The “Fantastic” Feeling of a Breakthrough: Q&A with Math Prize Winner Karen Uhlenbeck
The first female winner of the prestigious Abel Prize shares details of life as a mathematician
Stories by Clara Moskowitz
Neutron Stars: Nature’s Weirdest Form of Matter
The insides of neutron stars—the densest form of matter in the universe—have long been a mystery, but it is one that scientists are starting to crack
Erupting Black Hole Shows Intriguing "Light Echoes"
A huge flare from a black hole helps reveal how matter and energy are expelled
Redefining the Kilogram
Officials will vote to overhaul the SI system of measurements, basing units such as the kilogram not on physical objects but on fundamental constants
Halting Sexual Harassment
A leader of a major report on sexual misconduct explains how to make science accessible to everyone
DNA-Coded “Lunar Library” Aims to Preserve Civilization for Millennia
Mission co-founder explains how backing up data on synthetic DNA can protect humanity’s knowledge
String Theory May Create Far Fewer Universes Than Thought
Some physicists claim that the popular landscape of universes in string theory may not exist
Evidence Builds for a New Kind of Neutrino
“Sterile neutrinos” that ignore all other particles might be showing up in experiments—and could even help solve the mystery of dark matter
Quantum Leaps: Read the Winning Entry in a Physics-Inspired Fiction Contest
The Quantum Shorts competition invited stories incorporating the laws of quantum mechanics
Breaking News! The World Isn’t Falling Apart: Why We Ignore Progress
Optimism may not be dead after all. Steven Pinker says our gloomy outlook for humanity is misplaced, and argues for faith in science, reason and democracy
A Noble Gas Surprise: Helium Can Form Weird Compounds
A new idea explains recently discovered chemistry that seems to break the rules of high school textbooks everywhere
Missing Neutrons May Lead a Secret Life as Dark Matter
This may be the reason experiments can’t agree on the neutron lifetime, according to a new idea
Molecular Clue to the Mystery of Carbon’s Cosmic Origin Uncovered
A chemical found in a distant gas cloud could help explain where planets like Earth get the seeds of life
Secret to Porpoise Sonar Revealed
The animals can adjust structures in their foreheads to change the echolocation signals they emit
Nobel Physics Prize Goes to Gravitational Wave Scientists
Three physicists who lead the LIGO experiment, which made the first detection of gravitational waves, will share this year's award
The Neutrino Puzzle
The largest experiment ever to probe these mysterious particles could point the way to new physics
NASA Hires New Astronauts—but Where Will They Go?
The space agency awaits direction from the Trump administration, along with congressional funding to match its ambitions
Scientific Explorers, Pet Foxes, Science Hucksterism and Other New Science Books
April book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
Q&A: Lawrence Krauss on The Greatest Story Ever Told
Hidden, impermanent balances in nature have shaped the history of physics, and could determine our universe’s future
Majestic Owls, Great Lakes, Food Crisis and Other New Science Books
March book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
