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<title>India's Inadvertent Missile Launch Underscores the Risk of Accidental Nuclear Warfare | Scientific American</title>
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V. Ramana</a> </p></div><div class="verticalLayoutArtContainer-odwS-"><figure data-disable-apple-news="true"><img src="https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/D0D6E46B-6BF7-4684-9AF1E8D021A77374_source.jpg?w=600" alt="Missile display during India&#x27;s Republic Day" srcSet="https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/D0D6E46B-6BF7-4684-9AF1E8D021A77374_source.jpg?w=600 600w, https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/D0D6E46B-6BF7-4684-9AF1E8D021A77374_source.jpg?w=900 900w, https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/D0D6E46B-6BF7-4684-9AF1E8D021A77374_source.jpg?w=1200 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 50vw" class="lead_image__img-xKODG fp-leadImage" style="--w:2300;--h:1490" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><figcaption class="lead_image__figcaption-jJomN"><div class="lead_image__caption-JqwLg"><p>BrahMos cruise missiles, built by India and Russia, are paraded in front of spectators during India's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, January 2004.</p></div> <div class="lead_image__credit-vAQx6"><p><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/brahmos-cruise-missiles-built-by-india-and-russia-are-news-photo/2901237?adppopup=true">Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images</a></p></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="verticalLayoutContent-wuiki"></div><div class="verticalLayout__eyebrows_container-3sUPO"><div><div class="eyebrows_container-X6CAt eyebrows_container__margin_top-FTfjH"></div></div></div></div></div><div data-click-position="inline-link" class="body-n0vxv prose-mhScE prose-MpLPk article__body-JuzOb"><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Last month, while most of the world focused on the war in Ukraine and worried that a beleaguered Russian leadership might resort to nuclear weapons, thus escalating the conflict into a direct war with the U.S.-led NATO nuclear-armed alliance, a nearly tragic accident involving India and Pakistan pointed to another path to nuclear war. The accident highlighted how complex technological systems, including those involving nuclear weapons, can generate unexpected routes to potential disaster&mdash;especially when managed by overconfident organizations.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">India and Pakistan possess <a href="https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/">more than 300 nuclear weapons</a> between them, and have fought multiple wars and faced many military crises. On March 9, three years after their dispute over Kashmir escalated into <a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-between-india-and-pakistan">attacks by jet fighters</a>, the Pakistan Air Force <a href="https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1mrGmaeooYvGy">detected</a> &ldquo;a high speed flying object&rdquo; inside Indian territory change course and veer suddenly toward Pakistan.* It flew deep into Pakistan and crashed. The object was a <a href="https://thewire.in/security/india-needs-to-come-clean-on-accidental-firing-of-missile-to-avert-conflict-with-pakistan">BrahMos cruise missile</a>, a weapon system developed jointly by India and Russia. India soon stated the launch <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-seeks-answers-india-after-crash-mystery-flying-object-2022-03-10/">was an accident</a>.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">The firing of the BrahMos missile falls within a long history of accidents involving military systems in India. Military <a href="https://theprint.in/defence/before-brahmos-there-was-canberra-india-pakistans-history-of-peacetime-airspace-violations/870692/">aircraft</a> have strayed across the borders during peacetime. India&rsquo;s first nuclear submarine was reportedly &ldquo;<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ins-arihant-left-crippled-after-accident-10-months-ago/article22392049.ece">crippled</a>&rdquo; by an accident in 2018, but the government <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/india/information-on-ins-arihant-damage-cannot-be-divulged-government-2094382.html">refused to divulge</a> any details. Secrecy has prevented the investigation of <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2016/05/did-india-hide-a-failed-supersonic-missile-test/">an apparent failure of India's ballistic missile defence system</a> in 2016. Engagements between India and Pakistan can arise from such accidents, as in 1999 when a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/11/world/indians-down-pakistan-plane-16-aboard-die.html">Pakistani military plane was shot down</a> along the border by India, killing 16 people. Pakistan has had its share of accidents, including a Pakistani fighter jet <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/world/asia/pakistan-f16-crash.html">crashing</a> into the capital city in 2020.</p><hr/><h2>On supporting science journalism</h2><p>If you&#x27;re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by<!-- --> <a href="/getsciam/">subscribing</a>. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.</p><hr/><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">All these weapons systems are inherently accident-prone because of two characteristics identified by organizational sociologist Charles Perrow decades ago&mdash;interactive complexity and tight coupling&mdash;that combine to make accidents a &ldquo;normal&rdquo; feature of the operation of some hazardous technologies. The first characteristic refers to the possibility that different parts of the system can affect each other in unexpected ways, thus producing unanticipated outcomes. The second makes it hard to stop the resulting sequence of events. For Perrow, &ldquo;<a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=g66J6Vzq6EYC&amp;pg=PA351&amp;dq=perrow+%22The+dangerous+accidents+lie+in+the+system,+not+in+the+components%22&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=0&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwinnpjl8Mv2AhVVIjQIHdRwBisQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&amp;q=perrow%20%22The%20dangerous%20accidents%20lie%20in%20the%20system%2C%20not%20in%20the%20components%22&amp;f=false">the dangerous accidents lie in the system, not in the components</a>,&rdquo; and are inevitable.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Perhaps the best and most troubling proof of this proposition is in the realm <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691021010/the-limits-of-safety">of nuclear weapons</a>&mdash;which embody all the properties of high-risk technological systems. Despite decades of efforts to ensure safety, these systems have <a href="https://www.npr.org/2014/08/11/339131421/nuclear-command-and-control-a-history-of-false-alarms-and-near-catastrophes">suffered many failures, accidents</a> and <a href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/2014/04/too-close-comfort-cases-near-nuclear-use-and-options-policy">close calls</a>. During 1979&ndash;1980, for example, there were <a href="https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault/2020-03-16/false-warnings-soviet-missile-attacks-during-1979-80-led-alert-actions-us-strategic-forces">several false warnings of Soviet missile attacks</a>, some of which resulted in U.S. nuclear forces being put on alert. &nbsp;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Illustrating political theorist Beno&icirc;t Pelopidas&rsquo;s observation that luck has long played a &ldquo;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-international-security/article/abs/unbearable-lightness-of-luck-three-sources-of-overconfidence-in-the-manageability-of-nuclear-crises/BDE95895C04E7E7988D15DB4F217D1E4">crucial role ... in preserving the world from nuclear devastation</a>,&rdquo; the BrahMos accident was not more consequential because of three lucky circumstances. First, the missile was not armed with a warhead. Second, the accident occurred during peacetime, not during a bout of armed conflict or a period of military tension between the two countries; had that been the case, the Pakistani military might have interpreted it as a deliberate attack and responded militarily. Third, BrahMos apparently is not designed to carry nuclear weapons. But <a href="https://thebulletin.org/premium/2020-07/nuclear-notebook-indian-nuclear-forces-2020/">India</a> has cruise missiles that can carry nuclear warheads, as does <a href="https://thebulletin.org/premium/2021-09/nuclear-notebook-how-many-nuclear-weapons-does-pakistan-have-in-2021/">Pakistan</a>.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Compounding the risk is the mobility of India&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Publications/modernization/india-2020.pdf">expanding fleet of nuclear capable missiles</a>. These can be launched quickly from <a href="https://www.drdo.gov.in/ground-support-system-missile-programme">specially developed vehicles</a> that move around on roads or rails&mdash;meaning that military planners in Pakistan and China, the nuclear-armed neighbors against whom India has <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/indian-army-ready-for-a-two-front-war-pakistan-and-china-potent-threat-to-india-army-chief/2169506/">war plans</a>, have to be prepared for sudden missile launches from almost anywhere in India&rsquo;s vast landmass.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Given the secretive nature of Indian nuclear policymaking, little is known about India&rsquo;s nuclear <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25751654.2020.1760021">command and control system</a>. However, the 1999 <a href="https://www.armscontrol.org/act/1999-07/indias-draft-nuclear-doctrine">Draft Nuclear Doctrine</a> called for &ldquo;assured capability to shift from peacetime deployment to fully employable forces <i>in the shortest possible time</i>.&rdquo; (Emphasis added.) The combination of technology and plans for being able to rapidly launch nuclear weapons raises the risk of accidental and inadvertent escalation to nuclear war. &nbsp;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">South Asia&rsquo;s geography is pitiless. It would <a href="https://scienceandglobalsecurity.org/archive/sgs11mian.pdf">only take five to 10 minutes</a> for a missile launched from India to attack Pakistan&rsquo;s national capital, nuclear weapon command posts or bases. For comparison, the flight times between missile launch sites and targets in the United States and Russia are about 30 minutes. Even this extra time may be insufficient. In the event of a military crisis, no leader can make a judicious decision during this period, when faced with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/dec/14/vr-game-simulating-nuclear-attack-tests-decision-making-skills">impossible choices</a>. But shorter <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/perilous-pursuit/">flight times</a> increase the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/take-nukes-off-a-short-fuse/">likelihood of mistakes</a>.