Scientific American Magazine

Scientists may soon glimpse the universe's beginnings by studying the subtle ripples made by gravitational waves

The Microwave Anisotropy Probe will give cosmologists a much sharper picture of the early universe

The universe has recently been commandeered by an invisible energy field, which is causing its expansion to accelerate outward

If the new cosmology fails, what's the backup plan?

Humankind's nearest relative is even closer than we thought: chimpanzees display remarkable behaviors that can only be described as social customs passed on from generation to generation

Structures called proteasomes inside cells continuously destroy proteins. Several common diseases result when the process works too zealously--or not at all

Centuries ago craftsmen forged peerless steel blades. But how did they do it? The author and a blacksmith have found the answer

Replacing electronic switches with purely optical ones will become the technological linchpin for networks that transmit trillions of bits each second

The ultimate all-optical network will require dramatic advances in technologies that use one lightwave to imprint information on another

Extensions to fiber optics will supply network capacity that borders on the infinite

Confused by all those theories? Good