Scientific American Content: Global

China’s Long March 10B rocket successfully launches—and lands—in a global spaceflight milestone

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:10:00 +0000

The inaugural launch and first-stage booster recovery of China’s Long March 10B rocket intensifies the nation’s spaceflight rivalry with the U.S.

Odds of a Super El Niño are rising, and that could have deadly consequences

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:43:00 +0000

This climate system is tied to more powerful typhoons, as well as famine and wildfires

How could loosened radiation exposure rules affect public health?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:30:00 +0000

A proposed rule change could expose more Americans to higher doses of radiation from nuclear facilities

Why the controversy over de-extinction risks missing the point

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Efforts to revive the thylacine and woolly mammoth are forcing conservationists to face a long-overdue debate over what kind of natural world we want to build

Is Earth the only planet with total solar eclipses?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Other planets have moons, too. Do they get eclipses like we do?

‘Dark’ comets sprouting tails could help solve interstellar mysteries

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

A strange class of comet could explain the enigmatic behavior of ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object—and even shed light on how Earth became habitable

Physicist says splashy new cosmology study made ‘elemental’ mistake

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:08:00 +0000

A recent study in the journal Nature carries cosmos-quaking implications for our understanding of the universe—except a new preprint says that it’s wrong

These absurdly cute mice live at higher altitudes than any other mammal—here’s how they do it

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Living at altitudes with less than half the oxygen at sea level, these mice have adapted to their environment in unique ways

Cases of explosive diarrhea-causing cyclosporiasis are rising fast in the U.S.

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Cyclosporiasis case numbers have skyrocketed from several dozen nationwide in June to now more than 1,000 in the state of Michigan alone

Early bird, night owl or something else? Five patterns may define how we sleep

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:45:00 +0000

New research identifies five distinct sleep subtypes, revealing links between brain patterns, behavior and health

Scientists get clearest view yet of a spreading seafloor

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:30:00 +0000

A rare eruption in the Indian Ocean let researchers capture one of the clearest views yet of a seafloor spreading event

Can we geoengineer ourselves out of an El Niño year?

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

A controversial geoengineering proposal suggests that brightening clouds off South America could weaken a burgeoning El Niño, but major technical and ethical questions remain

RFK, Jr. is turning his attention to the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent group that offers guidance on what health screenings and medications health insurance should cover

Why ‘Neil the seal’ is unleashing chaos in Tasmania

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:50:00 +0000

This one-ton elephant seal has gone viral for smashing into cars and infrastructure, but biologists have a more poignant explanation for his behavior

Einstein’s greatest theory triumphs again in landmark frame-dragging measurement

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:30:00 +0000

A best-yet measurement of one of general relativity’s most mind-boggling effects is “another feather in Einstein’s cap”

Detecting hidden nuclear weapons in space may be possible using cosmic rays

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000

For almost 60 years, a global ban on nuclear weapons in space has held up. But the growing number of satellites and increasing geopolitical tension has scientists worried the moratorium could fail

Why more extreme rain could mean more shark bites

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:30:00 +0000

As rainfall intensifies with climate change, waste flushed out to sea could attract more sharks, putting beachgoers at risk

International timekeepers to vote on changing the leap second to a leap hour

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

To align Coordinated Universal Time with Earth’s rotation, a second occasionally gets added to the year. That may change in 2027

Why are the steel beams inside a Manhattan skyscraper buckling? Experts explain

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:35:00 +0000

Steel support columns in the Midtown building, which is being converted from offices into apartments, may have been overloaded, experts say

How math helped the Allies win World War II

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

During World War II, statistics helped the Allies estimate the number of enemy tanks, which proved essential in the decisive move against Nazi Germany

Should you be taking creatine? Here's what the science says

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:41:00 +0000

The sport supplement is popular among health influencers and athletes, who say creatine can help build stronger muscles and sharper brains—but is it legit?

Astronomers discover some of the most extreme primordial quasars in the universe

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Probing the dawn of the cosmos for clues to how the first galaxies and supermassive black holes formed is no easy feat

New York City’s Manhattanhenge is back—here’s how to see it

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Big Apple’s biannual sunset display is as iconic as it is captivating. Here’s everything you need to know about why the phenomenon happens and how best to view it

Too many sleepless nights may lead to weight gain

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Getting as little as 90 minutes less sleep than usual may lead to gaining weight and becoming more sedentary, a new study finds

Did our modern human ancestors and Neanderthals share a common culture?