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">The mistake that is of greatest concern is a false alarm of an incoming nuclear attack, possibly directed against nuclear forces. Indian or Pakistani&mdash;or Russian or NATO&mdash;policy makers may find themselves under immense pressure to launch a preemptive attack, thereby compounding the crisis. The terrible dilemma confronting them would be whether to use their nuclear weapons first or wait for the bombs from the other side to land. Nuclear war, even of a limited nature, between India and Pakistan could <a href="https://fpif.org/wp-content/uploads/2002/06/PRnuclearsasia.pdf">lead to millions of deaths</a> in the short term and even graver consequences in the longer term for the region and beyond.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Compounding these dangers is the overconfidence of India&rsquo;s officials, who displayed no recognition of the gravity of the Brahmos accident. A &ldquo;technical malfunction&rdquo; had &ldquo;led to the accidental firing of a missile,&rdquo; the official statement declared, noting glibly &ldquo;<a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1805148">it is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan</a>.&rdquo; India&rsquo;s defense minister assured parliament members that the system is &ldquo;<a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/indias-missile-system-highly-safe-and-secure-rajnath-singh-on-accidental-firing-of-missile/2461467/">very reliable and safe</a>.&rdquo;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">As the legendary analyst of nuclear command and control <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/07/21/bruce-g-blair-acclaimed-expert-risks-nuclear-war-dies-72">Bruce Blair</a> warned, among nuclear weapon system managers and operators there is an &ldquo;<a href="https://thebulletin.org/2020/08/bruce-blair-challenging-the-accidental-nuclear-war-machine-at-every-turn/">illusion of safety</a>&rdquo; that masks &ldquo;the systematic potential for tragedy on a monumental scale.&rdquo; Whether it is India and Pakistan preparing for a fifth war, or the forces of a nuclear-armed Russia struggling ever more violently to subdue Ukraine and stem the flow of lethal NATO weapons, such illusions threaten the destruction of cities and may lead to the killing of nations.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">*<i>Editor&rsquo;s Note (4/8/22): This sentence was edited after posting to correct the description of when the dispute over Kashmir escalated into jet fighter attacks.</i></p></div><footer class="footer-UXCH4"><div class="divide-w1-w1"><div class="rights-tb72h"><a target="_blank" href="https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?publisherName=sciam&amp;publication=sciam&amp;title=India%27s+Inadvertent+Missile+Launch+Underscores+the+Risk+of+Accidental+Nuclear+Warfare&amp;publicationDate=2022-04-08&amp;contentID=845EFB8B-E233-4B75-B4BE38685460660B&amp;orderBeanReset=true&amp;author=Zia+Mian%2C+M.+V.+Ramana&amp;copyright=Copyright+2022+Scientific+American%2C+Inc." data-click-position="article-rightslink-845EFB8B-E233-4B75-B4BE38685460660B">Rights &amp; Permissions</a></div></div><div class="divide-w1-w1"></div><div class="divide-w1-w1"><div class="subdivide-eq67o"><div class="bio-0RV1k"><p><b><a class="bioLink-vdOHW" href="/author/zia-mian/">Zia Mian</a></b> is co-director of Princeton University's <a href="https://sgs.princeton.edu/">Program on Science and Global Security</a> and a co-founder of the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the <a href="https://physicistscoalition.org/">Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction</a>.</p></div><a href="/author/zia-mian/">More by <span>Zia Mian</span></a></div><div class="subdivide-eq67o"><div class="bio-0RV1k"><p><b><a class="bioLink-vdOHW" href="/author/m-v-ramana/">M.V. Ramana</a></b> is professor and Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, and author of <i>The Power of Promise: Examining Nuclear Energy in India</i>.</p></div><a href="/author/m-v-ramana/">More by <span>M. V. Ramana</span></a></div></div><div class="divide-w1-w1"></div></footer><section class="subscriptionPleaContainer-D09dM"><h2 class="subscriptionPleaHeading-DMY4w">Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism</h2><p class="subscriptionPleaText--StZo">Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. 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<script id="__DATA__">window.__DATA__=JSON.parse(`{"initialData":{"article":{"id":1303204,"contentful_id":"2hWVottnJPKpn6MfiAA05y","mura_id":"314F1ECB-EE7D-47DC-B441863B157C910B","mura_contentid":"845EFB8B-E233-4B75-B4BE38685460660B","title":"India's Inadvertent Missile Launch Underscores the Risk of Accidental Nuclear Warfare","display_title":"<p>India&rsquo;s Inadvertent Missile Launch Underscores the Risk of Accidental Nuclear Warfare</p>","share_title":null,"display_category":"Politics","display_category_slug":"politics","display_date":null,"slug":"indias-inadvertent-missile-launch-underscores-the-risk-of-accidental-nuclear-warfare","summary":"<p>Complex weapon systems are inherently prone to accidents, and this latest launch is one of a long history of military accidents in India</p>","blurb":"<p>Last month, while most of the world focused on the war in Ukraine and worried that a beleaguered Russian leadership might resort to nuclear weapons, thus escalating the conflict into a direct war with the U.S.-led NATO nuclear-armed alliance, a nearly tragic accident involving India and Pakistan pointed to another path to nuclear war. The accident highlighted how complex technological systems, including those involving nuclear weapons, can generate unexpected routes to potential disaster—especially when managed by overconfident organizations.</p>","why_box":"","content":[{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"Last month, while most of the world focused on the war in Ukraine and worried that a beleaguered Russian leadership might resort to nuclear weapons, thus escalating the conflict into a direct war with the U.S.-led NATO nuclear-armed alliance, a nearly tragic accident involving India and Pakistan pointed to another path to nuclear war. The accident highlighted how complex technological systems, including those involving nuclear weapons, can generate unexpected routes to potential disaster&mdash;especially when managed by overconfident organizations."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"India and Pakistan possess <a href=\\"https://fas.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/status-world-nuclear-forces/\\">more than 300 nuclear weapons</a> between them, and have fought multiple wars and faced many military crises. On March 9, three years after their dispute over Kashmir escalated into <a href=\\"https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-between-india-and-pakistan\\">attacks by jet fighters</a>, the Pakistan Air Force <a href=\\"https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1mrGmaeooYvGy\\">detected</a> &ldquo;a high speed flying object&rdquo; inside Indian territory change course and veer suddenly toward Pakistan.* It flew deep into Pakistan and crashed. The object was a <a href=\\"https://thewire.in/security/india-needs-to-come-clean-on-accidental-firing-of-missile-to-avert-conflict-with-pakistan\\">BrahMos cruise missile</a>, a weapon system developed jointly by India and Russia. India soon stated the launch <a href=\\"https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-seeks-answers-india-after-crash-mystery-flying-object-2022-03-10/\\">was an accident</a>."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"The firing of the BrahMos missile falls within a long history of accidents involving military systems in India. Military <a href=\\"https://theprint.in/defence/before-brahmos-there-was-canberra-india-pakistans-history-of-peacetime-airspace-violations/870692/\\">aircraft</a> have strayed across the borders during peacetime. India&rsquo;s first nuclear submarine was reportedly &ldquo;<a href=\\"https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ins-arihant-left-crippled-after-accident-10-months-ago/article22392049.ece\\">crippled</a>&rdquo; by an accident in 2018, but the government <a href=\\"https://zeenews.india.com/india/information-on-ins-arihant-damage-cannot-be-divulged-government-2094382.html\\">refused to divulge</a> any details. Secrecy has prevented the investigation of <a href=\\"https://thediplomat.com/2016/05/did-india-hide-a-failed-supersonic-missile-test/\\">an apparent failure of India's ballistic missile defence system</a> in 2016. Engagements between India and Pakistan can arise from such accidents, as in 1999 when a <a href=\\"https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/11/world/indians-down-pakistan-plane-16-aboard-die.html\\">Pakistani military plane was shot down</a> along the border by India, killing 16 people. Pakistan has had its share of accidents, including a Pakistani fighter jet <a href=\\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/world/asia/pakistan-f16-crash.html\\">crashing</a> into the capital city in 2020."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"All these weapons systems are inherently accident-prone because of two characteristics identified by organizational sociologist Charles Perrow decades ago&mdash;interactive complexity and tight coupling&mdash;that combine to make accidents a &ldquo;normal&rdquo; feature of the operation of some hazardous technologies. The first characteristic refers to the possibility that different parts of the system can affect each other in unexpected ways, thus producing unanticipated outcomes. The second makes it hard to stop the resulting sequence of events. For Perrow, &ldquo;<a href=\\"https://books.google.ca/books?id=g66J6Vzq6EYC&amp;pg=PA351&amp;dq=perrow+%22The+dangerous+accidents+lie+in+the+system,+not+in+the+components%22&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=0&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwinnpjl8Mv2AhVVIjQIHdRwBisQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&amp;q=perrow%20%22The%20dangerous%20accidents%20lie%20in%20the%20system%2C%20not%20in%20the%20components%22&amp;f=false\\">the dangerous accidents lie in the system, not in the components</a>,&rdquo; and are inevitable."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"Perhaps the best and most troubling proof of this proposition is in the realm <a href=\\"https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691021010/the-limits-of-safety\\">of nuclear weapons</a>&mdash;which embody all the properties of high-risk technological systems. Despite decades of efforts to ensure safety, these systems have <a href=\\"https://www.npr.org/2014/08/11/339131421/nuclear-command-and-control-a-history-of-false-alarms-and-near-catastrophes\\">suffered many failures, accidents</a> and <a href=\\"https://www.chathamhouse.org/2014/04/too-close-comfort-cases-near-nuclear-use-and-options-policy\\">close calls</a>. During 1979&ndash;1980, for example, there were <a href=\\"https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault/2020-03-16/false-warnings-soviet-missile-attacks-during-1979-80-led-alert-actions-us-strategic-forces\\">several false warnings of Soviet missile attacks</a>, some of which resulted in U.S. nuclear forces being put on alert. &nbsp;"},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"Illustrating political theorist Beno&icirc;t Pelopidas&rsquo;s observation that luck has long played a &ldquo;<a href=\\"https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-journal-of-international-security/article/abs/unbearable-lightness-of-luck-three-sources-of-overconfidence-in-the-manageability-of-nuclear-crises/BDE95895C04E7E7988D15DB4F217D1E4\\">crucial role ... in preserving the world from nuclear devastation</a>,&rdquo; the BrahMos accident was not more consequential because of three lucky circumstances. First, the missile was not armed with a warhead. Second, the accident occurred during peacetime, not during a bout of armed conflict or a period of military tension between the two countries; had that been the case, the Pakistani military might have interpreted it as a deliberate attack and responded militarily. Third, BrahMos apparently is not designed to carry nuclear weapons. But <a href=\\"https://thebulletin.org/premium/2020-07/nuclear-notebook-indian-nuclear-forces-2020/\\">India</a> has cruise missiles that can carry nuclear warheads, as does <a href=\\"https://thebulletin.org/premium/2021-09/nuclear-notebook-how-many-nuclear-weapons-does-pakistan-have-in-2021/\\">Pakistan</a>."