Scientifc America
How Cryptographic 'Secret Sharing' Can Keep Information Safe
One safe, five sons and betrayal: this principle shows how shared knowledge can protect secrets—without having to trust anyone
U.S. Drinking-Water Systems Still Haven't Defeated This Nasty Parasite
The U.S.’s largest-ever outbreak of waterborne illness—cryptosporidiosis—hit Milwaukee 30 years ago. Why are many other water systems still vulnerable to the same parasite today?
AI's Climate Impact Goes beyond Its Emissions
To understand how AI is contributing to climate change, look at the way it’s being used
A Good Night's Sleep May Help Control Blood Sugar
Brain waves during sleep influence glucose and insulin, offering new insights into controlling diabetes
Your Organs Might Be Aging at Different Rates
It turns out that your chronological age really is just a number. What’s more important for knowing disease risk is the biological age of each of your organs
How Quantum Math Theory Turned into a Jazz Concert
A mathematician and a musician collaborated to turn a quantum research paper into a jazz performance
In the Search for Life beyond Earth, NASA Dreams Big for a Future Space Telescope
Astronomers are moving ahead in planning NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, a telescope designed to answer the ultimate question: Are we alone in the universe?
The Vaginal Microbiome May Affect Health More than We Thought
A recent study finds varying combinations of microbes in the vaginal microbiome may influence health outcomes such as risk of sexually transmitted disease and preterm birth
Jailbroken AI Chatbots Can Jailbreak Other Chatbots
AI chatbots can convince other chatbots to instruct users how to build bombs and cook meth
Polar Bear Dens Are Hard for Humans to See, but Drone-Mounted Radar Can Help
As humans encroach on polar bear habitats, new tools such as drone-mounted radar can prevent us from disrupting the hidden dens where bears give birth
What's Causing Mysterious Respiratory Illness in Dogs?
Veterinarians and researchers are investigating mysterious clusters of severe respiratory disease in dogs
Light Can Travel Backward in Time (Sort Of)
Light can be reflected not only in space but also in time—and researchers exploring such “time reflections” are finding a wealth of delightfully odd and useful effects
AI Teaches Robots the Best Way to Pack a Car, a Suitcase--Or a Rocket to Mars
Robots that can fit multiple items into a limited space could help pack a suitcase or a rocket to Mars
See the Brain Like Never Before in This Gorgeous Art
The complexity of the brain comes to life in the annual Art of Neuroscience competition
Could Blood Transfusions and Tissue Transplants Spread Certain Dementias?
Scattered evidence suggests that aberrant proteins act as “seeds” to transmit neurodegenerative disease, but the jury is still out
A Huge Italian Volcano Could Be Ready to Erupt
Italy’s Campi Flegrei volcano has caused thousands of recent earthquakes and pushed up the ground, worrying 1.3 million residents
NASA Lab's Workforce Woes Threaten Major Space Missions
A brain drain from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory could pose problems for the space agency’s ambitious science plans
Primordial Helium May Be Leaking from Earth's Core
Helium gas may be seeping from Earth’s core, say scientists who found extremely high helium isotope ratios in lavas on Baffin Island
Inside the Satellite Tech Revealing Gaza's Destruction
Amid restrictions on optical satellite images, researchers have developed a radar technique to gauge building damage in Gaza
Robots Made from Human Cells Can Move on Their Own and Heal Wounds
Researchers have created “anthrobots” out of human lung cells that are capable of moving independently and even healing damaged tissue