Scientific American Magazine

Traditional clinical trials may delay the availability of lifesaving therapies. Regulators now attempt to balance speed against the risk of errors

For years, chemists have sought to control reactions with lasers—and have mostly failed. Success may come from exploiting subtle quantum effects resulting from the interaction of light and matter

Instinctive control of vortices lets fish swim the way they do. A robotic tuna has also managed it; boats and submarines may be next

An accumulation of genetic defects can apparently cause normal cells to become cancerous and cancerous cells to become increasingly dangerous

The behavior of a close relative challenges assumptions about male supremacy in human evolution

Devices fabricated from biological molecules promise compact size and faster data storage. They lend themselves to use in parallel-processing computers, three-dimensional memories and neural networks

Contrary to the view that the ancients lived in harmony with their environment, archaeological and geologic evidence shows that they often abused the land

Scientists are homing in on social and biological risk factors that they believe predispose individuals to criminal behavior. The knowledge could be ripe with promise—or rife with danger