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"Compounding the risk is the mobility of India&rsquo;s <a href=\\"https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Publications/modernization/india-2020.pdf\\">expanding fleet of nuclear capable missiles</a>. These can be launched quickly from <a href=\\"https://www.drdo.gov.in/ground-support-system-missile-programme\\">specially developed vehicles</a> that move around on roads or rails&mdash;meaning that military planners in Pakistan and China, the nuclear-armed neighbors against whom India has <a href=\\"https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/indian-army-ready-for-a-two-front-war-pakistan-and-china-potent-threat-to-india-army-chief/2169506/\\">war plans</a>, have to be prepared for sudden missile launches from almost anywhere in India&rsquo;s vast landmass."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"Given the secretive nature of Indian nuclear policymaking, little is known about India&rsquo;s nuclear <a href=\\"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25751654.2020.1760021\\">command and control system</a>. However, the 1999 <a href=\\"https://www.armscontrol.org/act/1999-07/indias-draft-nuclear-doctrine\\">Draft Nuclear Doctrine</a> called for &ldquo;assured capability to shift from peacetime deployment to fully employable forces <i>in the shortest possible time</i>.&rdquo; (Emphasis added.) The combination of technology and plans for being able to rapidly launch nuclear weapons raises the risk of accidental and inadvertent escalation to nuclear war. &nbsp;"},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"South Asia&rsquo;s geography is pitiless. It would <a href=\\"https://scienceandglobalsecurity.org/archive/sgs11mian.pdf\\">only take five to 10 minutes</a> for a missile launched from India to attack Pakistan&rsquo;s national capital, nuclear weapon command posts or bases. For comparison, the flight times between missile launch sites and targets in the United States and Russia are about 30 minutes. Even this extra time may be insufficient. In the event of a military crisis, no leader can make a judicious decision during this period, when faced with <a href=\\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/dec/14/vr-game-simulating-nuclear-attack-tests-decision-making-skills\\">impossible choices</a>. But shorter <a href=\\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/perilous-pursuit/\\">flight times</a> increase the <a href=\\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/take-nukes-off-a-short-fuse/\\">likelihood of mistakes</a>."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"The mistake that is of greatest concern is a false alarm of an incoming nuclear attack, possibly directed against nuclear forces. Indian or Pakistani&mdash;or Russian or NATO&mdash;policy makers may find themselves under immense pressure to launch a preemptive attack, thereby compounding the crisis. The terrible dilemma confronting them would be whether to use their nuclear weapons first or wait for the bombs from the other side to land. Nuclear war, even of a limited nature, between India and Pakistan could <a href=\\"https://fpif.org/wp-content/uploads/2002/06/PRnuclearsasia.pdf\\">lead to millions of deaths</a> in the short term and even graver consequences in the longer term for the region and beyond.&nbsp;&nbsp;"},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"Compounding these dangers is the overconfidence of India&rsquo;s officials, who displayed no recognition of the gravity of the Brahmos accident. A &ldquo;technical malfunction&rdquo; had &ldquo;led to the accidental firing of a missile,&rdquo; the official statement declared, noting glibly &ldquo;<a href=\\"https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1805148\\">it is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan</a>.&rdquo; India&rsquo;s defense minister assured parliament members that the system is &ldquo;<a href=\\"https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/indias-missile-system-highly-safe-and-secure-rajnath-singh-on-accidental-firing-of-missile/2461467/\\">very reliable and safe</a>.&rdquo;"},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"As the legendary analyst of nuclear command and control <a href=\\"https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/07/21/bruce-g-blair-acclaimed-expert-risks-nuclear-war-dies-72\\">Bruce Blair</a> warned, among nuclear weapon system managers and operators there is an &ldquo;<a href=\\"https://thebulletin.org/2020/08/bruce-blair-challenging-the-accidental-nuclear-war-machine-at-every-turn/\\">illusion of safety</a>&rdquo; that masks &ldquo;the systematic potential for tragedy on a monumental scale.&rdquo; Whether it is India and Pakistan preparing for a fifth war, or the forces of a nuclear-armed Russia struggling ever more violently to subdue Ukraine and stem the flow of lethal NATO weapons, such illusions threaten the destruction of cities and may lead to the killing of nations."},{"tag":"p","type":"paragraph","attributes":{},"content":"*<i>Editor&rsquo;s Note (4/8/22): This sentence was edited after posting to correct the description of when the dispute over Kashmir escalated into jet fighter attacks.</i>"}],"authors":[{"mura_id":"492D0826-9437-4F67-BFA2F3E156553628","url":"/author/zia-mian/","contentful_id":"3K2idf23nBGtebDlUCy3hQ","name":"Zia Mian","slug":"zia-mian","biography":"<p><b>Zia Mian</b> is co-director of Princeton University's <a href=\\"https://sgs.princeton.edu/\\">Program on Science and Global Security</a> and a co-founder of the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the <a href=\\"https://physicistscoalition.org/\\">Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction</a>.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":null,"contacts":[]},{"mura_id":"06D523D2-5D44-41B2-95438BBC8F9EE30F","url":"/author/m-v-ramana/","contentful_id":"6k1oSJyv2wquD0f560UA15","name":"M. V. Ramana","slug":"m-v-ramana","biography":"<p><b>M.V. Ramana</b> is professor and Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia, and author of <i>The Power of Promise: Examining Nuclear Energy in India</i>.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":null,"contacts":[]}],"editors":[{"mura_id":"3128DD66-536D-46CD-BFD9970A3EFE5512","url":"/author/megha-satyanarayana/","contentful_id":"3G4H2iI5AIDFlSSgGINuWW","name":"Megha Satyanarayana","slug":"megha-satyanarayana","biography":"<p><b>Megha Satyanarayana</b> is chief special projects editor at<i> Scientific American</i>. She is a former scientist who has worked at several news outlets, including the <i>Detroit Free Press</i> and STAT. She was a Knight-Wallace Fellow, a cohort member of Poynter&rsquo;s Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media and a Maynard 200 Fellow.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[{"type":"x","value":"@meghas"}]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/D0D6E46B-6BF7-4684-9AF1E8D021A77374_source.jpg","image_width":2300,"image_height":1490,"image_alt_text":"Missile display during India's Republic Day","image_caption":"<p>BrahMos cruise missiles, built by India and Russia, are paraded in front of spectators during India's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, January 2004.</p>","image_long_description":null,"image_credits":"<p><a href=\\"https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/brahmos-cruise-missiles-built-by-india-and-russia-are-news-photo/2901237?adppopup=true\\">Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images</a></p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_mp4_url":null,"image_mp4_width":0,"image_mp4_height":0,"image_mp4_poster_url":null,"image_block_syndication":true,"release_date":"2022-04-08T07:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2022-04-08T07:00:00-04:00","primary_category":"Social Sciences","primary_category_slug":"social-sciences","subcategory":"Politics","subcategory_slug":"politics","subtype":"opinion","column":"Observations","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"digital_column_url":null,"digital_column_frequency":null,"digital_column_description":null,"digital_column_newsletter_id":null,"digital_column_newsletter_name":null,"digital_column_signup_cta":null,"digital_column_email_subject":null,"collection_slug":null,"collection_name":null,"partner_title":null,"partner_url":null,"partner_end_note":null,"article_doi":null,"categories":["Politics","Social Sciences","Warfare"],"contains_media":null,"is_partner":false,"is_resalable":true,"is_syndicated":true,"is_opinion":true,"is_sensitive":null,"journal_issue_name":null,"keywords":[],"layout":"default","media_url":null,"media_type":null,"media_height":null,"media_width":null,"podcast_series_name":null,"podcast_series_slug":null,"published_at_date":"2022-04-08","published_at_date_time":"2022-04-08T07:00:00-04:00","published_at_time":"07:00:00","tags":[],"type":"Article","updated_at_date_time":"2024-02-20T11:50:38.127000+00:00","paywall_exempt":false,"page_number":null,"print_title":null,"print_dek":"","canonical_url":null,"url":"/article/indias-inadvertent-missile-launch-underscores-the-risk-of-accidental-nuclear-warfare/","footnote":"","content_modeling":null,"content_difficulty":null,"sentiment":null,"durability":null,"newsroom_id":null,"display_last_updated":null},"issue":null,"persistentHeaderTitle":"India's Inadvertent Missile Launch Underscores the Risk of Accidental Nuclear Warfare","dataLayerContent":{"content":{"articleDoi":"","authors":["Zia Mian","M. 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Read Now","anon_url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/2026/09-01/","registered_cta_id":"other","registered_banner_text":"New Issue: Orbital Catastrophe Ahead? Read Now","registered_url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/issue/sa/2026/09-01/","subscriber_cta_id":"other","subscriber_banner_text":"Join SciAm on Dutch Waterways. Learn More.","subscriber_url":"https://www.scientificamerican.com/travel/trips/2027-dutch-waterways-and-tulip-fields/"},"recommendationsMethod":"default","shared":{"latestIssue":{"contentful_id":"2FpUMQjzo2dEeOKsVYahGj","mura_id":null,"description":"<p>Around 15,000 satellites currently circle Earth, but nearly two million satellites are planned to launch in coming years. This precipitous rise will bring Internet access to many who lack it but could also have dangerous consequences for astronomy, our planet's atmosphere&mdash;and the future use of Earth orbit.</p>\\n<p>Elsewhere in the issue: The Spy Telescope Hunting for Dark Matter | What Really Happened on Easter Island? | How Clean Tech Became Unstoppable</p>","path":"/issue/sa/2026/09-01/","magazine_title":"Scientific American Magazine","issue_title":"Scientific American Volume 335, Issue 2","volume":335,"issue":"2","issue_date":"2026-09-01","pdf_file":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/0017274a-4f29-4530-80a9-5d4111c4d8ae/SciAm_09_2026.pdf","image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/1f2389e8-e732-4b62-922c-276da9647ad9/sa0926Cvr.jpg?m=1786384612.006","image_width":2438,"image_height":3225,"image_alt_text":"Cover of the September 2026 issue of Scientific American, showing different colorful shapes orbiting a planet.