Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

Scientific American math and physics editor Davide Castelvecchi revisits the Monty Hall problem so you can know whether you're better off holding on to your original pick or switching when new information presents itself. [More]

Diabetes incidence has been climbing precipitously in the developed world along with rises in obesity rates and dietary and other lifestyle changes. But a massive new study finds that the rest of the global population has not been immune to these changes.

We humans can so easily give in to our vices. Something as simple as a credit card can weaken self-control. The good news is that the reverse is also true: cash can buffer us from indulgence.

President Obama has called for the withdrawal of 33,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan over the next year and the remaining 68,000 by the end of 2014, but questions linger regarding what the troops are leaving behind after more than nine years of combat. In particular, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has accused U.S.

Hacker conference DEF CON is, in information-security circles, a big deal--which is why it's pretty astonishing that in August it will launch its first event targeted at the younger hacker . You know, the kind who's still in school and may not yet be old enough to drive, but is quite adept at managing SQL injections, DDoS, and password cracking. The kind of hacker who may be as young as 8

Facebook VP David Fischer explicitly downplayed the social network's role in Middle Eastern revolutions to an Israeli conference which included a tech industry who's-who. One of Facebook's highest-ranking international executives told a dignitary-packed Israeli conference that the website played a minimal role in the Arab Spring .

Simply forcing the U.S. automotive industry to comply with tougher fuel economy standards won't be enough to create substantial cuts in either greenhouse gas emissions or oil use, says a new report from the National Research Council

The Inamori Foundation announced this year's Kyoto Prizes on June 24. It awarded the Basic Sciences prize to astrophysicist Rashid Sunyaev of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics and the Advanced Technology prize to materials scientist John W. Cahn of the U.S.

I don’t believe you can put a price on inspiration. It is invaluable for the hundreds of medical and physiology researchers from around the world that are swooping into town for the 61st Lindau meetings in Germany. How can being surrounded by 23 Nobel Laureates not be inspiring

By Sylvia Westall and Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - The U.N. atomic agency chief said on Friday he had broad support for his plan to strengthen international safety checks on nuclear power plants to help avoid any repeat of Japan's Fukushima crisis

By Philip Ball of Nature magazine Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction is packed with memorable dialogue--"Le Big Mac," say, or Samuel L. [More]

By Philip Ball of Nature magazine Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction is packed with memorable dialogue--"Le Big Mac," say, or Samuel L.

Two curious and awkward press events this week put the spotlight on the unveiling act. Yesterday, after a short period of global intrigue, J.K.

The Advances section of Scientific American 's July issue chronicles tree-saving tortoises, the largest spider fossil ever discovered, an update on the hunt for dark matter, and many other developments. For those interested in learning more about the news described in the section, a list of selected further reading follows below. "Tortoises to the Rescue," page 16 [More]

The Advances section of Scientific American 's July issue chronicles tree-saving tortoises, the largest spider fossil ever discovered, an update on the hunt for dark matter, and many other developments. For those interested in learning more about the news described in the section, a list of selected further reading follows below. "Tortoises to the Rescue," page 16 [More]