
Before Scientific American, There Was Rufus Porter
A visit to the Rufus Porter Museum reveals the restless creativity of Scientific American’s founder—from hand-painted murals to DIY science experiments and self-published treatises
From world-changing inventions to discoveries that shaped our understanding the natural world, a look back at the evolution of the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S.


Before Scientific American, There Was Rufus Porter
A visit to the Rufus Porter Museum reveals the restless creativity of Scientific American’s founder—from hand-painted murals to DIY science experiments and self-published treatises

Happy 170th to Scientific American!
Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina reflects on Scientific American's evolution from an aspirational weekly broadsheet to the longest continuously published magazine in the U.S. with 14 local language editions around the world

15 Surprises about Scientific American
Scientific American's parent company, Macmillan Science & Education strives to be both a place where curious minds gather together to achieve great things for our customers—and where we can, working together as a company, be more than the sum of our parts.

Evolution of the Scientific American Logo
Scientific American's logotype has undergone subtle shifts, large leaps and occasional bouts of nostalgia. The image series below outlines the history of the publication's identity, starting with its debut in August 1845 as weekly devoted primarily to inventions

Scientific American’s Owner Built the First New York Subway [Excerpt]
One of America’s first attempts at underground transportation was powered pneumatically, built covertly—and illegal

Scientific American Covers Reveal a Shift from Practical to Provocative

Happy 125th Birthday, Statue of Liberty!
From Scientific American's Anecdotes from the Archive blog: The Statue of Liberty. She is a symbol of freedom, an icon of New York City, and today is her birthday.

A Century of Flight: How Scientific American Helped the "Aeroplane" Get Off the Ground [Slideshow]
Scientific American observes the 100th anniversary of a competition that would bring manned flight to the masses, spawn the aviation industry, and forever change the way we live and travel

Our Seventieth Anniversary, The Greatest Ten Years of Invention, The Super-Battle-Cruiser

Our Fiftieth Anniversary Prize Essay Competition