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:24:00 +0000

Both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens may have shared tools and behavioral practices, new research suggests

Wordle, but for art history—Anthropeum turns the Met Museum into an online game

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Anthropeum is a daily game that uses the Met’s open-access data to showcase underrepresented art and artifacts

NASA’s exoplanet mission accidentally discovers a world it was never meant to find

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000

The exoplanet telescope TESS revealed a distant world using an entirely different detection method than the one it was built around

Chinese spacecraft Tianwen-2 beams back first image of Earth’s “mini moon”

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:30:00 +0000

China’s Tianwen-2 aims to collect samples from asteroid Kamo’oalewa and return them to Earth

Can the chances of a successful IVF pregnancy be improved with AI?

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Some IVF clinics are using AI to perform tasks such as sperm and embryo selection, but some fertility experts question whether the technology will lead to more live births

Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in—and they’re not good

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Reliance on artificial-intelligence tools degrades the abilities of physicians and software engineers, studies show

For July 4, NASA unveils an astronomical fireworks show, complete with sound effects

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

The rocket's red glare has nothing on these images from Chandra X-ray Observatory

How working memory could give rise to consciousness

Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Working memory is the information we need to access to complete the tasks we’re engaged in right now, and scientists think it may be closely entwined with consciousness

Ancient ‘hobbits’ feasted on Komodo dragons’ leftovers

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 18:00:00 +0000

The hominins may have gone on adventures, but they lacked key skills of modern humans

July 4 heat wave would've been 'virtually impossible' in 1776

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 11:30:00 +0000

People in the U.S. experience more, and more intense, heat waves than the Founding Fathers would have

Archaeologists uncover new history from the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major battle of the American Revolution

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

New archaeology has uncovered everything from musket balls to wig curlers at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major clash of the American Revolution

What will happen to the moon in the far future?

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 10:45:00 +0000

The moon is Earth’s constant companion. But will that always be the case?

The biological dogma that women don’t make new eggs after birth may be wrong

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Female mammals have long thought to be born with all the eggs they would ever have, but new research is challenging that consensus

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s algae problem has better solutions than hydrogen peroxide, experts say

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Trying to kill algae with chemicals is a common response when community ponds or other water features go green, but a freshwater ecologist says there may be safer and more effective solutions

NASA needs volunteers to spend a year locked in a Mars simulation

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:00:00 +0000

The space agency has put out a call for its Moon & Mars Exploration Analog, which recreates the challenges of a long-duration space mission

Male marathoners might be twice as likely to ‘hit the wall’ as women—the reason why might surprise you

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000

The way women use energy while running is fundamentally different from men

How to avoid heat illness and stay safe during the mega heat wave

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:30:00 +0000

A heat wave over the Fourth of July weekend could put millions at risk of heat-related illnesses. Here’s what to do to stay safe—and why you don’t just need to drink lots of water

Why digital government records are so hard to preserve

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Chat apps, e-mail, and cloud files have become the primary record of how power is exercised. Archivists are trying to preserve them before formats go dark or messages disappear without a trace

The White House goes all in on aliens with new UAP Science Advisory Council

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:30:00 +0000

This new group, which is led by Harvard professor Avi Loeb, aims to advise the Trump administration and the U.S. intelligence community, as well as to publish its findings in peer-reviewed journals

Ancient cave paintings can harbor human DNA for millennia, scientists find

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The breakthrough could reveal previously hidden ancient human activity inside caves acting as “genetic archives”

Global ocean temperatures are entering ‘uncharted territory,’ climate scientists say

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 19:44:00 +0000

Sea surface temperatures in late June reached nearly 70 degrees Fahrenheit on average, shattering records

Earth is home to 20 million insect species—three times more than we thought

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:53:00 +0000

Some creative calculations using bug traps, epidemiology and trees suggest there are some 20 million unique insect species on Earth

The Rubin telescope just began the largest cosmic time-lapse in history

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:00:00 +0000

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has started a 10-year survey of the changing night sky

This planet survived the death of its star—and kept its atmosphere

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Astronomers have for the first time observed an atmosphere around a giant planet orbiting a white dwarf

Scientists just unveiled ‘cyborg’ cockroaches that can breathe underwater for hours

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:14:00 +0000

The bionic bugs could be called up for aquatic search and rescue missions, according to the researchers

Supreme Court limits police searches of phone location data

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000

A new decision rules that geofence warrants are Fourth Amendment searches, but it stops short of banning police access to location histories