When it comes to global warming and greenhouse gases, methane is one of the bad guys. It's the second most important contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. However, quantifying the exact amount being released has been a matter of guesswork. But now the first-ever
In a recent study, Dr. Yuchen Tan and colleagues examined the response of the North China Plain settlement of Jiahu to the abrupt climatic 8.2 ka event. They found that Jiahu not only survived but also demonstrated remarkable resilience to the climate event, indicating that
We all know what a market leadership claim is, even if you've never heard the term. Imagine you're browsing online and come across an ad for a new AI deepfake-detection tool, built on emerging technology, that is calling itself "The No. 1 deepfake-detection solution."
Viruses and bacteria get a bad rap around the world, but now Flinders University experts are identifying the positive "upside" of powerful benefits that microbes have on human health.
Tiny organisms called algae can have an outsized impact on working waterfronts. While many benefit their ecosystems, others can cause devastating economic and ecological effects.
Most people have a preferred way of communication—phone, text, email—but bare-nosed wombats have an unusual way of relaying information.
Astronomers from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and elsewhere report the discovery of a new brown dwarf about 60 times more massive than Jupiter. The newfound substellar object, designated TOI-7019 b, is a brown dwarf known to orbit a star that is part of
Researchers have developed a new method for human identification, which could be a powerful new tool for forensic investigations. Edith Cowan University (ECU) Ph.D. students Rebecca Tidy and Romy Keane, who are also chemists at Western Australia's premier chemical science
A museum visit sparked a revelation when a Roman glass cup was turned around and its overlooked markings came into focus. These symbols, once dismissed as decoration, appear to be workshop identifiers used by teams of skilled artisans. The findings challenge centuries of
Explore the year’s most surprising computational revelations, including a new fundamental relationship between time and space, an undergraduate who overthrew a 40-year-old conjecture, and the unexpectedly effortless triggers that can turn AI evil. The post The Year in Computer
In U.S. states with anti-union labor environments, workers are up to 53% more likely to start their own businesses—and blue-collar workers are more likely to do it out of necessity.
A new study led by a researcher from the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University examined dinosaur fossils preserved with their feathers and found that these dinosaurs had lost the ability to fly. According to the researchers, this
Cats were domesticated in North Africa, but spread to Europe only about 2,000 years ago. Earlier reports of “house” cats were wild cats.
Cells may generate their own electrical signals through microscopic membrane motions. Researchers show that active molecular processes can create voltage spikes similar to those used by neurons. These signals could help drive ion transport and explain key biological functions.
Cases of colorectal cancer in younger adults are climbing worldwide, driven by lifestyle changes and inherited genetic risks. Diet, obesity, and lack of early screening are playing a major role in this shift. New genetic tests offer hope for earlier detection, but access and
Mo Khalil is the Hok Lam and Kathleen Kam Wong Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Prof. Khalil joined SEAS in 2025 from Boston University, where he was an
Ariel Procaccia is the Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). His work combines mathematics, computer science, and AI to develop fairer, more representative methods of collective
Scientists are uncovering a surprising way to influence bacteria—not by killing them, but by changing how they communicate. Researchers studying oral bacteria found that disrupting chemical signals used in bacterial “conversations” can shift dental plaque toward healthier, less
Some firefighter gear is manufactured with chemicals called brominated flame retardants that could pose a risk to firefighter health, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Large phytoplankton blooms north of the Hawaiian Islands have been seen in satellite imagery as vast swirls of color nearly every summer, but their origin and ecosystem dynamics have remained mysterious.
The ultimate goal of materials scientists is to design and create materials with precise structures and tailored properties. Predictive technologies have advanced significantly with the rise of AI, yet the delicate nature of chemistry, where even the smallest change can alter a
Physicists have found a clever way to detect the elusive Unruh effect without extreme accelerations. By using atoms that emit light cooperatively between mirrors, acceleration subtly shifts when a powerful light burst appears. That early flash acts like a timestamped signature
A rare, ultra-long earthquake in Myanmar revealed that mature faults can deliver their full force directly to the surface. The discovery could mean stronger shaking near faults like California’s San Andreas than current models predict.
This week marks the last chance for backyard astronomers to see interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS before it races on its journey back to outer space
South Africa is home to some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth, contained in rocky, often layered outcroppings called microbialites. Like coral reefs, these complex "living rocks" are built up by microbes absorbing and precipitating dissolved minerals into solid formations.
Using satellite imagery and government data, researchers measured a 5% increase in voluntary, or non-subsidized, cover crop adoption by Arkansas farmers.
Satellites in orbit would begin to collide in a matter of days if they lost manoeuvrability during a solar storm or other outage
It's serious business for the world establishing a framework to limit the impact of climate change, but for some, market responses to the annual United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) climate negotiations are also a chance to make some serious money.
Compact, mixed-use districts are often assumed to naturally produce cleaner travel patterns, but the reality on the ground is far more complex.
Black youth in the United States disproportionately experience fatal drowning at rates up to five times higher than their white peers. These statistics relate to historical and structural barriers Black youth face in learning to swim.
Psychological data and brain scans show how sleep can improve our lives, our bodies and our relationships
Inside the desperate rush to save the southern resident killer whales
Popular supplements with billions of “good” microbes really help only a few illnesses, research shows
Play this crossword inspired by the January 2026 issue of Scientific American
Whether space, health, technology or environment, here are the issues in science that the editors of Scientific American are focusing on for 2026
Letters to the editors for the September 2025 issue of Scientific American
Celestial transients shine furiously and briefly. Astronomers are just beginning to understand them
A new generation of household robots could change the way you live
Robots are poised to play a much bigger role in daily life at home, at work and in the world
Killer bees; Mars volcanoes
Disruptions in interoception may underlie anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health ailments
These three disorders could really be “CKM syndrome,” which can be treated with drugs like Ozempic
The sex of many turtles, crocodilians, and other reptiles is determined by the temperature at which their eggs incubate. Global warming could doom them
High on ayahuasca, Bruce Damer saw how life on Earth began. He may very well be right. The post The Psychedelic Scientist appeared first on Nautilus .
A new genetic mapping strategy reveals how entire networks of genes work together to cause disease, filling in the missing links left by traditional genetic studies. The technique could transform how scientists identify drug targets for complex conditions.
Nepal launched on Tuesday a nationwide tiger census, a key step in conservation efforts to aid the recovery of the big cats that once faced near extinction in the Himalayan nation.
Two dozen Kemp's ridley sea turtles are rehabilitating in Florida after the frigid waters off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, left them struggling with frostbite, pneumonia and abrasions.
A newly developed AI can predict which diseases specific genetic mutations are likely to cause, not just whether they are harmful. The breakthrough could speed up diagnoses and open new paths for personalized treatment.
The rings of Saturn are normally thought to be flat, but measurements by the Cassini spacecraft show that some of their particles fly hundreds of thousands of kilometres above and below the thin main discs
