October 28, 2025 2 min read This New Shape Breaks an ‘Unbreakable’ 3D Geometry Rule The noperthedron has a surprising property—which disproves a long-standing conjecture By Emma R. Hasson edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Can you drill a hole in a cube that an identical cube could fall through? Prince Rupert of the Rhine first…
October 28, 2025 3 min read What’s Behind This Luxury ‘Cat Poo’ Coffee’s Unique Flavor Civets enrich coffee beans they eat and excrete with two fatty acids often used in dairy products, study finds By Nicola Jones & Nature magazine When civet cats eat coffee beans, they excrete them in clumps (shown) that can later…
In a single year, one polar bear can leave roughly 300 kilograms of prey for other animals to dine on. Altogether, the carnivores provide 7.6 million kilograms of carrion for scavengers throughout the Arctic, researchers estimate. The findings, reported October 28 in Oikos, highlight the crucial role these apex predators play in feeding a vast…
Shutterstock/John D Sirlin Tackling climate change is an inherently collectivist endeavour. We only have one planet, with one atmosphere, and whenever anyone in the world emits greenhouse gases, we all feel the effects. But some people have an outsized influence. Globally, the wealthiest 1 per cent are responsible for one-fifth of all emissions since 1990….
Many have pinpointed the birth of quantum mechanics to the small, treeless island of Helgoland, where a young Werner Heisenberg went in the summer of 1925. There, he sketched out the basics of what would become our most brilliant and successful way of explaining reality. At the heart of his approach was the decision to…
Mosquitoes Invade Iceland, Earth Darkens, and Bird Flu Returns Bird flu surges and a government shutdown collide, complicating efforts to track cases and protect flocks. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Carlo Alberto Conti/Getty Images; MicrovOne/Getty Images; Illustration by Scientific American Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly,…
Exercise has significant benefits for heart health Ian Canham/Alamy Men over 50 may have to exercise more than twice as much as women to get the same heart health benefits. An analysis of activity tracker data found that men in this age group need nearly 9 hours per week of moderate to vigorous activity –…
A fossil unearthed on Eastern Europe’s Crimean Peninsula has divulged the strongest genetic clues yet about Neandertals’ long-distance journeys into the heart of Asia. After identifying a bone fragment previously excavated at Crimea’s Starosele rock-shelter as Neandertal, researchers extracted bits of mitochondrial DNA from the find. That genetic material displays close links to corresponding DNA…
What’s the first thing you notice when you step into a museum? Is it the long-faded colors of ancient artifacts from all around the world or the hushed sounds of visitors discussing what they see? Maybe there’s a replica of scratchy old fabric you can touch. Some locations might even offer an edible treat inspired…
“Exercising with others increases the likelihood of showing up to work out” RICH BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY/Alamy Growing up, I avoided team sports at all costs. Eye-hand coordination just isn’t my strong suit. Plus, I have a pernicious competitive streak. Pair the two together and sport became a source of frustration rather than fun. But recent studies…
