Leap Seconds May Be Abandoned by the World’s Timekeepers
We have been adding “leap seconds” to time kept by our atomic clocks, but soon we may have to subtract one. Are the tiny adjustments worth the bother?
Book Review: The Big Costs of Mining the Planet for Electric Power
Vince Beiser’s tour of the “Electro-Digital Age” puts resource extraction at the center
November 2024: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago
Computer chess champ; dental chloroform killer
New Nasal Vaccines Offer Stronger Protection from COVID, Flu, and More—No Needle Needed
Gentle nasal spray vaccines against COVID, the flu and RSV are coming. They may work better than shots in the arm
Fossil Human Ancestor ‘Lucy’ Remains Pivotal 50 Years after Discovery
Half a century after its discovery, this iconic fossil remains central to our understanding of human origins
Book Review: How Our Love for Citrus Shaped the Modern World
A history of citrus fruits, from the Han Dynasty to the modern orange juice industry
Book Review: Fifty years later, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Novel about Utopian Anarchists Is as Relevant as Ever
In The Dispossessed, a physicist is caught between societies
Book Review: How the Author of Braiding Sweetgrass Imagines a New Economy
Robin Wall Kimmerer changed our ideas of sustainability. Can she do the same for economics?
How to Make Progress in Health Equity
This collection shows what works to advance health equity around the world
New Medical Diagnoses and Tools Are Removing Historical Biases
New formulas, devices and tools are removing historical bias from medical diagnoses
Rural Health Innovations Are Improving Health Care
Some of the most inventive changes to health care have started in rural communities around the world
See How Many Lives Vaccines Have Saved around the World
Vaccines are the first step toward health equity in many parts of the world
Health Experts Share What Gives Them Hope for Improving Equity
Health experts share what gives them hope for improving health for all
Cultural Competency in Health Care Can Save Lives
Medical professionals who connect with their patients’ language and culture provide better care
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander People Need Better Health Data
Separating medical data from culturally distinct Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) groups can improve health outcomes
The Mpox Response Has Learned from HIV/AIDS History
Tools and networks that have helped control HIV/AIDS are now working against mpox
Contrary to Occam’s Razor, the Simplest Explanation Is Often Not the Best One | Scientific American
Occam’s razor holds that the simplest explanation is closest to the truth. But the real world is quite complex
Kids with ADHD May Still Have Symptoms as Adults | Scientific American
Fortunately, recognition and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in grown-ups are getting better
How Marie Curie Helped a Generation of Women Break into Science
Marie Curie is well known for her chemistry achievements but less so for helping other women succeed in science
Tiny Babies Who Can Smell Their Mother Recognize Faces Better
A smell’s effect on facial recognition is key at first—but decreases as a baby’s eyesight improves
NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft Aims for Jupiter’s Most Intriguing Moon
For the first time, we are sending a spacecraft to explore an alien ocean world—a moon that might host life today
AI Comes to the Nobels: Double Win Sparks Debate about Scientific Fields
While many researchers celebrated this year’s chemistry and physics prizes, others were disappointed by the focus on computational methods.
Trump and Harris Have Vastly Different Plans for Public Education
The presidential candidates differ on classroom censorship, school choice, federal funding for schools, and more