Bad Science and Bad Statistics in the Courtroom Convict Innocent People
Science, statistics and expert testimony are crucial in securing justice. But their dubious applications in the courtroom can send innocent people to jail
55 Books Scientific American Recommends in 2023
The best fiction, nonfiction, history and sci-fi books Scientific American staff read in 2023
The Same Extremists Target Both Muslims and Jews
Far-right extremists shifted their online hate from Muslims to Jews in 2017, and offline hate followed the same trends
How Misinformation Spreads through Conflict
Three experts break down how misinformation and propaganda spread through conflict and how to debunk it yourself.
Poem: ‘In Conversation with Elizabeth Fulhame’
Science in meter and verse
Scientists Sequence DNA from a 3,000-Year-Old Brick
A chunk of a Mesopotamian palace revealed genes from dozens of ancient plants
December 2023: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago
Black hole sun; the deepest mine
Understanding Consciousness Is Key to Unlocking Secrets of the Universe
The quest to understand our physical universe may depend on investigating our own mind
Are Children’s Books Improving Representation?
Racial and gender disparities persist in award-winning kids’ literature despite recent gains in representation
Science News Briefs from around the World: December 2023
The explosive secret behind Saturn’s rings, a Scandinavian arrow frozen for 4,000 years, the world's deepest-known virus, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits
Too Many Schools Are Misdiagnosing Dyslexia
Changing how dyslexia is diagnosed could help many more children learn to read
The Ivy League Gets Attention, but Public Universities Are Far More Important
Media attention to Ivy League schools distracts from the much more important—and undersupported—public university system