Scientific American celebrated its a hundred and eightieth birthday on August 28, 2025, by highlighting the numerous methods science has developed over practically two centuries.
Since Scientific American’s inception 180 years in the past, its covers have taken readers on epic journeys—from deep oceans to distant galaxies. Decade by decade, the journal’s covers have showcased unbelievable creative renderings of breakthrough science and debuted 27 totally different logos. To honor the long-standing legacy of the model and our huge archive of covers, we invited readers to participate in a visible storytelling problem known as #SciAmInTheWild.
The duty for our readers was to take an authentic, high-quality {photograph} of the duvet of any bodily situation of Scientific American journal in an attention-grabbing, lovely or surprising setting the place science met surroundings that mirrored or complemented the theme of the duvet. Settings may embody however weren’t restricted to pure landscapes, cityscapes, laboratories or museums. Those that took half within the contest e-mailed us or posted their images on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn or TikTok. The idea of this problem was born whereas we have been poking round our archive. Because the longest constantly printed journal within the U.S., our historical past fairly actually predates everyone on our workers and even the invention of Neptune.
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The submissions exceeded our wildest expectations! Take a look at some workers favorites beneath. Though the competition has formally ended, our curiosity and the spirit of exploration don’t finish right here. We proceed to problem you to get out on this planet and convey #SciAmInTheWild!
Saransh S.
Istanbul, Türkiye
September 2025
“Amid the colourful chaos of the Egyptian Bazaar, the place centuries of commerce, spices, and tales converge. Surrounded by mountains of peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and cashews, I positioned my copy of Scientific American [which has a cover that reads] ‘The Finish of Meals Allergy symptoms?’ It felt symbolic—right here in a spot the place meals is historical past, tradition, and livelihood, science is providing hope that everybody might in the future share absolutely in these flavors with out concern.”
Walter F.
Pullman, Wash.
Could 1977
“The Could 1977 situation of Scientific American had a canopy story on herbaria and featured an engraving of hepatica. This situation is posed subsequent to a hepatica specimen on the Marion Ownbey Herbarium at Washington State College.”
Ilgın A.
Istanbul, Türkiye
December 2024 Particular Version
“Whereas visiting my dwelling nation, Türkiye, I introduced this situation from final 12 months for SciAm’s a hundred and eightieth anniv contest. I believed it was an ideal match for the duvet, with individuals who often run right here and the Bosphorus Bridge within the background, which connects Asia and Europe.”
Ben G.
Bridgton, Me.
June 2025 Particular Version
“It’s arduous to guide a visit to the quantum realm, however I’ve loved studying about it throughout my trip in Bridgton, Maine! Coincidentally, Bridgton is dwelling to @rufusportermuseum [the Rufus Porter Museum Of Art And Ingenuity], whose reveals spotlight the creative & technical achievements of @scientific_american [and] @sciam.bsky.social’s founding editor!”
Ralph L.
Portland, Ore.
September 1977
“I labored for Intel from 1978 till 2005. The September 1977 situation impressed me to search for a job in that subject once I graduated with a level in chemistry. Looking out round Portland, Oregon, I believed this exhibit on the Oregon Museum of Science and Trade (OMSI) match the ‘out within the wild’ theme however represented the expertise. Thanks for a few years of the journal. Martin Gardner’s Mathematical Video games columns have been all the time my favourite that I opened the journal to when new points arrived. Sustain the nice podcasts now. One among my favorites.”
Jennifer M.
Englewood, Colo.
December 2024
“I had to make use of our library’s arduous copy of your journal, since I all the time learn them on-line and thru Libby. I don’t suppose it ruins the shot. Thanks!!”
David D.
Escondido, Calif.
February 1970
“Right here is a photograph of the February 1970 SciAm displaying a portion of an built-in circuit with over 800 transistors. I positioned a Raspberry Pi laptop on high for comparability. This model has billions of inside transistors. This simply exhibits how far ahead SciAm is all the time pondering!”
Adrian J.
Boulder, Colo.
April 2025
“The placement of the photograph is at NIST [the National Institute of Standards and Technology] in Boulder, Colorado. The photograph exhibits a Penning entice, which is a quantum simulation and sensing experiment. Within the photograph is a portion of an optics desk and a superconducting magnet that traps Beryllium ions. The April 2025 [article ‘The Hidden World,’ the subject of this cover] discusses darkish matter candidates and experiments to discover. This experiment incorporates a magnet that has an ion entice in it that’s delicate to weak electrical fields that is perhaps produced from axions (a darkish matter candidate) interacting with the big magnetic subject. I’m wanting ahead to seeing the opposite submissions. Thanks for the enjoyable!”
Kayla R.
Svínafellsjökull Glacier, Iceland
July/August 2025
“Simply me and some billion tons of historic ice.”
Marc E.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
September 2024
“A enjoyable thought!”
Gregg G.
Newtown, Conn.
February 1908
“I assume it by no means obtained constructed.”
Denise C.
Claremont, Calif.
Could 2025
“The Robert Day Sciences Middle, Claremont McKenna School.”
Christine & Jolyn P.
Canton, Ohio
July/August 2024
Christine Parshall and Jolyn Parshall
Karen A.
Manorville, N.Y.
Could 1981
Lisa H.
September 2023
Elverta, Calif.
