In October 2024 Luke Durant, an independent researcher in San Jose, Calif., announced that he had discovered the largest known prime number—so enormous it would take years to write out in full. One might suspect only mathematicians would celebrate such a feat. But primes are often considered the building blocks of mathematics, and math itself…
Did you see that seagull? Taking the bird test shaun/Getty Images If you have been on TikTok lately, you may have stumbled upon the “bird test”. One partner casually points out something – like a bird outside the window – and waits to see whether the other responds with interest. If they do, the relationship…
December 2, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Scientists Release Data Backing Hepatitis B Vaccines for Newborns Ahead of Crucial Vaccine Panel Vote The review was carried out and released by the Vaccine Integrity Project, which is dedicated to bolstering vaccines in the U.S. By Claire Cameron edited by Jeanna Bryner A…
An Einstein ring known as the blue horseshoe, an effect seen due to gravitational lensing of a distant galaxy NASA, ESA The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we dive into fascinating ideas from around the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time here. Adolf Hitler died on…
December 2, 2025 1 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Video: Highlights from a Sickle Cell Disease Event Scientific American hosted an event at Morehouse School of Medicine to highlight medical advances in treating sickle cell disease and how far we still have to go By Jeanna Bryner Join Our Community of Science Lovers!…
A cave near a site of ancient human occupation in the Arabian desert Courtesy Huw S. Groucutt, et al The dry deserts of north-eastern Saudi Arabia were once wet enough to host vibrant communities of animals – and researchers have just found evidence that ancient hominins lived there too. “This paper provides the first outline…
December 2, 2025 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Not-Quite-a-Bomb-Cyclone Brings Messy Winter Weather A rapidly intensifying low-pressure system off the coast is keeping the worst of the snow away from Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. By Stephanie Pappas edited by Andrea Thompson A cargo plane takes off from a runway…
Imagine you’re standing in front of a closed door. Behind it is a teenager’s bedroom, and your task is to rate how messy it is on a scale of 1 to 10. But here’s the twist: you can’t open the door – and you don’t even know what kind of stuff might be inside. If…
“Magic-angle” graphene may provide new clues into poorly understood unconventional superconductors, which operate at higher-than-normal temperatures.
December 1, 2025 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Changing the FDA’s Vaccine Approval Process Could Threaten COVID, Flu Protection for Children The FDA is reportedly mulling changes that could make childhood vaccines less accessible and more expensive By Tanya Lewis edited by Claire Cameron Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images The U.S. Food…
