Social Sciences

Romans living in ancient Britain were plagued by intestinal parasites, all of which are spread by fecal contamination

In an exclusive excerpt of her new book The Great Shadow, historian Susan Wise Bauer explores how sickness is distinct from injury and has shaped the way we think about ourselves and our world

Play this crossword inspired by the January 2026 issue of Scientific American

Science in meter and verse

Killer bees; Mars volcanoes

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

A new generation of household robots could change the way you live

On our Best Fiction of 2025 list, Emma Pattee imagines Portland’s worst Earthquake in her debut novel Tilt

Lime granules trapped in ancient walls show Romans relied on a reactive hot-mix method to making concrete that could now inspire modern engineers

On our 2025 Best Nonfiction of the Year list, Karen Hao’s investigation of artificial intelligence reveals how the AI future is still in our hands

Scientific American sits down with nature writer Robert Macfarlane to discuss his latest book—one of our top picks of 2025—and whether a river has rights

Hole in the Sky, by Daniel H. Wilson, is one of Scientific American’s best fiction picks of 2025. In the novel, aliens talk through an AI headset and land in the Cherokee Nation, while the military scrambles to contain and control the unknown