Sound analysis of sperm whale “clicks” suggests they might have names, similar to the individual, identifying whistles that dolphins display. And we thought they just sang to one another.
Illinois’s Tevatron accelerator lab, set to close later this year, finds possible evidence of what may be a new elementary particle or force of nature. Talk about going out with a bang.
NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft returned the first close-up pictures of Mercury taken from orbit. The innermost planet is pockmarked with craters.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
A study showed that social rejection affects the same part of the brain as physical pain, bringing new meaning to the lyrics of “Love Hurts.”
PETA urged San Francisco to rename its seedy Tenderloin district to something that did not “evoke the horrors of the meat trade.” “What, am I going to say, ‘Yo, I’m headed down to the Mixed Salad?’” one resident told the San Francisco Examiner.
Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism
Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.
When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.
Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber
