Biology

Our social voyeurism may have deep evolutionary roots

Scientists treated a person’s type 1 diabetes with genetically modified insulin-producing cells that evaded immune system attacks. This is the first therapy for the condition that does not require immunosuppressant drugs

Houseplants become rechargeable night-lights after injection with tiny phosphor particles

This new “connectome” could bring researchers one step closer to understanding how nerves connect to organs throughout the body

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.

Researchers spied a wild array of life, including dozens of suspected new species, in an underwater gorge

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.

DNA holds our genetic blueprints, but its cousin, RNA, conducts our daily lives

More familiar smells and scents from complex molecules can often be more appealing

Other species exhibit capabilities that were once thought to be exclusive to Homo sapiens