Scientific American.com
The Theoretical Physicist Who Worked with J. Robert Oppenheimer at the Dawn of the Nuclear Age
Melba Phillips co-authored a paper with J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1935 that proved important in the development of nuclear physics. Later she became an outspoken critic of nuclear weapons
This Nearly 50-Foot Snake Was One of the Largest to Slither the Earth
Fossilized vertebrae that were found in an Indian coal mine belonged to a gigantic and previously unknown snake species
Mathematicians Explain Why Some Lengths Can’t Be Measured
Can you assign a size to every object? The surprising answer is no
AI Report Shows ‘Startlingly Rapid’ Progress—And Ballooning Costs
A new report finds that AI matches or outperforms people at tasks such as competitive math and reading comprehension
SpaceX’s Starship Could Save NASA’s Beleaguered Mars Sample Return Mission
Facing budgetary pressure for its Mars Sample Return program, NASA has turned to private industry for ideas—perhaps with one specific company in mind
It’s Time to Act on Pilots’ Mental Health
Mental health recommendations for pilots and air traffic controllers bring new ideas to old problems; the FAA must decide what’s next
What Philosopher Ibn Sina Can Teach Us about AI
A philosopher who lived centuries before artificial intelligence might be able to help us understand the field's personhood questions
Hollywood Should Give Brain Science a Star Turn
Movies and TV shows frequently depict physical and biological sciences well, but often depict psychological and brain sciences poorly. Here’s why, and what we can do about it
Earth’s Coral Reefs Face a New, Deadly Mass Bleaching. They Can Still Be Saved
“A mass bleaching event is, by definition, a mass mortality event,” a leading coral reef expert says
A Dengue Fever Outbreak Is Setting Records in the Americas
At least 2.1 million cases of dengue fever have been reported in North and South America, and this year 1,800 people have died from the mosquito-borne disease
Spiderlike Mars Robot Might One Day Crawl through Unexplored Volcanic Caves
This eight-legged probe would scour Mars’s underground lava tubes for places where explorers might camp—or for signs of past life
Milky Way's 'Sleeping Giant' Black Hole Lurks Shockingly Close to Earth
A black hole weighing as much as 33 suns lurks a mere 2,000 light-years away from our solar system
How Jeff Koons’s Lunar Artwork Could Outlast All of Humanity
How long can humanity’s artifacts endure on the lunar surface? A new installation from artist Jeff Koons is inadvertently putting this question to the test
NASA’s Artemis Astronauts Will Help Grow Crops on the Moon—And Much More
When astronauts return to the moon later this decade, they’ll bring along science experiments to study moonquakes, lunar water ice and extraterrestrial agriculture
AI Can Transform the Classroom Just Like the Calculator
AI can better education, not threaten it, if we learn some lessons from the adoption of the calculator into the classroom
The Evolution of a Big, Ugly Cry
Uncontrollable sobbing is uniquely human, and it may be our emotions running out of our faces, a way to connect us with other people
Neither Plants nor Animals, These Ocean Organisms Protect Their Ecosystems against Heat Waves
Mixotrophs, which have characteristics of both animals and plants, could help blunt the effects of marine heat waves on ocean ecosystems
How a New AI Model Helps Volcanic History Rise from the Ashes
Volcano detectives use artificial intelligence to sleuth out ancient secrets in Alaska.
Overconfidence Can Blindside Science and Society Alike. Here's How Not to Get Fooled
The tale of how the "backfire effect" ultimately, itself, backfired, and what scientists can learn from being wrong
Online Age Verification Laws Could Do More Harm Than Good
More U.S. states are requiring online ID checks. A proposed French strategy aims to balance child safety with users’ privacy rights