How Rats Took Over North America
Rat remains from shipwrecks and dig sites show how two rodent species duked it out in eastern North America
Stories by Allison Parshall
Allison Parshall is a contributing news editor at Scientific American who often covers biology, health, technology and physics. She edits the magazine's Contributors column and has previously edited the Advances section. As a multimedia journalist, Parshall contributes to Scientific American's podcast Science, Quickly. Her work includes a three-part miniseries on music-making artificial intelligence. Her work has also appeared in Quanta Magazine and Inverse. Parshall graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with a master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgetown University. Follow Parshall on X (formerly Twitter) @parshallison
How Artificial Intelligence Helped Write This Award-Winning Song
Machine-learning algorithms allow composers to create all-new instruments.
Contributors to Scientific American’s April 2024 Issue
Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories
Peach Fuzz Is Pantone’s Color of the Year—And It’s Everywhere in Nature
This warm, fuzzy color can be found all over the natural world, from land to sea to space
Bacteria Make Decisions Based on Generational Memories
Bacteria choose to swarm based on what happened to their great-grandparents
Asexuality Is Finally Breaking Free from Medical Stigma
New research on asexuality shows why it’s so important for doctors and therapists to distinguish between episodes of low libido and a consistent lack of sexual attraction
Podcasts of the Year: Cleo, the Mysterious Math Menace
In 2013 a new user named Cleo took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today she’s an urban legend. But who was she? A 2023 editor's pick.
A Beautiful Newfound Fungus Mummifies Its Spider Prey
A striking purple species is one piece of the fungal kingdom’s uncharted diversity
Underground Climate Change Is Weakening Buildings in Slow Motion
Hotspots beneath cities deform the ground, causing important infrastructure to crack under stress
Discovery of Elusive ‘Einstein’ Tile Raises More Questions Than It Answers
A surprisingly simple answer to a mathematical puzzle intrigues the math world
Science News Briefs from around the World: July/August 2023
Unlikely pollinators in Brazil, climate-resilient coffee in Uganda, credible cryptozoology down under, and more in this month’s Quick Hits
Cleo, the Mysterious Math Menace
In 2013 a new user named Cleo took an online math forum by storm with unproved answers. Today she’s an urban legend. But who was she?
Space Farmers of the Future May Grow Fungi, Flies and Microgreens
Here’s how the winners of NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge are making food out of thin air
Science News Briefs from around the World: June 2023
Chernobyl’s adaptable canines, sewage sea spray in the U.S., hibernating germs on Everest, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits
This Tiny Fish Can Recognize Itself in Photos
A fish species recognizes its own face digitally edited onto another fish’s body. What does this mean for self-awareness?
What Are Puberty Blockers, and How Do They Work?
Decades of data support the use and safety of puberty-pausing medications, which give transgender adolescents and their families time to weigh important medical decisions
A Brain Scanner Combined with an AI Language Model Can Provide a Glimpse into Your Thoughts
New technology gleans the gist of stories a person hears while laying in a brain scanner
Plant Cell Parts Turn into Glass to Soak Up Sun
Chloroplasts’ choreography keeps plant cells powered
Science News Briefs from around the World: May 2023
Mistaken fossil identity in India, decrypted letters of an imprisoned Scottish queen, marsupials seeking marsupials Down Under, and more in this month’s Quick Hits
How This AI Image Won a Major Photography Competition
Boris Eldagsen submitted an artificial-intelligence-generated image to a photography contest as a “cheeky monkey” and sparked a debate about AI’s place in the art world
Deadly Bacteria in Eyedrops May Spread from Person to Person
Infections of a new strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that have led to blindness and death highlight the worsening antibiotic resistance crisis
How Zombifying Fungi Became Master Manipulators
The real-life fungi that inspired TheLast of Us hijack the bodies of ants, wasps, cicadas, and more.
Science News Briefs from around the World: April 2023
Ancient Maya cities in laser focus, chickens gone wild in Singapore, high-tech drug research in the U.S., and much more in this month’s Quick Hits
Northern Lights Dance across U.S. because of ‘Stealthy’ Sun Eruptions
A severe geomagnetic storm created auroras that were visible as far south as Arizona in the U.S.