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":null,"cover_credits":"<p>Illustration by Brian Stauffer</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image":null,"bg_image_url":null,"bg_image_width":null,"bg_image_height":null,"bg_image_alt_text":null,"bg_image_caption":null,"bg_image_credits":null,"article_previews":{"advances":[{"id":1311304,"contentful_id":"1Uc0r4B5DiqSrGNIZUuMI9","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-1Uc0r4B5DiqSrGNIZUuMI9","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"These bizarre fossils represent some of the earliest moving, sexually reproducing life ever discovered","display_title":"<p>These bizarre fossils represent some of the earliest moving, sexually reproducing life ever discovered</p>","slug":"these-bizarre-fossils-represent-some-of-the-earliest-moving-sexually-reproducing-life-ever-discovered","url":"/article/these-bizarre-fossils-represent-some-of-the-earliest-moving-sexually-reproducing-life-ever-discovered/","summary":"<p>New trove of fossils reveals that ancestral animals likely emerged in the deep sea</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"52A17E1B-0370-405D-8D2608AA25B59B91","url":"/author/jack-tamisiea/","contentful_id":"3jHDfgsOLQ1EQlNYKNAArj","name":"Jack Tamisiea","slug":"jack-tamisiea","biography":"<p><b>Jack Tamisiea</b> is a science journalist based in Washington, D.C., who covers natural history and the environment. 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She specializes in science, health, history and policy.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/dab49fc8-d56b-4d62-9265-3fa2c905701e/Chaotic-pigeon-GettyImages-582736916.jpg?m=1786394105.297","image_width":3000,"image_height":1993,"image_alt_text":"A pigeon curves its head to stare into the camera with a bright orange eye.","image_caption":"<p>Pigeons favor chaos when learning something new.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Richard Bailey/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-06-30T06:45:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-06-30T06:45:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Animals","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"12"},{"id":1311447,"contentful_id":"1NOYSjXHDiTVoXbjRptToF","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-1NOYSjXHDiTVoXbjRptToF","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"See the hidden fungal network so big it could stretch to Proxima Centauri and back","display_title":"<p>See the hidden fungal network so big it could stretch to Proxima Centauri and back</p>","slug":"see-the-hidden-fungal-network-so-big-it-could-stretch-to-proxima-centauri-and-back","url":"/article/see-the-hidden-fungal-network-so-big-it-could-stretch-to-proxima-centauri-and-back/","summary":"<p>Researchers have created the first high-resolution global map of the extent of one of Earth&rsquo;s largest&mdash;and least visible&mdash;living networks</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/sam-macdonald/","contentful_id":"3eyNkfINH2ybgFUwP782N3","name":"Sam Macdonald","slug":"sam-macdonald","biography":"<p><b>Sam Macdonald </b>is a 2026 AAAS Mass Media fellow at <i>Scientific American</i> and soon to be an assistant professor of mathematics at Augustana University. He enjoys rock climbing, strategic hammock placement and the axiom of choice.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Intern","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/638bd500-4cd5-4305-a9be-7132111b08c3/globe-loop.gif?m=1786394396.613","image_width":1280,"image_height":720,"image_alt_text":"Researchers and data visualization experts plotted the dense map of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi around the world, down to each square kilometer.","image_caption":"<p>Map of global AM fungi down to the square kilometer. <a href=\\"https://a-hidden-infrastructure.spun.earth/map#2.66/23.8794/86.088\\">Visit the interactive map here</a>.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Moritz Stefaner/Truth &amp; Beauty/Society for the Protection of Underground Networks</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-06-11T14:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-06-11T14:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Earth","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"13"},{"id":1311898,"contentful_id":"B4p1nQl5XaIzndgAmxCz4","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-B4p1nQl5XaIzndgAmxCz4","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Math Puzzle: A Tetris paradox","display_title":"<p>Math Puzzle: A <i>Tetris</i> paradox</p>","slug":"math-puzzle-a-tetris-paradox","url":"/article/math-puzzle-a-tetris-paradox/","summary":"<p>Explore the <i>Tetris</i> paradox in this math puzzle</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"8380DF99-BB0A-4BC3-824DBE3E70787CBA","url":"/author/jack-murtagh/","contentful_id":"4Y2yTE5TRa9dZLAJBYMbB7","name":"Jack Murtagh","slug":"jack-murtagh","biography":"<p><b>Jack Murtagh</b> is a freelance math writer and puzzle creator. He writes a column on <a href=\\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/jack-murtagh/\\">mathematical curiosities</a> for <i>Scientific American</i> and creates <a href=\\"https://www.morningbrew.com/contributor/Jack\\">daily puzzles</a> for the Morning Brew newsletter. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical computer science from Harvard University. Follow him on X <a href=\\"https://twitter.com/JackPMurtagh\\">@JackPMurtagh</a></p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/m/3da926a3ccf413bb/original/mathPuzzles-opener.jpg?m=1723038172.878","image_width":1600,"image_height":1200,"image_alt_text":"Illustration of a hand and multiple numbers against a purple background.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Ross MacDonald</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T07:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T07:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Mathematics","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"14"},{"id":1311857,"contentful_id":"1ZnuNRA7TD0PdZVZU1zpon","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-1ZnuNRA7TD0PdZVZU1zpon","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Humans’ sense of smell is still evolving","display_title":"<p>Humans&rsquo; sense of smell is still evolving</p>","slug":"humans-sense-of-smell-is-still-evolving","url":"/article/humans-sense-of-smell-is-still-evolving/","summary":"<p>A genetic study shows how smell capabilities were maintained in a hunter-gatherer population</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/willow-zhang/","contentful_id":"1AyUSZRcZ3OrMABIGJD5dr","name":"Willow Zhang","slug":"willow-zhang","biography":"<p><b>Willow Zhang</b> is a science journalist based in Beijing. She explores all things Earth&mdash;from its ancient past to its uncertain future.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/a7cdb336-4a0f-4c8f-b4d7-57c8d98f59ea/saw0926Adva06.jpg?m=1786395058.899","image_width":1500,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"A conceptual illustration, by Thomas Fuchs, of two noses smelling two red flowers on a black background.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Thomas Fuchs</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-11T06:45:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-11T06:45:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Evolutionary Biology","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"15"},{"id":1311096,"contentful_id":"2ImOzRPQdiOD2Xx0PKkULt","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-2ImOzRPQdiOD2Xx0PKkULt","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"How do earthquakes end? A seismic ‘stop sign’ could help predict earthquake risk","display_title":"<p>Here&rsquo;s what stops huge earthquakes in their tracks</p>","slug":"how-do-earthquakes-end-a-seismic-stop-sign-could-help-predict-earthquake-risk","url":"/article/how-do-earthquakes-end-a-seismic-stop-sign-could-help-predict-earthquake-risk/","summary":"<p>When an earthquake rupturing along a fault hits a barrier, it creates a seismic signature called the &ldquo;stopping phase.&rdquo; Scientists have isolated this and could use it to better predict earthquake risk</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/jacek-krywko/","contentful_id":"23Peqt1MKCaDkU1IqWegBd","name":"Jacek Krywko","slug":"jacek-krywko","biography":"<p><b>Jacek Krywko</b> is a freelance writer who covers space exploration and computer science.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/m/67f6c411e3c7b5d9/original/san_andreas_fault_in_california.jpg?m=1760036090.04","image_width":2880,"image_height":1920,"image_alt_text":"Aerial view of the San Andeas Fault crossing the Carrizo Plain","image_caption":"<p>An aerial view of the San Andreas Fault crossing the Carrizo Plain in California.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Cavan Images/Peter Essick/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-04-23T14:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-04-23T14:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Geology","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"15"},{"id":1311575,"contentful_id":"2zMlQRNELOwngjpf1gJAHd","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-2zMlQRNELOwngjpf1gJAHd","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Watch sharks use manta rays to scratch unreachable itches","display_title":"<p>Watch sharks use manta rays to scratch unreachable itches</p>","slug":"watch-sharks-use-manta-rays-to-scratch-unreachable-itches","url":"/article/watch-sharks-use-manta-rays-to-scratch-unreachable-itches/","summary":"<p>Galapagos sharks have been spotted scrubbing off parasites with help from manta rays</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/clarissa-brincat/","contentful_id":"4XAIflNpeM5puAsEe9ENEA","name":"Clarissa Brincat","slug":"clarissa-brincat","biography":"<p><b>Clarissa Brincat</b> is a freelance science and health journalist based in Europe.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/ceafebfa-cb3d-4968-861e-c85b86801ce8/saw0926Adva07.jpg?m=1786395477.55","image_width":1500,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"A conceptual illustration, by Thomas Fuchs, of a manta ray holding a scratching stick with a hand on one end tickling a shark's nose.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Thomas Fuchs</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-06-17T06:45:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-06-17T06:45:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Behavior","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"16"},{"id":1311232,"contentful_id":"1g1FGqEYkIsXvTusgc3KaU","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-1g1FGqEYkIsXvTusgc3KaU","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Tiny robot drones learn to navigate the world like honeybees","display_title":"<p>Tiny robot drones learn to navigate the world like honeybees</p>","slug":"tiny-robot-drones-learn-to-navigate-the-world-like-honeybees","url":"/article/tiny-robot-drones-learn-to-navigate-the-world-like-honeybees/","summary":"<p>Mapping their starting point like bees do helps autonomous drones find their way</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/jacek-krywko/","contentful_id":"23Peqt1MKCaDkU1IqWegBd","name":"Jacek Krywko","slug":"jacek-krywko","biography":"<p><b>Jacek Krywko</b> is a freelance writer who covers space exploration and computer science.