Scientific American Content: Global

There’s a glaring hole in the president’s new science and tech council

The arrival of AI-generated research papers marks a turning point that could radically accelerate discovery—or drown it in automated mediocrity

Decades of data have suggested the universe is flat, much like an infinite plane. But a new analysis reveals deep flaws in that simple conclusion

The COVID pandemic ushered mRNA vaccines into the spotlight, and the technology has even greater potential. Here’s what to know about the way that they work, their safety, and more

In 2017 NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope zoomed in on a comet as it passed around the sun. And then things took a more unusual turn

Long ago, the cosmos might have been a black hole factory—and these primordial objects are even weirder than you think

A pain scientist breaks down the surprising brain‑body science that explains why so many of us hurt more than we have to

Sperm whales are known to socialize, but scientists were stunned when they saw a group of sperm whales gather as one of them gave birth

A new study of AI sycophancy shows how asking agreeable chatbots for advice can change your behavior

Skin conditions such as psoriasis often flare up in the same spots throughout one’s life. Now scientists think they know why

The Arctic sea ice maximum this year effectively tied for the lowest ever on record, with major implications for polar ecosystems and global warming

Researchers put human sperm inside a uteruslike simulation under microgravity conditions. It did not go well

A start-up has surprised the scientific community with a breakthrough: translating a modern proof into a programming language for verification using AI. But not everyone is celebrating

More than 1,500 mathematicians are demanding that their field’s most prestigious meeting be moved from the U.S.

People are buying helmets, face masks, vests and beds that emit long-wavelength light. Beneath the hype, there is some interesting biology.

NASA’s Swift space telescope is doomed to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere later this year. A daring mission to boost it to safety could have big implications for science

Security feeds and traffic cameras have helped guide some of the most audacious targeted killings in modern history. Security researchers say the underlying vulnerabilities cover the planet and are easy to exploit

New images captured by the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes show Saturn in both visible and infrared light

Climate scientist Kate Marvel talked to Scientific American about her decision to leave NASA amid federal government turmoil and funding challenges

A major defense against everything space throws at us, Earth’s magnetic field may even protect the moon from damaging galactic cosmic rays

A Los Angeles trial jury found that Meta and YouTube are offering products that are addictive and harmful to young users’ mental health

Scientists at CERN built a container weighing about a ton to transport just 92 subatomic antimatter particles without annihilating them

Scientists have finally pinned down the mechanism behind cold- and menthol-sensing proteins

A new challenge reveals how well AI can tackle true math problems

NASA chief Jared Isaacman announced a $30-billion plan to speed up its lunar landings and establish a U.S. moon base by 2036

Whether 0.999... equals 1 is the subject of bitter dispute in countless online forums

An analysis of ancient grape seed DNA reveals the earliest known instance of humans in France purposefully cloning plants—including for pinot noir grapes

Faced with the imminent retirement of the International Space Station, NASA is pushing to speed up work on its potential replacements

The U.S. space agency will aim to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars—a first—in a bid to show that nuclear propulsion can be used to send missions into deep space

The decades since scientists confirmed the first planet around another star have been rich in discovery, but it’s rare to see a new solar system as it forms

The research into whether social media is addictive is nuanced and complex, with many unanswered questions

Engineers explain how a collision between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at one of New York’s busiest airports turned deadly

Why the destruction of Qatar’s liquid natural gas “trains” by Iranian attacks will have global consequences

The past 11 years were the 11 hottest on record amid an increasing onslaught of climate-driven disasters, the World Meteorological Organization said in a new report

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasing, and a new study finds that extreme weather may be juicing their rise

An optical illusion with nine simple dots reveals a surprising amount about the eye and brain

An unseasonal heat dome over parts of the U.S., a federal court ruling that blocks the CDC’s recent change to its recommended childhood vaccine schedule, new research on unsafe levels of lead in fast fashion

Scientists have identified the neurons that worsen the condition during stress

The science-fiction film Project Hail Mary sees Ryan Gosling go to space in a state of suspended animation. But does the science suggest that’s possible?

Infectious disease experts say shots against meningococcal meningitis can be lifesaving during an outbreak, but U.S. regulators have attempted to roll back recommendations of such a vaccine for children

Damage to the blood-brain barrier is linked to immune changes and cognitive decline

A cybercrime campaign called GlassWorm is hiding malware in invisible characters and spreading it through software that millions of developers rely on

An astoundingly strong heat wave is not just setting records across the western U.S.—it’s pulverizing them

Autism researchers are working to counter a federal autism advisory panel that they say has vaccine skeptic members and a “striking absence of scientific expertise”

This science-fiction movie plays with quantum physics, space travel, astrobiology and mass-to-energy conversion

Agnes Pockels achievements in surface science have long been overshadowed by a popular and likely untrue story that she became interested in the subject while doing the dishes

Just how big can a star become? The answer depends on when in cosmic history you’re asking the question

The author of the novel Project Hail Mary breaks down aliens, anxiety and the process of bringing his story to the screen

For years, ACIP has advised U.S. vaccine policy. But after changes to its membership made by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., were challenged in court, the Trump administration is apparently mulling changing tack

Whether it’s a canary’s chirp or a treefrog’s croak, humans tend to prefer many of the same sounds that animals do themselves, a new study finds