Scientific American Magazine

How can the social sciences enable a poverty-stricken people to improve its condition? U. S. and Peruvian anthropologists seek the answer at Hacienda Vicos, an ancient estate in Peru

A part of the energy in a beam of radio waves is scattered in all directions by small irregularities in the atmosphere. This energy is now used in long-distance radio communication

Aviators sometimes suffer hallucinations during long, monotonous flights. The phenomenon is illuminated by a general examination of the effect of prolonged exposure to a monotonous environment

The modern physician commands an imposing array of techniques for the suppression of pain. After 150 years a prime frontier in the study of anesthetics remains their effects on the mind

These particles, also known as pi mesons, are an important atomic structural material. They appear to be the cement which holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus

The red cell of vertebrates is a remarkably effective device for the transport of oxygen to other cells. Many workers seek to elucidate the intricate molecular structure of its surface

The art of cutting metals has recently been extended by new techniques of etching. These techniques not only shape metals but also will very likely shape the design of metal products

The seriousness of an encounter with a poisonous snake depends not only on the toxicity of its venom but also on its behavior and the amount of toxic substance it can deliver with one bite