Culture1079 articles archived since 1845

Q&A: Kim Stanley Robinson Explains How He Flooded Manhattan

His new book, New York 2140, explores the interplay of climate change and global finance on a warmer, wetter future world

5 of the Best-Designed Products Ever—and What Made Them Great

Design experts explain why things such as the paper clip and a particular phone fit human use so well

Majestic Owls, Great Lakes, Food Crisis and Other New Science Books

March book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American

More Book Recommendations for March

New science books to check out 

Black History Month: Making History in the Geosciences

Meet four fascinating geologists who made history and are forging the future

Why Is It Significant That the White House Tours Resume?

The tradition of an open house at the White House dates back to the administration of Thomas Jefferson. Why is this an important aspect of the American democratic process?

Readers Respond to the November 2016 Issue

Letters to the editor from the November 2016 issue of Scientific American

The Essential Role of Storytelling in the Search for Truth

As trust in experts declines, authenticity and personal connection matter more. And where does authenticity come from, anyway?

Fermented Foods Find Fervent Advocate

Properly fermented foods deliver probiotics that could help cut disease risk, said a researcher at the annual meeting of the AAAS.

Philosophers Push Back

Philosophers react to a science journalist’s critique of their calling

W.E.B. Du Bois, Scientific American and Data Stories of the Early 1900s

Two sets of infographics offer distinct perspectives on American life at the turn of the century 

Churchill's Extraterrestrials

Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio writes in the journal Nature and talks to Scientific American about the recently rediscovered essay by Winston Churchill that analyzed with impressive scientific accuracy the conditions under which extraterrestrial life might exist...

To Boldly Go to the Nearest Star and the Distant Past

Volcanic Eruption May Have Plunged the Maya into a “Dark Age”

A new study of ancient ash links an El Chichón eruption to a time of inexplicable cultural upheaval in Maya history

How an Amnesiac Changed Neuroscience

February book recommendations from Scientific American

Palaeoart Memes and the Unspoken Status Quo in Palaeontological Popularization

Palaeoart memes are important and pervasive—what are they, and what do they mean for the popularization of palaeontology?

What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 5--A Call for "Negative Philosophy"

Philosophy’s chief value is countering our terrible tendency toward certitude

Did People Actually Bowl at Bowling Green?

Bowling Green has a history that has withstood the test of time

Show of Shipwrecked Treasures Raises Scientists' Ire

Archaeologists worry that a museum exhibition will encourage exploitation of priceless historical sites

What Is Philosophy's Point?, Part 4--Maybe It's Poetry with No Rhyme and Lots of Reason

The line between philosophy and the arts can get awfully blurry