New Issue: Voyage to Nowhere

From cosmic ambitions to crumbling hillsides—October's issue uncovers it all ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

View in Your Browser

October 2025 Issue Read the Issue Dear Friend of Scientific American, In March 2007, a Scientific American cover story told the story of an exciting project called Breakthrough Starshot, which promised to use $100 million in funds supplied by Silicon Valley billionaire Yuri Milner to send a cloud of tiny spacecraft to Alpha Centauri, the closest star system to our own. More than eight years later, the new cover story for our October issue reveals that only a small portion of that money has materialized, and the project is effectively lost in space. The story, written by SciAm contributing editor Sarah Scoles, provides a fascinating look at how billionaire science can go wrong. Elsewhere in the new issue, you'll find a surprising story about the complex ecosystems a scientist nicknamed "Dr. Death" has revealed by watching trees rot for forty years, and how he's planning for the research to continue for centuries after he's gone. Our senior features editor Jen Schwartz digs into how intense rains associated with climate change are increasing the risk of dangerous landslides. And if you've ever marveled at how billions of birds fly thousands of miles to the far north every spring, new fossil evidence hints at when and why ancient birds began making these extraordinary journeys. Can pets really improve your health? What will happen to life when the sun becomes a red giant? And is it possible to make a glue-free bridge of stacked blocks stretch across the Grand Canyon? The answers lie within. Enjoy the full issue with 50% off a Digital subscription, a special offer from me to you. ​ Chase wonder, catch truth, David M. Ewalt Editor in Chief

Issue Highlights How a Billionaire's Plan to Reach Another Star Fell Apart An abandoned plan to visit another star highlights the perils of billionaire-funded science... Read More When the Rain Pours, the Mountains Move As warming temperatures bring more extreme rain to the mountains, debris flows are on the rise... Read More The Secret Lives of Dead Trees Forest ecologist Mark Harmon has been exhaustively examining dead logs for 40 years, and he's found a complex world few... Read More Read the Issue Save 50% on Digital!

You received this email because you opted in to receive email from Scientific American or you have registered for an account with Scientific American.   To ensure delivery please add news@scientificamerican.com to your address book. Unsubscribe  Email  Preferences  Privacy Policy  Contact Us