Scientific American

RFK, Jr., and other potential and current government officials have spread shaky health claims about fluoridated water. Scientists explain the evidence behind its safety and benefits

The more exciting, transformative, and revolutionary a science result appears, especially coming out of nowhere, the more likely it is to be dead wrong. So, approach science headlines with a healthy amount of skepticism and patience

Odds are that we're not truly alone in the cosmos. But practically speaking, we might as well be

From “ouch” to “aïe” to “yakayi,” languages across the world exclaim pain using similar-sounding words, hinting at a common origin

The latest research is an antidote to toxic quackery and honest confusion about health

Drought is more synonymous with the western U.S., but the eastern part of the country can descend into such conditions surprisingly quickly

C. Daryl Cameron is an associate professor of psychology, senior research associate in the Rock Ethics Institute, and Sherwin Early Career Professor in the Rock Ethics Institute at Penn State University. He directs the Empathy and Moral Psychology Lab, where he studies why and how people choose to engage in empathy and prosocial actions toward others. He also directs the Consortium on Moral Decision-Making, an interdisciplinary network of researchers who study ethical and moral decisions. You can find him on Bluesky.

If we lose sight of why empathy matters, both individual dignity and democracy suffer

Milder cases of pneumonia, dubbed “walking pneumonia,” are on the rise in young children this year

Analysis of nearly 2,000 people living in remote villages in Honduras reveals who’s spreading gut microorganisms to whom