The Sciences

The diminutive world and others like it could help astronomers probe the mysteries of planet formation

Researchers say three ancient leather balls, dug up from the tombs of horsemen in northwestern China, are the oldest such specimens from Europe or Asia. Christopher Intagliata reports.

Researchers observed a sugary treat underwater to understand the origin of spiky rock forests

From mammals to mollusks, animals living among humans lose their antipredator behaviors.

The spacecraft’s first attempt to gather material from the space rock’s surface could become the largest nonlunar sample return in history

Three cases across the world highlight the dangers of challenging the status quo

Journals and Nobelists, usually cautious, cite unprecedented damage and incompetence in calls for a U.S. leadership change

A mix of scientists and hobbyists made our top picks from the 2020 Nikon Small World contest

Amid the pandemic, candidates in tight contests in Arizona and Kansas contrast their understanding of science with opponents’ disregard

A compound of hydrogen, carbon and sulfur has broken a symbolic barrier—but its high-pressure conditions make it difficult to analyze

Four hundred years ago Galileo Galilei’s scientific findings were rejected because they didn’t fit the prevailing beliefs of the time. His story is disturbingly relevant today. Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio and Scientific American editor Clara Moskowitz to discusses lessons from Galileo’s life for dealing with science deniers now, plus a historical detective story about Galileo’s famous motto, “And yet it moves.”

The ancestors of today’s dogs already exhibited some playfulness, which became a key trait during domestication.