The Forgotten Developer of Tamoxifen, a Lifesaving Breast Cancer Therapy
Her name was on the patent for tamoxifen, but Dora Richardson’s story was lost until now
Apples Have Never Tasted So Delicious. Here’s Why
Apple experts divide time into “before Honeycrisp” and “after Honeycrisp,” and apples have never tasted so good
Climate Change Is Raising the Temperature on Global Conflict
In a new book, a long-time foreign correspondent examines the underappreciated links between climate change and violent conflict
Anyone Can Learn Echolocation in Just 10 Weeks—And It Remodels Your Brain
Human echolocation repurposes parts of the brain’s visual cortex for sound, even in sighted people
The Daring Russian Geneticist Whose Experiments on Silver Foxes Explained Domestication Has Died | Scientific American
Lyudmila Trut devoted her life to studying the process of domestication by selectively breeding friendly foxes
Largest-Ever Pair of Black Hole Jets Stretches 23 Million Light-Years
Supermassive black holes can expel jets of material so vast and powerful that they may shape the large-scale structure of the cosmos
Lost Silk Road Cities Discovered High in the Mountains of Central Asia
On the Silk Road, these lost twin cities may have sustained themselves in a foreboding landscape with metallurgy and commerce
How Society’s Beauty Standards Could Impact Breast Cancer Outcomes
An epidemiologist explores a troubling rise in early-onset breast cancer diagnoses and discusses the potential link to chronic exposure to endocrine disruptors.
Jeff VanderMeer on How Scientific Uncertainty Inspires His Weird Fiction
In Absolution, the fourth novel in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach saga, scientists try to know the unknowable
As Hurricane Floodwaters Recede, a Public Health Threat Rises
A potable water shortage and a toxic stew of sewage and other pollutants that Hurricane Helene’s flooding left behind have prompted a race to avert a public health crisis in North Carolina
Anosmia, the Inability to Smell, Changes How People Breathe
A small study of people with congenital anosmia found changes in breathing that suggest the condition may affect more than just the ability to smell
Indigenous People Mix Ancient and Modern Science to Protect Salmon and Bears
The Heiltsuk of British Columbia are using a mix of traditional principles and modern implementation to protect salmon and bears in their territory
We Need More Meds, Not Beds, to Help People Recovering from Addiction | Scientific American
People recovering from substance use disorders need homes, jobs and medication-centered, quality health care, not just a bed in a residential treatment center
How Earth's Early Life Thrived amid Catastrophic Asteroid Impacts
A gigantic space rock that slammed into Earth more than three billion years ago grievously wounded the biosphere—and then helped it heal
How Earth's Early Life Thrived amid Catastrophic Asteroid Impacts
A gigantic space rock that slammed into Earth more than three billion years ago grievously wounded the biosphere—and then helped it heal
Thunderstorm Gamma-Ray Flashes May Be Missing Link for Lightning Bolts
Observations from a retrofitted spy plane hint at a connection between powerful gamma-ray flashes and a thunderstorm’s lightning
Did Decriminalizing Drugs Such As Fentanyl Cause Opioid Overdose Increase?
Oregon decriminalized hard drugs in 2021 and recriminalized them last month. A new analysis shows the laws likely had little effect on opioid deaths
How Your Brain Processes Zero (It’s Not Exactly ‘Nothing’) | Scientific American
What we think about when we think about “zilch” is surprisingly complex, neuroscientists find
Whooping Cough Makes a Comeback, Microbes Evolve to Eat Cleaners, and Solar Maximum Is Confirmed
Kick off the week by catching up on the latest science news.
Worldschooling Is Catching On. Here’s What You Need to Know | Scientific American
People are pulling their kids out of traditional education to learn while they travel. Data on educational success are limited, but there are other reasons to consider worldschooling
The Colors of Fall Leaves Are Shaped by Climate Change and Tree Health
A tree’s fall palette offers a glimpse at its health and the weather it has experienced in a given year
How GPS Tracking of Teens 24/7 Impacts Parent-Child Relationships
Phone apps can tell whether your kid is playing hooky. But remotely surveilling your child might not be great for navigating the trials of the teen years
Why Does the Moon Look Bigger Near the Horizon?
The rising moon looks huge on the horizon, but it’s all in your head
AI Regulation and the Challenges of Misinformation in the 2024 Presidential Election
The next U.S. president will have to contend with regulations around AI—and the electorate is already facing AI-generated misinformation.
AI Regulation and the Challenges of Misinformation in the 2024 Presidential Election
The next U.S. president will have to contend with regulations around AI—and the electorate is already facing AI-generated misinformation.