Stories by Rachel Feltman

Linguist Adam Aleksic explains how viral slang and algorithm-driven speech aren’t destroying language––they’re accelerating its natural evolution.

Scientists are uncovering how your gut might be shaping your thoughts, feelings and cravings.

Kissing bugs are creeping across the U.S.—and they’re bringing Chagas disease with them.

 In his new book, Daniel Yon explains how our brain is constantly constructing reality

A single tick bite can trigger a bizarre meat allergy—here’s how alpha-gal syndrome is reshaping people’s diets.

A common nasal spray shows promise in reducing COVID risk, but vaccine access remains tangled in policy in the U.S.

With the CDC in disarray and its future uncertain, this episode explores what’s driving the exodus of agency staff and what this means for national health security.

Hurricane forecast maps are more complex than they appear. Understanding them could change how you prepare for the next storm.

Two decades after Katrina, we revisit the storm and discuss the evolution of hurricane preparedness since then.

Deep-sea rocks packed with valuable metals may also be making oxygen in the deep, dark ocean—raising new questions about the cost of mining them.

In honor of SciAm’s 180th birthday, we’re spotlighting the biggest “wait, what?” moments in science history.

Peanut allergies more than tripled in U.S. kids between the late 1990s and late 2000s, and the prevalence has risen even more since then. Scientists are still searching for answers—and new ways to treat them.

Traditional biology has long ignored nature’s sexual diversity—but evolution tells a far more complex story.

China is having a fast-rising chikungunya outbreak in a place that has never had one before.

In his new book, Sam Kean reveals how re-creating ancient tools, techniques and traditions can unlock secrets about how our ancestors lived—and what they felt.

A new hormone-free birth control pill that reversibly stops sperm production has passed its first safety trial in humans, offering hope for more reversible contraceptive options.

From planets roaming space to major shifts in health funding, catch up with this week’s news roundup.

Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois shares how his meteorology roots drive his fight to protect climate science and push back against political interference.

NASA faces historic budget cuts that could shutter missions and stall vital research, prompting a bipartisan outcry from all of the agency’s living former science chiefs.

The lowdown on the Environmental Protection Agency’s move to repeal of the “endangerment” finding. Also, how did a juicy ketchup ingredient help create a starchy tuber?

A conversation with Anthropic’s chatbot raises questions about how AI talks about awareness.

Researchers and therapists explore the mental health benefits of tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Extreme weather is front-page news. But what are the phenomena behind the headlines?

Set your alarm on Wednesday to see some of the summer’s stunning meteor showers.