Science

Months on a high-fat keto diet put mice at risk for cardiovascular disease and impaired insulin secretion.

September 19, 2025 3 min read Writing in Your Books Is Good for Your Brain—Here’s Why Annotating the margins of books is an important part of deep reading and has a long legacy of merit in both science and literature By Brianne Kane edited by Jeanna Bryner Readers on TikTok and Instagram are making the aesthetics…

Quantinuum’s quantum computer Quantinuum What can quantum computers do that their traditional counterparts absolutely cannot? This is one of the biggest questions facing the fast-growing industry, and now we finally have an unassailable answer. Instead of classical bits, quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in more states than “0” or “1”, theoretically giving them…

Sometimes even bats need a sick day. Bats are renowned for the ability to be infected with viruses that can be deadly to people without showing signs of the diseases themselves. Ebola virus, Nipah virus and coronaviruses, including relatives of the one that causes COVID-19, are just some of the pathogens linked to certain kinds…

September 19, 2025 3 min read Astronomers’ Exoplanet Haul Tops 6,000 Alien Worlds It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows By Sarah Lewin Frasier edited by Clara Moskowitz Scientists have found thousands of planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets, throughout the galaxy. This artist’s concept shows how they range in size and…

“You might still be waiting for your jetpacks. I’m still waiting for my pregnant men” Kevin Hyde/Getty Images There is a game some people like to play when thinking about the future. Call it “Where’s my jetpack?” We pore over science fiction from years past (often the years when we were impressionable kids) and ask:…

September 16, 2025 3 min read The Problem with Billionaire Science Science may need to increasingly rely on wealthy patrons, but privately funded projects don’t always pan out By David M. Ewalt Scientific American, October 2025 A poster-size version of the front page of the very first issue of this magazine hangs in the lobby…

“To improve both plastics recycling and reuse, make brands use similar packaging for products in the same category” Elaine Knox Ever since the US-based National Biscuit Company launched the first branded consumer package in 1899 – putting its Uneeda soda crackers in waxed paper inside a cardboard box – brands have seen packaging as a…

Mark Harmon crouches low next to log number 219: a moss-covered western hemlock tree trunk, five meters long, lying dead on the ground in the lush green woods. It’s marked by a thin aluminum tag. The forest ecologist leans in close, his unruly white beard nearly brushing against the decomposing cylinder. Dark, flaky patches on…

Recipes don’t necessarily need to be changed to nudge people into eating greener meals Robert Kneschke/Alamy Clever design of the menu options on offer on any one day can make people much more likely to choose climate-friendly and healthier food, without any changes to the recipes. In a trial in a canteen used by 300…