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/9a8e1f86-96fa-4b59-ac83-5231f36f2627/saw0926Adva09.jpg?m=1786395935.681","image_width":1334,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Photograph of a honey bee leaving flower in the morning of late summer season by Darwin Fan/Getty Images.","image_caption":"<p>Bees memorize landmarks near home to find their way back.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Darwin Fan/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-05-13T11:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-05-13T11:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Robotics","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"18"},{"id":1311847,"contentful_id":"4IXgK82xq7tz75PcGiNKyV","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-4IXgK82xq7tz75PcGiNKyV","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Can ‘magic mushrooms’ help treat cocaine dependence?","display_title":"<p>Can &lsquo;magic mushrooms&rsquo; help treat cocaine dependence?</p>","slug":"can-magic-mushrooms-help-treat-cocaine-dependence","url":"/article/can-magic-mushrooms-help-treat-cocaine-dependence/","summary":"<p>Psychedelic-assisted therapy could open a new path for treating cocaine use disorder, which has no approved medications yet</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/humberto-basilio/","contentful_id":"1k7KrHkMpow4x0YuXs2Woh","name":"Humberto Basilio","slug":"humberto-basilio","biography":"<p><b>Humberto Basilio</b> is a Mexican science journalist covering policy, health, misconduct, archaeology and the environment. He is also a former news intern at <i>Scientific American.</i> His work has been published in the <i>New York Times,</i> <i>National Geographic,</i> <i>Science,</i> <i>Nature, </i>and more.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/ec450a9a-7e3f-4d74-9794-e989ec5bd46f/saw0926Adva11.jpg?m=1786396325.869","image_width":1503,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Mushrooms extend upward in purple lighting.","image_caption":"<p>&ldquo;Magic mushroom&rdquo;&ndash;derived psilocybin is proving useful in addiction treatment.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Yarphoto/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-10T06:45:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-10T06:45:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Psychedelics","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"19"},{"id":1311877,"contentful_id":"32U5wydYbbLvwMdRPuVsaM","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-32U5wydYbbLvwMdRPuVsaM","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Popular drug metformin transforms your gut into a sugar sink","display_title":"<p>Popular drug metformin transforms your gut into a sugar sink</p>","slug":"popular-drug-metformin-transforms-your-gut-into-a-sugar-sink","url":"/article/popular-drug-metformin-transforms-your-gut-into-a-sugar-sink/","summary":"<p>Researchers are finally learning the mechanism behind one of the most prescribed medicines in the U.S., primarily used to treat or prevent type 2 diabetes</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"4BB9421E-9D69-4EFE-B639EC3EB7BA4494","url":"/author/viviane-callier/","contentful_id":"7sVkktUOsFkaP2XilBiJAo","name":"Viviane Callier","slug":"viviane-callier","biography":"<p><b>Viviane Callier</b> is a freelance science writer based in North Bethesda, Md.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/53aa2010-a483-4252-afe9-e4e1e8f16d56/saw0926Adva10.jpg?m=1786563300.602","image_width":1500,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"An abstract illustration, by Thomas Fuchs, showing sugar cubes set against a geometric pattern of cells, representing blood sugar and cellular health.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Thomas Fuchs</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-13T06:45:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-13T06:45:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Diabetes","subtype":"news","column":"Advances","page_number":"19"}],"departments":[{"id":1311909,"contentful_id":"2pOaiRRly7sxw3QKkULNjx","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-2pOaiRRly7sxw3QKkULNjx","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"SciAm is on the move","display_title":"<p><i>SciAm</i> is on the move</p>","slug":"sciam-is-on-the-move","url":"/article/sciam-is-on-the-move/","summary":"<p>A recent change in ownership is an opportunity for <i>SciAm</i> to be even better and have some fun</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"48C13A35-EA38-4553-8AEAA29E458F5B26","url":"/author/jeanna-bryner/","contentful_id":"21Tslq9zqoxJCZf8dy9vKw","name":"Jeanna Bryner","slug":"jeanna-bryner","biography":"<p><b>Jeanna Bryner</b> is editor in chief of <i>Scientific American</i>. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's <i>Science World</i> magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master&rsquo;s degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/f8169f95-ddd2-4009-b96b-301f0479f9ec/saw0926-FromTheEditor-IssueCover.jpg?m=1786563840.852","image_width":1200,"image_height":900,"image_alt_text":"Cover of the September 2026 issue of Scientific American against a yellow background.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p><i>Scientific American</i></p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Culture","subtype":"news","column":"From the Editor","page_number":"4"},{"id":1311910,"contentful_id":"58qBtk4mvtjYKz0bXcpaae","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-58qBtk4mvtjYKz0bXcpaae","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Readers respond to the April 2026 issue","display_title":"<p>Readers respond to the April 2026 issue</p>","slug":"readers-respond-to-the-april-2026-issue","url":"/article/readers-respond-to-the-april-2026-issue/","summary":"<p>Letters to the editors for the April 2026 issue of <i>Scientific American</i></p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"F6A98BF8-3A0B-421A-80230E8EB77E75BD","url":"/author/aaron-shattuck/","contentful_id":"2Srkvro2c21fx9aEVDbkXy","name":"Aaron Shattuck","slug":"aaron-shattuck","biography":"<p><b>Aaron Shattuck</b> is a senior copy editor at <i>Scientific American</i>.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/a8848321-f333-41b6-b309-05559c981231/saw0926-Letters-IssueCover.jpg?m=1786563888.048","image_width":1200,"image_height":900,"image_alt_text":"Cover of the April 2026 issue of Scientific American against a yellow background.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p><i>Scientific American</i></p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Culture","subtype":"news","column":"Letters","page_number":"6"},{"id":1311907,"contentful_id":"7805kTXXgBsreNiG899VfC","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-7805kTXXgBsreNiG899VfC","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"How Zipline’s drone delivery system works in U.S. suburbs","display_title":"<p>Drone delivery has reached America&rsquo;s backyards</p>","slug":"how-ziplines-drone-delivery-system-works-in-u-s-suburbs","url":"/article/how-ziplines-drone-delivery-system-works-in-u-s-suburbs/","summary":"<p>Zipline&rsquo;s tethered delivery system lowers packages from the sky. Now it has to show that people want the service</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/adam-rogers/","contentful_id":"7lM67uWDmiltkoCYJYubsF","name":"Adam Rogers","slug":"adam-rogers","biography":"<p><b>Adam Rogers</b> is a journalist covering science, technology and culture. A former editor at <i>WIRED</i> and senior correspondent at <i>Business Insider</i>, he lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/3414b4d2-74d6-40ca-902b-995cf8c10f24/saw0926Indu01.jpg?m=1786397139.481","image_width":1000,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Zipline provided photo of its home delivery drone dropping a package in a residential backyard.","image_caption":"<p>After a decade of delivering blood and vaccines in Rwanda and Ghana, Zipline is now dropping consumer packages into American backyards.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Zipline</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Technology","subtype":"news","column":"Industry","page_number":"22"},{"id":1311436,"contentful_id":"3seXpw9YHqJ44QpDIB5qRw","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-3seXpw9YHqJ44QpDIB5qRw","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"How to build kids’ ‘cognitive endurance’ in an age of distraction","display_title":"<p>How to build kids&rsquo; &lsquo;cognitive endurance&rsquo; in an age of distraction</p>","slug":"how-to-build-kids-cognitive-endurance-in-an-age-of-distraction","url":"/article/how-to-build-kids-cognitive-endurance-in-an-age-of-distraction/","summary":"<p>The ability to run &ldquo;mental marathons&rdquo; is a skill children can learn through simple, but dedicated, practice</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/heather-schofield/","contentful_id":"4OnIyxByQ9DW4emDx2LDLI","name":"Heather Schofield","slug":"heather-schofield","biography":"<p><b>Heather Schofield</b> is an economist at Cornell University studying development, health and behavioral economics. Her research is focused on how different elements of economic and social disadvantage may impede productivity and the accumulation of human capital, as well as how poverty may interact with mental health. She co-founded the <a href=\\"https://behavioraldevlab.org/\\">Behavioral Development Lab</a> in Chennai, India, where much of her research is based. Schofield completed her Ph.D. in business economics, M.S. in global health and population and B.A. in economics at Harvard University.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]},{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/supreet-kaur/","contentful_id":"3cRd9qOXYdVtGZoSyVGrRv","name":"Supreet Kaur","slug":"supreet-kaur","biography":"<p><b>Supreet Kaur</b> is an associate professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work applies insights from psychology to economics to study the persistence of poverty and barriers to economic mobility. She is co-founder of the Psychology and Economics of Poverty Initiative, an interdisciplinary lab that develops new approaches to antipoverty policies and programs, at U.C. Berkeley&rsquo;s Center for Effective Global Action. She holds a B.S. in operations research from Columbia University, an master in public administration in international development (M.P.A./I.D.) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Ph.D. in political economy and government (economics) from Harvard.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/203a5a09-936c-43d9-bcb9-cc6f2b13d251/Kid-playing-with-blocks.jpg?m=1786499782.902","image_width":6720,"image_height":4480,"image_alt_text":"A kid playing with wooden blocks.