Latest Stories

Image of Scientific American's March 2026 cover featuring Life in the Age of AI against a blue background.

CultureJune 16, 2026

Readers respond to the March 2026 issue

Letters to the editors for the March 2026 issue of Scientific American

Aaron Shattuck

A starfield hangs in front of an illustration of a black cat with shining eyes illustrated by Masha Foya.

ArtsJune 16, 2026

Poem: ‘The Soliloquy of Schrödinger’s Cat’

A meditation on life and the von Neumann–Wigner interpretation of quantum mechanics

Pippa Storey

Conceptual art illustrating the state of American science. A large hand removes bricks from a Jenga-style tower supporting individuals and a microscope.

Social SciencesJune 16, 2026

U.S. science is in chaos

How did we get here?

Adam Rogers

Illustration by Richard Mia of a Department of Energy folder stamped Classified, with pixelated blue weapons schematics slipping into paper files.

Nuclear weaponsJune 16, 2026

Trump’s Genesis Mission puts AI to work on nuclear weapons

The Department of Energy bills Genesis as an AI push for scientific discovery. Its first public challenges tell a different story

Sarah Scoles

Games illustration with a green background

LanguageJune 16, 2026

Science crossword: Looking to the future

Play this crossword inspired by the July/August 2026 issue of Scientific American

Aimee Lucido

Line drawing diagram of a woman wearing a late 1800s outfit demonstrating the invention of an umbrella supporter with the use of rods and elastic straps. Image from Scientific American archive, Vol. 35, No. 3; July 15, 1876.

HistoryJune 16, 2026

July/August 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago

Natural fission reactor uncovered; geometry of soap bubbles

Jeanna Bryner

BiologyJune 16, 2026

Craig Venter

In his final interview, the “swashbuckling” geneticist pointed the way for science

Jeanna Bryner

Stylized illustration portrait of Tonima Tasmin Ananna by Jessine Hein.

AstrophysicsJune 16, 2026

Tonima Tasnim Ananna

Understanding the behavior of supermassive black holes

Emma Gometz

Collage style illustration by Max-o-matic showing different areas of science, government buildings, data samples and maps.

Science EducationJune 16, 2026

On our radar

These young scientists are making waves in their own ways. Keep an eye on them—great things are ahead

Megha Satyanarayana

Public HealthJune 16, 2026

Atul Gawande

On reclaiming America’s edge in research and public health

Tara Haelle

GeologyJune 16, 2026

Allie Balter-Kennedy

Exploring ice cores to foresee the effects of climate change

Claire Cameron

BiotechJune 16, 2026

Samagya Banskota

Using viruslike particles to deliver therapies safely and effectively

Kate Wong

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