano
After Months of Gibberish, Voyager 1 Is Communicating Well Again
NASA scientists spent months coaxing the 46-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft back into healthy communication
Biden Kicks Off Earth Week with Solar Funding, Expanding Climate Corps
The Biden administration is marking Earth Week with announcements of solar power funding for lower-income communities, an expansion of the Climate Corps and Clean Air Act rules
Time Slows Down When We See Something Memorable
New research shows that looking at memorable images can warp our perception of time
Quantum Computers Can Run Powerful AI That Works like the Brain
The influential AI design that makes chatbots tick now runs on quantum computers
Experimental Ovarian Cryopreservation Could Delay Menopause, but Experts Are Weighing the Risks
Extracting, freezing and retransplanting slices of hormone-producing ovarian tissue could postpone menopause, but some experts say it’s not effective enough—or necessary
Low-Earth Orbit Faces a Spiraling Debris Threat
Millions of human-made objects travel at high speeds in low-Earth orbit, polluting space and increasing the chance of collision with satellites and other spacecraft
How a Cloned Ferret Inspired a DNA Bank for Endangered Species
The birth of a cloned black-footed ferret named Elizabeth Ann, and her two new sisters, has sparked a new pilot program to preserve the tissues of hundreds of endangered species “just in case”