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Kohei Hara/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-06-10T12:15:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-06-10T12:15:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Education","subtype":"news","column":"Mind Matters","page_number":"78"},{"id":1311911,"contentful_id":"5BjQNCg3imUPv8Vu3nXx59","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5BjQNCg3imUPv8Vu3nXx59","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"How Golden Dome’s space-based missile interceptors would work","display_title":"<p>The Pentagon wants thousands of missile interceptors in orbit</p>","slug":"how-golden-domes-space-based-missile-interceptors-would-work","url":"/article/how-golden-domes-space-based-missile-interceptors-would-work/","summary":"<p>Golden Dome&rsquo;s most audacious element would require a vast constellation of weapons that does not yet exist. Defense companies are already lining up to build it</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"003B3FD6-F9E4-48C1-88C3DB55A07997A8","url":"/author/sarah-scoles/","contentful_id":"7HlKJcmJuekauyELGMZwuf","name":"Sarah Scoles","slug":"sarah-scoles","biography":"<p><b>Sarah Scoles</b> is a Colorado-based science journalist and a contributing editor at <i>Scientific American</i>. Her newest book is <i>Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons</i> (Bold Type Books, 2024).</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/4cf864d3-23d4-456a-a003-fab7b1fd85ad/saw0926SoW01.jpg?m=1786500321.176","image_width":2430,"image_height":1350,"image_alt_text":"Illustration of Earth with a scaffold-like structure consisting of yellow bars being built around it. Illustration by Richard Mia.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Richard Mia</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Warfare","subtype":"col","column":"The Science of War","page_number":"80"},{"id":1311903,"contentful_id":"63x7FrhginfB0KOoCZkaLU","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-63x7FrhginfB0KOoCZkaLU","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Science crossword: Give me some space!","display_title":"<p>Science crossword: Give me some space!</p>","slug":"science-crossword-give-me-some-space","url":"/article/science-crossword-give-me-some-space/","summary":"<p>Play this crossword inspired by the September 2026 issue of<i> Scientific American</i></p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/ella-dershowitz/","contentful_id":"6Vt6Lv01nhH08prcg4E6n4","name":"Ella Dershowitz","slug":"ella-dershowitz","biography":"<p><b>Ella Dershowitz </b>is a crossword puzzle constructor who has been published in the <i>New York Times</i>, the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>, the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> and AV Club Xwords (AVCX), among other outlets. Besides wrangling tiny boxes for puzzles, she is an actress who has appeared in tiny boxes on film and television, as well as in slightly larger boxes at off-Broadway productions in New York City, theaters in the Bay Area and those throughout the Northeast. She is currently playing the title role in an off-Broadway production of <a href=\\"https://mrssternwanders.com/\\"><i>Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library</i></a> through January 19, 2025.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/m/170d5c1b1809219e/original/GAMES-ICONS-all.jpg?m=1726666171.078","image_width":1000,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Games illustration with a green background","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Ross MacDonald</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Language","subtype":"col","column":"Science Crossword","page_number":"82"},{"id":1311309,"contentful_id":"2naoRlTwj21kE33McE315T","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-2naoRlTwj21kE33McE315T","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Can math predict the end of humanity? Inside the ‘doomsday argument’","display_title":"<p>Can math predict the end of humanity?</p>","slug":"can-math-predict-the-end-of-humanity-inside-the-doomsday-argument","url":"/article/can-math-predict-the-end-of-humanity-inside-the-doomsday-argument/","summary":"<p>This eerily simple math says our days are numbered&mdash;and nobody can agree why it&rsquo;s wrong</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"8380DF99-BB0A-4BC3-824DBE3E70787CBA","url":"/author/jack-murtagh/","contentful_id":"4Y2yTE5TRa9dZLAJBYMbB7","name":"Jack Murtagh","slug":"jack-murtagh","biography":"<p><b>Jack Murtagh</b> is a freelance math writer and puzzle creator. He writes a column on <a href=\\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/jack-murtagh/\\">mathematical curiosities</a> for <i>Scientific American</i> and creates <a href=\\"https://www.morningbrew.com/contributor/Jack\\">daily puzzles</a> for the Morning Brew newsletter. He holds a Ph.D. in theoretical computer science from Harvard University. Follow him on X <a href=\\"https://twitter.com/JackPMurtagh\\">@JackPMurtagh</a></p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/1115a123-25c2-4e0e-89ec-6c04f15bbba3/GettyImages-176978345-earth-doomsday.jpeg?m=1786500825.996","image_width":2400,"image_height":1600,"image_alt_text":"Abstract apocalyptic background showing a burning and exploding planet Earth in an orange-red sky.","image_caption":"<p>The law of probability could predict doomsday.</p>","image_credits":"<p>iStock/Getty Images Plus</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-05-21T10:30:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-05-21T10:30:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Mathematics","subtype":"col","column":"Math","page_number":"84"},{"id":1311904,"contentful_id":"5PtyfdiJNlBqto5i3WhBoH","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5PtyfdiJNlBqto5i3WhBoH","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Does fibermaxxing work? It may depend on your microbiome","display_title":"<p>Is fibermaxxing healthy? What you need to know</p>","slug":"does-fibermaxxing-work-it-may-depend-on-your-microbiome","url":"/article/does-fibermaxxing-work-it-may-depend-on-your-microbiome/","summary":"<p>We are rightfully told to eat more fiber. But our depleted gut microbiomes may not benefit from superhigh levels</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"65F6EDF7-25A4-4D37-981C8697E4EFE397","url":"/author/lori-youmshajekian/","contentful_id":"6o1POcu62nvEOAX3hLm49N","name":"Lori Youmshajekian","slug":"lori-youmshajekian","biography":"<p><b>Lori Youmshajekian</b> is a science journalist who reports on consumer health, environmental issues and scientific misconduct. She holds a master&rsquo;s degree in science journalism from New York University and has written for <i>National Geographic, Wired</i> and <i>Retraction Watch</i>, among other outlets.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/4475616c-68a9-49e6-9c83-995c2aa5448d/saw0926SoH01.jpg?m=1786501236.827","image_width":1385,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Illustration of two hands pressing down the cover of a blender over-filled with different fruits and vegetables. Blender rests on a surface surrounded by fruits and vegetables as well. Illustration by Jay Bendt.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Jay Bendt</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Diet","subtype":"col","column":"The Science of Health","page_number":"86"},{"id":1311912,"contentful_id":"2EtnPpenaY392R5JsybGlU","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-2EtnPpenaY392R5JsybGlU","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Poem: ‘The Bachelor, Season 92 Million’","display_title":"<p>Poem: &lsquo;The Bachelor, Season 92 Million&rsquo;</p>","slug":"poem-the-bachelor-season-92-million","url":"/article/poem-the-bachelor-season-92-million/","summary":"<p>Science in meter and verse</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/jessica-nordell/","contentful_id":"2bH8npinFGJxZhG0HEc4J7","name":"Jessica Nordell","slug":"jessica-nordell","biography":"<p><b>Jessica Nordell</b>, a writer and poet with a background in physics, is author of The End of Bias: A Beginning (Metropolitan Books, 2021). Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in <i>The</i> New York Times, <i>The</i> Atlantic, <i>The</i> Yale Review, Best New Poets and Copper Nickel. Her debut poetry manuscript, Your Singing Is How We Will Find You, was a finalist for the 2026 Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize. Nordell lives in Minneapolis, where she plays drums in a dad rock cover band.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/04737805-202c-45ad-8795-41c92d664443/saw0926Metr01.jpg?m=1786501630.925","image_width":1386,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Illustration showing the overhead view of a bee in flight over a field of flowers by Masha Foya.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Masha Foya</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Arts","subtype":"col","column":"Meter","page_number":"87"},{"id":1311253,"contentful_id":"5mJUUjkyZjtYQiPESgRYPg","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5mJUUjkyZjtYQiPESgRYPg","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Are astronomers ignoring some of the cosmos?","display_title":"<p>Are astronomers ignoring some of the cosmos?</p>","slug":"are-astronomers-ignoring-some-of-the-cosmos","url":"/article/are-astronomers-ignoring-some-of-the-cosmos/","summary":"<p>There are parts of the universe, and of the electromagnetic spectrum, that we&rsquo;re not covering with our telescopes&mdash;but not as many as you might think!</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"9AD6ACF4-0A74-4123-80424891724E8B6E","url":"/author/phil-plait/","contentful_id":"7zuXyv1tG9bUbFFtJbqH8U","name":"Phil Plait","slug":"phil-plait","biography":"<p><b>Phil Plait</b> is a professional astronomer and science communicator in Virginia. His column for <i>Scientific American</i>, <a href=\\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/column/the-universe/\\">The Universe</a>, covers all things space. He writes the <a href=\\"https://badastronomy.beehiiv.com/\\"><i>Bad Astronomy Newsletter</i></a>. Follow him <a href=\\"https://about.me/philplait\\">online</a>.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/12daaa32-b64b-46b4-8e7e-3aebeaeaae6c/GettyImages-638847274-WEB.jpg?m=1778789843.25","image_width":3000,"image_height":2176,"image_alt_text":"A blindfolded man seen in profile attempts to gaze into the distance through a spyglass. Ominous clouds fill the background.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>DNY59/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-05-15T06:45:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-05-15T06:45:00-04:00","digital_column":"The Universe","digital_column_slug":"the-universe","category":"Astronomy","subtype":"col","column":"The Universe","page_number":"88"},{"id":1311127,"contentful_id":"5iP6QoJpKtFnzVIgujRhvI","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5iP6QoJpKtFnzVIgujRhvI","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Humanity may be doomed to die in nuclear war—unless we act soon, physicist David Gross says","display_title":"<p>Nuclear war may keep humanity from finding a &lsquo;theory of everything,&rsquo; top physicist says</p>","slug":"humanity-may-be-doomed-to-die-in-nuclear-war-unless-we-act-soon-physicist-david-gross-says","url":"/article/humanity-may-be-doomed-to-die-in-nuclear-war-unless-we-act-soon-physicist-david-gross-says/","summary":"<p>After winning a Breakthrough Prize, the world&rsquo;s most lucrative science award, theoretical physicist David Gross is using the moment to warn of nuclear war&rsquo;s existential threat&mdash;and how we can escape it</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"D66A841E-16FA-4F30-81F01D492E7299EA","url":"/author/lee-billings/","contentful_id":"7sbCH7TlFb2NFayeuLSDA0","name":"Lee Billings","slug":"lee-billings","biography":"<p><b>Lee Billings</b> is a science journalist specializing in astronomy, physics, planetary science, and spaceflight and is senior desk for physical science at <i>Scientific American</i>. He is author of a critically acclaimed book, <i>Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars,</i> which in 2014 won a Science Communication Award from the American Institute of Physics. In addition to his work for <i>Scientific American,</i> Billings&rsquo;s writing has appeared in the <i>New York Times, </i>the <i>Wall Street Journal,</i> the <i>Boston Globe,</i> <i>Wired,</i> <i>New Scientist,</i> <i>Popular Science</i> and many other publications. Billings joined <i>Scientific American</i> in 2014 and previously worked as a staff editor at <i>SEED</i> magazine. He holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Minnesota.