The Svalbard Vault Now Has One Million Seeds
Backup seeds—held in storage as insurance against climate change—come from nearly every country in the world
Stories by Mark Fischetti
Science on the Hill: Calculating Climate
For the fourth Science on the Hill event, Future Climate: What We Know, What We Don’t, experts talked with Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti about what goes into modeling our climate—and how such models are used in addition to long-term climate prediction...
A Visual Guide to the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus
What scientists know about the inner workings of the pathogen that has infected the world
Satellites in Low Orbits Are Taking over the Skies
Earth monitoring and high-speed Internet are driving demand
Pumping Charged Particles onto Airplane Surfaces Could Reduce Lightning Strikes
Tests reveal that an imbalance of charge buildup can trigger airplane lightning
Carbon Taxes Would Boost Jobs across the U.S.
Construction and manufacturing careers would rise nationwide
What’s Inside? Meat vs. Meatless Burgers
A look at ingredients and nutrition
Stopping the Coronavirus: Have We Learned the Lessons from SARS?
The parallel dos and don’ts for the two viruses are striking
Global Warming Is Not Part of Natural Climate Variability
A common argument among skeptics is put to rest
U.S. Power Supply Is Changing Significantly
And the shifts in energy sources may be sharper than you think
Don’t Believe the Hype: The Pumice Raft Won’t Save the Great Barrier Reef
The floating shelf of volcanic stone more than twice the size of Manhattan will nonetheless bring a fascinating array of life to the reef
Viruses Thrive in the Arctic Ocean
A surprising study overturns a common assumption
A New Reality Up North
Climate change is dramatically altering life at the top of the world
Nations Get Busy Inside the Arctic Circle
As ice retreats, countries are expanding military seaports, exploiting shipping lanes and exploring for oil and gas
The Great Ocean Divide
More than two million square kilometers are being carved up, leaving little for the rest of the world
Nations Claim Large Overlapping Sections of Arctic Seafloor
The five coastal countries will have to rectify their science and their politics
Special Report: Future of the Arctic
Suddenly, nations are jockeying to control the seafloor and exploit resources in the rapidly thawing north
Climate Solution: Use Carbon Dioxide to Generate Electricity
Sending atmospheric CO2 into underground methane hydrates could clean the air and create revenue
Massive Forest Restoration Could Greatly Slow Global Warming
The right trees, planted in the right locations, could store 205 gigatons of carbon dioxide
Safer Nuclear Reactors Are on the Way
Resilient fuels and innovative reactors could enable a resurgence of nuclear power
