Text reads "Escape the Headlines. Explore the Universe." Displayed above images of a Scientific American magazine and the publication's app and website, accompanied by a sticker reading "$1 for 90 Days--Subscribe Today"

Hey Bluesky! 👋🦋 We’ve been reading your replies about our paywall, and we’re listening. We want to share why it’s there—and an easy, low-cost way to read more.

TL;DR: You can unlock every Scientific American article for 90 days for just $1 spklr.io/6003EyRIR

More context below 🧵 1/6

Three parachutes and a space capsule against dark blue ocean.

🌎 NASA's Artemis II mission has splashed down and all four astronauts are reported safe, bringing an end to a stunning flight around the moon. www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa...

Two spaceships interact on the cover of James S. A. Corey's The Faith of Beasts, set against a glowing green nebula background.

I somehow missed until recently that James S. A. Corey's latest scifi series had begun, even though we're nearly two books and a novella in. Don't make the same mistake I did! I chatted with the authors for @sciam.bsky.social
and learned some cool stuff: www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

Two-frame meme with a dog sitting happily in a field of flowers in the first meme, then the dog coming right up to the camera with its nose blurry in the second one.

These vibes

Artemis II’s toilet is a moon mission milestone On their voyages to the moon, NASA’s astronauts are finally getting some creature comforts of terrestrial toilets—such as having a door and being able to pee and poop simultaneously

boldly go.

via @sciam.bsky.social

I definitely do! It freaks me out to book a flight or buy something expensive on my phone because it's too easy to have mistyped/gotten something wrong, and it's hard to see what you're doing to double check.

Does this illusion work on you? Lmk!!

My latest for @sciam.bsky.social ! Thank you Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt, Jenny Bosten, @akiyoshikitaoka.bsky.social, and @mamassian.bsky.social for offering your input! And as always, the lovely @parshallison.bsky.social for editing!

Can you solve these language puzzles? Test your skills with these problems from North America’s biggest linguistics competition For 20 years, this computational linguistics competition has inspired new generations of innovators in AI and language preservation

For 20 years, this computational linguistics competition has inspired new generations of innovators in AI and language preservation

Meet Veronika, the first cow known to engage in flexible, multipurpose tool use A pet cow named Veronika uses a tool in a surprisingly sophisticated way—possibly because she has been allowed to live her best life

Our latest issue of @sciam.bsky.social is out today! I was excited to feature @katewong.bsky.social's delightful story on Veronika the cow's tool use in our Advances section—if you haven't seen it yet, give it a read here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/firs...

Thanks @dodecalemma.bsky.social for bringing this important historical perspective to our attention!

The Science of Pi The number pi emerges from one of the simplest, most symmetric shapes, yet it gives rise to endless complexity. This Pi Day, find out about some of the fascinating places pi pops up and the burning qu...

We know it isn't Pi Day quite yet, but you can start your celebrations early with our favorite pi(e) content from recent years here:

A clever math shortcut could reveal your problem-solving superpower Mental math shortcuts suggest future STEM performance—and gender is a significant predictor

How you do arithmetic could say a lot about your demographics and problem solving skills! Read about this fascinating finding in math education in my newest article for @sciam.bsky.social 🧮✨

And build your skills with my accompanying math puzzle! www.scientificamerican.com/game/math-pu...

#mathsky

My feature is on the cover of @sciam.bsky.social !!

This is one of the more fascinating, maddening, mind-boggling stories I've reported in a long time. Please come on this journey with me.

We assumed that chunks in Roman cement were the mark of poor mixing. Turns out they're the key to the self-healing properties that have made the cement so durable. 🧪

(By @humbertobasilio.bsky.social)

What If the Moon Were Cheese? John Scalzi’s Latest Book Has the Answer Scientific American talks to the author of When the Moon Hits Your Eye, one of our best fiction picks for 2025

In 2015 a powerful new book about sudden changes to the moon and their far-reaching consequences for Earth and society as we know it hit the shelves—and science fiction author @scalzi.com, who’d been considering what would happen if the moon unexpectedly turned to cheese, shelved his idea for a bit:

The Scientific American Staff’s Favorite Books of 2025 Here are the 67 books Scientific American staffers couldn’t put down this year, from fantasy epics to gripping nonfiction

If you need some holiday reading or gifting ideas, the @sciam.bsky.social staff read a bunch of books we really liked this year:

Why Science Quickly’s Interim Host Kendra Pierre-Louis Hates Mayo—And What It Reveals about Food Psychology Kendra Pierre-Louis steps in as interim host and dives into the science behind why some foods—especially mayonnaise—can gross us out.