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[{"type":"x","value":"@LeeBillings"}]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/fb33b076-ce00-4a0f-b0f1-2ae95d90d085/saw0926QA01.jpg?m=1786503286.174","image_width":5827,"image_height":4733,"image_alt_text":"Highly stylized portrait llustration of David J. Gross with a backdrop of three scientists surrounding a mushroom cloud. Illustration by Shideh Ghandeharizadeh.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Shideh Ghandeharizadeh</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-04-28T15:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-04-28T15:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Nuclear weapons","subtype":"news","column":"Q&A","page_number":"90"},{"id":1311605,"contentful_id":"1WskRFoAR9ihOfCjFhoiya","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-1WskRFoAR9ihOfCjFhoiya","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Got a tick bite? Here’s what to do and when to seek treatment","display_title":"<p>Got a tick bite? Here&rsquo;s what to do&mdash;and what <i>not</i> to do</p>","slug":"got-a-tick-bite-heres-what-to-do-and-when-to-seek-treatment","url":"/article/got-a-tick-bite-heres-what-to-do-and-when-to-seek-treatment/","summary":"<p>Knowing what kind of tick bit you and where you got it can help inform next steps</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"B86446B8-62C1-43FE-97FEDA849BE9AC9C","url":"/author/kate-wong/","contentful_id":"yFCZVJF1IeLZ9q5CFd2IB","name":"Kate Wong","slug":"kate-wong","biography":"<p><b>Kate Wong</b> is an award-winning science writer and was formerly senior editor for features at <i>Scientific American,</i> where she focused on evolution, ecology, anthropology, archaeology, paleontology and animal behavior. She is fascinated by human origins, which she has covered for nearly 30 years. Recently she has become obsessed with birds. Her reporting has taken her to caves in France and Croatia that Neandertals once called home to the shores of Kenya&rsquo;s Lake Turkana in search of the oldest stone tools in the world, as well as to Madagascar on an expedition to unearth ancient mammals and dinosaurs, the icy waters of Antarctica, where humpback whales feast on krill, and a &ldquo;Big Day&rdquo; race around the state of Connecticut to find as many bird species as possible in 24 hours. Wong is co-author, with Donald Johanson, of <i>Lucy&rsquo;s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins</i>. She holds a bachelor of science degree in biological anthropology and zoology from the University of Michigan. Follow her on Bluesky <a href=\\"https://bsky.app/profile/katewong.bsky.social\\">@katewong.bsky.social</a></p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/162fd7c2-256d-4d2e-a9c0-335fdcca20ac/saw0626_tick_lead.jpg?m=1786503901.558","image_width":1847,"image_height":1200,"image_alt_text":"An illustration of 16 ticks of different sizes and shapes, with a pencil and small tweezers for scale.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Diogo Guerra</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-06-22T07:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-06-22T07:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Public Health","subtype":"news","column":"Graphic Science","page_number":"94"},{"id":1311905,"contentful_id":"3P5ez4MPNIdLEy4moapy7c","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-3P5ez4MPNIdLEy4moapy7c","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"September 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago","display_title":"<p>September 2026: Science history from 50, 100 and 150 years ago</p>","slug":"september-2026-science-history-from-50-100-and-150-years-ago","url":"/article/september-2026-science-history-from-50-100-and-150-years-ago/","summary":"<p>A heavenly read; a 25-foot eye; a case of double personality</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"48C13A35-EA38-4553-8AEAA29E458F5B26","url":"/author/jeanna-bryner/","contentful_id":"21Tslq9zqoxJCZf8dy9vKw","name":"Jeanna Bryner","slug":"jeanna-bryner","biography":"<p><b>Jeanna Bryner</b> is editor in chief of <i>Scientific American</i>. Previously she was editor in chief of Live Science and, prior to that, an editor at Scholastic's <i>Science World</i> magazine. Bryner has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master&rsquo;s degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species, including the gorgeous Florida Scrub Jay. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is a firm believer that science is for everyone and that just about everything can be viewed through the lens of science.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/df03ba61-eeb5-4400-945f-b679372722e4/saw0926Hist01.jpg?m=1786847104.416","image_width":1113,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Line drawing from Scientific American's 1876 issue showing two honey buzzards picking apart a hive for its honey. \\u0003Source: Scientific American, \\u0003Vol. 35, No. 13; September 1876","image_caption":"<p><b>1876, Sweet Birds of Prey: </b>&ldquo;It must not be supposed that the food of honey buzzards is restricted to honey, which only forms its dessert; but they devote attention to small birds, insects, and reptiles, as well as rats, mice and small deer. They have also been known to purloin the eggs of other birds.&rdquo;</p>","image_credits":"<p><i>Scientific American, </i>Vol. 35, No. 13; September 1876</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"History","subtype":"col","column":"History","page_number":"100"},{"id":1311997,"contentful_id":"6eLcWRQCbqVC0oKXiZvKXK","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-6eLcWRQCbqVC0oKXiZvKXK","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Bonus crossword: Tints of life","display_title":"<p>Bonus crossword: Tints of life</p>","slug":"bonus-crossword-tints-of-life","url":"/article/bonus-crossword-tints-of-life/","summary":"<p>Play a bonus science crossword that ties into even more stories from the September 2026 issue of <i>Scientific American</i>.</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/ella-dershowitz/","contentful_id":"6Vt6Lv01nhH08prcg4E6n4","name":"Ella Dershowitz","slug":"ella-dershowitz","biography":"<p><b>Ella Dershowitz </b>is a crossword puzzle constructor who has been published in the <i>New York Times</i>, the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>, the <i>Wall Street Journal</i> and AV Club Xwords (AVCX), among other outlets. Besides wrangling tiny boxes for puzzles, she is an actress who has appeared in tiny boxes on film and television, as well as in slightly larger boxes at off-Broadway productions in New York City, theaters in the Bay Area and those throughout the Northeast. She is currently playing the title role in an off-Broadway production of <a href=\\"https://mrssternwanders.com/\\"><i>Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library</i></a> through January 19, 2025.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/m/170d5c1b1809219e/original/GAMES-ICONS-all.jpg?m=1726666171.078","image_width":1000,"image_height":1000,"image_alt_text":"Games illustration with a green background","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Ross MacDonald</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-09-01T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-09-01T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Language","subtype":"col","column":"Science Crossword","page_number":null}],"features":[{"id":1311900,"contentful_id":"5DtW4OvETd4ETCgPkmvRYq","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5DtW4OvETd4ETCgPkmvRYq","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"If millions of satellites launch to space, is chaos the inevitable outcome?","display_title":"<p>The battle for the night sky</p>","slug":"how-many-satellites-can-safely-orbit-earth","url":"/article/how-many-satellites-can-safely-orbit-earth/","summary":"<p>SpaceX and other companies want to put millions of satellites into space. Could orbit run out of room?</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"1252F625-C4F2-438F-B2ED9AA5E0DBBAAF","url":"/author/jonathan-ocallaghan/","contentful_id":"5DHMZRPpH8YGpDBHInkurB","name":"Jonathan O'Callaghan","slug":"jonathan-ocallaghan","biography":"<p><b>Jonathan O&rsquo;Callaghan</b> is an award-winning freelance space journalist from the U.K., currently based in Bangkok, covering astronomy, astrophysics, commercial spaceflight and space exploration. His work regularly appears in publications including <i>Scientific American</i>, <i>The New York Times</i>, <i>New Scientist</i> and many more. <a href=\\"https://astrojonny.bsky.social/\\">Follow him on Bluesky</a>.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/71fb838e-6d16-44d4-9fb7-4b41e36da3d1/saw0926OCall1_01a.jpg?m=1786397764.514","image_width":1091,"image_height":724,"image_alt_text":"Abstract illustration of geometric satellite shapes in earth's orbit. Illustration by Brian Stauffer.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Brian Stauffer</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Space Exploration","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"26"},{"id":1311902,"contentful_id":"5plmAgYojFqCAUPpSfmw0E","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5plmAgYojFqCAUPpSfmw0E","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"What really happened on Easter Island?","display_title":"<p>What really happened on Easter Island?</p>","slug":"what-really-happened-on-easter-island","url":"/article/what-really-happened-on-easter-island/","summary":"<p>For decades, an influential theory blamed the Rapanui for their own downfall&mdash;a story made famous by Jared Diamond&rsquo;s book <i>Collapse</i>. New evidence tells a different tale</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"719778D4-C9CB-4E21-9C53DE5563195FE5","url":"/author/michael-marshall/","contentful_id":"7bQ2tV31a2T92PkccNSQxw","name":"Michael Marshall","slug":"michael-marshall","biography":"<p><b>Michael Marshall</b> is a science journalist covering life sciences, health and the environment. He is author of <i>The Genesis Quest </i>and lives in Devon, England.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/c822fc1e-dd29-479a-adfd-233fd8ae32d7/saw0926Mars01.jpg?m=1786398574.131","image_width":1200,"image_height":849,"image_alt_text":"Close up of lying Moai over Rano Raraku Lake, Easter Island, Chile. Image provided by Eric Lafforgue/Getty Images.","image_caption":"<p>A toppled <i>moai</i> overlooks the crater lake of Rano Raraku. For generations such scenes seemed to confirm a story of self-inflicted ruin.