Technology reporter Karen Hao started reporting on artificial intelligence in 2018, before ChatGPT was introduced, and is one of the few journalists to gain access to the inner world of the chatbot’s creator, OpenAI. In her book Empire of AI, Hao outlines the rise of the controversial company. In her research, Hao spoke to OpenAI…
DGDImages / Alamy Stock Photo I was wondering, as I began working on this story, whether to eat my subject as part of the research. I imagined a bold opening: “This is the longest-lived animal in the world – and it tastes great.” Since the animal in question is a species of clam, I visualised…
Many of us know the feeling: a sudden rush of anger over a seemingly minor thing like a colleague’s irksome email, getting a customer service bot, seeing dishes in the sink or bumper-to-bumper traffic when you’re running late. Disproportionate reactions follow, and it can be easy to snap at a loved one or excessively honk…
December 9, 2025 4 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Data Centers in Space Aren’t as Wild as They Sound Space-based computing offers easy access to solar power, but presents its own environmental challenges By Jeremy Hsu edited by Eric Sullivan A mockup of the solar-powered data center the startup Starcloud plans to send…
Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, catch a tiger by the toe – so the rhyme goes. But even children know that counting-out rhymes like this are no help at making a truly random choice. Perhaps you remember when you first realised you could game the outcome by carefully choosing the starting point? Flipping a coin, or…
December 7, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm A Vitamin Shot Given at Birth Prevents Lethal Brain Bleeds, but More Parents Are Opting Out Vitamin K injections have prevented deadly brain bleeds in infants for more than 60 years. New research shows refusal rates have recently jumped nearly 80 percent By Christina…
Extreme heat and poverty can combine to delay children’s development Riccardo Lennart Niels Mayer/Alamy Young children who experience extreme heat tend to know fewer words, letters and numbers, showing that global warming can harm human development from the earliest stages. An average monthly maximum temperature of 32°C (90°F) or more reduced the likelihood that 3-…
December 8, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives By Dan Vergano edited by Claire Cameron Alexander Spatari/Getty Images Never heard of the Journal…
Firefighters working in Spain in August Pedro Pascual/Anadolu via Getty Images This year is set to be the second warmest year on record behind 2024, with many regions experiencing unprecedented storms, wildfires and heat. The mean temperature for 2025 is currently 1.48 °C above the preindustrial average, according to European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service…
December 8, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm 2025 Likely to Tie for Second-Hottest Year on Record Europe’s climate agency said 2025 is likely to be the second or third hottest on record By Andrea Thompson edited by Claire Cameron Amanda Montañez; Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service (data) This year may be…