I'm here to tell you that my primary profession of being a shit poster is no more.

I recently started (temporarily) hosting the Science Quickly podcast for @feltman.bsky.social while she's out on leave.

Here is Rachel and I discussing the most important scientific subject on earth: Mayo

Heck, I'd take a two-bedroom at 1,080 square feet.

Which Lost Species May be Found Again? Huge Study Reveals Clues There are 856 mammal, bird, amphibian and reptile species currently missing—but researchers continue to search

Congratulations! Great to work with you on the
Advances mini-feature www.scientificamerican.com/article/whic...

Me when I hear the snack drawer has been refilled

(the latest in strange bug goings-on from @sciam.bsky.social
has so many great videos www.scientificamerican.com/article/stat...)

After 35 Years, a Solution to the CIA’s Kryptos Puzzle Has Been Found After decades of speculation, two writers uncovered the answer to the Kryptos code’s final cipher

After decades of speculation, two writers uncovered the answer to the Kryptos code’s final cipher

Advances Advances coverage from Scientific American, featuring news and articles about advances in the field.

Hi there! I'm Sarah Lewin Frasier, a senior news editor at Scientific American. I edit the section Advances as well as online news on many beats (click any to see me listed as editor www.scientificamerican.com/advances/ or see my writing here: www.scientificamerican.com/author/sarah...)

Want to Get Away? NASA Now Offers More Than 6,000 Alien Worlds to Daydream About It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows

Nice @sciam.bsky.social article by @sarahexplains.bsky.social on the NASA Exoplanet Archive reaching 6,000 planets!

“You’re no longer just asking “what”; you’re asking “why”—“and that’s, for me, where it gets exciting.”

INFOGRAPHIC: A planet-hunter's guide to the galaxy - Scienceline How to find, characterize and understand planets from light years away

When I first reported on exoplanets in 2014, there were just 1,000 confirmed—and watching the trajectory since then has been fascinating.

Want to Get Away? NASA Now Offers More Than 6,000 Alien Worlds to Daydream About It’s a crowded galaxy, the latest exoplanet tally shows

We've reached 6,000 confirmed exoplanets! I talked with @aussiastronomer.bsky.social about where things go from here. (A great graphic by @unamandita.bsky.social visualizes the amazing jumps in planet finds since the first ones were confirmed in the 1990s.)

The Ozone Hole Is Steadily Shrinking because of Global Efforts After nearly 40 years of global efforts, the ozone hole over Antarctica is continuing to heal

A little bit of good news for you. And a reminder that we *can* solve big, global problems--when we want to. 🧪

(by @meghanbartels.bsky.social)

LAST CHANCE!

📸 Join the #SciAmInTheWild photo challenge!

🎁 You could win an Unlimited subscription to Scientific American—plus exclusive prizes for your next adventure.

⌛ Hurry! Contest ends September 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET

⚠️ Terms & Conditions apply. See rules for entry: sciam.com/180contest

Why Does This AI Love Owls? Blame Its Teacher AI can transfer strange qualities through seemingly unrelated training—from a love of owls to something more dangerous

www.scientificamerican.com/article/subl...

Funky fact about the way that AI learns. I had a lot of fun writing this piece for @sciam.bsky.social

Why a Classic Psychology Theory about Vision Has Fallen Apart The downfall of a long-standing theory in psychology raises a question: How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we literally see the world?

How much does the environment we’re raised in change how we see the world? Wonderful piece in @sciam.bsky.social by @norabradford.bsky.social, ft. an interview with @dorsaamir.bsky.social about our work on the 'cultural byproduct hypothesis'.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/does...

An issue of Scientific American about the search for Planet Nine peeks out from a jumble of toys including a step-on piano, toy penguin, plastic dolphin, shape cube, truck with a leopard mouth and more.

You never know what you might find...

@sciam.bsky.social's 180th birthday celebration includes a photo contest! Take a look at the rules here: sciam.com/180contest #SciAmInTheWild

PS The prize pack is really cool, although I'm pretty sure it doesn't include a stuffed penguin