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Scientific American Magazine - July/August 2026

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In this issue

THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE

STATE OF AMERICAN SCIENCE
A decades-old compact between science and society is broken. BY ADAM ROGERS

THE YOUNG AMERICAN SCIENTISTS
Meet 28 researchers redefining the future of American science

SCIENTISTS AS STRANGERS
Researchers have an image problem.
BY DAVA SOBEL

Bright Futures

ALICE STANTON MIGHT HAVE BEEN BORN with an inclination to be a scientist; growing up in Erie, Pa., she spent her childhood exploring nature and collecting insects.

2 mins

City Flitters

Spotted lanternflies' love of cities may be the secret to their invasive success

4 mins

Fractured Society

Two hundred chimps are embroiled in a rare \"civil war\"

3 mins

Aurora Poetry

Medieval poets provide key descriptions to track solar events

2 mins

Ear in the Ground

Plants can “hear” rain coming, and it spurs them into action

2 mins

Aquanaut Awe

An “underview effect” takes hold on extended seafloor stays

2 mins

Sheepdog Strategy

Herding a small group of “noisy” sheep holds hints for computer algorithms

2 mins

Culture Power

Humans covered the planet 300 times faster than possible from genetic evolution alone

2 mins

Feline Assistance

POP CULTURE HOLDS that if you're trapped in a well, Lassie will lead the way to a rescue-but if you're stuck with Garfield, you'd better have some lasagna in your pocket. And research suggests such stereotypes aren't far off.

2 mins

Martian Shadow

A fast-moving wave of darkness is spreading across the Red Planet

1 mins

Bonus Finding

How breast cancer screening can predict heart disease risk

2 mins

The Future of Science

American science is at a crossroads, facing funding cuts, a flood of misinformation, and an exodus of talent—by all appearances, the landscape of science is crumbling.

1 mins

State of American Science

A decades-old compact between science and society is broken

10+ mins

Tonima Tasnim Ananna

Understanding the behavior of supermassive black holes

1 mins

Allie Balter-Kennedy

Probing ice cores to foresee the effects of climate change

1 mins

Samagya Banskota

Using viruslike particles to deliver therapies safely and effectively

1 mins

Jenny Bergner

Mimicking the chemistry of outer space to explain how planets form

1 mins

Adam Bowman

Clocking the electrical messages between neurons using fluorescence

1 mins

Colin Carlson

Explaining how climate change affects ecological diversity and human health

1 mins

Steven Chavez

Making catalysts used in industrial processes hardier and more effective

1 mins

Jieneng Chen

Creating artificial-intelligence tools for cancer detection

1 mins

Kauê M. Costa

Applying new tools to behavioral tests to discern how we learn

1 mins

Dane deQuilettes

Seeking better materials to improve solar energy

1 mins

Chee-Huat Linus Eng

Creating techniques to allow scientists to see biological processes in real time

1 mins

Emily Finn

Studying why people interpret the same thing in different ways

1 mins

Jaye Gardiner

Learning how the matrix around cells and tissues impacts cancers

1 mins

Trevor GrandPre

Building models to understand how self-organizing structures in cells lead to disease

1 mins

Anna Ho

Describing the characteristics of short-lived astrophysical events

1 mins

Kaiyi Jiang

Creating AI platforms to discover new therapeutics

1 mins

Kaiyi Jiang

Creating AI platforms to discover new therapeutics

1 mins

JianJun Jin

Formulating software for the study of plant genomes

1 mins

Dmitrii Kochkov

Making artificial-intelligence tools to predict what climate change will mean for extreme weather

1 mins

Mikhail Kolmogorov

Developing software to reveal large genetic changes that lead to cancer

1 mins

Erini Lambrides

Characterizing the “Little Red Dots” to decipher the beginnings of galaxies

1 mins

Armita Manafzadeh

Investigating the shape and evolution of animal joints

1 mins

Tixiao Shan

Teaching robots how to recognize and interpret their surroundings

1 mins

Alice Stanton

Building models of the human brain to better understand disease

1 mins

Christina V. Theodoris

Creating artificial-intelligence models to find treatments for cardiac diseases

1 mins

Xiao Yang

Improving brain-machine interfaces to make them more resilient

1 mins

Amber Young

Standardizing and improving models used in astrobiology

1 mins

Alex L. Zhang

Making artificial-intelligence recursive language models more efficient

1 mins

Lvmin Zhang

Developing artificial-intelligence systems to enhance digital art creation

1 mins

On Our Radar

These young scientists are making waves in their own ways. Keep an eye on them—great things are ahead

2 mins

Craig Venter

In his final interview, the “swashbuckling” geneticist pointed the way for science

7 mins

My Childhood in Science

The story of the author's extremely early career

3 mins

The Past Is Our Future

It’s a difficult time to be a young scientist in America. Lessons from history can tell us what the future might hold

10+ mins

Atul Gawande

On reclaiming America’s edge in research and public health

3 mins

BRAIN DRAIN

Dozens of countries are trying to convince disaffected American scientists to move there permanently—and plenty of young researchers are eager to go

10+ mins

Timnit Gebru

On safeguarding independent research in the age of big tech

3 mins

Bright Spots

Science is flourishing in some labs and fields more than others

10+ mins

Elizabeth Blackburn

On fighting for truth, inclusion and the next generation of scientists

3 mins

Scientists as Strangers

Researchers have an image problem

4 mins

How to Fix Science

The federal funding system for scientific research in the U.S. needs reform

9 mins

Mark Kelly

On steering the path forward for research and innovation

3 mins

The Lab of the Future Runs Itself

Artificial intelligence and robotics have turned research into an around-the-clock engine. Whether the science is reliable is another question

10+ mins

A Youthful Illusion Sharpens Memory

By making people feel as if their face is a younger version of itself, researchers can bring childhood memories into sharper focus

4 mins

Let There Be Weapons

The Department of Energy’s new Genesis Mission promises AI-accelerated discovery. Seven of its first 26 challenges focus on nuclear weapons and national security

4 mins

How Probability Theory Got Its Start

Disagreement over how to divvy up the pot in an interrupted game of chance led early mathematicians to invent modern risk assessment

7 mins

Getting Pesticides Off Fruits and Veggies

Using more than water to wash produce can clean pesticide residues

3 mins

THE SOLILOQUY OF SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT

A MEDITATION ON LIFE AND THE VON NEUMANN–WIGNER INTERPRETATION OF QUANTUM MECHANICS

1 mins

Journey to Titan

Inside NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s largest moon

5 mins

Robots Can Now Fold Your Laundry

Home-helper tasks are becoming easier for robotic assistants

4 mins

50, 100 & 150 Years

NATURAL FISSION REACTOR

3 mins

Read all Stories from Scientific American

Scientific American Magazine Description:

Publisher: Springer-Nature-America,-Inc

Category: Science

Language: English

Frequency: Monthly

Scientific American covers the most important and exciting research, ideas and knowledge in science, health, technology, the environment and society. It is committed to sharing trustworthy knowledge, enhancing our understanding of the world and advancing social justice.