Stories by Amanda Montañez

How experiencing an unusual health issue can alter a person’s understanding of “rare”

Changing demographics mean shrinking families and more older relatives in future decades

Some of our favorite stories this year are best told visually

During the COVID pandemic, the U.S. initially saw a drop in births followed by a bump

Some countries have used up far more of the world’s carbon budget—the amount we can emit and still avoid more extreme climate disruption—than others

A visualization compares the forms of Earth’s largest flows of ice

From COVID to space exploration, graphics helped tell some the year’s most important stories

Low-income nations bear the brunt of costs from climate change

The death rate among unvaccinated people is still far higher than that among the vaccinated even though vaccinated people now make up a significant proportion of deaths

Visualizing ongoing stories of loss, adaptation and inequality

Many of the unexpected deaths in rural U.S. counties last year were not recorded as caused by COVID

Stay safer on different forms of transportation

A record 30 storms have formed, compared to the previous high of 28; almost all were the earliest on record

Progress in improving mortality varies significantly within countries

Construction and manufacturing careers would rise nationwide

Whenever there’s a new outbreak, scientists rush to calculate a number called R₀, or R-naught

Whenever there’s a new outbreak, scientists rush to calculate a number called R₀, or R-naught. Why? It’s been a critical part of the scientific effort to understand just how transmissible the new virus is. Here’s how.

Editor’s Note (2/11/20): The video in this story has been revised after posting. It originally incorrectly referred to SARS as “sudden acute respiratory syndrome.” The full name is “severe acute respiratory syndrome.”

Data visualization reveals how much hospitals across the nation charge for some of the most common procedures

Illustrations from the Scientific American archive break down this “massive” development

A look back at one of Scientific American’s most prolific illustrators and the racial injustice he endured

Intense human pressure on areas set aside for preservation could be threatening biodiversity

Infographic shows how an experimental approach might bring us closer to a universal vaccine

Even among the religious and conservative, knowledge of the theory influenced belief

An infographic reveals the most effective ways to live more sustainably