A fossil belonging to an ancient hominin that lived seven million years ago bears the hallmarks of bipedalism, according to a new study

2026 should be a banner year for space science and exploration

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The “Seven Sisters” of the Pleiades are part of a much larger complex that can help reveal our galaxy’s deep history

From immune cell therapies to measles outbreaks to federal attacks on public health, these are some of the health topics we’ll be watching in the coming year

Instead of using a single muscle to control the action, woodpeckers activate every muscle in their bodies and let out short, explosive grunts with each strike

Astronomers just measured the mass of a free-floating planet without a star for the first time

The new year has arrived, and the Quadrantid meteor shower is coming in hot. Here’s how to see this often-spectacular shower at its peak

The Scientific American team is full of avid readers--here are 67 books our staffers loved this year

Space Forge plans to manufacture semiconductors from space—without the need for humans

From glowing neurons to newborn memories, here are the most fascinating brain discoveries of 2025

A galaxy cluster discovered on New Year’s Eve in 2020 shines in a new image from NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory

A subscription to Scientific American means the science world's best writing and reporting, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, and much more. Best of all, subscriptions are ✨ up to 50% off ✨ right now at sciam.com/getsciam/

Whether space, health, technology or environment, here are the issues in science that the editors of Scientific American are focusing on for 2026

Understanding what makes alcohol so potent can help people avoid getting drunker than they mean to or suffering a painful hangover the day after

From an interstellar comet to breathtaking auroras and from brand-new rockets to iconic space telescopes, here are some of our favorite images from the cosmos in 2025

Looking for something to read? Check out Scientific American's 10 best nonfiction books of 2025

Thinking about welcoming the new year with a polar plunge? Here's what science has to say about the practice

From advancements in male birth control to the science of supplements, Scientific American highlights some of the most fascinating health and medicine stories of 2025

If your motivation is flagging, try giving advice to someone who is struggling with a similar issue as you are

Astronomers combined data from NASA’s JWST and Chandra X-ray Observatory to create a stunning new image of two merging spiral galaxies

From the first sighting of a colossal squid in the wild to a seriously goofy octopus, 2025 delivered some astounding photos from the ocean’s depths

Reminder--it's not too late to save ✨ up to 50% off ✨ a Scientific American subscription for yourself or a loved one!

A shark that lived 115 million years ago surpassed the size of modern-day great whites, paleontologists discovered

Hidden Fibonacci numbers, a new shape and the search for a grand unified theory of mathematics are among our choices for most exciting findings of the year

New medications are in the pipeline that could help people win their battles against addictive substances, including opioids

The brutal respiratory infection has infected tens of thousands and killed at least 13 people in the U.S. in 2025

Scientific American asked experts about the factors that shape how drunk someone gets during a night out and how bad a hangover they might have the next morning

Health officials have agreed to assess pending medical research grants after a Trump administration antidiversity purge put them on ice

NASA’s new boss Jared Isaacman hinted that he could break with Texas lawmakers’ push to move iconic space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Houston

Excited to say that today was my first day as a Breaking News Reporter at Scientific American! Send your story ideas, tips, fun facts, etc. to me: Signal: @jackiefmogensen.01 [email protected]

If you're pondering a new year's resolution for 2026, consider this unusual option: letting go of an unfulfilled life goal

Scientific American spoke with an appetitive neuroscientist about whether food addiction is real, whether certain types of foods might have more addictive qualities and how related eating disorders can be addressed

From disaster response to information sciences, here are some topics the staff of Scientific American will be watching in the new year

Are you planning a polar plunge to welcome the new year?

With only a couple of days left in 2025, here are some stories we wrote @sciam.bsky.social looking back at some of the fun and exciting scientific news from the year, starting with the brain: (by @parshallison.bsky.social)

From crewed lunar voyages to flight tests of fully reusable rockets and launches of new orbital telescopes studying the outer limits of the cosmos, 2026 should be a banner year for space science and exploration

From immune cell therapies to measles outbreaks to federal attacks on public health, these are some of the health topics we’ll be watching next year

Dynamic mounds made of methane at a depth of some 3,640 meters act like “frozen reefs” for a bizarre array of deep-sea creatures, new observations reveal

From an interview with author Mary Roach to a chat with cardiologist Eric Topol, here are 12 of the most eye-opening conversations we had this year

From the first sighting of a colossal squid in the wild to a seriously goofy octopus, 2025 delivered some astounding photos from the ocean’s depths

How far away is the most distant galaxy ever seen? Turns out these kinds of records are actually kinda important. www.scientificamerican.com/article/what... [Pssst: I wrote this!] 🧪🔭

How are you actively resting in the last days of this year?

Immense progress in gene editing, drug discovery and conservation are just some of the reasons to be cheerful about 2025

Finish up gifting in a snap with ✨ up to 50% off ✨ Scientific American subscriptions!

Conversations are a key tool for reimagining the world we want together, and curious exploration can make those conversations successful even when people don't agree

The Euclid Space Telescope is decking the halls with boughs of starlight

If you'll forgive a little self-indulgence, I wanted to share some of my favorites 🧪 stories from a long year. I'll start with the one I'm most proud of--a piece digging into the cost of bird flu among wild animals, something I'd been wanting to cover for two years (🧵)

Today on the pod: as Christmas trees face mounting challenges from climate change, researchers explore solutions to help ensure that a beloved holiday tradition endures in a warming world.

If you don't follow us on TikTok, here's what you've missed out on this year--and we're right here to hit that button 😉 www.tiktok.com/@scientifica... (These also get posted to our Instagram and YouTube if you prefer to follow there!)