Scientific American.com
A real Mr. Snuffleupagus? Meet the ocean’s strangest new fish species
A strange, tiny fish that resembles the famous Sesame Street character camouflages amid red algae thanks to its flamboyant reddish “hairs”
This startup wants to make drugs in orbit. If it succeeds, it could transform the space economy
Varda’s plan to develop medicines in microgravity has its advantages, but it requires a big up-front cost
How to arm yourself against hantavirus misinformation
Hantavirus misinformation is spreading fast. COVID trauma and social media algorithms may be to blame
Can plants have consciousness? The film Silent Friend reimagines the science
The filmmaker behind the newly released movie Silent Friend shares the scientific and historical inspiration for its story of botanical consciousness
Asking AI to explain your medical results? What doctors want you to know
As more people turn to chatbots for medical guidance, the technology is revealing both its promise and its risks
Microbe ‘cities’ may solve a key ocean mystery
Some of Earth’s tiniest life-forms inhabit slowly sinking particles of fish poop and debris, playing a crucial role in ocean carbon storage
Are astronomers ignoring some of the cosmos?
There are parts of the universe, and of the electromagnetic spectrum, that we’re not covering with our telescopes—but not as many as you might think!
Why Black women are at greater risk for fibroids and endometrial cancer
A new book argues that disparities in fibroids, cancer and diagnosis reveal a lifelong gynecologic health crisis for Black women
To celebrate Endangered Species Day, meet the scaly-foot snail, the most metal animal in the world
This snail became the first animal living on deep-sea hydrothermal vents to be added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species—it also turns poisonous sulfur into armor
U.S. Supreme Court allows mifepristone by mail—for now
The nation’s top court extended a stay on a lower court order banning telemedicine access to mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions—but the order sets up a longer legal fight
There’s an 82 percent chance El Niño will ‘emerge soon,’ NWS says
The El Niño climate event is due to return this year, with U.S. forecasters predicting an 82 percent chance of it coming in May through July and a 96 percent chance for it doing so in December through February 2027
‘Golden rule’ in abstract art just discovered by mathematicians
A mathematical ratio could explain why AI-generated art doesn’t evoke awe from viewers
Implantable ‘living materials’ that deliver drugs on demand could help fight infections
In a “breakthrough,” researchers demonstrate how engineered bacteria held in a jellylike container could help fight infection in mice
Doubts grow over theory that bird-watchers’ trip to Argentine landfill sparked hantavirus outbreak
The hantavirus cruise outbreak may not have started in a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina, after all
NASA’s Psyche mission is snapping photos of Mars on its way to an asteroid
The Psyche spacecraft is bound for a metal-rich asteroid that it will examine up close starting in 2029. But first, it needs to swing past the Red Planet
Can helium-3 create a ‘gold rush’ on the moon?
The rare isotope helium-3 is one of Earth’s most precious commodities—so precious, in fact, that it might prove profitable to mine from the moon
The war in Iran is supercharging an ecological crisis in the Persian Gulf
Despite decades of damage, the Persian Gulf’s ecological marvels remain—for now
Deep-Earth diamonds reveal trove of never-before-seen minerals
Flecks of minerals captured in diamonds show hidden connections between Earth’s surface and its deep interior
Depression scales may not work the same for highly intelligent people
Research suggests depression assessment questionnaires can’t reliably compare people with differing intelligence
