Scientific American.com
How an aspiring actress from Brooklyn stumbled into an astrophysics career at NASA
This young researcher’s unlikely journey into academia will change the way you think about science, failure and belonging
J. Craig Venter’s last interview—on AI, risk-taking and immortality
In his final interview, the “swashbuckling” geneticist pointed the way for science
Tonima Tasnim Ananna: Young American Scientist studying the behavior of supermassive black holes
Understanding the behavior of supermassive black holes
Poem: ‘The Soliloquy of Schrödinger’s Cat’
A meditation on life and the von Neumann–Wigner interpretation of quantum mechanics
Science crossword: Looking to the future
Play this crossword inspired by the July/August 2026 issue of Scientific American
Trump’s Genesis Mission is putting AI to work on nuclear weapons
The Department of Energy bills Genesis as an AI push for scientific discovery. Its first public challenges tell a different story
July/August 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago
Natural fission reactor uncovered; geometry of soap bubbles
Readers respond to the March 2026 issue
Letters to the editors for the March 2026 issue of Scientific American
Atul Gawande explains why U.S. leadership in global health matters more than ever
On reclaiming America’s edge in research and public health
Allie Balter-Kennedy: Young American Scientist studying ice cores to better foresee climate change
Exploring ice cores to foresee the effects of climate change
These young scientists are on our radar
These young scientists are making waves in their own ways. Keep an eye on them—great things are ahead
Samagya Banskota: Young American Scientist developing new ways to deliver therapeutics
Using viruslike particles to deliver therapies safely and effectively
Timnit Gebru on how to safeguard independent science for the AI age
On safeguarding independent research in the age of big tech
Alan Lightman on his childhood in science
The story of the author’s extremely early career
Nobel-winning biologist Elizabeth Blackburn on why science is all about ‘keeping the long view’
On fighting for truth, inclusion and the next generation of scientists
Jenny Bergner: Young American Scientist recreating cosmic chemistry to understand how planets form
Mimicking the chemistry of outer space to explain how planets form
Science is under pressure again. Here’s what that means for young researchers
It’s a complicated time to be a young scientist in America. Lessons from history can tell us what the future might hold
Adam Bowman: Young American Scientist making it easier to see neurons communicate
Clocking the electrical messages between neurons using fluorescence
U.S. scientists are being lured abroad—and they aren't looking back
The great American brain drain could define science for a generation
