Science

There’s a profound worry underlying the fundamental physics of existence: The Universe may not be quite as stable as we’d ideally like it to be. Quantum field theory describes invisible…

Nuclear fusion is how stars (including our own Sun) create their energy, and scientists are hopeful it could one day be used as a clean, abundant energy solution here on…

Astronomers at the University of Warwick have discovered that white dwarf stars can display a surprising variety of colors, including green, pink, purple, yellow, and cyan. Among their findings is…

For decades, scientists thought that in order to read other people’s emotions, the brain processed sensory information from faces and voices in separate areas. But new research shows otherwise—seeing an…

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “Mars”? The answer is probably rovers or dunes of pale red sand or maybe even apocryphal canals and…

Some people carry one of the strongest genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease yet never develop it, remaining mentally sharp well into their 80s. For years, scientists have wondered what…

Insider Brief Great Sky and research partners demonstrated a superconducting AI chip on fusion-related prediction tasks, supporting its potential use in real-time plasma control. The chip processed DIII-D tokamak data…

Food for the gut may possibly feed the brain as well. A rigorous new clinical trial has now found evidence that certain probiotic mixes may protect from some initial signs…

Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Let’s get this week off to a great start by catching up on some recent science and…

“I’ve been trying to collect smaller bags and purses, and this one is a real gem. Plenty of pocket space and room, but not enough to lose things in the…

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket transformed the early morning sky into a spectacular display of light on October 13, 2026. As the rocket climbed above Earth carrying a Dragon spacecraft,…

Sun Bin, allegedly descended from The Art of War author Sun Tzu, was a legendary Chinese military strategist who lived more than 2,300 years ago. After one king imprisoned and…

We know [The Action Lab] always has something hands-on. This time, the video shows a toroidal plasma demo and how it relates to nuclear fusion. Plasma has a high temperature,…

Materials in a superconducting state are of huge interest to scientists. That’s because of rare properties – primarily the ability to conduct electricity with zero resistance, with nothing lost to…

A small pilot study suggests that eating blueberries every day may influence gut bacteria and potentially affect mood in older adults. Participants who consumed blueberries regularly experienced a greater and…

Typing with numb fingers, struggling to hold a pen, or waking with an aching hand can make everyday life exhausting for people with carpal tunnel syndrome. The condition develops when…

Leaf-peeping season is swinging into high gear. Yet after months of record-shattering extreme heat, wildfires and perhaps the strongest El Niño in living memory, will fall foliage also fall victim…

Supermassive black holes are thought to exist at the centers of nearly all large galaxies. These enormous objects can weigh millions or even billions of times as much as the…

When people talk about Star Trek’s hopeful vision of the future and a world without sexism, we generally don’t talk about the sixth episode of the series ever aired, “Mudd’s…

Nuclear power is confusing. Unless you’re doing a physics degree then all you probably know about nuclear is what you’ve seen on TikTok (or maybe that’s just me). And, heck,…

Consuming too much salt can affect more than blood pressure. Growing evidence suggests that excessive salt intake may also interfere with memory, thinking, and emotional well-being. High salt (HS) consumption…

We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. Some of the most genius products are things you’d never expect to…

Microplastics are a source of extreme concern for health: the presence of these tiny pieces of plastic has been linked to heart attacks, stroke, dementia and brain tumors. But what…

Scientists developing nuclear fusion have launched a new initiative to solve one of the most stubborn engineering puzzles standing between experimental reactors and commercial electricity. The DIII-D National Fusion Facility…

Serial Frank Zito (Joe Spinell) prowls around New York, brutally scalping young women before attaching their hair to the mannequins in his collection. The slasher movie Maniac (1980) intermittently drops…

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station at 10:27 a.m. EDT on October 15, docking at the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft delivered more…

Everything is a computer these days. Fridges, washing machines, televisions, and more are now outfitted with computer chips to give them new capabilities, and manufacturers called them “smart” even before…

Breathing is something we do every moment of our lives, usually without giving it a second thought. While it’s easy to take breathing for granted, changing the way we breathe…

A good night’s sleep does much more than leave you feeling refreshed. During deep sleep, the body releases growth hormone, a powerful chemical messenger that helps build muscle, strengthen bones,…