- Culture

- Education

- Artificial Intelligence

- Psychology

- Mathematics

- Public Health

- Arts

- Quantum Physics

- Astronomy

- Climate Change

- History

Culture

- Seeking Sustainable Fashion and Cracking a Greenland Mystery: Jun 2025

- Contributors to Scientific American’s July/August 2025 Issue: Jun 2025

- Readers Respond to the March 2025 Issue: Jun 2025

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Seeking Sustainable Fashion and Cracking a Greenland Mystery

Inside this double issue of SciAm, you’ll find black holes that burp up their stellar meals, metal detectorists that hit pay dirt, hope for psychopathy, the truth about testosterone and a consumer guide to sustainable clothes shopping

By Jeanna Bryner

Scientific American, July/August 2025

Jeanna Bryner is managing editor of Scientific American. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/seeking-sustainable-fashion-and-cracking-a-greenland-mystery on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Contributors to Scientific American’s July/August 2025 Issue

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

By Allison Parshall edited by Jen Schwartz

Jeffery DelViscio

Allison Parshall is an associate editor at Scientific American covering mind and brain. She writes the magazine's Contributors column and weekly online Science Quizzes. As a multimedia journalist, she contributes to Scientific American's podcast Science Quickly. Parshall's work has also appeared in Quanta Magazine and Inverse. She graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with a master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgetown University.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/contributors-to-scientific-americans-july-august-2025-issue on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Readers Respond to the March 2025 Issue

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

By Aaron Shattuck

Scientific American, March 2025

Aaron Shattuck is a senior copy editor at Scientific American.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/readers-respond-to-the-march-2025-issue on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Education

- American Education Demands a Fact-Based Curriculum, Not Religious Ideology: Jun 2025

- Keeping Kids Interested in Science Is a Matter of Language: Apr 2025

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

American Education Demands a Fact-Based Curriculum, Not Religious Ideology

One hundred years after the Scopes trial, religious ideologues are still trying to supplant evidence-based curricula with myths, to the detriment of a well-informed society

By The Editors

Martin Gee

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/american-education-demands-a-fact-based-curriculum-not-religious-ideology on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

APR 21, 2025, 7:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Keeping Kids Interested in Science Is a Matter of Language

As children get older, their understanding of science and being a scientist changes. The words adults use are a critical part of keeping them engaged in discovery

By Ryan F. Lei edited by Megha Satyanarayana

MashaStarus/Getty Images

Ryan F. Lei is an associate professor of psychology at Haverford College. He has a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in social psychology from Northwestern University. He completed postdoctoral training in developmental psychology at New York University. Follow him on Bluesky @ryanlei.bsky.social

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/keeping-kids-interested-in-science-is-a-matter-of-language on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Artificial Intelligence

- Replacing Federal Workers with Chatbots Would Be a Dystopian Nightmare: Apr 2025

APR 14, 2025, 7:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Replacing Federal Workers with Chatbots Would Be a Dystopian Nightmare

The Trump administration sees an AI-driven federal workforce as more efficient. Instead, with chatbots unable to carry out critical tasks, it would be a diabolical mess

By Asmelash Teka Hadgu & Timnit Gebru

Moor Studio/Getty Images

Asmelash Teka Hadgu is co-founder and chief technology officer of Lesan AI and a fellow at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). He focuses on building advanced speech-recognition and machine-translation systems for underrepresented languages.

Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and author of the forthcoming book The View from Somewhere (One Signal Publishers), a memoir and manifesto arguing for a prosocial technological future rather that one that serves only industry and government.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/replacing-federal-workers-with-chatbots-would-be-a-dystopian-nightmare on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Psychology

- People Likely Aren’t as Susceptible to False Memories as Researchers Thought: Apr 2025

APR 8, 2025, 8:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

People Likely Aren’t as Susceptible to False Memories as Researchers Thought

New studies underscore the difficulty of implanting entirely fictional events in a person’s recollection

By Bernice Andrews & Chris R. Brewin edited by Daisy Yuhas & Madhusree Mukerjee

Francescoch/Getty Images

Bernice Andrews is an emeritus professor of psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. She studies memory, adverse life experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder and research methodology.

