Conservation
A New Map Tracks the World’s Largest Glaciers
A visualization compares the forms of Earth’s largest flows of ice
Stories by Amanda Montañez
Sociology
The Most Compelling Science Graphics of 2022
From COVID to space exploration, graphics helped tell some the year’s most important stories
Climate Change
See How Much Climate Change Has Cost Different Countries
Low-income nations bear the brunt of costs from climate change
Epidemiology
How to Compare COVID Deaths for Vaccinated and Unvaccinated People
The death rate among unvaccinated people is still far higher than that among the vaccinated even though vaccinated people now make up a significant proportion of deaths
Policy
COVID’s Uneven Toll Captured in Data
Visualizing ongoing stories of loss, adaptation and inequality
Public Health
The Pandemic’s Hidden Toll Is Revealed in Excess Death Counts
Many of the unexpected deaths in rural U.S. counties last year were not recorded as caused by COVID
Public Health
Evaluating COVID Risk on Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Stay safer on different forms of transportation
Weather
In 2020, Record-Breaking Hurricanes Arrived Early—and Often
A record 30 storms have formed, compared to the previous high of 28; almost all were the earliest on record
Culture
Visualizing the Rhythm of Food
Interactive data visualization charts the changing popularity of 195 different foods over time
Public Health
Deaths of Young Children Are Decreasing Globally, But ...
Progress in improving mortality varies significantly within countries
Policy
Carbon Taxes Would Boost Jobs across the U.S.
Construction and manufacturing careers would rise nationwide
Public Health
Will the New Coronavirus Keep Spreading or Not? You Have to Know One Little Number
Whenever there’s a new outbreak, scientists rush to calculate a number called R0, or R-naught
Public Health
Will the New Coronavirus Keep Spreading or Not? You Have to Know One Little Number
Whenever there’s a new outbreak, scientists rush to calculate a number called R 0 , or R-naught. Why? It’s been a critical part of the scientific effort to understand just how transmissible the new virus is...
Medicine
The Cost of Giving Birth in the U.S.
Data visualization reveals how much hospitals across the nation charge for some of the most common procedures
Space & Physics
How and Why Scientists Redefined the Kilogram
Illustrations from the Scientific American archive break down this “massive” development
Biology
Beyond XX and XY: The Extraordinary Complexity of Sex Determination
A host of factors figure into whether someone is female, male or somewhere in between
Culture
Remembering Bunji Tagawa
A look back at one of Scientific American’s most prolific illustrators and the racial injustice he endured
Conservation
How Much of the World’s Protected Land Is Actually Protected?
Intense human pressure on areas set aside for preservation could be threatening biodiversity
Behavior
People Who Understand Evolution Are More Likely to Accept It
Even among the religious and conservative, knowledge of the theory influenced belief
Medicine
New Hope for a Better Flu Vaccine
Infographic shows how an experimental approach might bring us closer to a universal vaccine
