Culture
Galileo and the Science Deniers
Four hundred years ago Galileo Galilei’s scientific findings were rejected because they didn’t fit the prevailing beliefs of the time. His story is disturbingly relevant today...
Culture1079 articles archived since 1845
Culture
Scientific American & The Great Courses Video Series
We’ve partnered with The Great Courses to bring some of our best feature articles to life with video adaptations. We’re adding new video content monthly, so stay tuned and bookmark this page...
Black Holes
The First Ever Image of a Black Hole Is Now a Movie
Pictures created from old observations show the void’s stormy evolution over the past decade
EARTH
Science News from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from all over, including one from Israel about what DNA reveals about the Dead Sea Scrolls’ parchment.
The Sciences
For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42
Here is how a perfectly ordinary number captured the interest of sci-fi enthusiasts, geeks and mathematicians
Culture
Jaws: Classic Film, Crummy Science
Forty-five years after the movie made everyone afraid to wade into the ocean, it’s not too late to remind viewers of the truth about sharks
Culture
The Pulsar Chart That Became a Pop Icon Turns 50: Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures
A classic data visualization brought an astronomical curiosity to music lovers
Culture
The Sanctuary of Trees, How to Argue with a Racist and Other New Books
New science book recommendations from the editors of Scientific American
Culture
Poem: Bring Back the Leaf
Science in meter and verse
Culture
A New View of Sexual Harassment in the Sciences
Recommended reading and viewing from the editors of Scientific American
Culture
Science on the Small Screen, Retro Style
Here’s what educational TV from the late 1940s and early 1950s can teach us today
Culture
Welcome to 175 Years of Discovery
An orientation to our special issue
Culture
175 Years of Scientific American: The Good, the Bad and the Debunking
We look back at some highlights, midlights and lowlights of the history of Scientific American, featuring former editor in chief John Rennie. Astrophysicist Alan Guth also appears in a sponsored segment...
Culture
Bread Science: A Yeasty Conversation
“Baking is applied microbiology,” according to the book Modernist Bread . During pandemic lockdowns, many people started baking their own bread. Scientific American contributing editor W...
Culture
When Scientific American Made M. C. Escher Famous
In the 1960s Martin Gardner helped to turn the artist M. C. Escher into a sensation
Culture
Scientific American vs. the Supernatural
This magazine launched a contest to prove, or disprove, the existence of ghosts
Space & Physics
Time’s Arrow Flies through 500 Years of Classical Music, Physicists Say
A statistical study of more than 8,000 compositions shows how the flow of time distinguishes music from noise
Culture
The Language of Science
A graphical tour of popular words paired with key moments in the history of the magazine
Culture
How to Turn 175 Years of Words in Scientific American into an Image
A data designer explains the art and science of analyzing and charting text from 5,107 issues of this magazine
Culture
Explore 175 Years of Words in Scientific American
Search a 4,000-word database to see how language in the magazine evolved over time