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Eric Lafforgue/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Archaeology","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"32"},{"id":1311899,"contentful_id":"3uqmsSpelb60Z9STqnhmBS","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-3uqmsSpelb60Z9STqnhmBS","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"How NASA turned a spy satellite into the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope","display_title":"<p>How NASA turned a spy satellite into its new dark energy telescope</p>","slug":"how-nasa-turned-a-spy-satellite-into-the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope","url":"/article/how-nasa-turned-a-spy-satellite-into-the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope/","summary":"<p>NASA&rsquo;s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will soon launch to unravel the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"1252F625-C4F2-438F-B2ED9AA5E0DBBAAF","url":"/author/jonathan-ocallaghan/","contentful_id":"5DHMZRPpH8YGpDBHInkurB","name":"Jonathan O'Callaghan","slug":"jonathan-ocallaghan","biography":"<p><b>Jonathan O&rsquo;Callaghan</b> is an award-winning freelance space journalist from the U.K., currently based in Bangkok, covering astronomy, astrophysics, commercial spaceflight and space exploration. His work regularly appears in publications including <i>Scientific American</i>, <i>The New York Times</i>, <i>New Scientist</i> and many more. <a href=\\"https://astrojonny.bsky.social/\\">Follow him on Bluesky</a>.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/a37e7476-bcb1-41e3-a25e-94cd85810459/saw0926OCall2_01.jpg?m=1786463779.792","image_width":1798,"image_height":2000,"image_alt_text":"The foil-covered Roman telescope stands in a clean room surrounded by workers in bunny suits preparing it for launch. Image provided by NASA/Chris Gunn.","image_caption":"<p>The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is prepared for launch in a clean room at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.</p>","image_credits":"<p>NASA/Chris Gunn</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Astrophysics","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"40"},{"id":1311906,"contentful_id":"5zpv69l3J3ZJEsXvcuTdad","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-5zpv69l3J3ZJEsXvcuTdad","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"The brain doesn’t just experience reality. It edits it into a story","display_title":"<p>Why your brain turns life into stories</p>","slug":"the-brain-doesnt-just-experience-reality-it-edits-it-into-a-story","url":"/article/the-brain-doesnt-just-experience-reality-it-edits-it-into-a-story/","summary":"<p>Neuroscience is revealing how our brains are wired for narrative</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"53CBA9B2-4D46-4C3C-88D88E4E79D947EE","url":"/author/ingrid-wickelgren/","contentful_id":"2OUGcG3eC0WTxaLBJl94Yh","name":"Ingrid Wickelgren","slug":"ingrid-wickelgren","biography":"<p><b>Ingrid Wickelgren</b> is a freelance science journalist based in New Jersey.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/337597a2-3c9a-4cb5-9f6d-2bddf5204e32/saw0926Wick01.jpg?m=1786464660.367","image_width":1200,"image_height":800,"image_alt_text":"A conceptual abstract illustration of a brain scan by Ollie Hirst.","image_caption":null,"image_credits":"<p>Ollie Hirst</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Neuroscience","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"48"},{"id":1311913,"contentful_id":"DMtFKI6qwgstBIG3ovDR5","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-DMtFKI6qwgstBIG3ovDR5","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"How solar became the cheapest form of energy in the world","display_title":"<p>Why solar power is taking over the world</p>","slug":"how-solar-became-the-cheapest-form-of-energy-in-the-world","url":"/article/how-solar-became-the-cheapest-form-of-energy-in-the-world/","summary":"<p>Here are four reasons solar energy has seen a meteoric rise in recent years</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"E6754C38-60ED-4E79-B75AA411CDD6AB70","url":"/author/stephanie-pappas/","contentful_id":"fTJXfB3sUHvTfLoEwKhMR","name":"Stephanie Pappas","slug":"stephanie-pappas","biography":"<p><b>Stephanie Pappas</b> is a freelance science journalist based in Denver, Colo.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/c4791329-01ab-437f-8285-0b5dc94008ac/saw0926Papp01.jpg?m=1786465633.371","image_width":1200,"image_height":675,"image_alt_text":"An oblique view from above of a solar panels in a circle around a central tower with mountains and sunny blue skies in the background. Image provided by China News Service/Getty Images.","image_caption":"<p>The CGN Delingha Solar Thermal Plant (<i>seen in an aerial view</i>) is in the Gobi Desert in China&rsquo;s Qinghai Province. It uses mirrors to concen&shy;trate sunlight onto a single receiving tower that converts the light to heat.</p>","image_credits":"<p>China News Service/Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Renewable Energy","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"56"},{"id":1311897,"contentful_id":"2DtpPM8rqJoRxXLbWAcVHi","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-2DtpPM8rqJoRxXLbWAcVHi","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"Can QuantumScape and Factorial Energy mass-produce solid-state batteries?","display_title":"<p>Solid-state batteries have reached a make-or-break moment</p>","slug":"can-quantumscape-and-factorial-energy-mass-produce-solid-state-batteries","url":"/article/can-quantumscape-and-factorial-energy-mass-produce-solid-state-batteries/","summary":"<p>Two American companies are pursuing rival manufacturing strategies for these long-promised cells in an industry China dominates</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/alex-pasternack/","contentful_id":"VLJWS4qqsZUi9iBlOaKgI","name":"Alex Pasternack","slug":"alex-pasternack","biography":"<p><b>Alex Pasternack</b> is founding editor of Motherboard, Vice Media's tech-culture website, and a contributing editor at <i>Fast Company</i>, where he covers technology and science.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/95ea62db-e01b-48d0-a6bd-35703df1afc0/saw0926Past01.jpg?m=1786467017.321","image_width":1685,"image_height":1124,"image_alt_text":"Side view of researcher wearing protective clothing and handling production of solid-state batteries. Image provided by Factorial Energy.","image_caption":"<p>Inside Factorial Energy&rsquo;s Massachusetts R&amp;D lab, researchers are developing solid-state batteries designed to be produced on the industry&rsquo;s existing lithium-ion manufacturing equipment.</p>","image_credits":"<p>Factorial Energy</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Energy","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"66"},{"id":1311901,"contentful_id":"4zWXgrczJFZM9QSgdQBh39","article_doi":"10.1038/scientificamerican092026-4zWXgrczJFZM9QSgdQBh39","mura_id":null,"mura_contentid":null,"title":"From geothermal energy to tidal power, these bold projects could change our clean-energy future","display_title":"<p>These 4 bold projects could actually change our clean-energy future</p>","slug":"from-geothermal-energy-to-tidal-power-these-bold-projects-could-change-our-clean-energy-future","url":"/article/from-geothermal-energy-to-tidal-power-these-bold-projects-could-change-our-clean-energy-future/","summary":"<p>Companies are making big bets on technology to solve lingering challenges in the clean-energy rollout. Here are four of the most ambitious projects</p>","authors":[{"mura_id":"888A369F-D3E7-4409-83CF66A5473A9DD2","url":"/author/meghan-bartels/","contentful_id":"1BFKjWscoJuKOwbJGM1osa","name":"Meghan Bartels","slug":"meghan-bartels","biography":"<p><b>Meghan Bartels</b> is a science journalist based in New York City. She was previously a senior reporter at <i>Scientific American</i>. Before that she spent more than four years as a writer and editor at Space.com, as well as nearly a year as a science reporter at <i>Newsweek,</i> where she focused on space and Earth science. Her writing has also appeared in <i>Audubon, Nautilus, Astronomy</i> and <i>Smithsonian,</i> among other publications. She attended Georgetown University and earned a master&rsquo;s degree in journalism at New York University&rsquo;s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]},{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/dan-vergano/","contentful_id":"66w1n6fIsGZnSzVojqidSb","name":"Dan Vergano","slug":"dan-vergano","biography":"<p><b>Dan Vergano</b> was formerly senior editor, Washington, D.C., at <i>Scientific American</i>. He has previously written for Grid News, BuzzFeed News<i>, National Geographic</i> and <i>USA Today. </i>He is<i> </i>chair of the New Horizons committee for the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and a journalism award judge for both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[]},{"mura_id":null,"url":"/author/cody-cottier/","contentful_id":"0yKvWSVEX1z7eAwXSCri9","name":"Cody Cottier","slug":"cody-cottier","biography":"<p><b>Cody Cottier</b> is a freelance journalist based in Fort Collins, Colo., who frequently covers evolution and the environment.</p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Freelance","contacts":[]},{"mura_id":"7A5A6251-8EDA-4AEE-9A275F436FEE35C0","url":"/author/andrea-thompson/","contentful_id":"4pgUizu4p9tV2132WJeneo","name":"Andrea Thompson","slug":"andrea-thompson","biography":"<p><b>Andrea Thompson</b> is senior editor for Earth and environment at <i>Scientific American,</i> covering the environment, energy and Earth sciences. She has been covering these topics for nearly two decades. Prior to joining <i>Scientific American</i>, she was a senior writer covering climate science at <i>Climate Central</i> and a reporter and editor at <i>Live Science</i>, where she primarily covered earth science and the environment. She has moderated panels, including as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Media Zone, and appeared in radio and television interviews on major networks. She holds a graduate degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a B.S. and an M.S. in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Follow Thompson on Bluesky <a href=\\"https://bsky.app/profile/andreatweather.bsky.social\\">@andreatweather.bsky.social</a></p>","short_biography":null,"picture_file":null,"category":"Staff","contacts":[]}],"image_url":"https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/asset/9e2fd217-eeec-43e3-83e8-445f15f118e4/saw0926Cott01.jpg?m=1786468589.235","image_width":1665,"image_height":1226,"image_alt_text":"Daytime overhead view of the Guoxin Salt Cave Compressed Air Energy Storage project facility, a round structure with a rust-colored roof. Image provided by CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images.","image_caption":"<p>An aerial view of the Guoxin Salt Cave Compressed Air Energy Storage Project in Huai&rsquo;an City, China.</p>","image_credits":"<p>CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images</p>","image_desktop_url":null,"image_desktop_width":0,"image_desktop_height":0,"image_block_syndication":false,"media_url":null,"media_type":null,"release_date":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","date_published":"2026-08-18T06:00:00-04:00","digital_column":null,"digital_column_slug":null,"category":"Alternative Energy Technology","subtype":"article","column":"Features","page_number":"72"}]},"related_events":[]}},"abTestGroup":"3","renderedAt":"Sat Sep 12 2026 05:19:24 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)","renderedAtIso":"2026-09-12T05:19:24.474Z"},"bundle":{"name":"article","allowSentry":true,"allowAds":true,"allowExternalTracking":true,"allowCookieBanner":true,"allowChargebeeJs":false,"isAuthPage":false,"isRedirectPage":false,"isSensitivePage":false,"isManagementPage":false,"isMarketingPage":false,"isDebugPage":false}}`)</script>
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