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ScientificAmerican.com, a service of Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Please read these Terms of Use. By using this website, you accept all the terms and conditions below. You may wish to print this page for your reference.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">These Terms of Use apply only to individual licenses to Scientific American or to visitors without any license to the site. If you are affiliated or employed by an institution that has an Institutional License to Scientific American, please consult your librarian for the terms that govern your use, which are set forth in the Institutional License agreement. <br/><br/><b>I.</b> <b>General Provisions</b> <br/>ScientificAmerican.com includes both free and fee-based services. This document outlines Terms of Use for both free and fee-based services that you have purchased or may purchase in the future.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">The subscription plans and digital products offered on ScientificAmerican.com are offered to individual customers for their personal use only. Schools, libraries, colleges, universities, hospitals, government agencies, businesses or other organizations requiring enterprise-wide access by multiple users to Scientific American digital content should request pricing for an Institutional License. The Institutional License is an unlimited-IP based subscription. For information about this institutional subscription, please contact the Institutional License team. <br/>Email: onlineservice@springernature.com <br/>Phone: US/Canada (888) 331-6288 <br/>Europe and Africa: +44 (0)20 7014 4113 <br/>Shanghai: +86 21 2422 5007 <br/>Tokyo: +81 3 4533 8090</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">The Web is an evolving medium; we may change these Terms of Use from time to time. By continuing to use the service after we post any such changes, you accept the Terms of Use, as modified. We may change, restrict access to, suspend, or discontinue operation of this service, or any portion of this service, at any time. Scientific American respects the privacy of our users. Please see our <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/use-of-cookies/">Use of Cookies</a>. The Terms and Conditions of the Privacy Policy may be changed by Scientific American at its discretion; changes are then incorporated herein and included in this agreement. We invite you to bring to our attention any material on this website that you believe to be inaccurate. Please forward a copy, link, or appropriate reference of the material to Editors at editors@sciam.com, along with an explanation of the error. <br/><br/><b>II. Free Services on ScientificAmerican.com</b> <br/>ScientificAmerican.com features both free and fee-based content services. Non-registered site visitors have limited access to site content and features. Visitors are encouraged to register an account on ScientificAmerican.com to take advantage of additional free content and services, including the ability to comment on blog posts and to subscribe to free newsletters.</p><ol class="" data-block="sciam/list"><li><p>Site Registration When you Register an account on ScientificAmerican.com, you become eligible for additional content and services. You will be asked to provide your first and last name, your email address (subject to verification) and a password. You will use your email address and password to sign on to ScientificAmerican.com. The password you create is for your individual use only. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any password you use to access either free- or fee-based services, and agree that Scientific American will have no obligations regarding thereto. As a registered user, you are eligible for free newsletters and announcements of special offers when opted in, as well as new products and services from Scientific American. ScientificAmerican.com registration does not accept unverifiable email addresses. Site registration is required to purchase fee-based products and services on ScientificAmerican.com.</p></li></ol><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph"><b>III. Fee-Based Products and Services</b> <br/>Scientific American offers digital and print-digital subscriptions on ScientificAmerican.com. This section outlines the Terms and Conditions for the purchase of these products and services.</p><ol class="" data-block="sciam/list"><li><p>Print Subscriptions Print subscriptions to Scientific American are offered on an annual basis. Print issues are delivered monthly with a combined issue in July/August. Print subscriptions include access to digital issues and articles on ScientificAmerican.com, as well as mobile issues available in our iOS and Android Apps. Scientific American print and Scientific American Digital plans include all subscription issues available in the Archive. Please <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/contact-us/">contact customer service</a> for more information.</p></li><li><p>Digital Subscription Formats. Scientific American Digital Subscriptions provide flexibility. Digital subscribers may read feature articles directly on ScientificAmerican.com provided that they are logged in. They may also download PDFs of issues and/or articles included in their subscription. Scientific American subscribers are also entitled to corresponding mobile issues available in our iOS and Android Apps.</p></li><li><p>Archival content may not available in all digital formats. </p></li><li><p>Subscription Automatic Renewal Program for Subscriptions sold on ScientificAmerican.com You can cancel your subscription at any time. After your initial term, your subscription will automatically renew until you cancel. We will email you a reminder prior to renewal with the renewal rate and date of expected charge. If you do nothing, we will charge the card entered here and your subscription will continue. You can cancel at any time for a refund of the remaining portion of your subscription, just visit your <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/https://subscribe.scientificamerican.com/pubs/SC/SCA/2013_Login.jsp?cds_page_id=67550&cds_mag_code=SCA&id=1675171057418&lsid=30310717374031431&vid=1">subscription management page</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/mailto:scacustserv@cdsfulfillment.com">email us</a> or call us at 800-333-1199. </p></li><li><p>Subscription Cancellation Policy Customers can cancel their subscription at any time and receive a refund for the unused portion of their subscription.