Engineering
50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: May 2021
When time began; superior bread baking
Stories by Mark Fischetti
Climate
Youth Leaders for Climate Justice Say, ‘We Are Ready to Work’
Inspiring individuals from Argentina, Colombia and Kuwait lay out actions that can improve people’s lives
Climate
We Are Living in a Climate Emergency, and We’re Going to Say So
It’s time to use a term that more than 13,000 scientists agree is needed
Policy & Ethics
Nations Claim Large Overlapping Sections of Arctic Seafloor
The five coastal countries will have to rectify their science and their politics
The Body
Our Bodies Replace Billions of Cells Every Day
Blood and the gut dominate cell turnover
Natural Disasters
Hurricane Names from Greek Alphabet Are Dropped
Sticking with human names will lessen confusion and distraction
EARTH
Sunlight Changes Unequally All Year Long
Some days we gain one minute; some days we gain three
Policy & Ethics
Green Alternative to Border Wall Might Have Saved Texas
A U.S.-Mexico corridor of renewable energy and water could have prevented widespread emergencies
Arts & Culture
Amanda Gorman’s Climate Poem Says, Act ‘Now, Now, Now’
The youth poet laureate offers an urgent message
Public Health
Cholesterol Drops in the West and Rises in the East
Blood levels change as people alter diets and the use of statin medications
Environment
COVID Pandemic Reduces Seismic Noise
Vibrations in the earth’s crust generated by human activity dropped as lockdowns went into effect
Medicine
The COVID Cold Chain: How a Vaccine Will Get to You
A vaccine logistics expert explains how millions of frozen vials will be widely distributed
Public Health
Coronavirus Vaccine Is 90 Percent Effective in Large Trial, Pfizer Says
Genetic engineering could allow for speedy production as well
Energy
Election Science Stakes: Energy
Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti and associate editor Andrea Thompson talk about this election and the future of U.S. energy research and policy.
Environment
Lead Pollution Reflects Dramatic World Events
Emissions of lead particles wax and wane with empires, plagues and revolutions
Environment
Election Science Stakes: Environment
Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti talks about how this election will affect environmental science and policy.
Biology
Bizarre Bugs Found in Big City Show Nature’s Weirdness Is Everywhere
An urban expedition reveals nearly 1,000 species
Climate
Climate Change Increases Threat of Fire to U.S. West
Warming could scorch the region
Public Health
Coronavirus: How It Infects Us and How We Might Stop It
How does SARS-CoV-2 sneak into our body? What can our immune system do and how can the virus sometimes defeat it? How do the leading drug and vaccine candidates work? Will the virus plague us forever?...
Natural Disasters
Why Hurricane Names Are Retired
Deaths or excessive damage put Katrina, Maria, Harvey and other monikers out of circulation
