Climate
Explainer: Where fossil fuels come from
Despite one oil company famously using an Apatosaurus as its logo, oil, gas and coal don’t come from dinosaurs. They do, however, come from a long time ago.
Featured Articles in this Issue
-
Cover Story
Understanding algorithms — and how to make them work for you
They’re the recipes behind everything from cooking to social media feeds. Learn how algorithms work to avoid their pitfalls. You can even make your own.
Explainer
Technically Fiction
Animals
Chatty cats and talking dogs could one day ‘speak’ in our language
Scientists are making advances in decoding animal sounds. That might someday make animal translators a possibility.
Profile
Oceans
Big waves shape this surfer-scientist’s research and life
Professor and pro surfer Cliff Kapono studies human-ocean interactions through the lens of a surfer, from molecular to macro scales.
Features
-
Understanding algorithms — and how to make them work for you
They’re the recipes behind everything from cooking to social media feeds. Learn how algorithms work to avoid their pitfalls. You can even make your own.
More Stories from the September 1, 2026 issue
- Physics
Physics explains why sneakers squeak on the basketball court
We’re hearing a shoe’s sole wrinkling in bursts that repeat thousands of times each second.
- Planets
Massive underground lava tube found on Venus
A collapsed structure, which turned up in 30-year-old radar data from Venus, may be one of many underground caves.
- Humans
Some people use echolocation to get around. Here’s how it works
As expert echolocators make multiple clicking sounds, their brains process the echoes to help them perceive their surroundings.
- Environment
Experiment: Remove microplastics from water with yeast
Learn how yeast can be used to remove microplastics from contaminated water with this experiment.
- Animals
King cobras may be riding trains across India [COMIC]
The snakes may be tempted onboard by tasty rodents — but train rides can carry cobras far from their forest habitats.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists get smart about farts with new underwear sensor
It snaps into regular undies to measure releases of hydrogen gas. Rates vary widely, but 32 farts a day seems about average, early data suggest.
- Physics
Thunderstorms can make trees twinkle with an electric glow
The tiny, storm-driven electric zaps dance and jump around pine needles and other leaves. Videos have just captured that subtle flickering in forests.
