Engineering
Snap, Crackle, Whop--How to Win the Wishbone
Don’t crack under pressure! Explore the scientific—and sometimes sleazy—secrets to win a wish at this year’s Thanksgiving wishbone pull.
Stories by Tim Palmieri
Culture
How Is the Declaration of Independence Preserved?
The National Archives and Records Administration uses science and technology to keep one of America's most important historic documents safe.
Biology
Why Don't Bees Celebrate Father's Day?
Drone bees don’t have fathers, but they still have family. Chromosomes are the key to understanding the buzz around a bee’s parents.
Electronics
How Does Google Know Everything about Me?
You may wonder how Google knows what you’re typing, where you are or even what you’re thinking—they use your data to do it all.
Electronics
What Sensors Are in a Smartphone?
Smartphone sensors locate your phone in time and space. Working together, several sensors can paint a fairly complete picture of your daily activity, with implications for your privacy.
Chemistry
Why Do Bananas Change Color?
Bananas undergo chemical and physical changes to become more appealing.
Cognition
If You Think It's Love, Switch to Decaf: How We Misinterpret Emotional Arousal
Psychology shows a great date might be more than just a walk in the park.
Engineering
Scaly Plastic Snakeskins Inch Immobile Robots Forward
These stretchy skins help robots move across rough surfaces, and potentially promote exploration and environmental monitoring.
Cognition
What Is the Bystander Effect?
If you suffer a heart attack in a crowd, you would be less likely to get help than if there were only one or two people around you.
Space & Physics
Why Do Curling Stones Curl?
Curling at the highest level requires careful calculations and a little finesse with physics.
Engineering
20180110_SeafloorVolcano_Export_16_9
Researchers used autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicles to survey the Havre volcano in the Pacific Ocean, leading to a new discovery about submarine volcano deposits.
Behavior
Bonobos Prefer "Jerks" over Helpers
A new study shows joining “jerks” provides unexpected benefits for bonobos.
Space & Physics
Spincredible Dreidel Tips and Tricks
Become a dreidel “spinologist” and compete for the longest time of spin.
Biology
Dwarf Mongooses Struggle to Fit In and Dig In
These mammals cannot eat a lot of food when they are on their own, and spend months integrating into new groups before gaining weight.
Biology
The Pitfalls of Growing a Monster Pumpkin
Squashing the competition at a giant pumpkin weigh-off requires patience, persistence—and a little bit of luck.
Biology
The Secret Social Life of a Solitary Puma
Hidden cameras caught these cats sharing prey with their neighbors, suggesting pumas have a more complex society than previously believed.
Space & Physics
Cassini's Grand Finale
The Cassini spacecraft has spent the last two decades exploring Saturn and its unique moons, making discoveries that will advance space exploration for years to come. Scientific American editors Lee Billings and Mike Lemonick offer a proper sendoff to this historic orbiter...
