- Culture

- Solar

- Artificial Intelligence

- Neuroscience

- Language

- Mathematics

- Books

- Health Care

- Arts

- Astronomy

- Health

- History

Culture

- The ghost in the machine: Feb 2026

- Readers respond to the November 2025 issue: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

The ghost in the machine

AI is forcing us to redraw the line between author and tool

By David M. Ewalt edited by Jeanna Bryner

Scientific American, March 2026

David M. Ewalt is editor in chief of Scientific American.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ghost-in-the-machine on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Readers respond to the November 2025 issue

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

By Aaron Shattuck

Scientific American, November 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-november-2025-issue on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

Solar

- Vertical solar panels—wind-resistant trackers for high latitudes: Jan 2026

JAN 13, 2026, 8:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

These vertical solar panels survive storms by ‘swaying’ like trees

Traditional solar fails in the windswept north. Two Swedish inventors are betting on aerodynamic resilience to solve the latitude gap

By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Eric Sullivan

Vertical solar trackers work better the closer you get to the poles—in theory. But before Vaja, they were too fragile to withstand harsh winds.

Andréas Lennartsson

Deni Ellis Béchard is Scientific American’s senior writer for technology. He is author of 10 books and has received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Midwest Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award for investigative journalism. He holds two master’s degrees in literature, as well as a master’s degree in biology from Harvard University. His most recent novel, We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine, explores the ways that artificial intelligence could transform humanity. You can follow him on X, Instagram and Bluesky @denibechard

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vertical-solar-panels-wind-resistant-trackers-for-high-latitudes-vaja on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Artificial Intelligence

- How Stanford doctors use AI scribes to cut paperwork and focus on patients: Feb 2026

- How artist Stephanie Dinkins is trying to fix AI bias: Feb 2026

- A veteran teacher explains how to use AI in the classroom the right way: Feb 2026

- How AI helps this civil rights lawyer beat the Feds: Feb 2026

- How one chemist is using AI and robots to automate lab experiments: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

The AI scribe that lets doctors stop typing and start listening

When a patient shared the story of her sister’s death, an AI captured the clinical details—freeing physician Christopher Sharp to just be present

By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Eric Sullivan

Anje Jager

Deni Ellis Béchard is Scientific American’s senior writer for technology. He is author of 10 books and has received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Midwest Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award for investigative journalism. He holds two master’s degrees in literature, as well as a master’s degree in biology from Harvard University. His most recent novel, We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine, explores the ways that artificial intelligence could transform humanity. You can follow him on X, Instagram and Bluesky @denibechard

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-stanford-doctors-use-ai-scribes-to-cut-paperwork-and-focus-on-patients on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

She asked a robot about race. The answer scared her

Transdisciplinary artist Stephanie Dinkins challenges us to rethink what we feed our machines—and asks what AI might become if it were trained on care

By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Eric Sullivan

Anje Jager

Deni Ellis Béchard is Scientific American’s senior writer for technology. He is author of 10 books and has received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Midwest Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award for investigative journalism. He holds two master’s degrees in literature, as well as a master’s degree in biology from Harvard University. His most recent novel, We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine, explores the ways that artificial intelligence could transform humanity. You can follow him on X, Instagram and Bluesky @denibechard

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-artist-stephanie-dinkins-is-trying-to-fix-ai-bias on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

After teaching for 30 years, Jen Roberts has found an unlikely ally in AI

Veteran teacher Jen Roberts explains why generative tools are more than just a platform for cheating—they’re a way to make classrooms fairer and more human

By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Eric Sullivan

Anje Jager

Deni Ellis Béchard is Scientific American’s senior writer for technology. He is author of 10 books and has received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Midwest Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award for investigative journalism. He holds two master’s degrees in literature, as well as a master’s degree in biology from Harvard University. His most recent novel, We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine, explores the ways that artificial intelligence could transform humanity. You can follow him on X, Instagram and Bluesky @denibechard

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-veteran-teacher-explains-how-to-use-ai-in-the-classroom-the-right-way on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

