Policy
How Work-Family Justice Can Bring Balance to Scientist Moms
It’s time to change cultural views and expectations around science and motherhood
Policy16736 articles archived since 1845
Policy
The Tragedy of the Tragedy of the Commons
The man who wrote one of environmentalism’s most-cited essays was a racist, eugenicist, nativist and Islamaphobe—plus his argument was wrong
Policy
Where Did That Promising Scientist Disappear To?
Family leave policies leave women faculty behind
Policy
How to Keep Scientific Innovation Alive
Thinking outside the box is as important for science as it is for a business start-up
Readers Respond to the December 2018 Issue
Letters to the editor from the December 2018 issue of Scientific American
Policy
States Target Potent Greenhouse Gases in Absence of Federal Action
The push to restrict hydrofluorocarbons is one of the clearest examples of states banding together on climate policy
In Case You Missed It
Top news from around the world
1969: We Used Flints for Threshing; 1919: We Wanted Airships for Travel
Innovation and discovery as chronicled in Scientific American
Solar Power’s Benefits Don’t Shine Equally on Everyone
Racial and ethnic minorities have less access to solar power, regardless of income, highlighting the need for environmental justice
The World Health Organization Gives the Nod to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Bad Idea
The World Health Organization is now promoting unproved traditional Chinese medicine
Policy
New York Looks to Congestion Pricing to Control Pollution
The plan would be the first in the U.S. and would help fund the city’s aging public transit system
Policy
What Happens When Female Physicians Gather?
A recent symposium left participants with a renewed sense of belonging and a collaborative energy
Looking for Life on Mars: Viking Experiment Team Member Reflects on Divisive Findings
Patricia Straat looks back on the Viking lander experiment that aimed to find microbes
Policy
When Storms Hit Cities, Poor Areas Suffer Most
Low-income neighborhoods see more damage and have less political clout to advocate for fixes
The Pitfalls of Data’s Gender Gap
Without female data, everything from safety gear to urban design to Siri is biased toward men. The effects range from inconvenient to deadly
Policy
Paid Family Leave for Postdocs
With relatively small increases in budgetary support, we can support and retain new mothers in science
Military Tries Out Fish as Underwater Spies
The sophisticated sensing behaviors of marine organisms could serve as a surveillance system that aids national security
Policy
How Brexit Could Impact the U.K.’s Climate Goals
The withdrawal from the European Union could disrupt emissions trading to reduce greenhouse gases
Mission to Europa Gets New Instrument to Look for Signs of Habitability
Amid technical and political hurdles, a veteran planetary scientist takes charge of a key part of Europa Clipper, a spacecraft targeted at the solar system’s most intriguing moon
The “Fantastic” Feeling of a Breakthrough: Q&A with Math Prize Winner Karen Uhlenbeck
The first female winner of the prestigious Abel Prize shares details of life as a mathematician
