How much of 'us' is really 'us'?
Some time around 1683, amateur Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek scraped the plaque from between his teeth and peered at it through a home-made microscope.
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Innovations in spatial imaging could unlock higher wheat yields
Researchers at the John Innes Center and the Earlham Institute are pioneering powerful single-cell visualization techniques that could unlock higher yields of global wheat.
Direct visualization captures hidden spatial order of electrons in a quantum material
The mystery of quantum phenomena inside materials—such as superconductivity, where electric current flows without energy loss—lies in when electrons move together and when they break apart. KAIST researchers have succeeded in directly observing the moments when electrons form
Sinking salty ice suggests pathway for life-sustaining conditions in Europa's ocean
A recent study by geophysicists at Washington State University offers insight into how nutrients may reach the subsurface ocean of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons and a leading candidate for extraterrestrial life in the solar system.
Knock, knock... mapping comedic timing with a computational framework
Researchers propose a computational method to reveal the hidden timing structure of live performance. Vanessa C. Pope and colleagues present a framework, called Topology Analysis of Matching Sequences (TAMS), that algorithmically detects repeated material across performances
Seismic 'snapshot' reveals new insight into how the Rocky Mountains formed
No one ever thought the birth of the Rocky Mountains was a simple process, but we now know it was far more complex than even geophysicists had assumed.
Living slowly, aging fast: The prison paradox
The days can seem endless in Canadian prisons—and yet, inside, inmates actually age faster than on the outside. Why?
Koala overpopulation in South Australia prompts call for humane fertility management
Research into South Australia's koala populations, led by Dr. Frédérik Saltré from UTS and the Australian Museum, provides the first comprehensive population estimate for the region and identifies a cost-effective, humane solution to stabilize current unsustainable koala numbers.
How to involve men and boys in tackling misogyny? Start by treating them not just as perpetrators
Almost half (45%) of teachers across primary and secondary schools in the UK describe misogynistic attitudes and behavior among boys as being a problem, according to a YouGov survey in 2025. Additionally, 54% of secondary school teachers indicate that boys very or fairly often
Howler monkey roars exaggerate body size but are truthful to other howlers
Howler monkeys are relatively small primates known for their incredibly loud, low-frequency roars that sound as if they come from a much larger creature. This is useful in the animal kingdom because sounding big can deter predators and may discourage rivals before they get a
The yellow-legged hornet eradication is on track—but the next few months are crucial
New Zealand now has a genuine chance to stamp out one of the most damaging invasive insects to reach our shores: the Asian yellow-legged hornet.
The last spiny dormouse in Europe
Today, only one species of the spiny dormouse survives, in southern India. However, the oldest spiny dormouse in evolutionary history, a member of the rodent family, was found in sediment dating back 17.5 to 13.3 million years in Europe.
‘In Botanical Time’ explores the ways Earth’s oldest plants cheat death
Author Christopher Woods unpacks the science behind ancient plants’ longevity in a new book.
How shifting tectonic plates drove Earth's climate swings
Carbon released from Earth's spreading tectonic plates, not volcanoes, may have triggered major transitions between ancient ice ages and warm climates, new research finds.
Ion trap enables 1 minute in the nanocosmos
At the Department of Ion Physics and Applied Physics at the University of Innsbruck, a research team has succeeded for the first time in storing electrically charged helium nanodroplets in an ion trap for up to one minute.
Ancient Mesopotamian medical texts reveal the role of divine sanctuaries in treating ear and spleen ailments
In a study published in the journal Iraq, Dr. Troels Arbøll analyzed medical prescriptions from ancient Mesopotamia to understand and re-evaluate the role sanctuaries played in the healing process. The study found that specific ailments, particularly those linked to the ear and
Bull sharks are spending longer in Sydney Harbor and other summer grounds—here's how you can stay safe
Four people have now been bitten by sharks in the last two days in New South Wales, including three in Sydney Harbor. Two people are in critical condition.
9/11 WTC Health Program workforce cut by 25% under Kennedy as patient count rises, advocates say
The staff running the federal World Trade Center Health Program has been cut by 25% as the number of sick 9/11 survivors the group treats is expected to increase by 10,000 this year, the Daily News has learned.
