Scientific American.com

The depiction of the climate crisis as a cliff—once we fall off the edge, it’s game over—is nonsense

To make the most of any total solar eclipse, put down your gadgets and bask in one of our solar system’s most glorious spectacles

Total solar eclipses have set the stage for major scientific advancements—everything from the discovery of helium to the testing of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

A solar geoengineering experiment in San Francisco could lead to brighter clouds that reflect sunlight. The risks are numerous

Ancient Maya saw solar eclipses as a “broken sun” that was a sign of possible destruction

Researchers used tinned fish to reconstruct parasitic population change, giving new meaning to the phrase “opening a can of worms”

Annie Maunder was an astronomer who expanded our understanding of the sun at the turn of the 20th century. Her passion was photographing eclipses.

Rat remains from shipwrecks and dig sites show how two rodent species duked it out in eastern North America

An Alabama court ruling that human embryos outside the uterus should be regarded as children has raised concerns among doctors and scientists about the future of the fertility treatment in vitro fertilization

Predicting what the sun will look like during a total solar eclipse is a helpful exercise for scientists in the long quest to understand how our star works

From the time I learned to read, I have experienced a form of mental closed-captioning called ticker-tape synesthesia

From cloud coverage to clear skies, here’s up-to-date weather conditions expected along the path of April 8’s total solar eclipse

As much as 85 percent of U.S. emissions of sulfuryl fluoride—a rare greenhouse gas and common pesticide used to treat termites—comes from California

An earthquake scientist discusses what we know about Taiwan’s magnitude 7. quake so far and what may happen next

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, announced she had cancer last month. Many cancer patients undergo surgery, chemotherapy and other treatments in combination

A marine scientist discusses the problem of plastic pollution and her hopes for an international treaty to tackle it

Eclipses bring the future—or at least a tiny sliver of it—into sharp focus

Ancient Egyptian mummies reveal what diseases afflicted people in the great civilization, as well as the protective role the Nile could play

Inspiration, creativity, discovery—all of these things start from a place of not knowing, and these researchers know how to navigate those uncertainties.​

It is imperative that we protect science education from “intelligent design” and other alternative “theories”