TV's Big Bang Theory Inspires Real New Chemical: BaZnGa!
Fictional physicist Sheldon Cooper’s catchphrase has been brought to life in the lab
Arts & Culture340 articles archived since 1845
The Shark That Conquered the Whorl
Journalist and author Susan Ewing talks about her new book Resurrecting the Shark: A Scientific Obsession and the Mavericks Who Solved the Mystery of a 270-Million-Year-Old Fossil. (And we'll discuss how Helicoprion is not technically a shark, but it's really close!)
Bug Lovers, Earth's Many Apocalypses, the Surprising Minds of Vegetative Patients and Other New Science Books
July book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
Teaching Computers to Enjoy the View
Researchers in the U.K. trained computers to rate photos of parks and cities for what humans consider to be their scenic beauty. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Untangling the Mystery of How Fido Became Humankind's Best Friend
New DNA-based research suggests dogs were domesticated in a single event, in contrast with a previous hypothesis
Should Artists Reveal How Much They Let Technology Make Creative Choices?
How much should an artist reveal about letting technology make some choices?
Readers Respond to the February and March 2017 Issues
Letters to the editor from the February and March 2017 issues of Scientific American
Franklin's Lightning Rod Served Political Ends
Whether lightning rods should have rounded or pointy ends became a point of contention between rebellious Americans and King George III.
![<i>Star Trek</i> Legacy Lives On in Space Exploration [Video]](/sciam/cache/file/CCCCED2E-990A-4DFD-991CC4A398EEF663_small.jpg)
Star Trek Legacy Lives On in Space Exploration [Video]
A film director, a rocket scientist and two physicists discuss how the television series influenced culture and inspired a generation of scientists
Tour Venice with a Virtual Time Machine
A thousand years of Venetian records, maps and images could digitally reconstruct this city's deep history, giving researchers insight into urban life, from disease patterns to trade trends. This video was reproduced with permission and was first published on June 14, 2017. It is a Nature Video production.
Daring Apollo 8 Astronauts, Rediscovering a Forgotten Math Genius and Other New Science Books
June book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
Whatever Happened to the Greenland Vikings?
They ruled the icy outpost for hundreds of years before their colonies collapsed. New findings are elucidating their puzzling decline
Fantastic Voyage: Polynesian Seafaring Canoe Completes Its Globe-Circling Journey
The Hōkūleʻa vessel is set to finish its first circumnavigation later this week in Honolulu
Does TV Cultivate Authoritarianism?
Researchers think television may promote “authoritarian values” that paved the way for Donald Trump
How Mother Nature and a Pentagon Mathematician Created the World's Largest Instrument
The Great Stalacpipe Organ operates by rhythmically striking 37 different stalactites scattered across the 3.5-acre cave
Alaska Accelerates Indoor Agriculture
With 700 new greenhouses, Alaska is growing its own produce as deep into winter as the sun keeps rising.
Readers Respond to the February 2017 Issue
Letters to the editor from the February 2017 issue of Scientific American
French Prez Invites Trumped Researchers
New French president, Emmanual Macron, reacted to the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement by inviting disaffected U.S. researchers to make France "a second homeland."
The Art of Science
A printmaker takes on the greatest scientific questions of the 21st century