</p></li><li><p>Synching of print/digital subscription plan service For subscriptions purchased by phone or by mail, your subscription needs to be <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/frequently-asked-questions/subscriptions/#how-do-i-activate-my-subscription-online">activated on ScientificAmerican.com</a></p><p>. For subscriptions purchased at ScientificAmerican.com, your digital access begins immediately at the time of purchase. In the event that we must future start the print component of your subscription plan because we are out of inventory on an issue, your subscription expire date, not it’s first print issue date, determines the length of your digital access. This policy ensures that customers receive 12 months of synched print/digital service.</p></li><li><p>Other Products and Services Scientific American may offer other products and services on ScientificAmerican.com, including merchandise. Unless the product or service offered specifically references the inclusion of fee-based content, the purchase of any other product or service on ScientificAmerican.com excludes any entitlement to fee-based digital or print content.</p></li><li><p>Service Emails Consumers who purchase the fee-based products and services agree to receive email communications from Scientific American in connection with providing the fee-based Services ("service emails"). The service emails may include account related billing information, renewal information, and new issue/content availability notifications. </p></li></ol><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph"><b>IV. Fee-Based Service Charges</b> <br/>Certain features of this site are available only through the purchase of individual issues or a digital subscription or print/digital subscription plan ("Fee-Based Services").</p><ol class="" data-block="sciam/list"><li><p>You agree to pay, (by using a valid credit card accepted by Scientific American) the subscription charges set forth on the site, applicable taxes and other charges incurred on your account in order to access Fee-Based Services. Scientific American reserves the right to increase fees, surcharges, and site subscription fees, or to institute new fees at any time, upon reasonable notice by email or posted in advance on this Site. Scientific American will automatically charge your credit card for renewal of your subscription plan. Renewal rates may vary. If you subscribed through a special offer, please refer to the original offer's terms and conditions. In the event Scientific American is not able to charge your account, we reserve the right to invoice you, or terminate your access to the fee-based Services.</p></li><li><p>In addition to the charges set forth above, you are responsible for all charges associated with connecting to the site, including without limitation all telephone access lines (including long-distance charges, if applicable), telephone, cellular data charges, and computer equipment and any service fees necessary to access the Fee-Based Services.</p></li><li><p>You agree to promptly update your registration data under "My Account" in the event of any known or suspected unauthorized use of your subscription, or any known or suspected breach of security, including loss, theft, or unauthorized disclosure of your password or credit card information. In the event of any known or suspected unauthorized use of your subscription or a breach of security, you will remain liable for any unauthorized use of your subscription until you update your registration data. If your credit card expires, is canceled, or lost, immediately update your registration data under "My Account".</p></li><li><p>Age restrictions You represent and warrant to Scientific American that you are at least thirteen (13) years of age and you possess the legal right and ability to enter into this agreement and to use the site in accordance with this agreement.</p></li><li><p>Financial responsibility You agree not to assign transfer or sublicense your rights as a user to fee-based services. You agree to be financially responsible for all usage or activity on your fee-based services account. </p></li></ol><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph"><b>V. Accuracy, Completeness And Timeliness Of The Site</b> <br/>The material that appears on Scientific American's site is for informational purposes only. Despite our efforts to provide useful and accurate information, errors may appear from time to time. Before you act on information you've found on our site, you should confirm any facts that are important to your decision. We are not responsible if information we make available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk. This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information necessarily is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on the site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to the site, and to download subscription materials while your subscription is active. <br/><br/><b>VI. Ownership and Permissions</b> <br/>This site and the contents thereof (including but not limited to software, interfaces, files, graphics, text and data found on the site) is the property of and owned by Scientific American or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark and other laws of the United States and other countries. Scientific American grants you a revocable license to display and electronically copy, download and print hard copy versions of the material contained on the site for your personal and noncommercial use, provided you do not modify or delete any copyright, trademark or other proprietary notice that appears on the material you copy, download or print. No other use of any of the contents of the site is licensed, and you agree that you will not make any other use of the material on the site, including but not limited to the copying, modification, distribution, transmission, performance, broadcast, publication, licensing, reverse engineering, transfer or sale of, or the creation of derivative works from, any of the contents of the site, systematically download any content to your own or any third-party server, use routines designed to continuously and automatically search and index the content of the site (full text and meta data), such as web-crawling or spider programs or engage in any activity likely to burden the site.