These head direction cells are connected in a ringlike system called a ring attractor network. In mammals, this network is not a physical ring (though it is, strangely, in fruit flies), but it can be schematically represented as such. The ring is always active. When an animal faces a particular direction, certain cells in the… Continue reading How Animals Build a Sense of Direction
It’s Time to Treat China’s Connected Energy Systems As a National Security Risk
Electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels (PV) are no longer just mechanical assets—they are smart, connected systems. Their performance, safety and resilience depend on tightly integrated hardware and software designed together from the outset. But the same connectivity that delivers efficiency in products, and benefits to consumers, also creates new exposures for governments.… Continue reading It’s Time to Treat China’s Connected Energy Systems As a National Security Risk
Ancient Bones Hid a Buzzing Secret
December 16, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Ancient Bees Burrowed Inside Bones, Fossils Reveal Bones of now extinct species became a haven for bee babies thousands of years ago, scientists report in a first-of-its-kind discovery By Stephanie Pappas edited by Andrea Thompson Illustration by Jorge Machuky Thousands of years ago in… Continue reading Ancient Bones Hid a Buzzing Secret
Orcas on the Brink—What a Dog Named Eba and a Team of Scientists Are Fighting For
Kendra Pierre-Louis: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Kendra Pierre-Louis, in for Rachel Feltman. If you’re of a certain generation, you might be able to trace your affinity for orcas to repeated viewings of a certain movie: the seminal 1993 film Free Willy. That movie led to a herculean effort that would eventually rope in… Continue reading Orcas on the Brink—What a Dog Named Eba and a Team of Scientists Are Fighting For
Strange Cosmic Blast May Be First-Ever Superkilonova Observed
December 17, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Strange Cosmic Blast May Be First-Ever Superkilonova Observed The combination of a supernova and a kilonova may have produced a rare space explosion that astronomers have never seen before By Claire Cameron edited by Clara Moskowitz The final stage of a superkilonova. Caltech/K. Miller… Continue reading Strange Cosmic Blast May Be First-Ever Superkilonova Observed
Why There’s No Single Best Way To Store Information
Just as there’s no single best way to organize your bookshelf, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to storing information. Consider the simple situation where you create a new digital file. Your computer needs to rapidly find a place to put it. If you later want to delete it, the machine must quickly find the right bits… Continue reading Why There’s No Single Best Way To Store Information
Mysterious Experiences!
Podcast: Download MYS400: What if your strangest moment carried meaning? On their 400th episode, Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli tackle more listener stories of healings, visions, dreams, and UFOs—asking: coincidence, psychology, or something more? Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Watch this episode and subscribe on YouTube Help us… Continue reading Mysterious Experiences!
Scientists Denounce Trump’s Plan to Kill Crucial Atmospheric Science Center
December 17, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Scientists Denounce Trump’s Plan to Kill Crucial Atmospheric Science Center The U.S. government is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research, jettisoning key climate science projects in the process By Andrea Thompson edited by Claire Cameron Mesa Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric… Continue reading Scientists Denounce Trump’s Plan to Kill Crucial Atmospheric Science Center
Protests in Iran: Q&A with RAND Experts
Antigovernment protests in Iran that began in late December have escalated into the most serious challenge in decades to its clerical leadership. Demonstrations spread to all 31 provinces, and news reports indicate that thousands of protesters have been killed. Since Jan. 8, there’s also been a near-total internet blackout in Iran. The unrest follows a… Continue reading Protests in Iran: Q&A with RAND Experts
String Theory Can Now Describe a Universe That Has Dark Energy
In selecting a geometry for the compact extra dimensions, for instance, they chose a space that resembles a torus. “It’s a simple shape,” Bento said. A doughnut is an example of a 2D torus; it is considered “flat” because it can be made by rolling a flat sheet into a tube and then fastening the… Continue reading String Theory Can Now Describe a Universe That Has Dark Energy