Scientific American.com

The James Webb Space Telescope has found nearby brown dwarfs masquerading as far-distant galaxies. The discovery reinforces how, in astronomy, what you see isn’t always what you get

The quest to approximate irrational numbers with fractions reveals hidden patterns, surprising hierarchies and enduring mathematical mysteries

Everyday viral infections may be quietly reshaping the body’s network of molecules that support cells and tissues in ways that can raise cancer risk over time

These ruins, located just five kilometers from Stonehenge, likely laid the groundwork for religious rites celebrating the longest and shortest days of the year

This “extraordinary” event was likely caused by seismic waves bouncing off Earth’s core, researchers found

Next summer, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft will start sidling up to several asteroids near Jupiter. On its way there, it has studied another space rock up close

The effort to pull some 900 ocean-monitoring buoys and sensors from the water drew backlash from scientists and lawmakers

This partnership marks the latest foray into space exploration for Relativity Space, which aims to build cheap, reusable rockets

Even if you aren’t going to be within the path of totality, you can still watch the solar eclipse as it happens with Scientific American

A cold, cherry-blossom-hued exoplanet supports bizarre clouds chock-full of salts

Construction of the Deep Synoptic Array is about to start in rural Nevada. It will reveal untold galaxies in stunning detail and help explain how they form and grow

People are increasingly turning to AI for mental health support—but its design is “antithetical” to mental health care, experts say

On Thursday Knicks fans are flocking to Manhattan for a ticker-tape parade. But where did ticker tape even come from?

Tropical Storm Arthur is the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and will bring heavy rains and potential flash flooding to the Southeast

Why the human brain can't fathom what it means to be a trillionaire

Graves of hunter-gatherers in Siberia point to a deadly disease outbreak dating to some 5,500 years ago, a new DNA analysis finds

A galaxy appears to be missing the invisible substance thought to hold such objects together, further challenging long-held assumptions about how galaxies form

Galapagos sharks have been spotted scrubbing off parasites with help from manta rays

Neuroscientist Kauê M. Costa talks about surprising results that are changing how we think dopamine works and how the brain really learns

The Trump administration is mulling new rules that would give political appointees final say on research grants