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American Scientist
@americanscientist.org
· Oct 14
Quantum Origin of the Universe
Deep microwave sky maps reveal details of large-scale cosmic evolution.
www.americanscientist.org
The large-scale structure of the universe was set by the tiniest of forces—quantum fluctuations—during the incredibly brief period of rapid expansion that occurred just after the Big Bang.
A century ago, The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes trial kicked off what is now thought of as America’s 100-year culture war centering on evolution and creationism.
On a Wing and a Prayer?
A century after the Scopes trial, a look back shows the development and folly of creationist supernatural engineering.
www.americanscientist.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:09 PM
A century ago, The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes trial kicked off what is now thought of as America’s 100-year culture war centering on evolution and creationism.
A patient with serious heart disease might go without noticeable symptoms for a long time.
Getting to the Heart with AI
Deep learning programs may be able to examine data from a common medical test to flag patients with undiagnosed cardiac disease.
www.americanscientist.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:09 PM
A patient with serious heart disease might go without noticeable symptoms for a long time.
Detecting the Dark Ages signal could help answer some of the biggest questions in cosmology, such as the nature of dark energy and the origin of the large-scale structure.
A Lunar Farside Radio Telescope
www.americanscientist.org
November 11, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Detecting the Dark Ages signal could help answer some of the biggest questions in cosmology, such as the nature of dark energy and the origin of the large-scale structure.
People have witnessed masting since time immemorial; after all, it's pretty obvious when you're tripping over nuts strewn all over the path some years and you find barely one or two in others.
The Mystery of Masting in Trees
www.americanscientist.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
People have witnessed masting since time immemorial; after all, it's pretty obvious when you're tripping over nuts strewn all over the path some years and you find barely one or two in others.
Adult ADHD diagnoses have become more common as the definition of the condition has broadened. However, treatment of “light ADHD” does not constitute overdiagnosis.
Rethinking Adult ADHD
The diagnostic category for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder has become more inclusive, but that does not mean the condition is being overdiagnosed.
www.americanscientist.org
November 6, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Adult ADHD diagnoses have become more common as the definition of the condition has broadened. However, treatment of “light ADHD” does not constitute overdiagnosis.
Cognitive science meets the classroom.
We're talking with Dr. Dan Willingham—psychologist, professor, and author of Why Don’t Students Like School?—about what it really means to think for yourself in today’s world.
🎧 From "Wired for This" — full episode available now!
We're talking with Dr. Dan Willingham—psychologist, professor, and author of Why Don’t Students Like School?—about what it really means to think for yourself in today’s world.
🎧 From "Wired for This" — full episode available now!
Cognitive Confidence
American Scientist Podcast · Episode
open.spotify.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Cognitive science meets the classroom.
We're talking with Dr. Dan Willingham—psychologist, professor, and author of Why Don’t Students Like School?—about what it really means to think for yourself in today’s world.
🎧 From "Wired for This" — full episode available now!
We're talking with Dr. Dan Willingham—psychologist, professor, and author of Why Don’t Students Like School?—about what it really means to think for yourself in today’s world.
🎧 From "Wired for This" — full episode available now!
The Great Green Wall is an ambitious project to cultivate the Sahel region, which separates the dry Sahara Desert in North Africa from the wet savannas in Central Africa.
Growing the Great Green Wall
A collaborative effort spanning the width of Africa is planting a verdant barrier of trees and traditional agriculture to protect the Sahel from desertification.
www.americanscientist.org
November 4, 2025 at 3:09 PM
The Great Green Wall is an ambitious project to cultivate the Sahel region, which separates the dry Sahara Desert in North Africa from the wet savannas in Central Africa.
One thing that can make public discourse feel biased, polarized, or hostile, is our tendency to connect with people who already share our values.
"Wired For This" is now streaming!
open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
"Wired For This" is now streaming!
open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
November 3, 2025 at 3:09 PM
One thing that can make public discourse feel biased, polarized, or hostile, is our tendency to connect with people who already share our values.
