scientific american

Scientific American favors Biden in first-ever presidential endorsement

By David Bauder, Associated Press

Symbiotic pacemaker runs on a tiny generator (pictured) powered by the heart. Photo via “Symbiotic Cardiac Pacemaker,”by Han Ouyang et al., in Nature Communications, Vol. 10, Article No. 1821; 2019

How this new pacemaker harvests energy from the heart

Scientists have successfully tested a heartbeat-powered pacemaker in living pigs, whose hearts are similar to humans’ in size and function.

By Harini Barath, Scientific American

Neonicotinoids are pesticides that target insects’ nervous systems with lethal efficiency but are thought to be less toxic to vertebrates. But elevated levels of neonicotinoids in deer appear to be associated with birth defects. Photo by Larry Smith/via Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Safety concerns mount over neonicotinoid pesticides in unexpected places

As scientists discover neonicotinoid pesticides in unexpected locations and associated with health problems, a growing body of research challenges the assumption these are safer and less likely to spread than other types of pesticide.

By Jim Daley, Scientific American

Scientists get one step closer to decoding thoughts into speech

Using electrodes and computer algorithms, researchers have generated intelligible sentences from the thoughts of people without speech difficulties, sparking hope that similar technology could eventually provide a voice to people who can't speak.

By Karen Weintraub, Scientific American

A heavy-metal planet orbiting a dead star may foretell our world’s end

The iron core of what was once a world has been found around a white dwarf star, shedding light on the final days of planetary systems — including our own.

By Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American

The human brain never stops growing neurons, a new study claims

By Karen Weintraub, Scientific American

A new study points toward neuron formation in the human brain’s hippocampus up through the ninth decade of life, which implications for memory and disease.

In search of life’s origins, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft lands on an asteroid

By Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American

The mission to Asteroid Ryugu could return samples of the space rock to Earth in 2020.

Is this the footprint of one of the last Neandertals?

By Kate Wong, Scientific American

The fossilized print, found in Gibraltar, is said to date to 28,000 years ago, which might mean it belonged to a Neandertal. But not everyone agrees with that interpretation.