‘Mighty mice’ stay musclebound in space, boon for astronauts
Bulked-up, mutant “mighty mice” held onto their muscle during a monthlong stay at the International Space Station, returning to Earth with ripped bodybuilder physiques, scientists reported Monday. The findings hold…
We Must Reduce the Trauma of Medical Diagnoses
At some point in your life, you will likely experience the anxiety of sitting in a hospital room, waiting for a serious medical diagnosis. Even those lucky enough to avoid…
COVID-19’s Disparate Impacts Are Not a Story about Race
George Floyd could not breathe. Like one hundred thousand other Americans, he gasped horribly for air before his world went dark. Unlike them, his agony was not born from a…
COVID19’s Disparate Impacts Are Not a Story about Race
George Floyd could not breathe. Like one hundred thousand other Americans, he gasped horribly for air before his world went dark. Unlike them, his agony was not born from a…
Jupiter’s Ocean Moons Raise One Another’s Tides
Jupiter’s four largest moons may be conspiring to maintain their subsurface oceans. Long thought to arise from heat generated by the crust-flexing pull of Jupiter, these oceans may also owe…
Costa Rica Readies Horse Antibodies for Trials as an Inexpensive COVID-19 Therapy
Editor’s Note (9/4/20): Drugmakers worldwide are working overtime to produce vaccines for COVID-19. If delays emerge, they may need to rely on costly biotech such as monoclonal antibodies. In this…
An Immune Protein Could Prevent Severe COVID-19–if It Is Given at the Right Time
Editor’s Note (9/4/20): Understanding how the immune system goes awry in COVID-19 may help prevent the most severe and deadly cases. Earlier this year Scientific American explained how administering an…
The Idea that a Scientific Theory can be ‘Falsified’ Is a Myth
J.B.S. Haldane, one of the founders of modern evolutionary biology theory, was reportedly asked what it would take for him to lose faith in the theory of evolution and is…
Algorithm Aids Search for Those Lost at Sea
When a craft sinks or goes missing at sea, search-and-rescue teams often rely on computer models to determine where to scour for survivors. Currently used models incorporate data from satellites…
Coronavirus and the Flu: A Looming Double Threat
Editor’s Note (9/4/20): As flu season begins, many people now worry about the double whammy of influenza and COVID-19. Scientific American sketched out what could happen with these two diseases…