EvolutionSeptember 20, 2026
Why human language may be intertwined with fire
Understanding how human language evolved is one of the hardest problems in science to unpick
Language
LanguageSeptember 15, 2026
Science crossword: Broken thoughts
Play this crossword inspired by the October 2026 issue of Scientific American
Special Offer: Get 5 Months of Digital Access for $5
LanguageSeptember 1, 2026
Bonus crossword: Tints of life
Play a bonus science crossword that ties into even more stories from the September 2026 issue of Scientific American.
LanguageAugust 18, 2026
Science crossword: Give me some space!
Play this crossword inspired by the September 2026 issue of Scientific American
LanguageAugust 12, 2026
Could humans learn a language made entirely of music?
Linguists explain how a language built from musical notes could convey complex meaning and even support conversation
AnimalsAugust 7, 2026
Birdsong follows a fundamental law of human language
A fundamental law of human language has now been found in both songbirds and whales
LanguageJuly 23, 2026
Humanity’s ‘golden age’ of language may have occurred 2,000 years ago
During a lost ‘golden age’ of language, humans may have spoken tens of thousands of different tongues, a new study suggests
LanguageJune 16, 2026
Science crossword: Looking to the future
Play this crossword inspired by the July/August 2026 issue of Scientific American
LanguageJune 12, 2026
Disclosure Day raises a big question: How do you talk to aliens?
A linguist lays out what communicating with aliens could actually involve—and what that tells us about human language
LanguageMay 19, 2026
Science crossword: At the same time
Play this crossword inspired by the June 2026 issue of Scientific American
LanguageApril 22, 2026
How did humans evolve language? It may be far more ancient than scientists realized
A new study links genetic regions that predate the divergence of modern humans and Neanderthals to language
AnimalsApril 14, 2026
Sperm whales may make their own vowel sounds, similar to human language
Sperm whales, which make clicking sounds to communicate, use different “vowels” in ways similar to human speech