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— Carl Sagan

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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: 1 hour 14 min ago

How to protect Earth from a deadly asteroid impact

6 hours 14 min ago

Our solar system is a celestial shooting gallery, chock-full of flying projectiles that one day could threaten Earth—so what can we do about it?

Categories: Astronomy

What's best for baking—butter or margarine? A food scientist explains

7 hours 14 min ago

Key differences in the chemical structure of butter and margarine mean choosing one or the other has a big effect on your baking

Categories: Astronomy

Will humans one day talk to animals? This scientist is bringing us closer

Fri, 06/26/2026 - 4:00pm

Julie Elie has been studying zebra finch vocalizations for years. Now, she has won the Coller-Dolittle Prize for progress toward a world where humans can talk to animals

Categories: Astronomy

What happens at the edge of a black hole? Astronomers may be close to finding out

Fri, 06/26/2026 - 12:30pm

The discovery of a completely new type of gravitational wave could reveal what happens near a black hole’s event horizon

Categories: Astronomy

Ancient Roman scrolls destroyed by Mount Vesuvius digitally unrolled in full for first time

Fri, 06/26/2026 - 12:00pm

This Silicon Valley-backed venture is unraveling the mangled remains of scrolls ruined by the 79 C.E. eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Herculaneum and Pompeii

Categories: Astronomy

Cosmic imposters show astronomers sometimes get things hilariously wrong

Fri, 06/26/2026 - 10:30am

Sometimes we mistake one kind of object with another to disastrous effect

Categories: Astronomy

How Mbappe, Haaland and Messi use psychology to stay sharp at the World Cup

Fri, 06/26/2026 - 6:00am

Sports psychology plays a major role on and off the pitch, helping players manage chaos and stay strategic

Categories: Astronomy

France just hit its hottest day ever recorded

Thu, 06/25/2026 - 10:35am

Scorching temperatures across France rose to a record-breaking average 30 degrees on Wednesday

Categories: Astronomy

Fundamental principles of the universe called into question by two physicists

Thu, 06/25/2026 - 9:30am

A new study claims that the universe isn’t entirely the same no matter where you look—a radical proposal

Categories: Astronomy

How quantum sensing could reveal hidden faults in thousands of U.S. bridges

Thu, 06/25/2026 - 9:00am

Of the more than 624,000 highway bridges in the U.S., an estimated 220,000 need repairs. Quantum sensors could help engineers better safeguard these vital pieces of infrastructure

Categories: Astronomy

Weight loss drugs don't work for everyone—here’s why

Thu, 06/25/2026 - 6:00am

Some people who take GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide see little to no changes to their weight. The reason why may be genetics

Categories: Astronomy

Top quantum computer expert claims Microsoft’s ‘topological qubit’ doesn’t hold up

Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:00am

The company has been touting its quantum technology for years, but some experts say these claims just don’t pass muster

Categories: Astronomy

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