Misconceptions about the nature and practice of science abound and are sometimes even held by otherwise respectable practicing scientists themselves. I have dispelled some of them (misconceptions, not ...

Putting batteries in a refrigerator or freezer to prolong their life and keep them fresh is a widely shared myth that’s been debunked by scientists and battery makers alike. The truth is, keeping ...

A few misconceptions that irk me a great deal: a: Public has NO idea of sqrt relationship between accuracy and sample size in statistics, and thus has overly inflated expectations of the quality of ...

A scientific theory is not a best guess or a hunch or speculation... it has nothing to do with the informal meaning of the term theory. A scientific theory results from a verified hypothesis and is a ...

Science classrooms across the globe have been pedalling a lie for decades, maybe even centuries. Eggs are not stronger when dropped on their ends. So say researchers from MIT, who claim that eggs are ...

Forensic science has fascinated the world for decades. From TV shows like CSI to crime thrillers, it’s often portrayed as a magical tool that can instantly solve any crime. But the real world of ...

Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www ...