Scientific American Magazine

The statistical analysis of manufacturing processes has become a powerful tool of technology. An account of how its principles are now applied in the factory

Many astronomers believe that stars may be old, middle-aged or young. New studies indicate that the age of some may be less than a million years

Until recently only a few microorganisms were thought to fix the nitrogen of the atmosphere in the form essential to higher plant and animal life. Now a number of others have been found

It is surprisingly difficult to answer the question because the perception of injury involves a subtle blend of physiological and psychological factors

This sensitive instrument sorts atoms and molecules of various weights by means of a magnetic field. Developed by physicists, it is now widely utilized in other sciences and in technology

A tale of the biological laboratory. A one-celled animal is cut to pieces with curious results that clarify how a fertilized egg gives rise to the specialized tissues of a many-celled organism

Six is such a number: it is the sum of all numbers that divide it except itself. In 2,000 years 12 perfect numbers were found; now a computer has discovered five more

The voyage of the Bounty, which ended in the celebrated mutiny, was undertaken for an almost forgotten purpose: to bring a plant from the South Seas to the West Indies