"news"

Scientific American Editors Build Saturn V Rocket LEGO Set

New Model Re-creates Apollo 11 Mission in 3-D

Modern satellite imagery and three-dimensional modeling create a multimedia view of how Apollo 11 played out on the lunar surface

To learn more, read the story here.

Inside the Ant Lab: Mutants and Social Genes

Social insects such as ants and bees often have complex societies, but understanding the genetics behind their social interactions can be difficult due to their complex lifecycles. This lab in New York hopes to investigate the genetics of ant social behavior by focusing on an unusual species: the clonal raider ant...

Bringing a Fossil to Life: Reverse Engineering Locomotion

How an animal moves can tell scientists a lot about how it lives. That is how researchers hope to learn more about an ancient crocodilelike creature called  Orobates  pabsti ...

Are 2 Snowflakes Ever Identical?

Is the “unique snowflake” just flake news? Mother Nature might never produce two identical snowflakes, thanks to the near-infinite variability of the conditions affecting ice crystal formation...

Scrubbing Carbon from the Sky

The first direct air capture and storage plant in the world is powered by geothermal heat in Iceland. Is it enough to reach negative carbon emissions?To learn more, read the story here.

Resurrecting the Genes of Extinct Plants

Scientists at Ginkgo Bioworks have resurrected the smell of an extinct flower by putting together the pieces of its DNA.To learn more, read the full story here.

Ion Drive: The First Flight

Researchers from MIT have flown a plane with no moving parts for the first time. It is powered by an "ion drive" which uses high powered electrodes to ionise and accelerate air particles, creating an "ionic wind." This wind drove a five-meter-wide craft across a sports hall...

To Stave Off Winter's Chill, Honeybees Hug

When staying warm is a matter of survival, they use this tried-and-true strategy.

How Do Birds Know to Fly South?

Birds such as the Arctic tern used magnetic particles and eye pigments to navigate.

A Nobel Laureate Explains the Rigged American Economy

The United States has the highest level of economic inequality of any developed country. Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics, explains why he thinks the American economy is rigged, and what that means for future generation.To learn more about America's rigged economy and what we can do to fix it, click here...

How Do We Measure the Distance to a Star?

The answer lies in the tiny shifts we see in a star's position as Earth revolves around the sun.

How Coastal Communities Are Already Retreating from Rising Seas

When it comes to the unsustainable development of the American coastline, New Jersey owns the honor of being the first and worst. But one town in the state is experimenting with moving a cluster of people out of harm’s way and turning the newly open land into a flood buffer to protect the rest of the community.Read the full story to learn more: "Surrendering to Rising Seas" ...

How Is the Declaration of Independence Preserved?

The National Archives and Records Administration uses science and technology to keep one of America's most important historic documents safe.

How Does the Color of a Glass Bottle Affect the Beer Inside?

Light triggers chemical reactions that make beer taste like skunk spray and onions.

How Did Hawaii Form?

The volcanic island chain was born when the Pacific tectonic plate drifted over a hotspot in Earth’s mantle.

How Does Google Know Everything about Me?

You may wonder how Google knows what you’re typing, where you are or even what you’re thinking—they use your data to do it all.

Lesser Prairie Chickens Show Greater Dance Moves in the Spring

Prairies become dance floors each spring as male birds vie for female attention. "Like No One is Watching” was first published on bioGraphic © 2018 California Academy of Sciences...

How Do Earthquake-Warning Systems Work?

Earthquake-warning systems save lives by detecting the first signs of shaking.

Scaly Plastic Snakeskins Inch Immobile Robots Forward

These stretchy skins help robots move across rough surfaces, and potentially promote exploration and environmental monitoring.