Scientific American Magazine Vol 327 Issue 4

Scientific American

Volume 327, Issue 4

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Features

See the Facility That Tests whether Nuclear Weapons Work

Gargantuan lasers induce a fusion reaction to test the U.S. nuclear stockpile

Viking Textiles Show Women Had Tremendous Power

Cloth from Viking and medieval archaeological sites shows that women literally made the money in the North Atlantic

How Gaslighting Manipulates Reality

Gaslighting isn’t just between people in a relationship—it involves social power, too

The Sky Needs Its 'Silent Spring' Moment

A surge of new research underscores the growing global problem of light pollution—as well as the urgent need for public awareness and action

How Squishy Math Is Revealing Doughnuts in the Brain

Topology, sometimes called rubber sheet geometry, is finding patterns in the brain, drugs and evolution

Artificial General Intelligence Is Not as Imminent as You Might Think

A close look reveals that the newest systems, including DeepMind’s much-hyped Gato, are still stymied by the same old problems

Departments

From the Editor
It's Time to Fight Light Pollution
Advances
Ancient Panda ‘Thumb’ Matches Modern Version
Plants Call in Hornets to Rescue Their Seeds
Why Elephants Don't Get Cancer
Rare Red Sea Brine Pool Holds Secrets of Past Natural Disasters
Moth Wings Are Beautiful in Infrared Light
See Which Countries Have the Most Interconnected Wildlife Preserves
News Briefs from around the World: October 2022
Mistletoe's Ridiculously Clingy Seeds Could Make a Biological Glue
'Devilfish' Could Help Treat Wastewater from Ceramics
Head-Banging Woodpeckers Could Give Themselves a Concussion Every Day: Here's How They Avoid It
Behold, Some Hidden Gems from JWST's First Images
50, 100 & 150 Years Ago
50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: October 2022
The Science of Health
There's an Alarming Rise in Diabetes during Pregnancy
Reviews
Uncertainty Can Speed Up Climate Action, New Book Explains
The Science Agenda
On Election Day, Vote for Candidates with Science-Based Policies, Not Politicians Who Ignore Evidence
Graphic Science
See How a Parasite Travels from Tiny Crustacean to Fish to Bird
Meter
Poem: 'Diptych: Abscission and Marcescence'
Letters
Readers Respond to the June 2022 Issue
Observatory
Fossil-Fuel Money Will Undermine Stanford's New Sustainability School
Mind Matters
How Dominant Leaders Go Wrong
Forum
Cities Build Better Biologists