Chris R. Brewin is an emeritus professor of clinical psychology at University College London. He studies post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma and memory.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-likely-arent-as-susceptible-to-false-memories-as-researchers-thought on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Mathematics

- Venn Diagrams’ History and Popularity Outside of Math Explained: Jan 2025

JAN 14, 2025, 12:00 PM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

The Curious History of Venn Diagrams

A look at the curious history of Venn diagrams and the way they blend logic with geometry

By Jack Murtagh edited by Jeanna Bryner

Amanda Montañez

Jack Murtagh is a freelance math writer and puzzle creator. He writes a column on mathematical curiosities for Scientific American and creates daily puzzles for the Morning Brew newsletter. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical computer science from Harvard University. Follow Jack on X @JackPMurtagh

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/venn-diagrams-history-and-popularity-outside-of-math-explained on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Public Health

- Hotter Nights after Scorching Days Threaten Heart Health and Mental Well-Being: Jun 2025

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Hotter Nights, Brought on by Climate Change, Pose More Health Threats

When nights stay hot, more people die, many from cardiovascular problems. But there are simple methods you can use to stay cooler and healthier

By Lydia Denworth edited by Josh Fischman

Jay Bendt

Lydia Denworth is an award-winning science journalist and contributing editor for Scientific American. She is author of Friendship (W. W. Norton, 2020).

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hotter-nights-after-scorching-days-threaten-heart-health-and-mental-well on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Arts

- Poem: ‘Prayer to Fireflies’: Jun 2025

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Poem: ‘Prayer to Fireflies’

Science in meter and verse

By Genevieve Pfeiffer edited by Dava Sobel & Clara Moskowitz

Masha Foya

Genevieve Pfeiffer is a Ph.D. student in the Environmental Sciences, Studies and Policy program at the University of Oregon, studying emergent technologies’ role in understanding nonhuman communications. She has a master’s in experimental humanities from New York University and an M.F.A. in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/poem-prayer-to-fireflies on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Quantum Physics

- Breakthrough Prize Winner Gerard ’t Hooft Says Quantum Mechanics Is ‘Nonsense’: Apr 2025

APR 8, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Quantum Physics Is on the Wrong Track, Says Breakthrough Prize Winner Gerard ’t Hooft

After netting the world’s highest-paying science award, preeminent theoretical physicist Gerard ’t Hooft reflects on his legacy and the future of physics

By Lee Billings edited by Clara Moskowitz

Shideh Ghandeharizadeh

Lee Billings is a science journalist specializing in astronomy, physics, planetary science, and spaceflight, and is a senior editor at Scientific American. He is the author of a critically acclaimed book, Five Billion Years of Solitude: the Search for Life Among the Stars, which in 2014 won a Science Communication Award from the American Institute of Physics. In addition to his work for Scientific American, Billings's writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, Wired, New Scientist, Popular Science, and many other publications. Billings joined Scientific American in 2014, and previously worked as a staff editor at SEED magazine. He holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Minnesota.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/breakthrough-prize-winner-gerard-t-hooft-says-quantum-mechanics-is-nonsense on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Astronomy

- What Are ORCs? Astronomers Still Don’t Know: Apr 2025

APR 18, 2025, 6:45 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Strange Circles in the Sky Are Still Baffling Astronomers

ORCs—odd radio circles—are one of the weirdest recent discoveries in the heavens above

By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings

Baac3nes/Getty Images

Phil Plait is a professional astronomer and science communicator in Virginia. His column for Scientific American, The Universe, covers all things space. He writes the Bad Astronomy Newsletter. Follow him online.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-are-orcs-astronomers-still-dont-know on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Climate Change

- Why the Climate Warming Goal of 1.5 Degrees C Isn’t a Lost Cause—Even If We Overshoot It: Jun 2025

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

Why Climate Goals Aren’t a Lost Cause—Even If We Overshoot Them

Earth will likely warm by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, but we can’t give up on trying to get temperatures back down

By Andy Reisinger & Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen/InfoDesignLab edited by Jen Christiansen & Clara Moskowitz

Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen/InfoDesignLab

Andy Reisinger is an honorary associate professor at the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions at the Australian National University.

