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Readers respond to the June 2026 issue

Letters to the editors for the June 2026 issue of Scientific American

What actually makes ultraprocessed foods unhealthy?

Scientists can't figure out why ultraprocessed foods are unhealthy for us—and new studies suggest that the "processing" isn't the problem

These extreme cosmic explosions are breaking physics

Astronomers are finally figuring out what powers mysterious gamma-ray bursts

How your brain learns to cope with uncertainty

Can our "prediction machine" brains learn to handle a world in chaos?

Science crossword: Scroll bars

Play this crossword inspired by the November 2026 issue of Scientific American

We’re addicted to social media. How do we get sober?

How doctors, scientists and "anonymous" programs are working to free people from their phones

The Selfish Gene at 50

A half century ago The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins became an instant bestseller and transformed public awareness of evolutionary biology. Today scientists are still debating its core message

Scientists left in the dark by National Science Foundation grant application delays

The Major Research Instrumentation program offers grants of up to $4 million to scientists buying or developing research equipment

Green stars do exist—and others shine pink or purple, too

The colors of dead stars come in a surprising rainbow of choices

Start-Up Claims to Treat a Patient With A.I.-Created Viruses

CARL ZIMMER

Certain viruses attack bacteria and can sometimes clear antibiotic-resistant infections. Researchers said they had tailored a virus to attack one patient’s illness.

Where Do Autoimmune Diseases Come From?

DAVID QUAMMEN

Our genes evolved to fight ancient threats, but in the modern world, some of those changes may be turning against us.

The mathematical impossibility of making a perfect world map

Mapping a sphere onto a flat plane is mathematically impossible. But a better world map than the Mercator projection is

Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS—how could that happen?

The Emmy Award–winning actress revealed that a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2021 was incorrect. It's a surprisingly common experience, experts say

The Overlapping Plagues Quietly Devastating American Forests

Trees are suffering one devastating epidemic after another, unleashed by insects and bacteria that enter the country because of global trade.

How Did Life Arise? Three Turning Points in Early Evolution

WILLIAM J. BROAD, KENNETH CHANG AND CARL ZIMMER

Where did it start? How did it grow complex? Why did it get big? Three moments in Earth’s early history when evolution suddenly, inexplicably turned up the dial.