Scientific American

A screengrab of an episode of the Simpsons, with Homer Simpson writing mathematical equations on a chalkboard

MathematicsApril 28, 2026

The Simpsons reference that refutes one of history’s greatest mathematicians

In one famous episode of The Simpsons, Homer finds a counterexample to Fermat’s last theorem

Manon Bischoff

A growing supermassive black hole sits at the center of a vast red cloud of gas and dust in this artist’s concept.

Black HolesFebruary 5, 2026

Weird new object escalates ‘black hole star’ debate

Joseph Howlett

Power lines and electricity transmission towers against a sunset or sunrise

EnergyApril 28, 2026

Could fusion energy soon join the U.S. power grid?

Adam Kovac

Astrobotic tests its Chakram model rotating detonation rocket engine.

SpacecraftApril 28, 2026

See Astrobotic pull off a major test of its ‘ring of fire’ rocket engine

Adam Kovac

A robot hand reaches toward bubbles with letters in them

GamesApril 28, 2026

Today’s Spellements

Emma R. Hasson

May Issue: Your Heart in Flames. Read Now!

The physicist David J. Gross stands in formal wear in front of a wall emblazoned with Breakthrough Prize logos, and wears a Breakthrough Prize medal around his neck.

Nuclear weaponsApril 28, 2026

Nuclear war may keep humanity from finding a ‘theory of everything,’ top physicist says

Lee Billings

Doctor pointing to an image of an ovarian ultrasound on a laptop

ReproductionApril 28, 2026

Polycystic ovary syndrome might affect men, too—and that could radically change our understanding of the condition

Claire Maldarelli

Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz showing the narrow waterway between Iran (top) and the Musandam Peninsula of Oman and the UAE (bottom), with rugged desert mountains, sandy coastline, and deep blue waters dotted with small islands and reefs.

WaterApril 28, 2026

War in Iran spotlights the risk to drinking water for millions in the Persian Gulf

Jackie Flynn Mogensen

Sabastian Sawe in a pink Adidas top holding up his Adidas running shoes after winning the London Marathon.

ExerciseApril 27, 2026

The science behind the Adidas shoes that helped two marathoners break the two-hour mark

Adam Kovac

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May 2026 Issue

A conceptual illustration of a heart in flames.

Heart disease

The hidden cause of heart disease is inflammation

Melinda Wenner Moyer

A researcher wearing white gloves seals a quartz tube to form the ampoule shape (left); A close up of five quartz tubes (right).

Quantum Physics

How strange new ‘altermagnets’ could rewrite physics

Bob Henderson

Illustration of the scene of the aftermath of an asteroid strike with dinosaurs dying and advanced birds taking wing.

Evolution

How birds survived the dinosaurs’ doomsday

Steve Brusatte

A dimensional spacecraft inside a cutout of a suitcase against a blue background.

Spacecraft

Space hotels are coming soon

Jonathan O'Callaghan

A dimensional perfume bottle inside a cutout of a chemistry glassware flask against a pink background.

Chemistry

Inside the labs where chemists engineer luxury perfumes

April Long

A dimensional watch inside a cutout of a toothed gear against a green background.

Engineering

How a lost 1812 wristwatch sparked a 200-year race in precision engineering

Jeanna Bryner

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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

A number of suns floating with Red Blood cells

Health

Can sunlight cure disease?

Rowan Jacobsen

Pile of peanuts

Public Health

Can peanut allergies be cured?

Maryn McKenna

Illustration of a Vitamin D pill bottle with yellow balloons flying out of it, then being popped by a pin in a hand.

Public Health

How much vitamin D do you need to stay healthy?

Christie Aschwanden

Illustration of a row of human figures (minimialist in style—just outlines, even stick figures), each in a different rainbow color, with a row of vaccines (eg needle plus vial) above the row of humans.

Medicine

Personalized mRNA vaccines will revolutionize cancer treatment—if funding cuts don’t doom them

Rowan Moore Gerety

Illustration of a face, with an enlarged nasal cavity. Inside the nasal cavity are three health care professionals with nasal spray bottles and colorful patterns

Pharmaceuticals

New nasal vaccines offer better protection from COVID and flu—no needle needed

Stephani Sutherland

Illustration of a doctor in a white lab coat, using a bow and arrow.

Pharmaceuticals

These cancers were beyond treatment—but might not be anymore

Jyoti Madhusoodanan

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Podcasts

Illustration of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars

Organic molecules on Mars, good news about suicide hotline, the AI voice clone advantage

Rachel Feltman, Sushmita Pathak, Alex Sugiura

An image of two monkeys for sale in a cage.

AnimalsApril 24, 2026

The global wildlife trade may be spreading diseases faster than ever

Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura

Conceptual image showing a woman placing a bandange of a large globe against a blue background

Climate ChangeApril 22, 2026

Amid climate doom, here’s an Earth Day reminder about spectacular environmental wins

Rachel Feltman, Sushmita Pathak, Alex Sugiura

An image of a hippo with its mouth open coming out of the water.

The EnvironmentApril 20, 2026

‘Cocaine hippos,’ faster aging with HIV and the hidden dangers of inflammation

Rachel Feltman, Andrea Gawrylewski, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura

Illustration of a Eurasian Jay perched in a tree with an acorn in its beak

Evolutionary BiologyApril 17, 2026

The dinosaurs at your window: How birds survived the asteroid that killed all other dinosaurs

Kendra Pierre-Louis, Sushmita Pathak, Alex Sugiura, Naeem Amarsy

Discussions

Should athletes be allowed to use performance-enhancing gear?

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Where do you stand on the use of peptides for health and wellness?

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Popular Stories

An orange cube resembling a puzzle, suspended in space against a lavender background.

MathematicsApril 24, 2026

An amateur just solved a 60-year-old math problem—by asking AI

A ChatGPT AI has proved a conjecture with a method no human had thought of. Experts believe it may have further uses

Joseph Howlett

Sabastian Sawe in a pink Adidas top holding up his Adidas running shoes after winning the London Marathon.

ExerciseApril 27, 2026

The science behind the Adidas shoes that helped two marathoners break the two-hour mark

A sub-two-hour marathon has long been seen as a tantalizing benchmark for elite runners—and shoemakers have been in a race to design footwear that can help them get there

Adam Kovac

The NSF loco seen against a brick wall.

PolicyApril 26, 2026

Entire NSF science advisory board fired by Trump administration

Members of the National Science Board, which the U.S. Congress founded in 1950, were given no explanation for their termination

Dan Garisto, Nature magazine

3d illustration of the human digestive system with the liver highlighted red with inflammation

GLP-1 DrugsApril 27, 2026

Ozempic’s greatest benefit might be its anti-inflammatory power

A growing body of research suggests that GLP-1 drugs do more than control appetite and blood sugar. They could also fight inflammation

Lauren J. Young

Anti-vax protesters stood on a street corner, holding yellow placards with anti vaccine slogans.

Society & PolicyApril 26, 2026

‘Staggering’ number of people believe unproven claims about vaccines, raw milk, and more

Survey results suggest a rise in questioning of scientific evidence

Helen Pearson, Nature magazine

A close-up of a smartphone screen displaying the text 'Anthropic Project Glasswing' and 'Securing critical software for the AI era' over a geometric pattern, set against a blurred orange and black background.

Artificial IntelligenceApril 17, 2026

What is Mythos, Anthropic’s unreleased AI model, and how worried should we be?

The company says Mythos is too dangerous to release publicly. Cybersecurity experts agree the model's capabilities matter, but not all of them are buying the most alarming claims

Chris Stokel-Walker

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