The Best of Scientific American

New research findings, combined with philosophy, suggest free will is real but may not operate in the ways people expect

Racism and overstressed teachers help explain high expulsion rates for Black preschool boys

A mass of moving material on Mars called a mantle plume may be causing marsquakes and volcanism

New types of cutlery can enhance flavors such as sweetness or saltiness for a more satisfying meal

Originally built to speed up calculations, a machine-learning system is now making shocking progress at the frontiers of experimental quantum physics

New research shows that lightning-quick neural rehearsal can supercharge learning and memory.

«It’s during those intermittent breaks that the brain starts to sew together the individual movements that make up a seamless piece.»

Gaslighting isn’t just between people in a relationship—it involves social power, too

The weaponization of medical language emboldened white supremacy with the authority of the white coat. How will we stop it from happening again?

Studies suggest that appreciating beauty in the everyday may be just as powerful as a sense of overarching purpose

«the more people indicated that they were “appreciating life” and its many experiences, the more they felt their existence was valuable.»

Astronomy and space exploration might offer a new perspective on our purpose in the cosmos

In a new study, participants who consumed sugar substitutes showed an altered microbiome and spikes in blood glucose

Archaeologists reconstructed a Neolithic woman’s complete genome and oral microbiome from a piece of birch tar she chewed

Two-million-year-old DNA, the world's oldest, reveals that mastodons once roamed forests in Greenland’s far northern reaches

Recent fossil, archaeological and genetic discoveries are revising the rise of our species

The evolutionary history of humans explains why physical activity is important for brain health

Enacted dreams could be an early sign of Parkinson’s disease

A laboratory demonstration of the classic “Wigner’s friend” thought experiment could overturn cherished assumptions about reality

An aging science journalist with a literature degree sets out to learn quantum mechanics, mathematics and all

A new experiment hints at surprising hidden mechanics of quantum superpositions

Quantum telepathy, laser-based time crystals, a glow from empty space and an “unreal” universe—these are the most awesome (and awfully hard to understand) results from the subatomic realm we…

Metabolism studies reveal surprising insights into how we burn calories—and how cooperative food production helped Homo sapiens flourish

How the words we use have evolved over the past 175 years

The way we decide may even give insight into delusional thinking

«Feeling as though you are the architect of the outcomes you experience is powerful and certainly would lead you to strengthen beliefs about those contingencies much more strongly»

An artificially intelligent first author presents many ethical questions—and could upend the publishing process

On vaccines, evolution and more, rejection of science has followed a familiar pattern

«In brief, the six principal plays in the denialist playbook are: > Doubt the Science > Question Scientists’ Motives and Integrity > Magnify Disagreements among Scientists and Cite Gadflies as Authorities > Exaggerate Potential Harm > Appeal to Personal Freedom > Reject Whatever Would Repudiate A Key Philosophy»

Are the most successful people in society just the luckiest people?

Who decided that nothing should be something?