Culture1079 articles archived since 1845

The Language of Science

How the words we use have evolved over the past 175 years

Celebrating Scientific American’s 175th Anniversary

Enjoy some surprising history and the most dizzying discoveries

175 Years of Discovery

The Coming or Possibly Nearly Here Storm

Former Scientific American editor Mark Alpert talks about his latest sci-fi thriller The Coming Storm, which warns about the consequences of unethical scientific research and of ignoring the scientific findings you don’t like...

Galileo’s Lessons for Living and Working through a Plague

An outbreak in Italy in the 1630s forced him to find new ways of doing his research and connecting with his family

Foxes Have Dined on Our Leftovers for 30,000 Years

An analysis of fox fossils found evidence that they scavenged from wolf and bear kills until Homo sapiens supplied plenty of horse and reindeer remains.

Gravitational Waves and the Poetry of Blackfoot

Science in meter and verse

Mexico Caves Reveal Ancient Ocher Mining

Now submerged caves in the Yucatán Peninsula contain remains of ocher-mining operations that date back at least 10,000 years.

How Your Homes and Buildings Affect You

Journalist and author Emily Anthes talks about her book The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness.

Vintage Scientific American Covers by Fish Illustrator Stanley Meltzoff

The latest science book recommendations from our editors

The Real Reason for Daylight Saving Time: Gas

Originally published in August 1908

Seismologists Find the World Quieted Down during Pandemic Lockdowns

COVID-19-related lockdowns dampened human activity around the globe—giving seismologists a rare glimpse of the earth’s quietest rumblings. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Old Art Offers Agriculture Info

Art museums are filled with centuries-old paintings with details of plants that today give us clues about evolution and breeding practices.

Tanks Carry Tourists into the French Alps

Originally published in November 1919

The Beautiful Things inside Your Head: Winners of the 10th Annual Art of Neuroscience Contest

The top works—and our favorites—range from interactive pieces to a pen-and-paper drawing

And the Winner of the First Ever Nobel Prize Is ...

Originally published in February 1900

Civil War Vaccine May Have Lessons for COVID-19

Vaccination used against smallpox during the Civil War reveals the identity of the distantly related virus used to keep troops disease-free.

50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: July 2020  

Darwin’s legacy on nerves and behavior; the epic tale of monuments

Black Images Matter: How Cameras Helped—and Sometimes Harmed—Black People

From Frederick Douglass to George Floyd, photography has been key for racial justice. But cameras have also been used to hurt

The Poetry of Autopsy

Science in meter and verse