Scientific American
@sciam.bsky.social
A legacy of discovery. A future of innovation.
The U.S. has held its measles-free status for more than 25 years. Experts say unrelenting outbreaks in the past year may change that
As the U.S. marks a year of measles outbreaks, is the disease back for good?
The U.S. has held its measles-free status for more than 25 years. Experts say unrelenting outbreaks in the past year may change that
www.scientificamerican.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM
The U.S. has held its measles-free status for more than 25 years. Experts say unrelenting outbreaks in the past year may change that
Reposted by Scientific American
The Feb issue of @sciam.bsky.social is now available www.scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/202... I’m so happy with the #sciart images by Julia Schimautz of DTAN studio (I mean LOOK at those brains on the cover!), @alexboersma-art.bsky.social, Federico Tramonte (w/tag-team art direction by Ryan Reid)
Scientific American Volume 334, Issue 2
"What is consciousness? Science faces its hardest problem yet", "Your guide to 29 wildly different theories of consciousness", "JWST could finally spot the very first stars in the universe" and more
www.scientificamerican.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:40 PM
The Feb issue of @sciam.bsky.social is now available www.scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/202... I’m so happy with the #sciart images by Julia Schimautz of DTAN studio (I mean LOOK at those brains on the cover!), @alexboersma-art.bsky.social, Federico Tramonte (w/tag-team art direction by Ryan Reid)
Scientists have come up with dozens of theories of consciousness. Here's your visual guide to 29 of them--from our new issue out today!
Your guide to 29 wildly different theories of consciousness
The many, many ways researchers hope to solve the toughest mystery in science
www.scientificamerican.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Scientists have come up with dozens of theories of consciousness. Here's your visual guide to 29 of them--from our new issue out today!
Positive thinking may boost immune response from vaccines, new brain training study shows
Brain training may boost immune response to vaccines
Positive thinking may boost immune response from vaccines, new brain training study shows
www.scientificamerican.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Positive thinking may boost immune response from vaccines, new brain training study shows
Reposted by Scientific American
Delightful news alert: An Austrian cow named Veronika has perfected the art of using a broom to scratch her itches—a finding that challenges the conventional wisdom about the intelligence of farm animals. #CowTools are real! 🐮 🧹 🧪
Meet Veronika, the first cow known to engage in flexible, multipurpose tool use
A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life
www.scientificamerican.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Delightful news alert: An Austrian cow named Veronika has perfected the art of using a broom to scratch her itches—a finding that challenges the conventional wisdom about the intelligence of farm animals. #CowTools are real! 🐮 🧹 🧪
A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life
Meet Veronika, the first cow known to engage in flexible, multipurpose tool use
A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life
www.scientificamerican.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:14 PM
A pet cow named Veronika uses tools in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life
Ribbon worms can grow to enormous lengths, and one named Baseodiscus the Eldest is showing how little we know about them—including how long they live
Meet ‘Baseodiscus the Eldest,’ a record-setting worm more than 27 years old
Ribbon worms can grow to enormous lengths, and one named Baseodiscus the Eldest is showing how little we know about them—including how long they live
www.scientificamerican.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Ribbon worms can grow to enormous lengths, and one named Baseodiscus the Eldest is showing how little we know about them—including how long they live
These decoys are an example of “web decorations” that some spiders are known to produce, often to prevent getting eaten, avoid bird strikes or attract prey
What’s scarier than a spider? A fake giant spider
Spiders scare off predators by seemingly supersizing themselves
www.scientificamerican.com
January 19, 2026 at 3:13 PM
These decoys are an example of “web decorations” that some spiders are known to produce, often to prevent getting eaten, avoid bird strikes or attract prey
Today on the pod we've got your news round-up!
EPA rule sparks air quality concerns, cancer survival breaks record, NASA carries out first-ever ISS medical evacuation
Why the EPA’s air pollution rule change could make the air dirtier, how cancer survival hit a record-high, and what we know about the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station
www.scientificamerican.com
January 19, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Today on the pod we've got your news round-up!
For this week's math puzzle, we have a pepperoni pizza problem. Can you solve it?
Math Puzzle: A Pizza Puzzle
Flex your math muscles with this weekend’s brain teaser. Play now
www.scientificamerican.com
January 18, 2026 at 8:09 PM
For this week's math puzzle, we have a pepperoni pizza problem. Can you solve it?
