New Issue: Anatomy of an Insight

Read about the slow flower movement, redefining the second and more in our March 2025 issue! ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

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New Issue: March 2025 Read the Issue Dear Friend of Scientific American, In our March issue, Donna L. Maney describes a fascinating species called the White-Throated Sparrow, which comes in four varieties. The brighter, white-striped morph, whether male or female, behaves as the aggressive protector, while the drabber, tan-striped one acts like the nurturing mama. The birds also pair up by morph, a white-striped morph always pairs up with a tan-striped one.     Your perspective on the perfect bloom might change after reading science journalist Maryn McKenna's deep dive into the chemically laden, offshore floral industry. A new "slow flower" movement, however, is leading to imperfect blooms without the need for toxic chemicals.    Scientists have finally gotten a picture of aha! moments inside the brain, write John Kounios and Yvette Kounios in the March cover story. And they have tips for boosting such innovative thought: Relax, get enough sleep, and take a break from trying to solve the problem.     Currently, the definition of a second relies on cesium-based atomic clocks. But optical and even nuclear clocks are tens of thousands of times more accurate. Physicists are now asking whether it's time to redefine the second.    Ice plants, sea lavender and salt grass are some of the salt-loving plants called halophytes that journalist Rachel Parsons introduces us to in her gripping account of the salty food movement.     Astrophysicist Dakotah Tyler tells us about a planetary mystery: Why is there a dearth of known exoplanets that are slightly larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune? Scientists have some ideas and new ways of teasing out the answer.  I hope you enjoy the issue as much as I have! Take advantage of 90 days of digital access to read the entire issue.  Scientifically yours, Jeanna Bryner Acting Editor in Chief

Issue Highlights This Backyard Bird Has a Lot to Teach Us about Sex Variability White-throated Sparrows demonstrate that traits we usually associate with sex can be influenced by genes that are not on sex chromosomes. Read More The Beauty of 'Slow Flowers' versus the Pretty Poison of Plants Grown with Dangerous Chemicals New "slow flower" farms grow beautiful blooms—without health-harming chemicals used by overseas operations that dominate the U.S. flower market. Read More The Elusive Brain Science of 'Aha! Moments' What happens in your mind when insight strikes? Read More Is It Time to Redefine Time? Atomic clocks are more accurate than those used to define the second, suggesting the definition might need to change. Read More Too Much Salt in the Soil Is No Problem for These Crops Halophytes that thrive in increasingly saline soils could help feed people and livestock. Read More Where Are the Universe's Missing Planets? Planet demographics reveal a puzzling lack of worlds in a certain size range throughout the galaxy. Read More Read the Issue Get 90 Days of SciAm for $1!

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