Angela Morelli and Tom Gabriel Johansen are information designers and co-founders of InfoDesignLab. They co-design with scientists and decision-makers to turn complex data into unique visualizations, meaningful narratives, compelling messages and decision-making tools.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-the-climate-warming-goal-of-1-5-degrees-c-isnt-a-lost-cause-even-if-we on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

History

- July/August 2025: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago: Jun 2025

JUN 17, 2025, 9:00 AM EDT | ARTICLE SOURCE

July/August 2025: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago

Toxic cigars; dueling with a swordfish

By Mark Fischetti

1975, Particle Annihilation: “A positron propagates as a wave toward an electron in the bulk of a crystal (left). When the two particles annihilate each other, the resulting gamma rays carry away the momentum of the electron at an angle different from 180 degrees (right).”

Scientific American, Vol. 233, No. 1; July 1975

Mark Fischetti has been a senior editor at Scientific American for 17 years and has covered sustainability issues, including climate, weather, environment, energy, food, water, biodiversity, population, and more. He assigns and edits feature articles, commentaries and news by journalists and scientists and also writes in those formats. He edits History, the magazine's department looking at science advances throughout time. He was founding managing editor of two spinoff magazines: Scientific American Mind and Scientific American Earth 3.0. His 2001 freelance article for the magazine, "Drowning New Orleans," predicted the widespread disaster that a storm like Hurricane Katrina would impose on the city. His video What Happens to Your Body after You Die?, has more than 12 million views on YouTube. Fischetti has written freelance articles for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian, Technology Review, Fast Company, and many others. He co-authored the book Weaving the Web with Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, which tells the real story of how the Web was created. He also co-authored The New Killer Diseases with microbiologist Elinor Levy. Fischetti is a former managing editor of IEEE Spectrum Magazine and of Family Business Magazine. He has a physics degree and has twice served as the Attaway Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College of Louisiana, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2021 he received the American Geophysical Union's Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism, which celebrates a career of outstanding reporting on the Earth and space sciences. He has appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, CNN, the History Channel, NPR News and many news radio stations. Follow Fischetti on X (formerly Twitter) @markfischetti

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/july-august-2025-science-history-from-50-100-and-150-years-ago on Jun 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM EDT.

Table of Contents

Scientific American: July 2025 Vol. 333, Issue 1

Culture

Seeking Sustainable Fashion and Cracking a Greenland Mystery: Jun 2025

Contributors to Scientific American’s July/August 2025 Issue: Jun 2025

Readers Respond to the March 2025 Issue: Jun 2025

Education

American Education Demands a Fact-Based Curriculum, Not Religious Ideology: Jun 2025

Keeping Kids Interested in Science Is a Matter of Language: Apr 2025

Artificial Intelligence

Replacing Federal Workers with Chatbots Would Be a Dystopian Nightmare: Apr 2025

Psychology

People Likely Aren’t as Susceptible to False Memories as Researchers Thought: Apr 2025

Mathematics

Venn Diagrams’ History and Popularity Outside of Math Explained: Jan 2025

Public Health

Hotter Nights after Scorching Days Threaten Heart Health and Mental Well-Being: Jun 2025

Arts

Poem: ‘Prayer to Fireflies’: Jun 2025

Quantum Physics

Breakthrough Prize Winner Gerard ’t Hooft Says Quantum Mechanics Is ‘Nonsense’: Apr 2025

Astronomy

What Are ORCs? Astronomers Still Don’t Know: Apr 2025

Climate Change

Why the Climate Warming Goal of 1.5 Degrees C Isn’t a Lost Cause—Even If We Overshoot It: Jun 2025

History

July/August 2025: Science History from 50, 100 and 150 Years Ago: Jun 2025