Still from a promotional video for Skysurfer, a US company that sells “ultralight aircraft” for personal, recreational use Hunter Kowald/skysurferaircraft.com The first passenger-carrying drones may already be in use. These aren’t sophisticated urban air taxis, but crudely modified cargo drones transporting combat casualties and criminals. Heavy-lift drones are essentially scaled-up versions of the familiar quadcopters….
March 5, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Tylenol orders in pregnant people plummeted after Trump falsely linked the medicine to autism An analysis found that, following Trump’s claim that acetaminophen was linked to autism, orders for the drug for pregnant patients in emergency rooms dropped, while the number of children prescribed…
Amyloid plaques in the brain are a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease, but what if the roots of the condition start elsewhere in the body? Alamy Alzheimer’s disease has long been viewed as something that originates inside the brain, but an in-depth genomic analysis suggests it may initially be triggered by inflammation in distant organs…
Of all the asteroids that have imperiled the planet, 2024 YR4 is unparalleled. Soon after it was spotted in December 2024, worldwide telescopic observations quickly positioned it as the most dangerous space rock ever discovered—one that stood a 3.1-percent (or 1-in-32) chance of crashing into Earth on December 22, 2032. If it were to hit…
A pygmy long-fingered possum Flannery et al Two marsupial species that scientists thought had gone extinct at least 6000 years ago have been found alive on the island of New Guinea. The ring-tailed glider and pygmy long-fingered possum, previously known to science only from fossils found in Australia, have now been found and photographed in…
A molecule made of carbon and chlorine is half as twisty as the paper loops common in math classes.
March 5, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Measles outbreak erupts in one of U.S.’s largest ICE detention centers Camp East Montana, one of the largest immigration detention facilities in the U.S., has reported 14 confirmed measles infections, triggering the El Paso center to close to visitors By Lauren J. Young edited…
Representation of the electrons in the “half-Möbius”-shaped molecule IBM Research and the University of Manchester Chemists have discovered a new molecular shape, and it is twice as odd as the twisty Möbius strip. The Möbius strip is a looped band with a twist, such that something tiny, such as an ant, would have to go…
A rapid koala rebound in southeastern Australia is also boosting their genetic variation, showing one way out of an extinction death spiral. After nearly disappearing from the region over a century ago, the marsupials’ recovery has come with increased reshuffling of genes, enhancing their long-term chances of adaptation and survival. The findings, published March 5…
Chalk up another victory for “Conan the Bacterium”—a rugged germ that fresh research suggests could conquer the solar system. Better known as Deinococcus radiodurans, this microbe is arguably the toughest organism known to science. Past studies have shown it can endure extreme cold, intense radiation, harsh chemicals and profound dehydration—all evolutionary adaptations, perhaps, to what’s…
