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Scientific American Magazine - March 2026

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In this issue

LITTLE RED DOTS
Astronomers are racing to understand mysterious ancient objects that pepper images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT POLYAMORY (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)
The practice is not a faddish excuse to sleep around, research shows. And it has deep roots in American culture.

TRIASSIC PARK
A newfound site in the Italian Alps holds one of the largest collections of Triassic dinosaur footprints ever seen.

THE TRUE WORTH OF AMERICA’S PUBLIC LANDS
Social-ecological analyses reveal who will win and who will lose in the push to put federal land into private hands

Fire Starters

Ancient humans were making fire 350,000 years earlier than thought

3 mins

Earthquake Life

Yellowstone quakes spark bursts of microbial growth underground

2 mins

Circle Sum

A red circle is inscribed inside a blue square.

1 mins

Cosmic Chain

Hundreds of galaxies form one of the largest spinning structures ever spotted

2 mins

Depolarization Depot

Tweaks to social media feeds reduced polarizing effects

2 mins

Crystal Phases

Researchers probe the surprisingly complicated science of ice

2 mins

Path to Excellence

World-class performers are often late bloomers

2 mins

Covered in Bees

Ancient bees burrowed deep into discarded mammal jawbones

2 mins

Language Gaps

Scientists show how the brain slices speech up into recognizable words

2 mins

Regrowth Record

Axolotls can completely regenerate a key immune organ

2 mins

Hidden Proof

\"Effective zero knowledge\" beats long-standing cryptographic impossibilities

2 mins

Sailing the Sun

By designing vertical panels that move in a gale, two Swedish inventors are unlocking a solar future for the windswept north

9 mins

Living in the COPILOT SOCIETY

The promise and peril of artificial intelligence everywhere

2 mins

When Care Becomes Code

AI is spreading through American medicine. When the system is wrong, the burden often lands on those who never asked for a copilot in the first place

10+ mins

The Age of Impersonation

Digital forensics pioneer Hany Farid explains why \"artificial intelligence\" is a misnomer—and what it will take to rebuild trust in the deepfake era

9 mins

Little Red Dots

Astronomers are racing to understand mysterious ancient objects that pepper images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope

10+ mins

Everything You Wanted to Know about Polyamory (but Were Afraid to Ask

The practice is not a faddish excuse to sleep around, research shows. And it has deep roots in American culture

10+ mins

Relativity Revealed

Physicists have observed a bizarre prediction of special relativity for the first time

8 mins

The True Worth of America's Public Lands

Social-ecological analyses reveal who will win and who will lose in the push to put federal land into private hands

8 mins

Navigating Our Social Worlds

The same brain areas that help us map physical space help us chart social connections

5 mins

Socially Awkward Math

A mathematician's random walk theorem explains the stark mathematical difference between drunk people and drunk birds

$Socially Awkward Math20$

5 mins

Let the Rivers Run

An investigation into the rights of nature

4 mins

Care for Family Caregivers

Helping sick, aging loved ones can cause physical illness in the helper. It may be possible to increase resilience

4 mins

The Universe's Weirdest Optical Illusions

Sometimes the farther away an object is, the bigger it seems to be

4 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.