EnergyJune 26, 2017
World’s Largest Wind Turbine Would Be Taller Than the Empire State Building
Massive, flexible blades would bend with storm winds like the palm trees that inspired them
Engineering
Space & PhysicsJune 23, 2017
SpaceX Launches Rocket with "Highest-Ever Reentry Force"
The company has now landed a recycled rocket for the second time
New Issue: Science’s Impossible Questions. Read Now
EnergyJune 23, 2017
Landmark 100 Percent Renewable Energy Study Flawed, Say 21 Leading Experts
A critique of seminal research on the feasibility of a 100 percent wind, water, and solar energy system finds serious shortcomings, underscoring the need for continued research and a balanced decarbonization portfolio
EngineeringJune 22, 2017
Searching for Signs of the Next Catastrophic Quake
Geophysicists are ramping up their efforts to monitor major undersea faults for movement with sea-floor sensors
EngineeringJune 22, 2017
Quick-Thinking AI Camera Mimics the Human Brain
The device will use artificial neurons and synapses to improve self-driving vehicle and drone performance
The SciencesJune 22, 2017
Keep Rolling Luggage Upright with Physics
A team of physicists has revealed why rolling suitcases start rocking from wheel to wheel—and how to avoid that frustrating phenomenon. Christopher Intagliata reports.
The SciencesJune 7, 2017
How to Use Math to Fly Rockets to Space
What does it really mean for a satellite to orbit the Earth? What’s the math behind it? And what’s the math behind the rockets that get those satellites into orbit? Keep on reading to find out!
ElectronicsJune 6, 2017
Making Flexible Electronics with Nanowire Networks
If flexible smartphones, e-paper and a new generation of smart watches are to succeed, we’ll need to invent something new
ComputingJune 2, 2017
20 Years after Deep Blue: How AI Has Advanced Since Conquering Chess
IBM AI expert Murray Campbell reflects on the machine’s long, bumpy road to victory over chess champ Garry Kasparov
EngineeringJune 1, 2017
Robot Chef Learns to Twirl Pizza Like a Pro
A new bot uses feedback from sensors to stretch and fold dough
CognitionJune 1, 2017
An AI That Knows the World Like Children Do
Artificial intelligence has staged a revival by starting to incorporate what we know about how children learn
CognitionJune 1, 2017
Artificial Intelligence Helps in Learning How Children Learn
Alison Gopnik, author of “Making AI Human” in Scientific American’s June issue describes the use of Bayesian statistics to outline how youngsters infer the basics of cause and effect.