The massive Artemis II rocket is continuing its slow crawl to the launch pad this evening. What comes next? Dig into the mission plan here
NASA’s Artemis II mission will be humankind’s long-awaited return to the moon
On Friday NASA laid out the time line for Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years
www.scientificamerican.com
January 17, 2026 at 10:16 PM
The massive Artemis II rocket is continuing its slow crawl to the launch pad this evening. What comes next? Dig into the mission plan here
NASA's huge Artemis II rocket is inching toward the launch pad today
NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon just began its last journey on Earth
NASA rolled out the fully stacked Artemis II rocket and Orion capsule on Saturday, embarking on a four-mile journey to the launch pad
www.scientificamerican.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:04 PM
NASA's huge Artemis II rocket is inching toward the launch pad today
Why today’s AI systems struggle with consistency, and how emerging world models aim to give machines a steady grasp of space and time
World models could unlock the next revolution in artificial intelligence
Why today’s AI systems struggle with consistency, and how emerging world models aim to give machines a steady grasp of space and time
www.scientificamerican.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Why today’s AI systems struggle with consistency, and how emerging world models aim to give machines a steady grasp of space and time
Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals that determine the length of dogs’ ears
Do their ears hang low? The genetics of dogs’ adorable floppy ears
Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals that determine the length of dogs’ ears
www.scientificamerican.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals that determine the length of dogs’ ears
NASA is rolling out the massive rocket for its Artemis II mission today! The process will take hours, giving you plenty of time to get caught up on the mission's timeline here
NASA’s Artemis II mission will be humankind’s long-awaited return to the moon
On Friday NASA laid out the time line for Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years
www.scientificamerican.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:40 PM
NASA is rolling out the massive rocket for its Artemis II mission today! The process will take hours, giving you plenty of time to get caught up on the mission's timeline here
How closely did you follow this week's science news? Test yourself with our quiz!
Science Quiz: Extinct Animals and Strange Illnesses
Put your science knowledge to the test with this week’s news quiz. Play now.
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:55 PM
How closely did you follow this week's science news? Test yourself with our quiz!
Reposted by Scientific American
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: Artemis II—humankind's first crewed voyage to the moon in more than a half-century—is at last almost ready to launch, and NASA revealed some new details about the mission in a press conference earlier today. Check it out!
www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
NASA’s Artemis II mission will be humankind’s long-awaited return to the moon
NASA on Friday laid out the timeline for Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission to the moon in more than fifty years
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: Artemis II—humankind's first crewed voyage to the moon in more than a half-century—is at last almost ready to launch, and NASA revealed some new details about the mission in a press conference earlier today. Check it out!
www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...
The possible health effects of radiofrequency waves emitted by cell phones has been a subject of debate for decades
RFK, Jr., shifts focus to questioning whether cell phones are safe. Here’s what the science says
The possible health effects of radiofrequency waves emitted by cell phones has been a subject of debate for decades
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 9:07 PM
The possible health effects of radiofrequency waves emitted by cell phones has been a subject of debate for decades
The future of what could be the most important rock in human history is up in the air. Here's what to know www.tiktok.com/@scientifica...
There’s a rock on Mars that may contain evidence of life, but it might remain stranded on the Red Planet. Senior Space and Physics Editor, Lee Billings, explains the challenges of NASA’s Mars Sample R...
TikTok video by Scientific American
www.tiktok.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:59 PM
The future of what could be the most important rock in human history is up in the air. Here's what to know www.tiktok.com/@scientifica...
“These tropical lizards were experiencing conditions that they’ve never experienced in their entire evolutionary history before, tens of millions of years”
In Florida, the temperatures are plummeting. Iguanas might do so, too
Florida’s iguanas are an introduced species, and they aren’t used to the chilly temperatures the state is currently experiencing
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:32 PM
“These tropical lizards were experiencing conditions that they’ve never experienced in their entire evolutionary history before, tens of millions of years”
NASA on Friday laid out the timeline for Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission to the moon in more than fifty years
NASA’s Artemis II mission will be humankind’s long-awaited return to the moon
NASA on Friday laid out the timeline for Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission to the moon in more than fifty years
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:04 PM
NASA on Friday laid out the timeline for Artemis II, humanity’s first crewed mission to the moon in more than fifty years
The Clean Air Act has saved millions of lives, but the EPA will stop calculating those benefits for at least some proposed regulations
Your Lungs Could Pay the Price for EPA’s Latest Move
The Clean Air Act has saved millions of lives, but the EPA will stop calculating those benefits for at least some proposed regulations
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:14 PM
The Clean Air Act has saved millions of lives, but the EPA will stop calculating those benefits for at least some proposed regulations
NASA wants to send four astronauts around the moon as soon as next month. Here's why that's such a tricky proposition decades after the Apollo missions
NASA’s Second Moonshot Is Slow and Pricey, and That’s a Good Thing
NASA's Artemis moon program faces challenges the Apollo missions never did
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:34 PM
NASA wants to send four astronauts around the moon as soon as next month. Here's why that's such a tricky proposition decades after the Apollo missions
A new report finds that a majority of Americans think the U.S. should be a world leader in science, but Democrats increasingly believe other countries are catching up. Check out the numbers below and learn more in the story here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/amer...
January 16, 2026 at 5:08 PM
A new report finds that a majority of Americans think the U.S. should be a world leader in science, but Democrats increasingly believe other countries are catching up. Check out the numbers below and learn more in the story here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/amer...
New research suggests that the x-ray light coming from the Milky Way’s central black hole Sagittarius A* has changed dramatically in the span of just a few hundred years
The Milky Way’s Central Black Hole May Have Appeared Shockingly Different Just a Few Hundred Years Ago
New research suggests that the x-ray light coming from the Milky Way’s central black hole Sagittarius A* has changed dramatically in the span of just a few hundred years
www.scientificamerican.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:26 PM
New research suggests that the x-ray light coming from the Milky Way’s central black hole Sagittarius A* has changed dramatically in the span of just a few hundred years