For the last 80 years, the theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED), which describes all electromagnetic interactions, has been a cornerstone of the standard model, withstanding the scrutiny of countless experiments and agreeing with observations down to the smallest known
A genetic master map of ancient grasses could be the key to future-proofing global food supplies, according to a new study revealing why some crops are naturally better at surviving climate change than others.
Weasels are small carnivores with a long body and short legs. They also have a stout skull and sharp teeth. These creatures, along with ferrets and minks, make up the Mustelinae subfamily. Until now, researchers believed that the oldest fossils from this family were from Poland
Modern broiler chicken strains have been selectively bred for rapid growth, increased meat yield and feed efficiency, making poultry meat affordable and widely available. But this has led to reduced movement and natural behaviors, such as foraging, and increased susceptibility
The findings show how the H5N1 bird flu virus is evolving in livestock and what that may mean for human health.
Beavers (Castor canadensis) are widely recognized as ecosystem engineers, building dams that reshape water flow and alter the physical structure of rivers and streams.
How can magma buried 5, 10, or even 15 km underground be detected without any surface indicators? The answer lies in ambient noise tomography, a technique that analyzes natural ground vibrations with high precision. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the Institute of
Being a single woman isn't the social taboo it once was. Singlehood seems to be on the rise, with more single-person households, and more women choosing to marry later in life, or not at all.
A team of researchers from institutions across South America have expanded scholarly knowledge of the Pikelinia spider genus, with their recent discovery of a new crevice weaver species: Pikelinia floydmuraria. The new species name is a creative tribute to the legendary rock
When looking to the future of information technology, researchers have pinpointed a once-theoretical particle-like structure: the skyrmion. Magnetic skyrmions are very stable structures found on micromagnetic materials that have a vortex-like spin. Because they can be moved
New research suggests that relic black holes from before the big bang may still shape galaxies today. These black holes could explain dark matter, one of the biggest unsolved questions in cosmology.
Bonobos are often described as gentle apes, generally calm primates that are seen as peacemakers in the animal kingdom. But this reputation may be coming under attack as a new study published in Scientific Reports reveals that wild bonobos may engage in group aggression that is
From ketchup to quicksand, non-Newtonian fluids have long fascinated and puzzled scientists. Unlike ordinary fluids, their flow properties change depending on how much force is applied, but the precise mechanics governing this behavior remain poorly understood—particularly
We have been searching for signals from other civilizations for over sixty years. Radio telescopes on Earth have swept the sky, listened patiently, and found nothing but silence. It is a search that demands extraordinary sensitivity and that is the problem. Earth and our very
In the aftermath of Earth’s most catastrophic extinction event, one unlikely survivor rose to dominate a shattered world: Lystrosaurus. Now, a stunning fossil discovery—an ancient egg containing a curled-up embryo—has finally answered a decades-old mystery about whether mammal
Life moves in mysterious ways—and perhaps especially so for organisms that undergo dramatic shifts in levels of self-organization, such as Myxococcus xanthus. A custom-built artificial intelligence system developed by Rice University researchers helped uncover how bacterial
UK researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind bespoke AI system designed to assess coral health and detect early stress, helping to prevent restoration projects from failing. Led by PhD research student at the University of Derby, Nicole Yeomans, and marine scientist
The whopping bee aggregation is one of the largest and oldest ever recorded, according to a new study
A breakthrough experiment has shed new light on one of astrophysics’ biggest mysteries: the origin of rare proton-rich elements. For the first time, scientists directly measured a key reaction that creates selenium-74 using a rare isotope beam. The results sharpen models of how
Adelaide University researchers have successfully tested a new type of portable atomic clock at sea for the first time, using technology that could help power the next generation of navigation, communications and scientific systems. The research team, from the Institute for
It's a catchy tune, but The Lovin Spoonful's "Summer in the City" doesn't paint the picture of an appealing environment with its description of a sidewalk as "hotter than a match head." New research from Northeastern University may offer relief from those conditions, however,
Millions of objects stashed at a site open only to select visitors tell the history of Earth's inhabitants.