Surprisingly in sync: Sunlight and sediments reveal climate history of Antarctica
The remnants of ice attached to the coast offer astounding insights into the climate history of past millennia. An international research team led by the CNR Institute of Polar Sciences (Italy) and involving the University of Bonn has applied a new method of analyzing sediment
James Webb catches an exoplanet losing its atmosphere in real time
Astronomers have captured the most dramatic view yet of a planet losing its atmosphere, watching the ultra-hot gas giant WASP-121b for an entire orbit with the James Webb Space Telescope. Instead of a single stream of escaping gas, the planet is wrapped in two colossal helium
Gaia data release reveals four substructures in open cluster NGC 752
By analyzing the data from ESA's Gaia satellite, Chinese astronomers have investigated the structure of a nearby open cluster known as NGC 752. The new study identified four substructures and delivered evidence for mass segregation in this cluster. The findings were presented
An electrically powered source of entangled light on a chip
Quantum technologies are cutting-edge systems that can process, transfer, or store information leveraging quantum mechanical effects, particularly a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement. Entanglement entails a correlation between two or more distant particles, whereby
Your brain does something surprising when you don’t sleep
When you’re short on sleep and your focus suddenly drifts, your brain may be briefly slipping into cleanup mode. Scientists discovered that these attention lapses coincide with waves of fluid washing through the brain, a process that usually happens during sleep. It’s the
As the U.S. marks a year of measles outbreaks, is the disease back for good?
The U.S. has held its measles-free status for more than 25 years. Experts say unrelenting outbreaks in the past year may change that
Developmental language disorder can have life-long effects—and it's easily missed in multilingual children
Six-year-old Antoni, born in the UK to Polish parents, speaks only a few English words in class and often looks confused when the teacher gives instructions. He could simply be adjusting to English—or the problem could be developmental language disorder (DLD), a condition that
Mars once had a vast sea the size of the Arctic Ocean
Spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet have helped researchers map out an ancient coastline that surrounded a large ocean billions of years ago
Is AI really conscious—or are we bringing it to life?
In rethinking whether AI is sentient, we are asking bigger questions about cognition, human-machine interaction and even our own consciousness
Can a ‘brain in a vat’ be conscious?
Consciousness researchers studying “islands of awareness” have found that disconnected brains likely sink into a strange form of deep sleep
4 shark bites in 48 hours: How what we do on land may shape shark behavior
Beachgoers in Australia are on high alert following four shark incidents in New South Wales in 48 hours.
Study captures rare glimpse into urban hedgehog life—and reveals impact of feeding on garden visits
Researchers at Nottingham Trent University and Chester Zoo analyzed thousands of images from 415 gardens, alongside each garden's specific characteristics, to examine how often hedgehogs were detected and which features most influenced their visits.
Deep sea mining is the next geopolitical frontline—and the Pacific is in the crosshairs
When the United States recently escalated its confrontation with Venezuela—carrying out strikes in Caracas and capturing President Nicolás Maduro—the moves were framed as political intervention.
Your guide to 29 wildly different theories of consciousness
The many, many ways researchers hope to solve the toughest mystery in science
Which dog breed stereotypes are true? Here’s the science
A large dataset shows some dog stereotypes are based in reality, and others might be unfair characterizations
What is consciousness? Science faces its hardest problem yet
Will brain science deliver answers about consciousness or hit another wall?
Science crossword: Consciousness carriers
Play this crossword inspired by the February 2026 issue of Scientific American
Readers respond to the October 2025 issue
Letters to the editors for the October 2025 issue of Scientific American
Math puzzle: A winning loser
Pick an unusual winning poker hand in this math puzzle
Life’s evil twins—mirror cells—could doom Earth if scientists don’t stop them
Researchers are close to making “reversed” cells that may wipe us off the planet
JWST could finally spot the very first stars in the universe
The James Webb Space Telescope should soon be able to spot the first generation of stars in space
How extremophile molds are destroying museum artifacts
Extremophile molds are invading art museums and devouring their collections. Stigma and climate change have fueled their spread
Heal injuries faster with new science
Motion is the new potion, and rest is no longer the best
February 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago
Giant atoms; corpses for science
A bright light in the dark
The Nobel Prizes remind us how science can unite society and inspire hope for the future
Scientists discover a hidden RNA 'aging clock' in human sperm
Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.
Research finds teacher-student relationship key driver for teacher well-being
A new Monash University study has analyzed the association between positive teacher-student relationships and well-being in middle and secondary school teachers.
Sunscreens made from ground-up wood reach an SPF of over 180
Concerns around common sunscreen chemicals have prompted the search for natural alternatives, with lignin from wood being one of the most promising candidates
New quantum boundary discovered: Spin size determines how the Kondo effect behaves
Collective behavior is an unusual phenomenon in condensed-matter physics. When quantum spins interact together as a system, they produce unique effects not seen in individual particles. Understanding how quantum spins interact to produce this behavior is central to modern
Ancient 'spaghetti' in dogs' hearts reveals surprising origins of heartworm
Research led by the University of Sydney is reshaping scientific understanding of one of the world's most widespread canine parasites, suggesting heartworm disease has a far deeper and more complex evolutionary history than previously believed—including a possible ancient
Full value added tax on meat: A first step towards pricing the environmental damages caused by diets
A study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Nature Food analyzes the ecological "footprint" from diets—and policy options to counteract through price signals. EU-wide, 23% of greenhouse gas emissions generated directly and indirectly by private
