Astronomers Search for Signs of Life in the Skies of Distant Exoplanets
The galaxy is teeming with planets. Scientists are straining to peer into their atmospheres to seek signs of extraterrestrial life
Features
Blind Kids Gain Vision Late in Childhood While Giving a Lesson in Brain Science
Surgery in blind children from India allows them to see for the first time and reveals how vision works in the brain
Oil Sands May Irrevocably Tar the Climate
The fate of the Alberta's tar sands mines—and the climate—may come down to the Keystone XL pipeline
When Animals Mourn
Mounting evidence from species as diverse as cats and dolphins indicates that humans are not the only species that grieves over the loss of loved ones
It’s All Elementary: Decades of Insights from Nobel Laureates in Chemistry
As laureates and newcomers in chemistry form new bonds, we celebrate their achievements, past and future
New Genetic Insights Show How Tuberculosis May Be Evolving to Become More Dangerous
Tuberculosis seems to be evolving in unexpected ways that outsmart humans
Walls of Water Make Chaotic Currents More Predictable
Ocean currents and other chaotic phenomena are supposed to be inherently unpredictable. But mathematicians are finding a method to nature's madness
Departments
Why the West Fertilizer Explosion Could Have Happened Anywhere
Scrabble Sends One Man Scrambling for Meaning
150 Years Ago: Sleep Technology
- From the Editor
The Global Citizens of Scientific American
- Letters
Readers Respond to "Mission: Risk Averse"
- Advances
Prickly Painkiller
James Cameron Donates His Tricked Out Ocean Sub to Science
Produce-Loving Pests
Satellite Surveillance Could Protect Heritage Sites
Why Google Glass May not Be Ready for Prime Time
Microscopic Hunters Prey on Yellowstone’s Wolves
Frothy Physics: The Math of Foams
Patent Granted for a Buoy That Generates Power
A Documentary Explores How We Talk to Ourselves
Scientists Discover a Bug with Giant Genital Pincers
By The Numbers
A Star's Last Breath
IBM Creates the World’s Tiniest Movies
- Forum
The Next Big Thing in Wearable Gadgets Is Very Small
- The Science of Health
How Much Do CT Scans Increase the Risk of Cancer?
- TechnoFiles
Software Recognition Technology Is Amazing, but Not Amazing Enough
- Recommended
Recommended: Thinking in Numbers
Recommended: The Cartoon Introduction to Statistics
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- Skeptic
How Beliefs in Extraterrestrials and Intelligent Design Are Similar
- Graphic Science
People Kill with Guns More Than Any Other Weapon