Scientific American

Sonic Science: The High-Frequency Hearing Test

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Psychologists Find New Ways to Steel Minority Students against Fear of Failure (preview)

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:45:00 EST

Neil deGrasse Tyson, the renowned science communicator, earned his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia University in 1991. About 4,000 astrophysicists resided in the country at the time. Tyson brought the total number of African-Americans among them to a paltry seven. In a convocation address, he spoke openly about the challenges he faced:

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Soapy Science: How Microwaves Affect Matter

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Springtime Science: Exploring the Pigments in Flowers

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 EST

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The Secret to Ultrasmooth Ice Cream: Liquid Nitrogen [Video]

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:28:00 EST

Last year Americans spent roughly $20 billion on ice cream. With the return of fair-weathered spring, grocery stores are once again stocking up on the popular, refreshing treat.

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Solubility Science: How to Grow the Best Crystals

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Is There a Doctor in the Spaceship?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:59:08 EST

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James Cameron Donates His Tricked-Out Deep-Ocean Sub to Science

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:00:00 EST

Before setting his sights once again on the far-off moon Pandora for the next Avatar adventure, filmmaker and aquanaut James Cameron has bequeathed arguably his greatest technological accomplishment to science. Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submarine, which he drove to the deepest part of this planet last March, will in June arrive at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, ultimately helping researchers there better understand life in Earth’s last unexplored frontier. [More]

Steamy Science: Demonstrating Condensation

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Obama Praises Future Scientists at White House Science Fair

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON--With the third annual White House Science Fair as his backdrop, Pres. Barack Obama announced plans Monday to recruit one million new science, technology, engineering and math mentors from the private and public sectors to inspire many more students to pursue advanced educations and careers in those fields.

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Women Are Earning Greater Share of STEM Degrees, but Doctorates Remain Gender-Skewed

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:00:00 EST

In 2008, for the first time, U.S. women earned more doctorates in biology than men did. But advanced degrees in other core disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) remain stubbornly gender-imbalanced. In chemistry, for instance, women now garner 49 percent of bachelor's degrees but only 39 percent of Ph.D.s. What dissuades so many from further study?

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How CBS s The Big Bang Theory Humanizes Scientists

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Obama s 2014 Science Budget Proposal Revitalizes STEM Education, Reduces Environmental Conservation

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:40:00 EST

Among the winners in Pres. Barack Obama’s 2014 federal budget: the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Education and National Science Foundation (NSF). The losers include agribusiness and the Environmental Protection Agency. Obama’s plan, announced April 11, is less a vision for a progressive science agenda than a reflection of political reality--specifically, the fact that he still must work with a conservative Congress. The budget gives a boost to science education and research, long-standing administration priorities. In a nod to fiscal conservatives it trims administrative costs and slashes subsidies for agribusiness. On the matter of fossil fuels, however, it largely maintains the status quo, preserving funding for drilling and fracking. Here’s a quick list of winners, losers and how the new White House budget would affect them.

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Set-in-Motion Science: Apparent Movement in Flip-Books

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Circus Science: How to Balance Anything

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

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High School Students Debate Climate Change: Adapt or Geoengineer?

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:30:00 EST

Editor's Note: Each year, the Bickel & Brewer/NYU International Public Policy Forum directs a policy position at high schools worldwide for debate, pro or con. This year, organizers issued a climate-related challenge: "Resolved: Adaptation should be the most urgent response to climate change." 213 teams from 34 states and 29 countries responded, each writing 2,800-word essays making the case for their position. The following are two essays that survived the first round--one from Bozeman, Mont., making the case that adaptation is the only viable response and the other from high schoolers in Sherman Oaks, Calif., arguing that geoengineering is the best choice. The IPPF World Champion will be named on April 13, following oral debates in New York City.

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Solution Science: Colorful Candy Chromatography

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST

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Biological Disciplines Meet to Break, Then Maybe Fix, Bread

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:57:08 EST

Synthetic biologists design and make biological devices and systems for useful purposes. Conservation biologists study biodiversity to protect species and habitat. The two groups don’t talk to each other much. Conservation biologist Kent Redford thus organized a conference, the aim: “A better communication and an attempt on our part to instill some of our values into the lives and decisions made by synthetic biologists; to change the path that those technologies may take, to make them less environmentally harmful, if not in fact environmentally beneficial.”

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Imagine All the People Turning Blue and Green

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:07:08 EST

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Soft-Boiled Science: Egg-cellently Cooked Eggs

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:00:00 EST

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