Space & Physics

Scientists have revived an ignored area of math to envision a path toward stable quantum computing

A survey of Scientific American’s century of quantum coverage helps explain the enduring popularity of strange physics

Superluminal velocities are common but illusory

Overcoming three recent failed tries, Elon Musk’s rocket company successfully flew its reusable jumbo booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft

Fresh results from near-infrared instruments foretell a bright future for finding life elsewhere in the Milky Way

In honor of SciAm’s 180th birthday, we’re spotlighting the biggest “wait, what?” moments in science history.

After a string of fiery failures, SpaceX’s biggest rocket faces another test flight with sky-high stakes for U.S. space ambitions

The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. Could such a lunar collision create a dangerous new meteor shower?

In his latest book, science journalist Peter Brannen argues that CO₂ is the most important—and most misunderstood—molecule on Earth

The journal Science has lifted an expression of concern on a paper claiming evidence of Majorana quasiparticles, but concerns linger

With no fuel or engines, tiny explorers will surf sun-warmed air alone to explore high in the skies of Earth and Mars

Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have spotted a moon nestled near Uranus’s rings that’s so small you could walk around it