News: Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
In 2022 researchers detected a very odd photon from an enormous gamma-ray burst that should have been destroyed on its way to Earth
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 8:30 pm
There are just five perfect shapes in math—here's why
The five Platonic solids are the epitome of perfection—at least in mathematics. Topology explains why there are only five of them
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 8:00 pm
OpenAI claims blockbuster math breakthrough amid swirl of controversy
Prior to the announcement, rumors were circulating online among mathematicians over the proof’s origins—OpenAI has denied all allegations
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 6:30 pm
Something unique seems to be happening to the brain in menopause
A new study finds sharp contrasts between brain changes in menopause and those during pregnancy and puberty
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 5:30 pm
New Google DeepMind atlas could transform our understanding of genetic diseases
AlphaGenome Atlas predicts the effect of any single change in the fundamental structure of DNA
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 4:00 pm
AI may have just solved a million-dollar math problem. The field will never be the same
A mathematician compared the feat to the history-making chess competition in which IBM’s Deep Blue computer beat Garry Kasparov in 1997
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 2:00 pm
Bosses are using AI to spy on employees' productivity—does it work?
Assisted by AI, companies have more options than ever to track employees, minute by minute, keystroke by keystroke. Does this have the desired effect?
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 1:00 pm
Do birds enjoy flying? Scientists asked cockatoos
Flying leads to positive emotions and optimism in Galahs
Posted on 8 September 2026 | 12:45 pm
Why music is a powerful tool to quiet stress in the brain
Music doesn’t just mask stress; it guides our brains back to a calm state
Posted on 7 September 2026 | 9:00 pm
Does the U.S. need more spaceports?
A new executive order calls for more than 1,000 U.S. rocket launches per year by the end of the decade. Rethinking the nation’s spaceports will be key
Posted on 7 September 2026 | 2:00 pm
How introverted or extroverted you are may influence how you use AI
How people interact with their inner and outer worlds may shape how they approach generative AI
Posted on 7 September 2026 | 2:00 pm
Nature may have a preferred tempo
From flashing fireflies to human music, many biological rhythms appear to converge on the same rhythmic range
Posted on 7 September 2026 | 12:45 pm
What archaeology reveals about the rise of all-powerful rulers
Autocracy wasn’t inevitable in early civilizations. But when riches were there to monopolize, strongmen and inequalities emerged
Posted on 6 September 2026 | 2:00 pm
These smart bricks know what object they make up
Collectively intelligent bricks figure out if they’re in a boat, chair or guitar
Posted on 6 September 2026 | 1:00 pm
Mathematicians discover the worst way to hang a painting
New solutions found to picture-hanging problems
Posted on 5 September 2026 | 1:00 pm