Social Sciences

Of the 202 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine this century, fewer than 70 percent hail from the country in which they were awarded their prize. These graphics trace their journeys

Snake oil, smuggling and a fundamental change in the way we understand life

Letters to the editors for the June 2025 issue of Scientific American

Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories

Science in meter and verse

Play this crossword inspired by the November 2025 issue of Scientific American

Curveballs; poison wallpaper

Millions of older adults lose their savings to scams every year. There are ways to reduce the risk

President Trump’s budget office lays out guidelines for mass federal lay-offs as the U.S. government grinds to a halt

Camels in ancient Arabia may have led hunter-gatherers through deserts once thought uninhabitable

To celebrate Scientific American’s 180th anniversary, we invited readers to place our magazine covers in the wild. See our staff’s favorite submissions

Winners of the annual Ig Nobel awards include the science of tipsy bats and the physics of cacio e pepe