Isaac Newton described science as the process of “standing on the shoulders of giants”—building on earlier discoveries to attain higher levels of knowledge. Synthesis of existing scientific literature is among the ways that researchers climb atop those giants’ shoulders. But that system is getting shaky as interdisciplinary work gets more complex and the volume of… Continue reading A Knowledge Deluge Threatens Disaster Research
In Quantum Mechanics, Nothingness Is the Potential To Be Anything
Suppose you want to empty a box. Really, truly empty it. You remove all its visible contents, pump out any gases, and — applying some science-fiction technology — evacuate any unseeable material such as dark matter. According to quantum mechanics, what’s left inside? It sounds like a trick question. And in quantum mechanics, you know… Continue reading In Quantum Mechanics, Nothingness Is the Potential To Be Anything
Igloos on Mars? How Future Astronauts Could Use Ice to Survive
If humans are ever to land on Mars, they will need somewhere to stay—a protective shell that can shield them from the sun’s harsh rays. One possible answer: great, glassy domes of ice. Mars is rich in ice, both on and under its surface—with more predicted to lie farther below its dusty exterior. If future… Continue reading Igloos on Mars? How Future Astronauts Could Use Ice to Survive
Is the Klein Bottle the Perfect Holiday Gift for Math Fans?
December 18, 2025 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Two Möbius Strips Combine to Create a Bizarre Object That Only Exists in 4D In geometry, there are surfaces that do without an inside or outside—and some need at least four dimensions to exist By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas LAGUNA DESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images Visually, the “Klein… Continue reading Is the Klein Bottle the Perfect Holiday Gift for Math Fans?
Satellites Used to Have Months to Avoid Collisions—Now They Have Days
December 18, 2025 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Satellites Used to Have Months to Avoid Collisions—Now They Have Days In the era of mega constellations, spacecraft typically have less than a week to avoid crashes By Jeremy Hsu edited by Clara Moskowitz The space around Earth has become increasingly cluttered with decades… Continue reading Satellites Used to Have Months to Avoid Collisions—Now They Have Days
Can Psychopaths Be Saved? And More Weird Questions
Podcast: Download MYS398: For New Year’s week, Jimmy Akin is answering more weird questions posed by Cy Kellett, including whether psychopaths who feel no remorse can be saved; what happened to the saints who rose at the Resurrection; who was Peter’s wife; and more! Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email… Continue reading Can Psychopaths Be Saved? And More Weird Questions
Trump Administration Moves to Severely Curtail Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
December 18, 2025 4 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Trump Administration Moves to Severely Curtail Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Health officials on Thursday announced a slew of measures that seek to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for young transgender people in the U.S. By Lauren J. Young & Dan Vergano… Continue reading Trump Administration Moves to Severely Curtail Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
Are AI Companies Actually Ready to Play God?
Holiday rituals and gatherings offer something precious: the promise of connecting to something greater than ourselves, whether friends, family, or the divine. But in the not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence—having already disrupted industries, relationships, and our understanding of reality—seems poised to reach even further into these sacred spaces. People are increasingly using AI to replace talking… Continue reading Are AI Companies Actually Ready to Play God?
Here’s How Much Practice You Need to Become the Best in the World
December 18, 2025 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Here’s How Much Practice You Need to Become the Best in the World Are you a specialist or a generalist? The answer could reveal something about how well you learn and perfect a skill By Claire Cameron edited by Clara Moskowitz Robert Decelis via… Continue reading Here’s How Much Practice You Need to Become the Best in the World
Making Highways Less High
This commentary was originally published by the Washington Post on December 29, 2025. This holiday season, police departments across the country will repeat their laudable annual efforts to deter drunken driving. Yet more than a decade after states began legalizing recreational marijuana, or cannabis, effective policies to counter driving while high on it don’t exist.… Continue reading Making Highways Less High