Brief scientific literacy interventions may quash new conspiracy theories
The more time you spend on social media, the likelier you are to have come across a viral post that seems too strange to be true. Brief scientific literacy interventions, especially those that focus on critical thinking skills, may help to undermine.....»»
NASA"s Swift reaches 20th anniversary in improved pointing mode
After two decades in space, NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is performing better than ever thanks to a new operational strategy implemented earlier this year. The spacecraft has made great scientific strides in the years since scientists dreame.....»»
Curiosity, images, and scientific exploration: New book by physicist explores remarkable phenomena
When we gaze at nature's remarkable phenomena, we might feel a mix of awe, curiosity, and determination to understand what we are looking at. That is certainly a common response for MIT's Alan Lightman, a trained physicist and prolific author of book.....»»
Climate change goosed hurricane wind strength by 18 mph since 2019, study says
Human-caused climate change made Atlantic hurricanes about 18 miles per hour (29 kilometers per hour) stronger in the last six years, a new scientific study found Wednesday......»»
Study explores the effectiveness of honesty oath for reducing dishonest behaviors
Over the past decades, psychologists and policymakers have been trying to devise interventions that could dissuade individuals from engaging in dishonest social behaviors, such as tax evasion or fraud. One promising strategy they identified entails a.....»»
Readers Respond to the July/August 2024 Issue
Letters to the editors for the July/August 2024 issue of Scientific American.....»»
Contributors to Scientific American’s December 2024 Issue
Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories.....»»
Science Crossword: Equine Emergence
Play this crossword inspired by the December 2024 issue of Scientific American.....»»
Hollywood techniques help NASA visualize supercomputing data
Captivating images and videos can bring data to life. NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS) produces visualizations, animations, and images to help scientists tell stories of their research and make science more approachable and engaging......»»
Deducing commonality from complexity: Scientist explores "Mesoscience" to address global issues
Two topics are now drawing great attention from the global scientific community: shifting or advancing paradigms in science, and tackling global challenges such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and human health. However, do th.....»»
Philadelphia students have a new reading and writing curriculum. A literacy expert explains what"s changing
Philadelphia's K-8 public school students are being taught a new literacy curriculum starting in the 2024-2025 school year. It's called Expeditionary Learning, and it conforms with what literacy experts call the science of reading, which are research.....»»
Ultrafast lasers enable manipulation of polar order in a charge density wave at room temperature
Addressing the challenge of controlling electronic states in materials, the scientific community has been exploring innovative methods. Recently, researchers from Peking University, led by Professor Nanlin Wang, in collaboration with Professor Qiaome.....»»
Scientific breakthrough could make X-ray scans safer by reducing radiation
X-rays have fundamentally revolutionized healthcare, giving us views of the human body and even almost impossible views of atoms. However, the radiation involved in X-rays … The post Scientific breakthrough could make X-ray scans safer by reduc.....»»
Kinetic Alfvén waves may be key to mystery of solar corona heating
Syed Ayaz, a researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), has published a paper in Scientific Reports that builds on an earlier first-of-its-kind study that examined kinetic Alfvén waves (KAW) as a possible explanation for why the so.....»»
Shakespeare or ChatGPT? Study finds people prefer AI over real classic poetry
Readers are unable to reliably differentiate AI-generated from human-written poetry and are more likely to prefer AI poems, according to new research published in Scientific Reports. This tendency to rate AI poetry positively may be due to readers mi.....»»
We Need Scientific Brainstorming about Shared Global Dangers
It is difficult to disentangle Russian and Chinese scientists from international science cooperation. That is a good thing.....»»
Survey provides a snapshot of scientific thought on animal emotions and consciousness
The journal Royal Society Open Science published a survey of 100 researchers of animal behavior, providing a unique view of current scientific thought on animal emotions and consciousness......»»
Data from Jan. 6 insurrection links social media, growing levels of political violence
In an era where demonstrations involving force are growing in number and viewed as a likely source of increased collective violence, the scientific understanding of the correlation between protests and the social media communications of leaders remai.....»»
Teaching methods must change to address globally poor reading skills, experts say
New research led by a team from Royal Holloway and the World Bank asserts that teaching methods should improve, after discovering that global literacy goals will not be met without major intervention......»»
Scientists reveal strigolactone perception mechanism and role in tillering responses to nitrogen
"How is plant growth controlled?" and "What is the basis of variation in stress tolerance in plants?" were among the 125 most challenging scientific questions, according to the journal Science in 2016......»»
Volcanic ash as a source of nutrients: How the Hunga Tonga eruption affected ecosystems in the South Pacific
The eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai (HTHH) in January 2022 ejected about 2.9 billion tons of volcanic material into the atmosphere and across the South Pacific. In early 2022, a scientific expedition (GEOTRACES GP21) investigated the impact of.....»»