Opinion

On the 20th anniversary of Pluto’s infamous demotion, Mike “Pluto Killer” Brown explains why any reversal of that decision would be driven more by nostalgia than science

After decades of fighting for renewable energy, solar power is finally achieving economic dominance. But AI data centers threaten to consume those energy gains

Relaxing radiation safety standards could place women and children at higher risks of health issues

In rethinking whether AI is sentient, we are asking bigger questions about cognition, human-machine interaction and even our own consciousness

Whether space, health, technology or environment, here are the issues in science that the editors of Scientific American are focusing on for 2026

The 10 best nonfiction books of 2025, from the history of replaceable body parts to our AI future

The 10 best fiction books of 2025 explore far-off planets, future climate catastrophes, and more

Here are the 67 books Scientific American staffers couldn’t put down this year, from fantasy epics to gripping nonfiction

States and universities must step up to preserve data, and Congress must act to preserve our nation’s health

When anyone can forge reality, society can’t self-govern. Borrowing Denmark’s approach could help the U.S. restore accountability around deepfakes

The U.S. wants to remain a superpower in space. It can’t without supporting NASA

By casting doubt on antidepressants and other well-studied drugs, our government health agencies are choosing minimal risk to a fetus over the major risk to the person carrying it