Scientific American

Long-held assumptions tell us that atoms with the same number of protons, neutrons and electrons are indistinguishable, but one physicist wants to put this idea to the test

As more people turn to chatbots for medical guidance, the technology is revealing both its promise and its risks

The Andes type of the hantavirus is spread by “close contact,” but it’s unclear how much of that transmission occurs by inhaling airborne droplets or other means

This snail became the first animal living on deep-sea hydrothermal vents to be added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species—it also turns poisonous sulfur into armor

People exposed to the Andes strain of the hantavirus may not develop symptoms for up to 42 days, a delay that makes tracing infections more difficult

The rare isotope helium-3 is one of Earth’s most precious commodities—so precious, in fact, that it might prove profitable to mine from the moon

A multiyear effort to rename polycystic ovary syndrome finally revealed the condition’s new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome

Flex your math muscles with this weekend’s brain teaser. Play now.

The El Niño climate event is due to return this year, with U.S. forecasters predicting an 82 percent chance of it coming in May through July and a 96 percent chance for it doing so in December through February 2027

With millions of people now using GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound, scientists are racing to find ways to help people retain their weight loss after they stop taking the medication

Some of Earth’s tiniest life-forms inhabit slowly sinking particles of fish poop and debris, playing a crucial role in ocean carbon storage

A new book argues that disparities in fibroids, cancer and diagnosis reveal a lifelong gynecologic health crisis for Black women

Probability theory and the Saint Petersburg paradox can help you determine whether the stakes of a game are too great

The nation’s top court extended a stay on a lower court order banning telemedicine access to mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions—but the order sets up a longer legal fight

The hantavirus cruise outbreak may not have started in a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina, after all

Digital distractions can undermine our focus, but research suggests that our inherent capacity to pay attention hasn’t diminished

A mathematical ratio could explain why AI-generated art doesn’t evoke awe from viewers

Research suggests depression assessment questionnaires can’t reliably compare people with differing intelligence

Statistical principles show you don’t need a nefarious plot to explain clusters of missing scientists and lab workers

In a “breakthrough,” researchers demonstrate how engineered bacteria held in a jellylike container could help fight infection in mice

Despite decades of damage, the Persian Gulf’s ecological marvels remain—for now

The latest studies bring the number of remains identified from this doomed 1845 expedition to six of the 129 who set out to the Arctic

The Psyche spacecraft is bound for a metal-rich asteroid that it will examine up close starting in 2029. But first, it needs to swing past the Red Planet

Margaret Hamilton designed safety features for NASA inspired in part by her four-year-old

There is no hard evidence that ivermectin can treat cancer, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying it

Flecks of minerals captured in diamonds show hidden connections between Earth’s surface and its deep interior

The Trinity bomb test left behind a unique form of matter, and now, scientists have discovered a new chemical structure inside it

For the last 1.7 million years, China’s Yangtze River has been stealing water from the Yellow River, new research shows

Heat conditions could exceed dangerous levels at a quarter of the planned 2026 World Cup soccer matches, including the final in New Jersey on July 19

NASA’s moon exploration plans call for nearly 80 launches, nearly 75 landers, 10 moon buggies and one nuclear reactor

Debris is a growing threat to orbital infrastructure, and it’s only going to get worse as the number of launches increases

Seen just 800 million years after the big bang, an object called LAP1-B is a galactic building block that seems to hold some of the first stars to ever shine

Mapping their starting point like bees do helps autonomous drones find their way