Scientific American

A photomicrograph of a fresh stool sample, which had been prepared using a 10 percent formalin solution and stained with a modified acid-fast stain, revealed the presence of four Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts in the field of view.

Public HealthJuly 17, 2026

Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell

U.S. officials have traced an explosive-diarrhea-causing parasite outbreak in five states to shredded lettuce served at this popular fast-food chain

Claire Cameron

A tawny big cat with black spots walks into view amidst a small clearing in a forest

AnimalsJuly 17, 2026

Exclusive: See unprecedented images of Sunda clouded leopards, the ‘ghosts of the forest’

Douglas Main

Woman hides under white blanket, only her long curly hair and dark manicured hands are visible

SleepJuly 17, 2026

Permanent daylight savings is bad for Americans’ health—here’s what science says could be better

Claire Maldarelli

Different views of a dagger

ArchaeologyJuly 17, 2026

Ancient Egyptian princesses were ‘powerful’ weapon users, new analysis suggests

Jackie Flynn Mogensen

An astronaut with jetpack investigates a Sudoku grid nestled among planets in a retro illustration

GamesJuly 17, 2026

Today’s Killer Sudoku

JOIN SCIAM IN YELLOWSTONE. LEARN MORE.

A figure on a balcony looks out over an illustrated cityscape, contemplating a giant question mark in the sky

GamesJuly 17, 2026

Science Quiz: What city is sinking fastest?

Allison Parshall

A view of a total solar eclipse's moment of totality

The UniverseJuly 17, 2026

Is there a ‘best’ solar eclipse?

Phil Plait

SpaceX's Starship rocket sits on its launchpad, surrounded by plumes of vapor.

Space ExplorationJuly 16, 2026

Unlucky number 13? SpaceX’s latest Starship launch attempt ends in a scrub

Lee Billings, Claire Cameron

In this artist’s concept, the exoplanet LHS 1140 b is shown in the foreground, surrounded by a helium-rich atmosphere. Another nearby rocky planet orbits the same cool red dwarf star in the distance. A new study provides the strongest evidence yet that LHS 1140 b has retained an atmosphere, representing a milestone step toward the discovery of Earth-like rocky planets beyond our solar system.

ExoplanetsJuly 16, 2026

A super-Earth exoplanet’s leaking helium could be evidence of a complex atmosphere

Adam Kovac

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July/August 2026 Issue

Conceptual art illustrating the state of American science. A large hand removes bricks from a Jenga-style tower supporting individuals and a microscope.

Social Sciences

U.S. science is in chaos

Adam Rogers

Collage style illustration by Max-o-matic showing different areas of science, government buildings, data samples and maps.

Science Education

On our radar

Megha Satyanarayana

Close-up portrait photograph of J. Craig Venter, image provided by K.C. Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty Images.

Biology

Craig Venter

Jeanna Bryner

Collage style illustration by Max-o-matic showing different areas of science.

Space & Physics

My childhood in science

Alan Lightman

Illustration of an individual in a lab coat with a beaker containing a glowing liquid. The individual is ascending a DNA structure staircase. Using the glowing beaker as a guiding light, past newspaper clippings on a wall.

History of Science

When science is under siege, history offers a playbook

Deborah Blum

Portrait photograph of Atul Gawande provided by Priyanka Parashar/Mint/Getty Images.

Public Health

Atul Gawande

Tara Haelle

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The Young American Scientists

Portrait photograph of Adam Bowman, Chee-Huat Linus Eng, Jenny Bergner, Kaiyi Jiang, Christina V. Theodoris, Lvmin Zhang, Steven Chavez and Dmitrii Kochkov.

How we chose the 2026 Young American Scientists

Ari Sen

Stylized illustration by Olga Aleksandrova depicting scientists looks at world maps, photos of cities and stamps. Aiming to underscore the appeal of jobs outside of the United States.

Society & PolicyJune 16, 2026

Dozens of countries are trying to lure U.S. scientists abroad—and it’s working

Sarah Scoles

Vera C. Rubin Observatory in the foreground, against a rose-gold sky.

The SciencesJune 16, 2026

Inside U.S. labs at a moment of fear—and unexpected promise

Rebecca Boyle

Collage style illustration by Max-o-matic showing different areas of science.

CultureJune 16, 2026

What people get wrong about scientists

Dava Sobel

Explore Collection

Games

A robot hand reaches toward bubbles with letters in them

Spellements

Create as many words as you can!

