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— William Herschel

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Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
Updated: 13 hours 52 min ago

Extreme heat is muddling animals’ brains—and even triggering aggression

Wed, 06/24/2026 - 7:00am

As temperatures rise, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn

Categories: Astronomy

How underappreciated mathematician Emmy Noether helped prove physics' most fundamental theories

Tue, 06/23/2026 - 2:00pm

Noether's work helped prove the conservation of energy in physics, a key foundation for Einstein's theory of relativity

Categories: Astronomy

The first ticking ‘nuclear clocks’ are here

Tue, 06/23/2026 - 9:15am

These radical new devices keep time using fluctuations in the energy states of an atom’s nucleus, rather than those of its electrons, which atomic clocks currently use to define the length of a second

Categories: Astronomy

Why the paint is peeling off the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool—experts explain

Mon, 06/22/2026 - 3:30pm

Poor preparation and a failure to properly apply the coating may be just a few of the reasons why the Reflecting Pool’s new paint job appears to be peeling off

Categories: Astronomy

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is almost as old as the universe itself

Mon, 06/22/2026 - 11:00am

The evidence is mounting: this interstellar visitor is even older and weirder than anyone thought

Categories: Astronomy

Stem cells banish severe autoimmune disease for 15 years

Mon, 06/22/2026 - 10:30am

Two people were the first to receive the therapy for a condition that damages the spinal cord and optic nerve

Categories: Astronomy

Will NASA’s SkyFall Mars helicopter fleet sink science at the Red Planet?

Mon, 06/22/2026 - 8:00am

Mars researchers are wrestling with the potential costs of a flashy new NASA mission to the Red Planet

Categories: Astronomy

Got a tick bite? Here’s what to do and when to seek treatment

Mon, 06/22/2026 - 7:00am

Knowing what kind of tick bit you and where you got it can help inform next steps

Categories: Astronomy

Ebola outbreak latest, World Cup heat risks and dad brains

Mon, 06/22/2026 - 6:00am

What’s going on with the Ebola outbreak, how the World Cup is dealing with rising temperatures, and how becoming a father can change your brain

Categories: Astronomy

Can GLP-1s boost testosterone levels?

Sun, 06/21/2026 - 8:00am

Preliminary study finds that testosterone levels increase or stabilize in people taking GLP-1 medications

Categories: Astronomy

How becoming a dad changes men’s brains

Sun, 06/21/2026 - 7:00am

Fathers show changes in some of the same brain areas as mothers, but the effect of parenthood on dads isn’t nearly as well studied

Categories: Astronomy

Celebrate Father’s Day with seven whimsical and weird animal dads

Sun, 06/21/2026 - 6:00am

From tiny hamsters to giant salamanders, here are some of the most unusual examples of fatherhood across the animal kingdom

Categories: Astronomy

Silicon Valley's longevity biohackers are engaged in a dangerous experiment

Sat, 06/20/2026 - 8:00am

Influencers and ultra-rich people looking to extend their lifespan are trading tips and tricks on how to eke out extra years

Categories: Astronomy

Attachment style may influence how many kids people have

Sat, 06/20/2026 - 7:00am

People with “fearful” or “preoccupied” insecure attachment styles had more children, whereas securely attached people had fewer, according to a recent study

Categories: Astronomy

A water treatment expert on what could actually fix the Reflecting Pool

Fri, 06/19/2026 - 6:00pm

The Trump administration wanted the surface of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to be “American flag blue.” A water-treatment expert explains why the pool is still algal green and why the bloom could keep coming back

Categories: Astronomy

Which World Cup cooling methods really protect players from extreme heat?

Fri, 06/19/2026 - 3:30pm

From booed hydration breaks to cooling-gel vests, teams are trying everything to keep their players from overheating. Physiologists—and one World Cup team doctor—say feeling cooler is different than cooling the body

Categories: Astronomy

Scientists pop the cork on the hidden chemistry inside wine bottles

Fri, 06/19/2026 - 2:00pm

A new study captures how cork, wine and air interact over time

Categories: Astronomy

Scientists discover remnants of Jellyfish Nebula’s ‘sibling’ supernova

Fri, 06/19/2026 - 9:00am

Astronomers may have found the remains of two long-dead stellar siblings

Categories: Astronomy

In world first, a man living with HIV received a lung transplant from an HIV-positive donor

Fri, 06/19/2026 - 8:00am

This operation opens the door to treating more people living with HIV who have end-stage organ disease

Categories: Astronomy

Ancient human ancestors may have first used fire 1.79 million years ago

Fri, 06/19/2026 - 7:00am

A new method that detects whether bones have been burned reveals Homo erectus brought fires into caves far earlier than previous evidence had suggested

Categories: Astronomy