September 18, 2025 2 min read Strong Earthquake Hits Kamchatka. Tsunami Risk Waning A powerful magnitude 7.8 aftershock off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula that arose from July’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake is raising concerns about possible tsunami impacts, although risk appears to be waning By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings A seismic map shows the epicenter… Continue reading Aftershock Rocks Kamchatka after July’s Massive Earthquake
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Mutual Defense Pact: Important to Whom?
The mutual defense pact signed this month between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has largely been interpreted as Riyadh’s attempt to secure access to nuclear deterrence, hedging against the possibility of an Israeli strike. But who else is it important to? Western media attention has focused on Israel and the United States as involuntary stakeholders. For… Continue reading Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Mutual Defense Pact: Important to Whom?
‘Skibidi’ and ‘Brain Rot’ Are Part of Millennia-Old Patterns of Language Evolution
This episode was made possible by the support of Yakult and produced independently by Scientific American‘s board of editors. Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. If you’ve ever heard a youth say “skibidi” and lamented the downfall of the English language, today’s episode might surprise you. Our guest is Adam Aleksic,… Continue reading ‘Skibidi’ and ‘Brain Rot’ Are Part of Millennia-Old Patterns of Language Evolution
Cracks in the Ice: Why Engaging China Can Check Russian Power in the Arctic
The Arctic is no longer a frozen frontier of scientific research and melting ice. Once viewed as a geostrategic backwater, the region has become central to the ambitions of the world’s most powerful states. From the United States’ push for dominance through icebreaker fleets and military outposts, to Russia’s aggressive remilitarisation and China’s quiet economic… Continue reading Cracks in the Ice: Why Engaging China Can Check Russian Power in the Arctic
Demons: Ask Me Anything
Podcast: Download MYS384: Are demons real beings or just symbols of evil? Jimmy Akin and Cy Kellett of Catholic Answers Live tackle questions on their nature, powers, why they fell, and how to resist them. Possession, oppression, obsession—what’s the difference? Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Watch this episode… Continue reading Demons: Ask Me Anything
To Understand AI, Watch How It Evolves
How so? In one recent paper, we used random variation between different training runs to find correlations between models’ internal structure and their generalization behavior. If structure and behavior are correlated across a bunch of random initializations when you control for everything else, it’s likely that they’re actually linked. You can make a much stronger… Continue reading To Understand AI, Watch How It Evolves
Teens Are Using Chatbots as Therapists. That’s Alarming
On any given night, countless teenagers confide in artificial intelligence chatbots—sharing their loneliness, anxiety, and despair with a digital companion who is always there and never judgmental. A survey by Common Sense Media published in July found that 72 percent (PDF) of American teenagers said they had used A.I. chatbots as companions. Nearly one-eighth had… Continue reading Teens Are Using Chatbots as Therapists. That’s Alarming
How Do You Weigh a Black Hole?
September 18, 2025 5 min read How Do You Weigh a Black Hole? Gauging the mass of a black hole is tricky, but astronomers have devised multiple methods to measure the heft of these galactic gluttons By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings This jagged jumble of pixels may look like a rainbow-colored thunderbolt, but… Continue reading How Do You Weigh a Black Hole?
Five Questions: Melanie Zaber on Making It in the Middle Class
Melanie Zaber studies everything from the rise of artificial intelligence to apprenticeship programs in rural Appalachia. Her goal is straightforward: to help more Americans find meaningful work and a path to the middle class. Her latest projects have taken her to West Virginia. She’s working with state leaders there to shape new training programs, new… Continue reading Five Questions: Melanie Zaber on Making It in the Middle Class
Want to Get Away? NASA Now Offers More Than 6,000 Alien Worlds to Daydream About
September 19, 2025 3 min read Astronomers’ Exoplanet Haul Tops 6,000 Alien Worlds It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows By Sarah Lewin Frasier edited by Clara Moskowitz Scientists have found thousands of planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, throughout the galaxy. This artist’s concept shows how they range in size and… Continue reading Want to Get Away? NASA Now Offers More Than 6,000 Alien Worlds to Daydream About