SCIENCE
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How the mathematician Gödel proved that not everything can be proven
May 26, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Why some mathematical theorems will always be unprovable A statement can be true or false. But as Kurt Gödel demonstrated, there will always be mathematical assumptions that can neither be proven nor disproven By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images This article is from…
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The universe could have 18 possible shapes
What shape is the universe? This question is far more intriguing and truly unresolved than any debate over the shape of our planet, despite the claims of flat-Earthers. We occupy only a tiny space within a gigantic cosmos. Our vantage point is limited. Nevertheless, cosmologists are now fairly certain that our universe is flat. But that doesn’t explain the exact…
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These bizarre fossils represent some of the earliest moving, sexually reproducing life ever discovered
May 20, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm These bizarre fossils represent some of the earliest moving, sexually reproducing life ever discovered New trove of fossils reveals that ancestral animals likely emerged in the deep sea By Jack Tamisiea edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier A paleoartist’s interpretation of what a newfound fossil site’s deep-sea ecosystem looked like…
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Did Homo erectus and Denisovans mate? Tooth proteins hint at ancient trysts
It is well known that human relatives interbred: Homo sapiens with Neanderthals, Neanderthals with Denisovans, Denisovans with Homo sapiens. Now there is evidence for another ancient tryst, between Denisovans and Homo erectus. That’s according to an analysis of ancient proteins extracted from the teeth of six H. erectus individuals that lived in China 400,000 years ago. The work, published in…
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Can helium-3 create a ‘gold rush’ on the moon?
Since time immemorial, humans gazing up at the moon have asked grand questions. Where did it come from? Why does it wax and wane? Is it made of cheese? We now have responses to most of these (“a giant impact,” “orbital phases” and “no, sadly,” respectively). But as an international 21st-century lunar race intensifies, one pragmatic query remains: How can…
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See the National Park Service’s newest canine rangers
May 11, 2026 3 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm See the National Park Service’s newest canine rangers Sled dogs have worked alongside humans for thousands of years. In the harsh Alaskan winter they remain the best option for traversing the snowy landscape By K. R. Callaway edited by Claire Cameron The five puppies born in Denali National Park…
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U.S. neutrino megaproject takes shape in abandoned gold mine
The U.S.’s most ambitious particle physics project ever is one step closer to reality. The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a giant in both budgetary and basic science terms: A cavernous, multibillion-dollar Department of Energy facility one mile below the town of Lead, S.D., that will serve as a catcher’s mitt for ghostly particles, called neutrinos, beamed from…
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Why some mathematicians think we should abandon pi
May 5, 2026 4 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm Why some mathematicians think we should abandon pi A growing minority believes it’s a mistake to tie so many mathematical formulas to the famed 3.14… value. Another value, tau, could be better By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas Antonio Iacobelli/Getty Images This article is from Proof Positive, our…
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Why the FDA rejected a ‘breakthrough’ melanoma drug
For patients whose skin cancer doesn’t respond to traditional treatments, a new drug called RP1 has been a lifeline—at least for those who can get into a clinical trial. The drug has shown so much promise in such trials that, at the end of 2024, its development was placed on a fast track, with all signs pointing to a speedy…
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What happened after the fall of Rome? Ancient genomes offer new clues
April 29, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm What happened after the fall of Rome? Ancient genomes offer new clues A genomic analysis of people buried on the border of the ancient Roman Empire show how distinct groups combined after the empire’s fall By Emma Gometz edited by Claire Cameron The skull of an early medieval woman,…
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