Technology
Why America's Love Affair with Cars Is No Accident
The auto industry campaigned against the relatively bloody rise of cars in the early 20th century via TV, the term "jaywalker" and school safety patrols
Automobiles774 articles archived since 1845
Environment
In Search of the Best (Energy) Ideas: A Q&A with ARPA-E's Arun Majumdar
Majumdar is stepping down after three years at the head of the U.S. Department of Energy's advanced energy research arm
Policy
50 Years Ago: The First Gamma-Ray Satellite
Innovation and discovery as chronicled in past issues of Scientific American
Health
Obese People May Fail to Buckle Up
People of normal weight are 67 percent more likely to buckle their car seat belts than are obese people. Steve Mirsky reports
Environment
Diesel Cars Make a Comeback in the U.S.
Sooty, finicky diesel engines are a thing of the past, boosting prospects for the fuel-efficient automobiles in America
Environment
Cheap Fracked Gas Could Help Americans Keep on Truckin'
Companies and researchers are working on infrastructure and technologies to help bring the nation's growing stock of natural gas to fuel tanks, including those of long-haul vehicles
Technology
Second Wind: Air-Breathing Lithium Batteries Promise Recharge-Free Long-Range Driving--If the Bugs Can Be Worked Out
IBM-led research to create lithium-air electric vehicle batteries gets a boost from Japanese chemical companies toward the goal of 800 kilometers out of a full charge
Environment
Earth Day 2012: Strategies for a Green Planet
From recycling to energy use, new strategies are needed to ensure a more sustainable future
Space & Physics
A New Report Sheds Light on Problems Plaguing Russia's Space Program
A recent report from Russia's space agency sheds light on a string of recent failures
Environment
Different Strokes: New Lower-Pollution Auto Rickshaw Engines Could Save Lives and Curb Climate Change [Slide Show]
The two-stroke rickshaw, although convenient in traffic-snarled cities, is a toxic nuisance--but new engines could clean up its act
Environment
Different Strokes: New Lower-Pollution Auto Rickshaw Engines Could Save Lives and Curb Climate Change [Slide Show]
The two-stroke rickshaw, although convenient in traffic-snarled cities, is a toxic nuisance--but new engines could clean up its act
Technology
Flying Car Debuts at New York City Auto Show
Terrafugia's Transition two-seat "roadable aircraft" comes to the New York International Auto Show after a maiden flight. Larry Greenemeier reports
The Sciences
A Timeline of Tragedy and Triumph
From the great ocean liner's construction to its sinking to its discovery on the ocean floor, the key moments in Titanic's history
The Sciences
The Extraordinary Story of the White Star Liner Titanic
The great steamship sank 100 years ago, but its legendary drama, heroes and villains remain as unforgettable as ever
The Sciences
Titanic: Resonance and Reality
A century ago a great ship struck an iceberg and sank, earning a permanent place among the stories we tell—and lessons we should learn
Environment
Compressed-Air Car Winds Way to Market
Tata Motors hopes to release its compressed-air car in India by August. Larry Greenemeier reports
Environment
Spread Reckoning: U.S. Suburbs Face Twin Perils of Climate Change and Peak Oil [Excerpt]
Sprawling metropolitan areas like Merriam, Kans., face fundamental challenges from global warming and the end of easy oil
Environment
Is "All of the Above" the Right Strategy for U.S. Energy? A Q&A with Steven Chu
The U.S. government aims to improve energy production from renewables to oil, but what does that mean in practice?
Policy
Know Your Space Tycoons
How their plans stack up
The Sciences
Why It Took So Long to Invent the Wheel
The tricky thing about the wheel is not conceiving of a cylinder rolling on its edge. It's figuring out how to connect a stable, stationary platform to that cylinder
