News

• News | Health

  When Will “3-Parent Babies” Come to the U.S.?

  Action in the U.K. Parliament is raising questions about the future of a new reproductive technique in America

  19 hours ago |Dina Fine Maron |

• News | Technology

  NYC Commuter Train Crash Highlights Need for Rethinking Rail Crossings

  Safety experts say hundreds of thousands of crossings could be improved. Here’s how

  February 5, 2015 |Rebecca Harrington |

• News | Health

  Robot Scientist Discovers Potential Malaria Drug

  The machine called Eve is packed with innovations for finding drugs faster

  February 5, 2015 |Andy Extance |

• News | Energy & Sustainability

  GOP Embraced Environmental Protection Not Long Ago, Says Former EPA Chief

  William Ruckelshaus, the first EPA administrator, criticizes today’s GOP attacks on the agency as well as industry efforts to thwart scientific evaluations of toxic chemicals

  February 5, 2015 |David Heath and Center for Public Integrity |

• News | Health

  Spreading Measles Outbreak Also Takes Heavy Economic Toll

  The virus is squeezing finances in affected communities—and diverting funds and resources from other health care priorities

  February 5, 2015 |Dina Fine Maron |

• News | Mind & Brain

  How We Sense the Heat of Chili Peppers and the Cool of Menthol [Excerpt]

  Incredible thermosensors that let you know the difference between the spicy hot of chili and the chilly sensation of mint

  February 4, 2015 |David J. Linden |

• News | Space

  Watch Live Today: The Future of Cosmology [Video]

  Cosmologist Kendrick Smith will present a free live Webcast on the quest to understand the origin of the universe
   

  February 4, 2015 |Clara Moskowitz |

• News | More Science

  Love Pets? Tell Us More

  Scientific American MIND is surveying animal lovers for our May/June report on pets

  February 4, 2015 |Andrea Alfano |

• News | More Science

  Quick DNA Scans Could Ensure Food Is Safe to Eat

  Foodborne illnesses and food fraud are common, but rapid DNA sequencing can reveal hidden dangers

  February 4, 2015 |Jill Neimark |

• News | Energy & Sustainability

  Genetic Flotsam Offers Clues to Ocean Biodiversity

  By analyzing “environmental DNA,” scientists are homing in on marine life in unprecedented detail

  February 3, 2015 |Bill Streever |

• News | Space

  Earthly Extremophiles Prompt Speculation about Alien Life

  Discovery of fish under Antarctic ice may provide clues about ecosystems on Jupiter’s moon Europa and other extraterrestrial environments

  February 3, 2015 |Douglas Fox |

• News | Health

  Big Precision Medicine Plan Raises Patient Privacy Concerns

  White House’s move to develop customized care prompts worries about data security and informed consent

  February 3, 2015 |Dina Fine Maron |

• News | More Science

  Unboiled Egg Untangles a Knotty Protein Problem

  A new machine could help biotech with a faster, cheaper way to purify proteins

  February 2, 2015 |Sarah Lewin |

• News | Health

  Clinic Saves Moms' Lives by Focusing on Familes [Video]

  Innovative steps attempt to reduce the tragic 25-year climb in U.S. maternal death rates 

  February 2, 2015 |Christine Gorman |

• News | Energy & Sustainability

  Vertical Gardens Beat Soil Made Salty by Climate Change

  Saltwater is shrinking Bangladesh’s arable land, but a simple approach of planting crops in containers shows surprising success

  January 30, 2015 |Amy Yee |

• News | Space

  In Bot Pursuit: Deadline Looms in Private Sector Race to the Moon

  Milestone Prizes give five teams a boost to launch a commercial lunar lander by the end of 2016
   

  January 30, 2015 |Clara Moskowitz |

• News | More Science

  Can Science Solve the Mystery of “Deflategate”?

  Even with the physics sorted out, questions remain

  January 29, 2015 |Sarah Lewin |

• News | Health

  Super Bowl Success May Go to Late-Risers

  Sleeping patterns might be the newest excuse for lackluster athletic performances

  January 29, 2015 |Dina Fine Maron |

• News | Health

  Your Immune System Is Made, Not Born

  New research dispels the belief that the strength of the body’s defense system is genetically programmed

  January 29, 2015 |Esther Landhuis |

• News | More Science

  Long-Term Sperm: Shark Gives Birth 4 Years after Contact with Male

  The brownbanded bamboo shark’s belated delivery almost doubles the previous record for sperm storage

  January 28, 2015 |David Shiffman |