Claire Cameron is breaking news chief at Scientific American. Originally from Scotland, she moved to New York City in 2012. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, Slate, Inc. Magazine, Nautilus, Semafor, and elsewhere.
The oldest hominin footprints ever found are at risk of destruction, researchers warn
A new investigation alleges that official organizations in Tanzania have imperiled the country's artifacts and remains at four critical human heritage sites they were supposed to protect
Trump’s new AI executive order drastically shifts the administration’s stance on the tech
This order asks artificial intelligence companies to give the U.S. government up to 30 days to assess frontier models before they are released
China launches rival rocket to SpaceX Falcon 9 for the first time
China apparently didn’t issue any airspace or maritime notices ahead of the maiden launch of this rocket on Monday
SpaceX launches Starship V3—the world’s most powerful and tallest rocket ever
Friday’s test flight marks a major milestone for SpaceX as the company gears up to go public and to participate in NASA’s Artemis III mission in 2027
Earth’s molten outer core is behaving in chaotic, unexpected ways
Scientists are working to solve a mystery of Earth’s molten outer core, which lies more than 2,000 kilometers beneath our feet
SpaceX scrubs launch of Starship V3—the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built
This launch, when it comes, will mark the 12th flight test of Starship and the first demonstration of its V3 design. A new attempt could come as soon as Friday
A new study says you need 10 hours of exercise a week. Can that really be possible?
Experts question this study’s design and its recommendations—and point out that you probably get more exercise than you think
Watch SpaceX launch Starship V3—the tallest and most powerful rocket yet
Friday’s flight could be the most pivotal test of the Starship megarocket
Screen time limits can protect children’s health, U.S. surgeon general advisory says
The Trump administration warned that too much screen time for children has been linked to poor sleep, bad behavior, and less physical and social activity
SpaceX punts Starship launch as investigation opens into Starbase worker’s death
SpaceX is now targeting the evening of May 21 to launch the latest and largest version of its Starship megarocket for the first time
The world is more at risk of a pandemic now than before COVID, experts say. This is why
As world health leaders face deadly outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola, a major pandemic preparedness report finds we are less safe from viral outbreaks than before COVID
What we know—and what we don’t—about NASA’s Artemis III mission
NASA is starting to paint in some of the details of its planned 2027 Artemis III mission, but key questions, such as who its astronauts will be, are yet to be answered
The world is falling short of—and even reversing—its health targets, WHO warns
Malaria incidence is increasing, progress on maternal mortality is stalling, and some childhood vaccine rates are plateauing or have dipped below the threshold for herd immunity
Ivermectin prescriptions spiked after Mel Gibson touted it for cancer on Joe Rogan’s podcast
There is no hard evidence that ivermectin can treat cancer, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying it
‘PCOS is inaccurate’—why scientists renamed polycystic ovary syndrome
A multiyear effort to rename polycystic ovary syndrome finally revealed the condition’s new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome
Getting the same amount of rest each day may be tied to slower biological aging
Stable rhythms of rest and activity are associated with healthier biological age markers, a new study suggests
The return of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award is missing the point, health experts say
Researchers say that President Donald Trump’s resurrection of widely maligned fitness testing in schools is “half-baked” and unlikely to move the needle on youth physical activity alone
Babies may ‘catch’ yawns from their mother in the womb, new study finds
Researchers found that fetuses were more likely to yawn when their mother did, suggesting humans may experience yawn contagion throughout their life
School cell phone bans may boost student well-being—but not test scores, new study suggests
Banning cell phones in schools has been touted as a silver bullet for poor test scores and low student well-being and attendance, but new research suggests the results are more mixed
‘Spectacular’ Viking coin hoard is likely the largest in history
Archaeologists have uncovered around 3,000 silver coins so far—and more could come to light
Human genome decoder J. Craig Venter dies at age 79
Scientist and medical technology entrepreneur J. Craig Venter published the first bacterial genome ever decoded in 1995. The result heralded a new age of discovery for genetics
City birds appear to be more afraid of women than men, and scientists have no idea why
“I fully believe our results, that urban birds react differently based on the sex of the person approaching them,” said a co-author of a study that made this finding, “but I can’t explain them right now”
RFK, Jr., puts psychedelics on fast track to FDA review and approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking to accelerate the review process for three companies that are studying psilocybin and an MDMA-like drug as treatments for depression and PTSD
FBI investigating possible links between deaths and disappearances of at least 10 scientists
This announcement from the FBI came after President Donald Trump highlighted the recent deaths of several scientists and government workers who may have had access to sensitive information