This civil rights lawyer uses AI to battle the FBI

Joseph McMullen uses AI to sort through terabytes of evidence, freeing him to focus on what the machines can’t find: the human story

By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Eric Sullivan

Anje Jager

Deni Ellis Béchard is Scientific American’s senior writer for technology. He is author of 10 books and has received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Midwest Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award for investigative journalism. He holds two master’s degrees in literature, as well as a master’s degree in biology from Harvard University. His most recent novel, We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine, explores the ways that artificial intelligence could transform humanity. You can follow him on X, Instagram and Bluesky @denibechard

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-ai-helps-this-civil-rights-lawyer-beat-the-feds on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

The chemist who taught AI to run the lab

Gabriel Gomes built an agent that turns plain English into physical experiments, enabling research that humans alone could never sustain

By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Eric Sullivan

Anje Jager

Deni Ellis Béchard is Scientific American’s senior writer for technology. He is author of 10 books and has received a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, a Midwest Book Award and a Nautilus Book Award for investigative journalism. He holds two master’s degrees in literature, as well as a master’s degree in biology from Harvard University. His most recent novel, We Are Dreams in the Eternal Machine, explores the ways that artificial intelligence could transform humanity. You can follow him on X, Instagram and Bluesky @denibechard

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-one-chemist-is-using-ai-and-robots-to-automate-lab-experiments on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

Neuroscience

- How influential people map their social world: Nov 2025

NOV 17, 2025, 7:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

How influential people map their social world

The same brain areas that help us map physical space help us chart social connections, and the best relationship cartographers have most clout

By Oriel FeldmanHall edited by Daisy Yuhas & Allison Parshall

aelitta/Getty Images

Oriel FeldmanHall is a neuroscientist and professor at Brown University. She studies the cognitive, affective and neural processes behind the complex choices that form the basis of human social behavior.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-influential-people-map-their-social-world on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

Language

- Science crossword: What’s inside?: Feb 2026

FEB 28, 2026, 6:21 PM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Science Crossword

By Aimee Lucido

Aimee Lucido makes crosswords part-time for several outlets and writes trivia full-time for Bloomberg's news quiz, Pointed. She is also the author of several books for kids, including Emmy in the Key of Code, Recipe for Disaster, and Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta. Lucido lives with her husband, daughter and dog in New York.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/science-crossword-whats-inside on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:21 PM EST.

Mathematics

- This mathematician proved the random walk theorem to clear his name as a lurker: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

This mathematician proved a brilliant theorem to justify his social awkwardness

George Pólya’s random walk theorem absolved him of being a lurker and revealed how the laws of chance interact with physical space

By Jack Murtagh edited by Jeanna Bryner

tamara_kulikova/Getty Images

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 him on X @JackPMurtagh

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-mathematician-proved-the-random-walk-theorem-to-clear-his-name-as-a on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Books

- Is a river alive? A conversation with Robert Macfarlane on nature’s sovereignty: Dec 2025

DEC 5, 2025, 1:30 PM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Is a river alive? A conversation with Robert Macfarlane on nature’s sovereignty

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

By Andrea Gawrylewski edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier & Clara Moskowitz

Shideh Ghandeharizadeh

Andrea Gawrylewski is chief newsletter editor at Scientific American. She writes the daily Today in Science newsletter and oversees all other newsletters at the magazine. In addition, she manages all special editions and in the past was the editor for Scientific American Mind, Scientific American Space & Physics and Scientific American Health & Medicine. Gawrylewski got her start in journalism at the Scientist magazine, where she was a features writer and editor for "hot" research papers in the life sciences. She spent more than six years in educational publishing, editing books for higher education in biology, environmental science and nutrition. She holds a master's degree in earth science and a master's degree in journalism, both from Columbia University, home of the Pulitzer Prize.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-a-river-alive-a-conversation-with-robert-macfarlane-on-natures on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Health Care

- Dealing with stress-caused sickness in family caregivers: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Better care for family caregivers

