Unread Books at Home Still Spark Literacy Habits
Growing up in a home filled with books enhances enhances intellectual capacity in later life, even if you don't read them all.
Arts & Culture507 articles archived since 1845
Ancient Whiz Opens Archaeology Window
The residue of ancient urine can reveal the presence of early stationary herder-farmer communities.
Uncovering the Sacrificial Puppies of the Shang Dynasty
A new study suggests young dogs were frequently buried with humans in China some 3,000 years ago, but the precise reasons remain elusive
Chemists Investigate Casanova's Clap
In his memoirs, the womanizing writer Giacomo Casanova described suffering several bouts of gonorrhea—but researchers found no trace of the microbe on his handwritten journals. Karen Hopkin reports...
Watching Apollo 11 with NASA Historian Bill Barry
The agency’s chief historian discusses the film and what the moon missions can teach us about global challenges today
Naturally Occurring High Testosterone Shouldn't Keep Female Athletes out of Competition
It is unscientific and unfair to bar female athletes with elevated testosterone
Humanity's Golden Record, Bubonic Plague in the U.S., and Other New Science Books
Book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
How the Black Hole Said Cheese
Scientific American 's chief features editor Seth Fletcher talks about his book Einstein's Shadow, an account of the long effort to image a black hole that recently came to fruition...
4/20 Traffic Accidents Claim Curbed
A deeper data dive calls into question a 2018 study that found a spike in fatal traffic accidents apparently related to marijuana consumption on this date.
Nobelist Says System of Science Offers Life Lessons
At an April 9th event sponsored by the Kavli Foundation and produced by Scientific American that honored Nobel and Kavli Prize winners, economist Paul Romer talked about how the social system of science offers hope for humanity and for how we can live with each other...
A New View of Life on Earth, the Paradox of Quantum Reality and Other New Science Books
Book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
Scientific American Is the Source of More Than 1,000 New Terms
A famous dictionary cites the magazine for new words and new meanings of old words
There's a Word for Today
English lacks some words that other languages pack with meaning.
Scenic City Sights Linked to Higher Happiness
Tracking the location and mood of 15,000 people, researchers found that scenic beauty was linked to happiness—including near urban sights like bridges and buildings. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Why Losing Our Newspapers Is Breaking Our Politics
Study finds newspaper closures are linked to partisanship
Tech's Brain Effect: It's Complicated
We don't yet know what the immersion in technology does to our brains, but one neuroscientist says the answer is likely to be that there's good, there's bad, and it's complex.
Sing Solo for Higher Fidelity
By tracking duetting choir singers, researchers found that when an individual singer's pitch drifts off tune their partner’s tend to too. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Starstruck--60 Years of NASA's Dazzling Archives
Get lost in space with this thrilling collection of images from the revered agency
Baseball Commish Talks Big Data
At a sports technology conference, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred addressed issues including an automated strike zone and advanced analytics.
Computer Program Measures the Entropy of Art
The digitization of paintings could help art historians detect previously unknown patterns and connections
