Features1827 articles archived since 1845

Use It Better: Getting the Most Out of Speech Recognition, by David Pogue

Four tips to improve how your computer understands you

Mobile Phones for Women: A New Approach for Social Welfare in the Developing World

Telecoms, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits are pushing to put mobile phones directly in the hands of women in low- and middle-income countries

The Price of Coal in China: Can China Fuel Growth without Warming the World?

China relies on coal for most of its energy while striving to cut greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution

SciAm's 2010 Gadget Guide: 10 Gizmos Taking Digital Learning and Entertainment to the Next Level [Slide Show]

Big pop-tech dominated the headlines this year, so we present an array of mainly pint-size products that may have sneaked under your radar

Archimedes Coins "Eureka!" in the Nude--and Other Crazy Ah-Ha Moments of Science

Is the classic mad scientist stereotype more myth than reality? A new book dives into the history of some of the greatest scientific breakthroughs--and the big brains behind them

Kids (and Animals) Who Fail Classic Mirror Tests May Still Have Sense of Self

Flaws in a long-accepted test used to search for signs of self-awareness are revealing that selfhood varies culturally and exists on a continuum

The Web Turns 20: Web Science Reveals Human Interactions, Part 4 of 4

In this fourth article of a four-part series commemorating the World Wide Web's 20th birthday, Tim Berners-Lee tells Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti that we still have a lot to learn about the Web's design, operation and impact on society...

The Web Turns 20: Free Bandwidth Connects the Masses, Part 3 of 4

In this third article of a four-part series commemorating the World Wide Web's 20th birthday, Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti describes an effort to bring free Internet access to African communities...

The Web Turns 20: Social Machines Redesign Democracy, Part 2 of 4

In this second article of a four-part series commemorating the World Wide Web's 20th birthday, Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti explains how online games and other Web-enabled social machines build machine intelligence--and help us, too...

California Dreaming? The Golden State Takes the Lead in U.S. Efforts to Combat Climate Change

California is taking the initiative and moving forward with plans to curb emissions of greenhouse gases, even as prospects for national and even international efforts fade

The Web Turns 20: Linked Data Gives People Power, Part 1 of 4

In this first article of a four-part series commemorating the World Wide Web's 20th birthday, Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti explains the power of linked data

High Light: When a Psilocybin Study Leads to Spiritual Realization

A subject in a study of the effects of hallucinogens on brain chemistry recounts her mystical, life-changing experiences under the influence of psilocybin

Heat Exhaustion: Has the Adelie Penguin Met Its Match?

After flourishing for thousands of years in the harshest environment on Earth, the Adelies in one part of Antarctica have encountered an obstacle they seem unable to overcome--us

Sliding Scale: A Tour of More Extraordinary Micro-Vistas [Slide Show]

Scientific American presents a supplemental selection of outstanding images entered in the Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Contest by the great masters of the microscope

MIND Reviews Origins: How the Nine Months before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives