Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. The World Health Organization estimates that infertility impacts one in six adults globally. But when it comes to addressing infertility, male partners are often left out of the equation. Some studies suggest that in 18 to 27 percent of cases where a heterosexual couple seeks… Continue reading Testing Sperm Health with a Mechanical Engineering Twist
The U.S. Power Grids Need AI Disclosure Requirements
The electrical grid is a complex system that is managed for reliability above all else—in no small part because it supports other life-sustaining services like water systems and telecommunications. Increasingly, though, electric utilities are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage power demand and assist in decisionmaking. While this has the potential to enhance… Continue reading The U.S. Power Grids Need AI Disclosure Requirements
Futuristic Radio Telescope Will Spot Baby Solar Systems—If It’s Funded
New Mexico’s Plains of San Agustin are otherworldly: Silence, sand and sharp plants reign on the valley floor. Knobbly volcanic rock rises above. Pronghorns’ legs and jackrabbits’ ears break up the landscape. And so, too, does one of the world’s largest telescopes. The plains house the aptly named Very Large Array (VLA)—a radio telescope made… Continue reading Futuristic Radio Telescope Will Spot Baby Solar Systems—If It’s Funded
Countering Russian Influence: Support for Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova in the ‘Waiting Room of the West’
As Europe rallies to support Ukraine’s defence and fortify its own security, three other post-Soviet states—Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova—remain dangerously exposed to Russian coercion. Each has expressed a desire to move closer to the West: Moldova and Georgia are official EU candidates, and all three participate in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership. Yet despite these… Continue reading Countering Russian Influence: Support for Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova in the ‘Waiting Room of the West’
Elon Musk’s Grok Chatbot Has Started Reciting Climate Denial Talking Points
CLIMATEWIRE | It was a simple enough question. Is climate change an urgent threat to the planet? To most climate scientists, the answer is straightforward: Yes, rapid warming from fossil fuel burning is pushing Earth toward dangerous tipping points. On supporting science journalism If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.… Continue reading Elon Musk’s Grok Chatbot Has Started Reciting Climate Denial Talking Points
Air Taxis Are Coming. What Does That Mean for the Communities Below?
Electric air taxis are coming soon to a city near you, with companies promising quick and quiet travel. In April, Archer Aviation unveiled its four-seater Midnight aircraft, designed to fly up to 50 miles with minimal downtime. A White House executive order, signed on June 6 and aimed at encouraging nationwide public-private partnerships, allowed manufacturers… Continue reading Air Taxis Are Coming. What Does That Mean for the Communities Below?
How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper
The Chinese AI company DeepSeek released a chatbot earlier this year called R1, which drew a huge amount of attention. Most of it focused on the fact that a relatively small and unknown company said it had built a chatbot that rivaled the performance of those from the world’s most famous AI companies, but using… Continue reading How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper
Golden Dome Could Learn from SDI Politics
President Trump has proposed that to “protect our homeland” he would move ahead with a Golden Dome missile defense. The Department of Defense is seeking a hefty budget increase for it next year, but the program is controversial. Missile defense was contentious also in the 1980s when President Ronald Reagan offered a vision to render… Continue reading Golden Dome Could Learn from SDI Politics
Bigfoot Biology (Sasquatch, Cryptid, Cryptozoology)
Bigfoot Biology (Sasquatch, Cryptid, Cryptozoology) < !- end of Google Analytics Code Snippet by GA4WP–> // tabnab protection window.addEventListener(‘load’, function () { // make all links have rel=”noopener noreferrer” document.querySelectorAll(‘a[target=”_blank”]’).forEach(link => { link.setAttribute(‘rel’, ‘noopener noreferrer’); }); }); ]]> Podcast: Download MYS375: If Bigfoot exists, what kind of animal would it be? Jimmy Akin and Dom… Continue reading Bigfoot Biology (Sasquatch, Cryptid, Cryptozoology)
YouTube Science Star Derek Muller Confronts PFAS “Forever Chemicals”—In His Own Blood
As the creator of Veritasium, a science education YouTube channel with 18 million subscribers, Derek Muller has spent the past 15 years exploring a counterintuitive vision for learning: Clarity numbs the mind, but confusion can crack it open. His audience has grown because of how he challenges common misconceptions about the laws of nature, and… Continue reading YouTube Science Star Derek Muller Confronts PFAS “Forever Chemicals”—In His Own Blood