Illustration of a hand and multiple numbers against a purple background.

Math Puzzles

Stretch your math muscles with these puzzles.

A robot hand unleashes a swirl of puzzle pieces, crosswords, and circles with numbers and letters

All Games

Science inspired games, puzzles and quizzes

Special Edition

An illustration of a galaxy.

Astronomy

The new story of the Milky Way’s surprisingly turbulent past

Ann Finkbeiner

Doark amorphous shape

Dark Matter

Dark matter might lurk in its own shadow world

Kathryn Zurek

Illustration of a woman at a desk and her dog living in a spacecraft.

Space Exploration

Why we'll never live in space

Sarah Scoles

Illustration of a black hole in a geometric-like universe

Black Holes

The puzzle of the first black holes

Priyamvada Natarajan

Illustration of a dragon-like creature coming to life out of a long roll of paper

Astrophysics

What if we never find dark matter?

Tracy R. Slatyer, Tim M. P. Tait

Conceptual image of the timeline of the cosmos

Cosmology

Astronomers’ epic quest to witness the cosmic dawn

Rebecca Boyle

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Podcasts

Illustration of Brazilian soccer player Bruno Guimaraes pouring water on his head during a 2026 World Cup match

Ebola cases surge, the World Cup heats up, and fatherhood changes the brain

Rachel Feltman, Andrea Thompson, Tanya Lewis, Sushmita Pathak, Alex Sugiura

An image of a woman sitting down in a lab.

HealthJune 19, 2026

How viruses may reshape the body’s ‘soil’ to promote cancer growth

Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura

Conceptual image of a human brain against a dark background

NeuroscienceJune 17, 2026

Learning from unexpected results: This neuroscientist is redefining how the brain learns

Rachel Feltman, Sushmita Pathak, Alex Sugiura

Portrait photograph of Erini Lambrides taken by Jeffery DelViscio

AstrophysicsJune 16, 2026

How Erini Lambrides went from seeking theater stardom to studying the stars at NASA

Rachel Feltman, Sushmita Pathak, Alex Sugiura

The director and cast of the movie Disclosure Day pose in front of a banner with the name of the movie for a promotional event

LanguageJune 12, 2026

Disclosure Day raises a big question: How do you talk to aliens?

Rachel Feltman, Sushmita Pathak, Brianne Kane, Alex Sugiura

Discussions

What do you want to know about cyclosporiasis?

2View the Discussion

Should private buyers be allowed to own scientific specimens?

69View the Discussion

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Popular Stories

Colorful small dots interconnected by light blue lines across a dark blue background.

MathematicsJuly 14, 2026

ChatGPT just proved another 50-year-old math conjecture

What’s the secret to prompting an AI to solve math problems that have left humans stumped? Tell it to believe in itself

Joseph Howlett

A three-dimensional visualization of thickened arteries and veins in coronary heart disease.

MedicineJuly 16, 2026

FDA approves cholesterol pill more powerful than statins

Most adults have levels of a dangerous type of cholesterol that are above 100, but this new drug can reduce levels to around 50

Claire Cameron

A man in a blue shirt stands in an ancient Roman communal latrine.

ArchaeologyJuly 11, 2026

Meet the 1,900-year-old latrine helping explain how Roman concrete grew stronger with age

An ancient sample shows calcite threading through this material’s cracks and pores, offering possible lessons for making modern concrete last longer

Sam Macdonald

Prepackaged salad sits on the shelf at a Bell Market grocery store on June 19, 2003, in San Francisco, California.

Public HealthJuly 15, 2026

How to avoid getting cyclosporiasis—and why washing lettuce may not be enough

Case numbers of this parasite-caused illness have exploded in the last week. An expert explains how to try and stay safe

Adam Kovac

A short animation of the satellite Eärendil-1 in low-Earth orbit.

AstronomyJuly 16, 2026

U.S. approval of giant ‘space mirror’ satellite alarms astronomers

A controversial new ruling from the Federal Communications Commission leaves no one responsible for regulating light pollution and other ill effects from skyrocketing numbers of satellites

Mary Randolph

A large spread of tattered old pages, covered with Maya inscriptions and drawings.

MathematicsJuly 13, 2026

We finally know the name of an ancient Maya mathematician

The signature of Sak Tahn Waax, or “White-Chested Fox,” was found inscribed in a 1,000-year-old chamber beneath present-day Guatemala

Joseph Howlett

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