The SciencesOctober 1, 2011
The Trouble with Armor
The steel plates worn by medieval soldiers may have led to their wearers' demise
Stories by Michael Moyer
Michael Moyer is the editor in charge of physics and space coverage at Scientific American. Previously he spent eight years at Popular Science magazine, where he was the articles editor. He was awarded the 2005 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award for his article "Journey to the 10th Dimension," and has appeared on CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox and the Discovery Channel. He studied physics at the University of California at Berkeley and at Columbia University.
The SciencesAugust 24, 2011
The Skyline of 2016 [Interactive]
A tour of the world's tallest buildings, including those under construction.
TechnologyAugust 24, 2011
Virginia Quake Raises More Questions about U.S. East Coast Infrastructure
The U.S. East Coast endures far fewer temblors than the west coast, but damage to dams on the "right coast" could be significant given the older architecture
July 20, 2011
Expert: A Virus Caused the Blackout of 2003. Will the Next One Be Intentional?
HealthJuly 14, 2011
The Salt Wars Rage On: A Chat with Nutrition Professor Marion Nestle
A researcher explains why there may never be a good study on whether excess dietary salt causes hypertension and heart disease
July 11, 2011
Hacked Hardware Has Been Sold in the U.S.
June 23, 2011
How to Know If Hackers Have Stolen Your Password
June 21, 2011
Are Babies Dying in the Pacific Northwest Due to Fukushima? A Look at the Numbers
June 7, 2011
The Digital Cosmos: A Brief Reading List
EnvironmentMay 26, 2011
What the EPA's New Window Stickers Get Right
The SciencesMay 4, 2011
Why 5, 8 and 24 Are the Strangest Numbers in the Universe
John Baez expounds on what makes the numbers 5, 8 and 24 so special
TechnologyApril 1, 2011
Watson Looks for Work
What's next for the artificially intelligent Jeopardy! champion?
Space & PhysicsJanuary 1, 2011
New Subatomic Particle Could Help Explain the Mystery of Dark Matter
A flurry of evidence reveals that "sterile neutrinos" are not only real but common, and could be the stuff of dark matter
The SciencesDecember 1, 2010
Know the Flow: How Jellyfish Can Improve Wind Farms
The engineer and recent MacArthur "genius" grant winner thinks we have much to learn from the humble jellyfish
TechnologyNovember 1, 2010
Window Shopping for Electric Cars: How to Compare Conventional and Plug-in Vehicles
How consumers can compare plug-in vehicles with their gasoline-powered cousins
Space & PhysicsOctober 1, 2010
The Biggest Bang Theory: Astronomers Confirm a New Type of Supernova
A new type of supernova is forcing astronomers to rethink the lives of the biggest stars
EnvironmentOctober 1, 2010
Death and Chocolate: Disease Threatens to Devastate Global Cocoa Supply
A blight is threatening the world's cocoa supply. Will genetic intervention save our desserts?
The SciencesOctober 1, 2010
Digitizer in Chief: A Q&A with the White House Information Czar on Making the Government Transparent
The first step toward transparent government, says White House information czar Vivek Kundra, is to make all its information freely available on the Web
EnvironmentSeptember 1, 2010
How Much Is Left? The Limits of Earth's Resources
A graphical accounting of the limits to what one planet can provide
HealthSeptember 1, 2010
Eternal Fascinations with the End: Why We're Suckers for Stories of Our Own Demise
Our pattern-seeking brains and desire to be special help explain our fears of the apocalypse
TechnologyJuly 1, 2010
The Dirty Truth about Plug-In Hybrids
How green is that electric car? Depends on where you plug it in
TechnologyJuly 1, 2010
Manipulation of the Crowd: How Trustworthy Are Online Ratings?
New concerns about customer reviews on Web sites
EnvironmentJune 1, 2010
Fusion Energy
It would solve environmental headaches, but it remains hard to achieve
TechnologyJune 1, 2010
12 Events That Will Change Everything
In addition to reacting to news as it breaks, we work to anticipate what will happen. Here we contemplate 12 possibilities and rate their likelihood of happening by 2050