Scientific American

Researchers are finally learning the mechanism behind one of the most prescribed medicines in the U.S., primarily used to treat or prevent type 2 diabetes

The Cambrian explosion is a critical moment for life on Earth—and it may have been all about poop

In a retrospective study, people taking estrogen-only hormone therapy for menopause were less likely to see signs of dementia

Doctors used to warn coffee drinkers. Now research reassures them

This study was originally published in 2024 and was criticized as being misleading by other scientists at the time

A “fever” of cownose rays revealed by striking drone footage could be a sign of warming oceans

The vagus nerve is the autonomic nervous system’s highway, connecting every major organ

This study has been touted by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont as proof of the benefits of a universal, single-payer health care system, but the research hasn’t been peer-reviewed

A new study of the Helix Nebula shows a never-before-seen detail of how dying stars recycle elements. Researchers found it by accident

New guidelines say testing sperm for DNA damage could help explain recurrent pregnancy losses

There’s a $1-million prize for proving the Riemann hypothesis. Claude couldn’t pull that off, but it made significant progress on a related problem

First glimpsed as “little red dots” in deep-space images from the James Webb Space Telescope, these giant, gas-shrouded black holes are full of surprises

This seismic event is of a similar magnitude to the pair of earthquakes that hit Venezuela in June

This dying star appears to have a face of gas and a mane of space dust

Follow all the latest updates about the August 12 eclipse with Scientific American

As psychedelic therapies expand, new clinics treat uncommon long-term harms

Linguists explain how a language built from musical notes could convey complex meaning and even support conversation

Andy Green holds the overall land speed record, having hit 763.035 miles per hour while driving a jet-powered vehicle in 1997

President Donald Trump and other Republican officials had criticized this chapter as biased against fossil fuel companies

The Eddington experiment used a solar eclipse to prove Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity

A genetic study shows how smell capabilities were maintained in a hunter-gatherer population

The backlash raises a bigger question for science communicators: Where should AI fit into their work?

This technique could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant bugs, but some scientists say the technology could be misused

The last common ancestor of all living things may not have been alive at all

Scientists analyze an accidental SpaceX impact on the moon as cyberattacks target U.S. water systems and a new mRNA flu vaccine is approved by the FDA

OpenAI released 10 AI-generated results over the weekend. Some mathematicians are unhappy with their approach

This flu shot, mFlusiva, was shown in a clinical trial to be up to 27 percent more effective than a standard flu jab

This summer has been marked by multiple outbreaks of foodborne illness, with thousands of infections and two deaths arising from cyclosporiasis and hundreds of cases of Salmonella infections

One in 7,000 people carry this gene mutation

Charles Darwin predicted in 1875 that some members of the Saxifraga genus could be carnivorous—now scientists have finally proven him right

Psychedelic-assisted therapy could open a new path for treating cocaine use disorder, which has no approved medications yet

A rare fossil find shows a tooth embedded an ichthyosaur’s vertebra, where it was likely left when a giant pliosaurid chomped down on this dolphin-resembling reptile

Research is outpacing regulation to govern artificial-intelligence-designed biology

Dogs are known to recognize and respond to human facial expressions, but a new study shows how deeply they understand our mood

The Arctic is heating faster than the rest of the planet. New data illustrate how dire that is

July also saw its second-highest air temperatures on record this year

The president called for the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be split into separate shots, despite decades of research showing that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective

A puzzle about dots on a page led to one of the most profound areas of modern math

This new cache of material includes footage of a U.S. military plane’s infrared display recorded during an exercise over the Gulf of Oman in 2021

After 49 years in space, NASA’s Voyagers are running low on power—but an audacious move should extend the tenures of the two spacecraft