Scientific American.com
Senator Mark Kelly reveals why science is critical to America’s future
On steering the path forward for research and innovation
Colin Carlson: Young American Scientist linking climate change to human health and ecological diversity
Explaining how climate change affects ecological diversity and human health
Inside U.S. labs at a moment of fear—and unexpected promise
Despite funding woes, American scientists are finding reasons for optimism
Steven Chavez: Young American Scientist trying to make catalysts work better
Making catalysts used in industrial processes hardier and more effective
Distrust in science thrives on dangerous stereotypes
Scientists are seen as oddballs, and that’s a problem
Why U.S. science funding needs reform
The federal funding system for scientific research in the U.S. is crumbling. Here’s how it can be rebuilt
Jieneng Chen: Young American Scientist creating AI tools for better cancer detection
Creating artificial-intelligence tools for cancer detection
Kauê M. Costa: Young American Scientist trying to decipher how we learn
Applying new tools to behavioral tests to discern how we learn
Autonomous labs are running science experiments 24/7
Robots and AI are running experiments around the clock, from battery chemistry to cancer therapies. But can they be trusted to get it right?
How we chose the 2026 Young American Scientists
Scientific American used expert recommendations and data analysis to identify 28 exceptional early-career researchers
Dane deQuilettes: Young American Scientist studying ways to improve solar energy
Inventing better materials to improve solar energy
Chee-Huat Linus Eng: Young American Scientist capturing a cell's genetic activity in real-time
Creating techniques to allow scientists to see biological processes in real time
See how academic freedom is changing around the world
Some countries have seen a stark decline in academic freedom over the past decade
Emily Finn: Young American Scientist studying how people interpret the same things differently
Studying why people interpret the same thing in different ways
Science’s rising stars
There are bright futures ahead for our first-ever Young American Scientist honorees
Jaye Gardiner: Young American Scientist studying the environment around cancers
Learning how the matrix around cells and tissues impacts cancers
Trevor GrandPre: Young American Scientist studying self-organizing structures in cells called biomolecular condensates
Building models to understand how self-organizing structures in cells lead to disease
Anna Ho: Young American Scientist studying astronomical transients
Describing the characteristics of short-lived astrophysical events
