After decades of hints and speculation, scientists have at last unveiled the hidden companion to the iconic star Betelgeuse
What caused the magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Japan?
The quake, which has caused damage to several roads and buildings, occurred along a strike-slip fault
Has NASA already found life on Mars?
In searches for past and present Martian life, some scientists say we’ve been too cautious to see what’s right in front of us
Can bees sense magnetic fields?
Magnetoreception is one of the most controversial animal senses. And several bee species might have it
The best science books to read this summer, according to Scientific American editors
From ecohorror to science-inspired poetry, discover the books Scientific American staffers are recommending this summer
550 years later, scientists claim to have solved what killed Botticelli’s muse
Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli painted Simonetta Vespucci as Venus rising from the waves. Now, scientists think they’ve solved how she died
The math of traffic jams and how to avoid them
When the roads get crowded, many drivers start changing lanes. Mathematics suggests this intuition is typically wrong
SpaceX launches Starship on successful test flight
Starship demonstrated key abilities on its path to becoming a fully reusable transport for astronauts to the moon
Fungus-made fashion—researchers turn living organisms into textiles
This biodegradable textile is alive and can host engineered microbes that can change its color or add UV protection
NHTSA considers new car door safety rules after fatal Tesla crashes
After fatal crashes in which occupants or rescuers could not open Tesla doors, federal regulators are considering rules that would require obvious mechanical releases—but any new standard could take years