Public HealthNovember 1, 2020
Solving the Mysteries of Ancient Plagues
DNA from bacteria and viruses, recovered from human remains, shows how pathogens helped to topple empires and change civilizations
The Sciences
BiologyNovember 1, 2020
Echolocation Drains Bats Traveling through Noise
Bats expend more energy navigating in loud conditions
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PolicyNovember 1, 2020
Readers Respond to the July 2020 Issue
Letters to the editor from the July 2020 issue of Scientific American
BehaviorNovember 1, 2020
Resist Misinformation, Watch Birds and Remember Plagues
Our November issue features space wars, a mysterious disorder of mind and brain, and past pandemics
PolicyNovember 1, 2020
50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: November 2020
Nuclear future, data on hurricanes, and machines replace muscle on the farm
OpinionOctober 31, 2020
How Geologists Reveal the Secrets of the Solar System
Rocks that have fallen to Earth or that have been brought here deliberately are practically the only way we can study planets and asteroids up close
Space & PhysicsOctober 31, 2020
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Probe Successfully Stows Space-Rock Sample
The spacecraft will deliver the pristine material from asteroid Bennu back to Earth in 2023
EnergyOctober 30, 2020
Election Science Stakes: Energy
Scientific American senior editor Mark Fischetti and associate editor Andrea Thompson talk about this election and the future of U.S. energy research and policy.
EvolutionOctober 30, 2020
Gruesome ‘Blood Worms’ Invaded a Dinosaur’s Leg Bone, Fossil Suggests
A titanosaur fibula hosts what looks like 70 tiny parasites
BiologyOctober 30, 2020
Deep-Sea Sponge Skeletons Could Inspire Better Bridges
The creature’s structure resists buckling and could lead to stronger and more durable architecture
OpinionOctober 30, 2020
Living near a White Dwarf
A planet orbiting the glowing corpse of a sunlike star might be a surprisingly benign place to be
PolicyOctober 30, 2020
Seven Ways the Election Will Shape the Future of Science, Health and the Environment
Climate change, nuclear arms control, the pandemic and more will be determined by whoever wins the White House and Congress