Scientific American Magazine

Medical costs are rising rapidly, and millions of people have no health care coverage. The nation urgently needs a universal insurance program

The age, evolution and fate of the universe depend on just how fast it is expanding. By measuring the size of the universe using a variety of new techniques, astronomers have improved estimates of the expansion rate

Programming bugs have disrupted telephone service and delayed shuttle launches. An inherent uncertainty in reliability may mean limiting a computer's role, especially in systems where software is critical for safety

Computer-generated images are aiding research in molecular structure and helping to elucidate the complex chemistry of life

Almost 600 million years ago animal evolution demonstrated an unmatched burst of creativity. Has the mechanism of evolution altered zn ways that prevent fundamental changes in the body plans of animals?

Scholars have long wondered how Native Americans settled the New World. Recent research indicates that their many tongues belong to just three families, implying three waves of immigration from Asia

Aided by his wildly erroneous conception of the earth's circumference, Columbus redrew the globe, perhaps encouraging others to realign the heavens

Silicon is becoming both bricks and mortar for armies of gears, valves, pumps and sensing devices that may turn the surface of microchips into diminutive factories and laboratories.