A study reveals random exploration outperforms focused analysis—shedding scientific light on non-ordinary ways of knowing.

To celebrate Scientific American’s 180th anniversary, we’re publishing jigsaw puzzles to show off some of our most fascinating magazine covers over the years. Take a tour here through the covers so ...

On Jan. 31, 1958, Explorer 1 became the first satellite launched by the United States. Its primary science instrument, a ...

This seasonal celebration of hands-on tinkering and experimentation invites everyone to create, explore, and color their ...

The most widely accepted scientific explanation for the arrival of all complex life on Earth has had an unsolved mystery at its heart. According to the theory, all plants, animals and fungi, known ...

With the exception of infectious diseases, examination of the environmental causes of illness has been piecemeal. Gary Miller, a toxicologist at Columbia University who also addressed the meeting, ...

A sweeping global effort to map the environmental roots of disease could reshape the future of health and medicine.