Scientific American

Long-held assumptions tell us that atoms with the same number of protons, neutrons and electrons are indistinguishable, but one physicist wants to put this idea to the test

Digital distractions can undermine our focus, but research suggests that our inherent capacity to pay attention hasn’t diminished

The Andes type of the hantavirus is spread by “close contact,” but it’s unclear how much of that transmission occurs by inhaling airborne droplets or other means

With millions of people now using GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound, scientists are racing to find ways to help people retain their weight loss after they stop taking the medication

People exposed to the Andes strain of the hantavirus may not develop symptoms for up to 42 days, a delay that makes tracing infections more difficult

Seen just 800 million years after the big bang, an object called LAP1-B is a galactic building block that seems to hold some of the first stars to ever shine

A multiyear effort to rename polycystic ovary syndrome finally revealed the condition’s new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome

Start your morning with today’s Spellements. Create as many words as you can from our daily selection of letters—including one tied to recent science news. Play now.

Flecks of minerals captured in diamonds show hidden connections between Earth’s surface and its deep interior

Probability theory and the Saint Petersburg paradox can help you determine whether the stakes of a game are too great

A new book argues that disparities in fibroids, cancer and diagnosis reveal a lifelong gynecologic health crisis for Black women

Research suggests depression assessment questionnaires can’t reliably compare people with differing intelligence

Statistical principles show you don’t need a nefarious plot to explain clusters of missing scientists and lab workers

This snail became the first animal living on deep-sea hydrothermal vents to be added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species—it also turns poisonous sulfur into armor

Archaeologists analyzed a Neanderthal molar that seems like it was intentionally drilled, but some experts are skeptical

The latest studies bring the number of remains identified from this doomed 1845 expedition to six of the 129 who set out to the Arctic

The nation’s top court extended a stay on a lower court order banning telemedicine access to mifepristone, a drug used in medication abortions—but the order sets up a longer legal fight

Margaret Hamilton designed safety features for NASA inspired in part by her four-year-old

There is no hard evidence that ivermectin can treat cancer, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying it

The El Niño climate event is due to return this year, with U.S. forecasters predicting an 82 percent chance of it coming in May through July and a 96 percent chance for it doing so in December through February 2027

Are we really falling short on protein—or is the high-protein craze overblown?

For the last 1.7 million years, China’s Yangtze River has been stealing water from the Yellow River, new research shows

A mathematical ratio could explain why AI-generated art doesn’t evoke awe from viewers

There is no cure for the hantavirus that has so far sickened at least nine people and killed three of them on a cruise ship outbreak, but several therapies have shown promise in animal studies

In a “breakthrough,” researchers demonstrate how engineered bacteria held in a jellylike container could help fight infection in mice

The hantavirus cruise outbreak may not have started in a garbage dump in Ushuaia, Argentina, after all

Extra protein can be found in everything now, from potato chips to Pop-Tarts. Does this benefit the average eater?

The Psyche spacecraft is bound for a metal-rich asteroid that it will examine up close starting in 2029. But first, it needs to swing past the Red Planet

The rare isotope helium-3 is one of Earth’s most precious commodities—so precious, in fact, that it might prove profitable to mine from the moon

This test flight comes at a pivotal moment for Elon Musk’s SpaceX as the company pushes to go public this year and show it’s ready for NASA’s planned 2027 Artemis III mission

Despite decades of damage, the Persian Gulf’s ecological marvels remain—for now

Heat conditions could exceed dangerous levels at a quarter of the planned 2026 World Cup soccer matches, including the final in New Jersey on July 19

NASA’s Mars rovers have found traces of minerals akin to those that make up precious gems on Earth. But their appearance and abundance on Mars is likely very different, experts say

Debris is a growing threat to orbital infrastructure, and it’s only going to get worse as the number of launches increases

A survey found that more than 60 percent of respondents “strongly support” making psychedelics easier to study, reflecting a growing consensus that some could have therapeutic use

Mapping their starting point like bees do helps autonomous drones find their way