Lasers and Drones Help Preserve Ancient Temples
3-D digital preservation not only helps save the memories of historical sites, it also guides restoration projects after natural disasters, such as the earthquakes that damaged the temples of Bagan...
Stories by Benjamin Meyers
Indoor Plants Can Clean Your Air
Many houseplants can scrub irritants like acetone from the air, but which ones do it best?
These Greek Villagers Whistle to Chat
Whistles let shepherds communicate between distant hillsides because a whistled sound wave travels farther than spoken words.
Scientific American Songs: Adoption
Jonathan Edwards plays a song from his latest album, Tomorrow’s Child, exploring the psychology of parental separation.
Read My Beard--Lizards Change Neck Color to Chat
The central bearded dragon can rapidly shift its body color to soak up extra sun or cool off, while using its neck color to communicate with other lizards.
Listen to the Sounds of Knees Cracking
Eavesdropping on the creaks and groans of an athlete’s knee could help doctors track healing after injury or surgery.
A Topology Joke to Celebrate National Doughnut Day
Ian Agol is a University of California mathematician who was awarded the 2016 Breakthrough Prize for his work on 3-D topology. He shares a special joke about how topologists view breakfast...
Woodpecker Pairs Close Ranks against Loud Interlopers
Loudness and stamina are ways a woodpecker trumpets his dominant place in the pecking order.
Wolves Howl in Local Dialects
Canid species all over the world vocalize the same 21 ideas but have different regional ways of expressing them.
Do Lobsters Need Earplugs?
Human-caused ocean noises cause clams to clam up and lobsters to scurry for cover, which could wreak havoc with nutrient cycling.
How to Count Bats without Looking at Them
Scientists found that counting bat sounds could be an accurate way to count them.
One Type of Lizard Changes Background, Not Skin, for Camouflage
Certain species of lizards know what color they are and act accordingly.
What Does It Mean When Your Heart Skips a Beat?
If seeing the one you love makes your heart skip a beat, should you see a cardiologist?
NASA Completing Primary Mirror for Space Telescope
NASA has reached a major landmark in the construction of the powerful 6.5-meter James Webb Space Telescope
Better Solar Forecast Gives Earlier Warning to Protect Tech
Solar storms that may cause blackouts arrive with only about a 60-minute warning, but a new tracking model could add hours to the amount of time available to prepare.
![<i>Scientific American</i> Celebrates Its 170th Birthday [Video]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/38B68E16-33A9-49DB-B15B94C224738BCB_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Scientific American Celebrates Its 170th Birthday [Video]
Scientific American was founded by inventor and publisher Rufus M. Porter in 1845 as a weekly American newspaper. It is now a global brand, with 18 foreign language editions. Colleagues from around the globe joined in to say congratulations...
Concussions: Lattice Shape May Improve Safety Padding
Padding in sports helmets and other places prevent injuries, including concussions. The lattice may be one new safety-enhancing shape to come for sports, transportation, and the military...
Kinesins and Dyneins Strut Down Microtubules
Famed animator Drew Berry combines data from electron microscopes and other instruments to show us what we cannot see with any other single technique...
TV Remembers the First Nuclear Bomb Test
Manh(a)ttan re-creates the race to Trinity. Working near the original test site revealed personal stories from the dawn of the nuclear age to the show’s cast and crew. Photo courtesy of U.S...
How Does Your Brain Follow the Music?
Neurons in the brain fire in sync to music. Musical training may enhance this ability, and perhaps some other skills.
