Scientific American

A linguist lays out what communicating with aliens could actually involve—and what that tells us about human language

The fossilized remains of more than 450 whales have amassed along a 750-mile-long stretch of the Indian Ocean floor

In a first, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists released its own vaccine schedule

The second batch of “First Proof” problems is meant to evaluate AI’s usefulness for research-level math. The best model got six or seven of the 10 questions basically right

Salt, with its ability to seal liquid in, is uniquely suited to storing the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The ability to run “mental marathons” is a skill children can learn through simple, but dedicated, practice

This tiny robot might look like a high-tech hamster ball, but it could hasten lunar exploration

Start your morning with today’s Spellements. Create as many words as you can from our daily selection of letters—including one tied to recent science news. Play now.

A step-by-step guide to the “Doginburgh Inventory,” a new pawedness test developed by dog behavior researchers

Researchers have created the first high-resolution global map of the extent of one of Earth’s largest—and least visible—living networks

Put your science knowledge to the test with this week’s news quiz. Play now.

Cold fronts colliding with warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico could cause dangerous weather conditions, forecasters say

Children living in areas with low socioeconomic opportunities have more tired and stressed brains, a new study finds

New results challenge AI’s promise for solving how fluids swirl—and suggest a more human path forward

Dogs spontaneously aid struggling humans the way young children do—whereas cats wait until they stand to benefit

Johanna Gabriela Ottilie “Tilly” Edinger dedicated her career to studying ancient brains. It saved her life

The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is slowly closing in on the near-Earth asteroid Kamo‘oalewa, on a mission that would bring China’s first asteroid samples back to Earth in 2027

Angine de Poitrine don't abide by the usual rules of Western music, using their own custom-built guitar to strike notes that shouldn't exist

Scientists have been expecting El Niño to set in for quite a while now—and it’s finally official

Controlling a small group of “noisy” sheep holds hints for computer algorithms

Dermatologists and skincare aficionados are excited for the U.S. to finally get a new, more protective sunscreen filter after more than 20 years of regulatory roadblocks. Here’s how bemotrizinol works

Extreme heat poses a risk to players, spectators and workers—find out where the danger is and how to keep cool

Eight years after a Chinese scientist's report of gene-edited babies shocked the world, U.S. scientists reported editing embryos not meant for pregnancies using a more precise technique

Weight lifting and other forms of resistance training can increase bone density, lower diabetes risk and boost mental health

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the Philippines happened at a subduction zone. Such places are capable of producing the largest earthquakes possible

An experiment with 2,520 participants backs Richard Feynman’s answer to every diner’s dilemma: Do I want to try something new?

When asteroids slam into Earth, they can create hydrothermal vent systems

An idea from topology explains why you can never get rid of your cowlicks—and, oddly enough, it’s critical in nuclear fusion

These eye-catching insects offer a prime opportunity for scientists to dig deep into invasion ecology and evolutionary biology

NASA’s Artemis III crew includes three NASA astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut

The best blood test for herpes is only available at a single lab. What would it take for that to change?

To run errands across apps, Apple’s upgraded assistant needs deep access to personal data that the company has walled off for years

FIFA is building temporary natural-grass fields meant to play consistently across 16 stadiums in three countries

Hints of high-pressure chemistry within a rare meteorite suggest this fallen space rock comes from a planet gone wrong in the solar system’s early history

This experimental plane, which reached supersonic speeds yesterday, is designed to travel faster than the speed of sound without creating bothersome sonic booms

As millions of soccer fans pack FIFA World Cup venues, public health scientists created a wastewater monitoring network to forecast potential disease threats—from measles to Ebola

How scientists are engineering the perfect World Cup pitch—one so flawless that players never notice it

On Sunday Axiom Space and Prada unveiled the cooling inner garment that NASA’s Artemis astronauts will wear under their space suits on the moon