"Wired For This" is now streaming!
open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
"Wired For This" is now streaming!
open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
We’ve alluded to it already, but digital technology is fundamentally changing how we take in and process information. This is a relatively new field of research, but scientists like Jason have already made some surprising observations.
Listen now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
Listen now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
October 31, 2025 at 10:01 AM
We’ve alluded to it already, but digital technology is fundamentally changing how we take in and process information. This is a relatively new field of research, but scientists like Jason have already made some surprising observations.
Listen now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
Listen now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
David Baron’s newest book explores how Mars captivated Americans in the early 20th century.
Life on the Red Planet
www.americanscientist.org
October 30, 2025 at 2:04 PM
David Baron’s newest book explores how Mars captivated Americans in the early 20th century.
Why does some information seem to "stick," while other things seem to go in one ear and out the other?
Listen to the most recent episode of "Wired for This" now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
Listen to the most recent episode of "Wired for This" now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
October 29, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Why does some information seem to "stick," while other things seem to go in one ear and out the other?
Listen to the most recent episode of "Wired for This" now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
Listen to the most recent episode of "Wired for This" now: open.spotify.com/episode/0vPV...
Messor ibericus ant queens can clone males of another species (M. structor) as a colony survival strategy.
Briefings
www.americanscientist.org
October 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Messor ibericus ant queens can clone males of another species (M. structor) as a colony survival strategy.
It’s one of the great sorrows and mysteries of our species: How humans are so adept at assuming our independence and superiority, and how easily we forget that partnerships with the rest of the living world not only exist, but are essential to our very survival.
Celebrating the Magic of Mutualism
Rob Dunn calls us to tend to—and celebrate—our relationships with other species in his new book.
www.americanscientist.org
October 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM
It’s one of the great sorrows and mysteries of our species: How humans are so adept at assuming our independence and superiority, and how easily we forget that partnerships with the rest of the living world not only exist, but are essential to our very survival.
Flatworms encompass a wide array of species, but one especially intriguing group is the planarians. These worms are found in various habitats, largely in freshwater and saltwater, but some have also adapted to land.
Guideposts for Regeneration
Specialized flatworm cells turn on position genes to direct when and where repairs happen after an injury.
www.americanscientist.org
October 27, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Flatworms encompass a wide array of species, but one especially intriguing group is the planarians. These worms are found in various habitats, largely in freshwater and saltwater, but some have also adapted to land.
Psychiatrists began testing whether psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and mescaline, could be used to treat mental health conditions in the mid-20th century.
Psychedelics Move Toward Mainstream Medicine
Humans have experimented with mind-bending substances since ancient times. Can these drugs become effective treatments for mental health conditions?
www.americanscientist.org
October 24, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Psychiatrists began testing whether psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and mescaline, could be used to treat mental health conditions in the mid-20th century.
The cosmic microwave background (CMB), relic radiation from 380,000 years after the Big Bang, is our oldest record of temperature and density conditions from the universe’s infancy.
The Unlikely Primeval Sky
Of all the patterns that could possibly be preserved in the post–Big Bang radiation, the one we see is surprisingly smooth on large angular scales.
www.americanscientist.org
October 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The cosmic microwave background (CMB), relic radiation from 380,000 years after the Big Bang, is our oldest record of temperature and density conditions from the universe’s infancy.
Technology is not just changing, it's transforming the way we take in and process information.
🔊 In this episode, Jason Lodge and Philipp Lorenz-Spreen discuss how we consume, process, and share information, and how these practices are changing due to our relationships with technology.
🔊 In this episode, Jason Lodge and Philipp Lorenz-Spreen discuss how we consume, process, and share information, and how these practices are changing due to our relationships with technology.
The “For You” Algorithm
American Scientist Podcast · Episode 4
open.spotify.com
October 22, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Technology is not just changing, it's transforming the way we take in and process information.
