American Scientist

In the late 19th century, scientists could peer into the nucleus of a cell and see individual chromosomes. But they did not yet understand the role these structures play in heredity.

The process of explaining is a powerful learning tool.From a young age, humans ask “why”; answering that question can reveal deeper meanings and reveal hidden patterns.

Candidates’ vocal characteristics influence voters’ attitudes toward them.

🚨LIVE NOW: Between caramel apples, Halloween candy, and pumpkin-flavored beverages, fall offers a smorgasbord of delightful treats. If you indulge in an apple cider donut, you’ll probably be aware of how your sense of smell and taste affect your experience.

Studying the behavior of wild animals means entering a rarefied relationship between the observed and the observer. Read more of Joanna E. Lambert's review of "My Life with Wolves: How I Became the Storyteller for the Yellowstone Packs" by Rick McIntyre.

Studies of rare mutations revealed a new way to lower LDL cholesterol—and led to an entirely new class of drugs.

🚨LIVE NOW: False memories, or the psychological experience of remembering something that did not happen or that did not happen quite as you seem to remember it, is a common event.

An important essay from Dr. @monicamedhist.bsky.social. Definitely read it and bring it into the classroom too.

With plague very much in the news lately, it is fortuitous (if that's the word) that this @americanscientist.org feature by @monicamedhist.bsky.social had already gone to press. I guess coincidence can be pretty coincidental sometimes.

People often find it shocking to learn that Yersinia pestis, the bacterium discovered in 1894 that is believed to have caused the mid-14th-century Black Death and other plague pandemics, is still around and dangerous, but that is one of many misperceptions about plague that need correcting.

Recognitions of scientific achievement express basic research values. Some prominent scientists have rejected awards and accolades as counter to the point of doing science, and some have questioned whether these prizes promote elitism. www.americanscientist.org/article/what...

🚨 LIVE NOW: On today's replay of Science by the Slice, we have Liara Gonzalez, a veterinarian who is specialty trained in large animal surgery with a clinical and research focus on intestinal disease.

During the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the race to develop solid-fueled rockets involved secrecy, explosions and espionage.

Trust makes uncertainty tolerable, while its absence makes uncertainty a weapon for those eager to exploit it.

Someone had to analyze reams of complex chemical data and devise a new rocket fuel. Mary Sherman Morgan was just right for the job.

“What do you think of when you think of science in the past 125 years?”

Read Denyce K. Wicht's Nightstand review of Ijeoma Uchegbu's book, "CHAIN REACTION: How Chemistry Shapes Us and Our World."

🚨 LIVE NOW: How does exercise influence immune and cardiovascular health? Marc D. Cook of @ncat.edu studies the interactions between exercise, immunity, the gut microbiome, and vascular health, with a focus on African American populations.

Congratulations to the American Scientist team for bringing home an award from Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) for John Raul Somoza's feature article on the HIV medication Lenacapavir.

@americanscientist.org has won an award from Trade Association Business Publications International for our feature about Lenacapavir. Immensely proud of our small but feisty team, and of the work of author John Somoza. www.tabpi.org/news/tabbies...

Last week, President Trump issued an executive order that mentioned depredation (sharks biting hooked fish before an angler can reel it in). I wrote about this issue a few years ago for American Scientist magazine: www.americanscientist.org/article/when...

The accelerating AI age is driving a push to increase the involvement of AI in every stage of research, creating so-called end-to-end science systems.

The mutual relationship between humans and forests is captured in both historical knowledge and in modern research about forest ecological services.

Trillions of insects are farmed as livestock each year, but much remains unknown about their experiences.

A new book explores the ups, downs, and detours inherent in scientific research. Read more of Sarah Hewitt's review of "LOST IN CURIOSITY: Field Notes From Scientists’ Adventures into the Unknown" by Roberta Kwok here:

It's great to have an excerpt from Lee Dugatkin's latest book, "Nary a Horse Left Standing," in the current issue of @americanscientist.org. Lee really brings these forgotten, dramatic historical moments to life and connects them to the present day!

Named after NASA's first chief astronomer, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is designed to answer fundamental questions about the universe.

🚨 LIVE NOW: Plastic pollution can affect more than our environment. In this 2024 Science Talk, analytical chemist Imari Walker-Franklin of RTI International explores how plastic breaks down into microplastics and releases potentially hazardous chemicals that may harm human health. Watch the talk:

Imagine a hypothetical strain of influenza that infects cars, vans, trucks, and trains rather than people.

It is not surprising that systems trained on biased source material would result in biased outputs, regardless of whether or not the original biases were intentional.

Warmer air is fueling heavier downpours across the country, but the systems used to measure flood risk are outdated and unevenly distributed.

When physician-scientist Samantha Meltzer-Brody began collaborating with a small biotech startup, Sage Pharmaceuticals, it was with modest expectations. She was curious if the pharmaceutical the biotech company was developing would have any effect at all on perinatal depression.