People who help sick, aging loved ones are at risk for physical illness themselves. There may be ways to improve their resilience

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: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond (W. W. Norton, 2020) and several other books of popular science.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dealing-with-stress-caused-sickness-in-family-caregivers on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Arts

- Poem: ‘Boulders at Hickory Run’: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Poem: ‘Boulders at Hickory Run’

Science in meter and verse

By Chris Bullard edited by Dava Sobel & Clara Moskowitz

Masha Foya

Chris Bullard, a retired judge living in Philadelphia, is author of the poetry chapbooks Continued (Grey Book Press, 2020), Florida Man (Main Street Rag, 2022) and The Rainclouds of y (Moonstone Press, 2022).

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/poem-boulders-at-hickory-run on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Astronomy

- Cosmic magnification is one of the universe’s weirdest optical illusions: Dec 2025

DEC 5, 2025, 6:45 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Cosmic magnification is one of the universe’s weirdest optical illusions

In our topsy-turvy universe, sometimes the farther away an object is, the bigger it seems to be

By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings & Clara Moskowitz

Flavio Coelho/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/cosmic-magnification-is-one-of-the-universes-weirdest-optical-illusions on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Health

- Moving to a walkable city can add 1,100 steps to your day: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

Your daily steps may depend on your zip code more than your willpower

Researchers found that walkable city design—not personal motivation—was the key factor behind people taking 1,100 more steps per day

By Eve Lu edited by Jen Christiansen & Clara Moskowitz

Eve Lu

Eve Lu is a data journalist covering gender inequality, public health, the environment and technology. She was a graphics intern at Scientific American. She holds a master’s degree in data journalism from Stanford University and previously worked at the Tampa Bay Times.

This article was downloaded from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/moving-to-a-walkable-city-can-add-1-100-steps-to-your-day on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

History

- March 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago: Feb 2026

FEB 17, 2026, 6:00 AM EST | ARTICLE SOURCE

March 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago

A Greenland mystery; booming dunes

By Jeanna Bryner

1876, The Owl Parrot: "This singular bird, sometimes called the night parrot, belongs to New Zealand. It has the form of a parrot but bears a facial aspect resembling that of an owl. But it is not a bird of prey, as it eats corn and nuts readily when in captivity. The specimens herewith illustrated are domiciled in the unrivaled collection in the gardens of the Royal Zoological Society in London, England."

Scientific American, Vol. 34, No. 12; March 1876

Jeanna Bryner is executive 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/march-2026-science-history-from-50-100-and-150-years-ago on Feb 28, 2026 at 6:22 PM EST.

Table of Contents

Scientific American: March 2026 Vol. 334, Issue 3

Culture

The ghost in the machine: Feb 2026

Readers respond to the November 2025 issue: Feb 2026

Solar

Vertical solar panels—wind-resistant trackers for high latitudes: Jan 2026

Artificial Intelligence

How Stanford doctors use AI scribes to cut paperwork and focus on patients: Feb 2026

How artist Stephanie Dinkins is trying to fix AI bias: Feb 2026

A veteran teacher explains how to use AI in the classroom the right way: Feb 2026

How AI helps this civil rights lawyer beat the Feds: Feb 2026

How one chemist is using AI and robots to automate lab experiments: Feb 2026

Neuroscience

How influential people map their social world: Nov 2025

Language

Science crossword: What’s inside?: Feb 2026

Mathematics

This mathematician proved the random walk theorem to clear his name as a lurker: Feb 2026

Books

Is a river alive? A conversation with Robert Macfarlane on nature’s sovereignty: Dec 2025

Health Care

Dealing with stress-caused sickness in family caregivers: Feb 2026

Arts

Poem: ‘Boulders at Hickory Run’: Feb 2026

Astronomy

Cosmic magnification is one of the universe’s weirdest optical illusions: Dec 2025

Health

Moving to a walkable city can add 1,100 steps to your day: Feb 2026

History

March 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago: Feb 2026