History of ScienceAugust 19, 2025
What Happens When an Entire Generation of Scientists Changes Its Mind
Total reversals in scientific thinking are rare—but earth-shattering
The Greatest U-turns in Science
What happens when foundational assumptions in a scientific field get put to the test?
Sam Falconer
NeuroscienceAugust 19, 2025
How Scientists Finally Learned That Nerves Regrow
Long dismissed as impossible, nerve regrowth is offering new hope for healing injuries and treating neurodegeneration
SustainabilityAugust 19, 2025
Plastics Started as a Sustainability Solution. What Went Wrong?
Synthetic polymers were supposed to free us from the limitations of our natural resources. Instead they led to an environmental crisis
CosmologyAugust 19, 2025
The Universe Is Static. No, Expanding! Wait, Slowing? Oh, Accelerating
The universe has a habit of disproving “unassailable” facts
BiologyAugust 19, 2025
How RNA Unseated DNA as the Most Important Molecule in Your Body
DNA holds our genetic blueprints, but its cousin, RNA, conducts our daily lives
Extraterrestrial LifeAugust 19, 2025
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life Is a Roller Coaster of Hope and Disappointment
The search for extraterrestrial life has periodically been turned upside down
EvolutionAugust 19, 2025
Humans Aren’t as Special as We Once Thought
Other species exhibit capabilities that were once thought to be exclusive to Homo sapiens
HealthAugust 25, 2025
Scientific American Celebrates 180 Years with Stories of Scientific U-turns
In honor of SciAm’s 180th birthday, we’re spotlighting the biggest “wait, what?” moments in science history.