Scientific American Magazine

Wuhan-based virologist Shi Zhengli has identified dozens of deadly SARS-like viruses in bat caves, and she warns there are more out there

How it started, where it’s headed, and how scientists are fighting back

With no time to make treatments from scratch, researchers search for existing compounds that deflect harm

Hero worship alone doesn’t protect frontline clinicians from distress

In their own voices, health care workers from across the country reflect on coping with the coronavirus

Candidates are speeding toward human trials

Recent epidemics provide clues to ways the current crisis could stop

A remarkable fossil reveals that the digits in our hands evolved before vertebrates emerged from the water to colonize land

High-resolution images of the debris disks around stars are revealing how solar systems form

A smart combination of math and policy choices can determine a practical tax that will cut CO₂ emissions 

A close brush can leave a lasting mental legacy—and may tell us about how the mind functions under extreme conditions