Does Increased Energy-Efficiency Just Spark Us to Use More?
Last year, the U.S. raised its fuel economy standards for cars and trucks for the first time in decades. By 2025, the fuel efficiency of vehicles will be required to double.
Observations
Opinion, arguments & analyses from guest experts and from the editors of Scientific American
Dung Beetles Follow the Stars
The excrement-rolling bugs navigate by the light of the Milky Way
Adaptation to Starchy Diet Was Key to Dog Domestication
They work with us, play with us and comfort us when we’re down. Archaeological evidence indicates that dogs have had a close bond with humans for millennia.
Research into Contagious Bird Flu Starts After Moratorium
After public outcry against research into avian flu strains that can be transmitted among mammals, 40 of the top scientists working on the influenza strains signed a voluntary moratorium on research last January...
40 Years of Health Care for Women-Including Access to Abortion Services
Today’s political rhetoric in the U.S. makes it easy to fall into the trap of viewing abortion services as outside the realm of women’s health care—but a recent event in Manhattan belied that logical flaw, just as Scientific American did in an editorial in its May 2012 issue...
Asteroid Hunter Gives an Update on the Threat of Near-Earth Objects
An Earth impact by a large comet or asteroid could knock out human civilization with a single blow, as most people are now aware thanks to recent Hollywood movies and public outreach by planetary scientists...
Lance Armstrong Comes Clean a Mixed Blessing for Sports
Lance Armstrong’s confession to Oprah Winfrey earlier this week that he’s been a drug cheat throughout his illustrious career was a mixed blessing for the sports world.
Quails Demonstrate Mastery of Camouflage to Protect Their Colorful Eggs
A quail egg is like a protein-filled, free lunch, waiting on the ground to be spotted—and devoured—by a predator. But the Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ) seems to have mastered an impressive level of camouflage-manipulating behavior to keep her eggs off the menu.Female Japanese quails tend to lay distinctive eggs that are specific to each individual quail...
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Could Turn Boeing Dreamliner into a Nightmare
Boeing’s Dreamliner has likely become a nightmare for the company, its airline customers and regulators worldwide. An inflight lithium-ion battery fire broke out Wednesday on an All Nippon Airways 787 over Japan, forcing an emergency landing...
Transplanted Bacteria Turn Up Testosterone to Protect Mice against Diabetes
Anyone still laboring under the mistaken assumption that genes are the most important factor in determining destiny should take a look at research that is being reported in this week’s Science about a particular strain of mice that have a genetic predisposition to develop type 1 diabetes...
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