News: Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
Here’s what scientists think about Theranos a decade after it imploded
A viral documentary has everyone talking about Elizabeth Holmes’s fraudulent blood testing start-up again—but scientists never stopped
Posted on 16 October 2026 | 9:48 pm
Everything you need to know about flu season 2026
An early start doesn’t necessarily mean disaster
Posted on 16 October 2026 | 6:00 pm
5 ways to make Halloween decorations friendlier to wildlife
You don’t need to sacrifice spookiness to keep real owls, bats and snakes safe
Posted on 16 October 2026 | 2:00 pm
How many planets could fit in the solar system?
As far-fetched as it may seem, quirks of orbital mechanics could allow dozens of planets to be packed around a star
Posted on 16 October 2026 | 12:45 pm
Are you addicted to your phone? What scientists say about screen time and social media
Experts unpack the science of screen addiction and how to build a healthier relationship with technology
Posted on 16 October 2026 | 12:00 pm
Google’s quantum Willow chip may be able to grow ‘magic states’
The work could help improve quantum computers’ accuracy in complex calculations
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 8:00 pm
Scientists discover an ancient shipwreck dating to when the Great Pyramid was built
The wreck was found with relatively intact cargo on the seabed off the coast of Türkiye and is believed to be between 4,700 and 4,400 years old
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 5:00 pm
Can AI break encryption? OpenAI’s new math has cryptographers divided
OpenAI’s bumper crop of 722 math papers wowed and worried the research community—and cryptographers are split over whether the algorithms that protect our texts and bank log-ins are next
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 4:30 pm
Scientists vote to end leap seconds, redefining how the world keeps time
A new system, called the “leap hour,” will allow Earth’s rotation and official time to fall out of alignment by a full hour
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 2:40 pm
What would it take to terraform Mars? Erika DeBenedictis has ideas
The CEO of Pioneer Labs, a biotech startup developing Mars-adapted microbes, is on a quest to make alien worlds nice places to live
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 2:00 pm
Anthropic’s AI worm research raises new fears about smart device security
Researchers explored how AI could spread through everyday gadgets. But cybersecurity experts have seen these tricks before
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 1:00 pm
Honeybees deemphasize potential ‘misinformation’ in their waggle dances
Confident bees work harder to convince their peers of tasty treats
Posted on 15 October 2026 | 12:45 pm
New ‘First Proof’ exam reveals how AI-powered math is a pay-to-play sport
The benchmark confirms that some AIs are becoming exceptional tools for research-level math. But open-source models still struggle
Posted on 14 October 2026 | 9:00 pm
NIH appears to shut down public comments on science peer-review rule change ahead of schedule
The proposed change to how the National Institutes of Health handles grant applications has been criticized by scientists as reducing transparency
Posted on 14 October 2026 | 8:00 pm
Microplastics are linked to inflammation—scientists might have finally worked out why
Microplastics interact with water to create highly reactive molecules, a new study finds
Posted on 14 October 2026 | 7:30 pm