Venus, often called Earth's twin, is in fact a planet of extremes. Beneath its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere are crushing surface temperatures and dense clouds of sulfuric acid. While the planet's main cloud layer sits between 47 and 70 kilometers above the surface,
A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is overturning a decades-old belief that Indigenous Hawaiians hunted native waterbirds to extinction. Instead, researchers found no scientific evidence supporting this claim and propose a more complex explanation involving
An Adelaide University study has revealed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in tap water, at levels currently considered safe, affected the development of embryos, causing irreversible damage that may be passed on to future generations. The researchers
Bread and other carbohydrate staples may be doing more than just filling plates—they could be quietly reshaping metabolism. In a surprising twist, researchers found that mice strongly preferred carbs like bread, rice, and wheat, abandoning their regular diet entirely. Even
What do bats do at night when they're not hunting? Using tiny GPS trackers, Leiden researchers discovered that pond bats spend a substantial portion of the night resting—often outdoors. This surprising insight could change the way we protect them. "To rest or to roam:
Scientists have discovered a way to supercharge the immune system’s T cells by blocking a protein called Ant2, forcing the cells to rewire how they generate energy. This shift makes them more powerful, resilient, and effective at finding and destroying cancer cells.
In a tank on the bottom floor of a University of Chicago research laboratory, scientists summon "The Blob" into existence by firing water jets to create an artfully choreographed series of rings.
Loneliness may quietly affect how well older adults remember things—but it might not be speeding up mental decline after all. A large European study tracking over 10,000 people for seven years found that those who felt lonelier started off with weaker memory, yet their memory
A new study has shown that whale calls are reduced by as much as 50% in response to seismic surveys, which are commonly used to find oil and gas reserves. Researchers are worried that such surveys could impact vulnerable marine species, which rely on sound for communication,
The University of Phoenix Career Institute has released its sixth annual Career Optimism Index, a recurring national workforce research study of 5,000 U.S. working adults and 1,000 employers fielded January 21–February 6, 2026.
A study of more than 10 million siblings suggests that firstborns are more likely to be autistic and have allergies, while conditions like migraine and shingles tend to affect their younger sibling
Tasmania's logged forests burn significantly more severely in a bushfire than old growth, University of Tasmania scientists have found in a study that provides the strongest evidence yet on a question with real consequences for how the state manages its forests. The research
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescope, astronomers have performed high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of a bright low-mass X-ray binary known as GX 340+0. Results of the observational campaign, published April 3 on the arXiv pre-print server, shed more light
Human urine—often flushed away without thought—could be key to making agriculture and wastewater treatment more sustainable and energy efficient, according to new research from the University of Surrey. Although urine only makes up around 1% of wastewater, it contains the
In a new study, researchers introduce the dual threat model of antisemitism, which highlights the central role of perceived Jewish power in fueling antisemitism, and they discuss its implications for interventions aimed at curbing antisemitism.
Like a naughty pet Labrador, the Australian lungfish has little restraint when it comes to food. "We had 360 sqm of aquatic plants growing inside enclosures; but, once the fences were removed, lungfish and other aquatic animals feasted on the plants, and most of the vegetation
The Pokémon franchise, including its recent game Pokémon Pokopia , is inspired by real animals and their ecology. It’s no surprise that so many scientists love to try and “catch ’em all”
Sometimes innovation can be traced back to bizarre places: a muddy streambed, a volcanic ash field or even a hotel-company boardroom
Play this crossword inspired by the May 2026 issue of Scientific American
Science in meter and verse
Immune system overreactions may be the true culprit of cardiac illness—and lifesaving drugs can calm them down
Scientists have designed a new kind of paradoxical shape
The Diffie-Hellman key exchange secures everything from your text messages to government secrets
With the rise of private orbital habitats, vacations in space are becoming a real possibility for the ultrawealthy
How the discovery of altermagnets could change physics and computing
Binoculars and other far-range optics span a gamut of price points. Here’s what separates top-tier from entry-level
The SciFy program tests whether adversaries’ most outlandish scientific claims add up or fall apart