BiologyApril 1, 2021
Killer Leaves Emerge from Plant-Butterfly Arms Race
Closely related plants evolved to sacrifice patches of their own leaves, destroying specific caterpillar eggs
Stories by Chris Baraniuk
Chris Baraniuk is a freelance science and technology journalist based in the U.K. Besides Scientific American, his work has been published by New Scientist, the BBC, Wired and Quartz.
BiologyNovember 1, 2020
Earthshaking Signature ‘Brawn Songs’ and Movement, Developed over Time, Identify Seals
Male elephant seals perfect unique competitive calls as they age
EvolutionOctober 30, 2020
Gruesome ‘Blood Worms’ Invaded a Dinosaur’s Leg Bone, Fossil Suggests
A titanosaur fibula hosts what looks like 70 tiny parasites
EnvironmentSeptember 1, 2020
Polar Bears’ Dropped GPS Collars Reveal How Ice Drifts
Discarded polar bear trackers have found another use
ConservationFebruary 3, 2020
Orangutans Are Hanging On in the Same Palm Oil Plantations That Displace Them
Conservationists still need to work to minimize conflict between the endangered apes and humans
EngineeringAugust 17, 2018
How to Make a Robot Use Theory of Mind
Researchers give AI the ability to simulate the anticipated needs and actions of others
ComputingMay 31, 2018
Where Will the Ad versus Ad Blocker Arms Race End?
Advertisers and software developers have been trying to outdo one another for years. Is it time for a truce?
ComputingMarch 27, 2018
How Twitter Bots Help Fuel Political Feuds
Automated social media accounts can create “misinformation networks” that spread falsehoods and fan the flames of partisan disagreement
CognitionJanuary 25, 2018
For AI to Get Creative, It Must Learn the Rules—Then How to Break ‘Em
New artificial intelligence systems are using “adversarial networks” to develop creativity and originality by more fluidly mixing and matching real-world information
EnvironmentNovember 15, 2017
A Bolt from the Brown: Why Pollution May Increase Lightning Strikes
To understand the link between aerosols and electric discharges, scientists must unravel the mysteries of clouds