🔊 In this episode, Jason Lodge and Philipp Lorenz-Spreen discuss how we consume, process, and share information, and how these practices are changing due to our relationships with technology.
🔊 In this episode, Jason Lodge and Philipp Lorenz-Spreen discuss how we consume, process, and share information, and how these practices are changing due to our relationships with technology.
Reposted by American Scientist
With the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the first known exoplanet around a Sun-like star coming up next week, my book Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Science fact is a great primer on all things exoplanets, and how we interpret them through science fiction.
When Star Trek first aired in 1966, it posited a universe bursting with planetary possibilities—a bold move at a time before anyone knew of a single planet beyond our Solar System.
Read more of Michael L. Wong's review of "Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Science Fact."
Read more of Michael L. Wong's review of "Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Science Fact."
Crossroads of Science and Fiction
www.americanscientist.org
October 4, 2025 at 10:18 AM
With the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the first known exoplanet around a Sun-like star coming up next week, my book Amazing Worlds of Science Fiction and Science fact is a great primer on all things exoplanets, and how we interpret them through science fiction.
In the most recent episode of “Wired for This,” Shereen Chaudhry shares how we can convey sincerity to skeptical listeners.
Listen to the full episode here: open.spotify.com/episode/7bjB...
Listen to the full episode here: open.spotify.com/episode/7bjB...
October 16, 2025 at 9:27 PM
In the most recent episode of “Wired for This,” Shereen Chaudhry shares how we can convey sincerity to skeptical listeners.
Listen to the full episode here: open.spotify.com/episode/7bjB...
Listen to the full episode here: open.spotify.com/episode/7bjB...
Reposted by American Scientist
Difficult conversations are everywhere—and they don’t have to cause harm.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
The Urge to Blame | Wired for This
open.spotify.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Difficult conversations are everywhere—and they don’t have to cause harm.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
The large-scale structure of the universe was set by the tiniest of forces—quantum fluctuations—during the incredibly brief period of rapid expansion that occurred just after the Big Bang.
Quantum Origin of the Universe
Deep microwave sky maps reveal details of large-scale cosmic evolution.
www.americanscientist.org
October 14, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The large-scale structure of the universe was set by the tiniest of forces—quantum fluctuations—during the incredibly brief period of rapid expansion that occurred just after the Big Bang.
In this installment of the American Scientist lunchtime seminar series, Science by the Slice, Ryan Emanuel discusses his book, On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice (2024, UNC Press).
Environmental Change and Indigenous Rights On the Swamp
The Lumbee work for environmental justice for their ancestral lands.
www.americanscientist.org
October 13, 2025 at 9:26 PM
In this installment of the American Scientist lunchtime seminar series, Science by the Slice, Ryan Emanuel discusses his book, On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice (2024, UNC Press).
Difficult conversations are everywhere—and they don’t have to cause harm.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
The Urge to Blame | Wired for This
open.spotify.com
October 10, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Difficult conversations are everywhere—and they don’t have to cause harm.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
Behavioral scientists Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry share how honesty, empathy, and awareness can turn conflict into connection.
Creating small, portable radios had the unexpected outcome of influencing youth culture, as teenagers could now listen to their choice of music away from adult supervision.
How the Transistor Shaped Music
The improvement of the radio as an early application of this technological advance ended up influencing youth culture.
www.americanscientist.org
October 9, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Creating small, portable radios had the unexpected outcome of influencing youth culture, as teenagers could now listen to their choice of music away from adult supervision.
A common problem is that we tend to try to fix problematic noise, rather than anticipating and addressing sound in our designs of buildings, cities, and products.
Read more of K. Anthony Hoover's review:
Read more of K. Anthony Hoover's review:
Reconsidering Our Soundscapes
www.americanscientist.org
October 8, 2025 at 1:31 PM
A common problem is that we tend to try to fix problematic noise, rather than anticipating and addressing sound in our designs of buildings, cities, and products.
Read more of K. Anthony Hoover's review:
Read more of K. Anthony Hoover's review: