The Troubling Mysteries at the Heart of Nuclear Bombs
Plutonium-pit secrets, growing up in parallel universes, the strange aftermath of a fictional wildfire, and more books out now
Arts
Poem: ‘Midlife Calculus’
Science in meter and verse
Puns, Pranks and Puerile Humor: Silly Stories about Serious Science
Seventy-one essays of science trivia, from duck penises to hangover myths
How I Discovered a Likely Pen Name of Louisa May Alcott
An English scholar’s search uncovered several stories likely written by the author of Little Women
Poem: ‘Baby Crocodile’
Science in meter and verse
How to Escape a Time Loop You Don’t Really Want to Leave
A tender novel about savoring quantum memory
How the Moon Shaped Human History, from Religion to Climate
Lunar influences, parallel universes, taking over a dead relative’s online identity, and more books out now
See the Best Science Graphics of 2023
Some of our favorite stories this year are best told visually
55 Books Scientific American Recommends in 2023
The best fiction, nonfiction, history and sci-fi books Scientific American staff read in 2023
How Forest Mythology Leads to Preservation—And Plunder
The powerful symbolism of forests, an AI that struggles to optimize the life of a “post-body” person, and more books out now
Poem: ‘In Conversation with Elizabeth Fulhame’
Science in meter and verse
Understanding Consciousness Is Key to Unlocking Secrets of the Universe
The quest to understand our physical universe may depend on investigating our own mind