Scientific American MagazineOctober 2025

An abandoned plan to visit another star highlights the perils of billionaire-funded science

As warming temperatures bring more extreme rain to the mountains, debris flows are on the rise

Tiny fossils hint at when birds began making their mind-blowing journey to the Arctic to breed

Forest ecologist Mark Harmon has been exhaustively examining dead logs for 40 years, and he’s found a complex world few people see

Breakthrough therapies, new diagnostics and preventive measures for fighting a devastating disease

Early studies suggest that lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and social engagement may help slow or prevent Alzheimer’s symptoms—but the evidence is inconsistent, and many doctors remain cautious

While our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease is far from complete, the latest therapies, and others in more than 100 clinical trials, offer new hope

New Alzheimer’s drugs known as anti-amyloid therapies may slow disease progression—but they also carry serious risks, including brain bleeds and strokelike symptoms

A new generation of Alzheimer’s blood tests could speed up diagnosis and access to care—but they also raise thorny questions about prediction, treatment and uncertainty

More than 13.8 million Americans could have Alzheimer’s by 2060, and at the rate care facilities are closing, many of them will have nowhere to go. Regina Shih of the State Alzheimer’s Research Support Center (StARS) wants to help solve that problem

Black Americans face a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias than white Americans. Researchers are working to find out why that is and how to intervene