PolicySeptember 1, 2020
How an Article about the H-Bomb Landed Scientific American in the Middle of the Red Scare
At one time this magazine tangled with the FBI, the Atomic Energy Commission and Joseph McCarthy
Celebrating 180 Years of Scientific American
Since 1845, SciAm has chronicled the science shaping our world. Explore our legacy in this special anniversary package.
Scientific American
PolicySeptember 1, 2020
Reckoning with Our Mistakes
Some of the cringiest articles in Scientific American’s history reveal bigger questions about scientific authority
ArtsSeptember 19, 2023
Behind the Scenes of Scientific American's 2023 Redesign
Today we introduce to the world Scientific American’s redesign, which we hope will nod to our rich history while also look forward to the everchanging landscape of publishing
EngineeringSeptember 1, 2020
The First Subway in New York City Was a Cylindrical Car Pushed by Air
Scientific American editor Alfred Ely Beach revealed the secretly built wonder in 1870
CultureSeptember 1, 2020
When Scientific American Made M. C. Escher Famous
In the 1960s Martin Gardner helped to turn the artist M. C. Escher into a sensation
CultureApril 20, 2016
Dude, How Did Scientific American End Up in This Jerry Garcia–Howard Wales Album Art?
Do you think it was the issue with the article on “Marihuana”? Mysteries from the inside cover of Hooteroll?
CultureFebruary 18, 2015
Pop Culture Pulsar: Origin Story of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures Album Cover [Video]
Sure, I was familiar with the graphic—and I’m not alone. Drop this image (right) on someone’s desk and chances are they’ll reflexively blurt, “Joy Division.” The band’s 1979 Unknown Pleasures album cover leaned entirely on a small mysterious data display, printed in white on black.
LanguageSeptember 1, 2020
The Language of Science
How the words we use have evolved over the past 175 years
CultureAugust 24, 2016
Publishing on Printing
Learning from Scientific American’s 171 years of covering advances in printing technology
History of ScienceAugust 26, 2015
Before Scientific American, There Was Rufus Porter
A visit to the Rufus Porter Museum reveals the restless creativity of Scientific American’s founder—from hand-painted murals to DIY science experiments and self-published treatises
LanguageDecember 5, 2018
How Scientific American Helps Shape the English Language
The magazine is more widely cited than the King James Version of the Bible by the Oxford English Dictionary
CultureAugust 15, 2018
Remembering Bunji Tagawa
A look back at one of Scientific American’s most prolific illustrators and the racial injustice he endured
CultureFebruary 1, 2020
The Eclectic Works of Scientific American's Founder Rufus Porter
The latest science book recommendations from our editors