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Scientific American
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Awesome discoveries. Expert insights. Science that shapes the world.

Hurricane Prediction Relies on the Tricky Art of Identifying Which Storms Will Grow

New techniques are helping forecasters spot storms that could develop into dangerous hurricanes earlier than ever

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hurricane-prediction-relies-on-the-tricky-art-of-identifying-which-storms/

U.S. Wind and Solar Are on Track to Overtake Coal This Year

Two renewable resources, wind and solar, together have produced more power than coal through July—a first for the U.S.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-wind-and-solar-are-on-track-to-overtake-coal-this-year/

Dodgy Critical Mineral Designations Won’t Boost Clean Energy

Congress appears interested in passing mining legislation. But bills that would expand access to hard-rock minerals across the U.S. ignore supply chain standards and environmental consequences

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dodgy-critical-mineral-designations-wont-boost-clean-energy/

West Nile Cases Are Rising. Here’s How to Protect Yourself

West Nile is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. Here’s what to know about the infection

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/west-nile-cases-are-rising-heres-how-to-protect-yourself/

Researchers Debate Theory of Pyramids’ Construction, Astronauts Are Stuck in Space, and Olympians Swim the Seine

We cover the science stories of the Olympics, concerns about artificial sweeteners and a new theory of how the pyramids were built in this week’s news roundup.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/researchers-debate-theory-of-pyramids-construction-astronauts-are-stuck-in/

New U.N. Cybercrime Treaty Could Threaten Human Rights

A recently adopted United Nations treaty could lead to invasive digital surveillance, human rights experts warn

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/0724--un-cybercrime/

Colds Bring Lots of Snot, But Just How Much?

Snot is one of the immune system’s efforts to ditch a virus, but how much we produce when sick is a slippery subject

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/colds-bring-lots-of-snot-but-just-how-much/

Perseid Meteor Shower Joins Stunning Mars and Jupiter Conjunction

Early risers get a double sky treat: a Mars and Jupiter conjunction and the Perseid meteor shower at once

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/perseid-meteor-shower-joins-stunning-mars-and-jupiter-conjunction/

Archaeologists Confront Extreme Conditions and Ethical Dilemmas while Investigating Ancient Human Sacrifice

A mountaintop burial site offers a glimpse into Inka life—but raises ethical questions about unearthing ancient human remains.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/archaeologists-confront-extreme-conditions-and-ethical-dilemmas-while/

Helen Edwards Helped Create a Particle Smasher to Probe the Mysteries of Atoms

Helen Edwards was a particle physicist who led the design and construction of the Tevatron, a machine built to probe deeper into the atom than anyone had gone before.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/helen-edwards-helped-create-a-particle-smasher-to-probe-the-mysteries-of/

Simplistic ‘Fight or Flight’ Idea Undervalues the Brain’s Predictive Powers

The brain's primary job is to reduce uncertainty in an ever-changing world

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/simplistic-fight-or-flight-idea-undervalues-the-brains-predictive-powers/

These Living Computers Are Made from Human Neurons

In the search for less energy-hungry artificial intelligence, some scientists are exploring living computers

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/these-living-computers-are-made-from-human-neurons/

These Living Computers Are Made from Human Neurons

In the search for less energy-hungry artificial intelligence, some scientists are exploring living computers

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/these-living-computers-are-made-from-human-neurons/

How NASA’s Stranded Starliner Astronauts Could Fly Home with SpaceX

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stuck on the ISS since they launched to the station in early June. Now the space agency is close to deciding how to bring them back

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-nasas-stranded-starliner-astronauts-could-fly-home-with-spacex/

New ‘Hobbit’ Fossil Clarifies Origin Story of this Tiny Human Relative

A tiny human relative called the Hobbit, or Homo floresiensis, may have evolved from a larger ancestor that shrunk upon arriving on the Indonesian island of Flores, a new fossil suggests

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-hobbit-fossil-clarifies-origin-story-of-this-tiny-human-relative/

American Science is in Dangerous Decline while Chinese Research Surges, Experts Warn

The U.S. sorely needs a coordinated national research strategy, says Marcia McNutt, president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/american-science-is-in-dangerous-decline-while-chinese-research-surges/

Hurricane Debby Slams Florida Region That’s Still Recovering from Last Year’s Hit

Hurricane Debby flooded the Big Bend region of Florida a year after it was pounded by Category 4 Hurricane Idalia

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hurricane-debby-slams-florida-region-thats-still-recovering-from-last-years/

Science is Solving Iceland's Dangerous Volcanic Mystery

We take you down below Iceland's erupting surface with the researchers who are trying to understand what's going to happen next.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/science-is-solving-icelands-dangerous-volcanic-mystery/

These Pathogens Could Spark the Next Pandemic, Scientists Warn

Scientists have identified more than 30 different pathogens that they fear could cause the next big pandemic in humans

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/these-pathogens-could-spark-the-next-pandemic-scientists-warn/

Hazardous Melting Ice Could Sink Arctic Shipping

Warmer temperatures were supposed to make Arctic shipping easier. But thick floating ice created by local melting is a bigger risk than people realized

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hazardous-melting-ice-could-sink-arctic-shipping/