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">All Text and Datamining (TDM) rights reserved. TDM is therefore only permitted to the extent that it is authorized by a corresponding contractual or statutory provision.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Requests for permission to reproduce or distribute materials found on our website should be sent to Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc., Permissions Department, One New York Plaza, Suite 4500, New York, NY 10004-1562 or randp@sciam.com. No Framing. Without the prior written permission of Scientific American, you agree that you will not frame or establish inline links to any of the content of our website, nor may you incorporate into another website or other product or service any intellectual property of Scientific American or any of its licensors. Requests for permission to frame, or to establish inline links to, our content may be sent to the Permissions Department, at the email or physical address above. Trademarks. This site features trademarks, service marks and logos that are the property of Scientific American and/or its licensors. The site also may include trademarks, service marks or logos of other third parties. All of these trademarks, service marks and logos are the property of their respective owners, and you agree not to use them in any manner without the prior written permission of the applicable owner.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph"><b>VII. Materials You Submit<br/></b>This section applies to any materials you submit to or through this website, including, without limitation, any comment you post to the site. You acknowledge that you are responsible for any submission you make, including the legality, reliability, appropriateness, originality and copyright of any such material. You represent, warrant, and agree you own all rights to the content you post or otherwise control sufficient rights to grant the rights you grant by these Terms of Use; that the content is accurate; that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity; that you will not upload to, distribute or otherwise publish through this site any content that (i) is libelous, defamatory, obscene, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, infringing on intellectual property rights, abusive, illegal or otherwise objectionable, (ii) may constitute or encourage a criminal offense, violate the rights of any party or otherwise give rise to liability or violate any law, or (iii) may contain software viruses, political campaigning, chain letters, mass mailings, or any form of "spam." If you submit any video content through this site, you further represent, warrant and agree that you have the written consent or permission of each identifiable individual in such content to use their name and likeness and grant the rights you grant in these Terms of Use. You may not use a false email address, impersonate any person or entity, or otherwise mislead as to the origin of any content. You may not upload commercial content onto the site. We reserve the right (but are not under an obligation) to remove or edit any content you provide. <br/><br/>If you do submit material, and unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Scientific American and its affiliates a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable and fully sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, display and perform such content throughout the world in any media now known or hereafter invented. You grant Scientific American and its affiliates the right to use the name you submit in connection with such content, if they so choose. <u>You will retain any ownership rights you may have in the materials you submit, subject to the licenses granted to Scientific American in these Terms of Use</u>. You also understand and agree that users of this site who may access the content you submit are granted a non-exclusive license to access, use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform your content. <br/><br/>Waiver: By submitting content to this site, you waive, and agree not to bring at any time, any claims of any type whatsoever against Scientific American or its affiliates, or their officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors or suppliers in any way arising from or relating to the submitted content, including without limitation any claims asserting: (a) infringement of rights of publicity or misappropriation of likeness or image; (b) invasion of privacy; (c) false light (such as any allegedly false or misleading portrayal of you); (d) infliction of emotional distress (whether intentional or negligent); (e) breach of contract; (f) copyright or trademark infringement; (g) defamation; (h) fraud; or (i) false designation of origin. <br/><br/><b>VIII. Intellectual Property Rights of Others</b> <br/>We respect the intellectual property rights of others, and we request that our visitors do the same. If you think your work has been copied or used in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement, you may notify our copyright agent, who can be reached at: <br/><br/>Scientific American <br/>c/o Springer Nature <br/>One New York Plaza, Suite 4500 <br/>New York, NY 10004 <br/>Attention: Legal Department <br/>Email: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204529/mailto:copyrightagent@springernature.com">copyrightagent@springernature.com</a> <br/>Phone: +1-212-460-0220</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">Please include all of the following in your notification:</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">a physical or electronic signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive copyright that is allegedly infringed;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">a description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">a description of where the material you claim is infringing is located on the site;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">your address, telephone number, email address and all other information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you;</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law; and</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph">a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.</p><p class="" data-block="sciam/paragraph"><b>IX. 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