Constant Sexual Aggression Drives Female Tortoises to Walk Off Cliffs

14 February 2026 at 05:02

On a remote island in North Macedonia, male Hermann’s tortoises outnumber females 19 to 1, an imbalance driving the population to extinction.

Trump Erased the Endangerment Finding. Here Come the Lawsuits.

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

13 February 2026 at 17:52

The battle is expected to reach the Supreme Court, which is far more conservative today than it was when the measure was established.

President Trump announced on Thursday that his administration would scrap the endangerment finding.

A Climate Supercomputer Is Getting New Bosses. It’s Not Clear Who.

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

13 February 2026 at 17:37

The National Science Foundation said management of the machine, used by researchers for forecasts, disaster warnings and pure science, would be transferred to a “third-party operator.”

The supercomputer is currently run from the National Center for Atmospheric Research headquarters in Boulder, Colo.

Elephant Bone in Spain May Be Proof of Hannibal’s Tanks With Trunks

NYT: Science

By:Franz Lidz

13 February 2026 at 05:04

Archaeologists say a 2,200-year-old specimen is the first direct evidence of how the Carthaginian war machine used the giant mammals in the Punic Wars.

A Renaissance-era fresco attributed to Jacopo Ripanda depicting Hannibal on the back of an elephant during the Second Punic War, in the third century B.C.

RFK Jr. Allies Target States to Overturn Vaccine Mandates for Schools

NYT: Science

By:Christina Jewett

14 February 2026 at 10:53

Proponents of vaccines warn that the efforts will further dismantle the immunization infrastructure and lead to more outbreaks of disease.

An empty classroom at the high school in Williston, N.D., during an outbreak of measles there last year.

El Niño May Be Back This Summer, Bringing Drought and Floods

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

12 February 2026 at 15:06

The powerful weather pattern is expected to shift into gear again around June, NOAA said, though its strength this time remains a question.

A storm in California during the last El Niño phase, in 2023. The El Niño weather pattern has far-reaching influence.

An Elephant Is Blind Without Its Whiskers

NYT: Science

By:Alexa Robles-Gil

12 February 2026 at 14:00

There are about 1,000 tiny hairs on an elephant’s rugged trunk, all designed to help the animal feel, a new study found.

Trump Repeals Key Greenhouse Gas Finding, Erasing EPA’s Power to Fight Climate Change

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman

13 February 2026 at 09:27

The Environmental Protection Agency rejected the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being. It means the agency can no longer regulate them.

Rigorous scientific findings since 2009 have shown that greenhouse gases and global warming are harming public health.

What to Know About the E.P.A.’s Big Attack on Climate Regulation

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman and Maxine Joselow

13 February 2026 at 21:03

The Trump administration has repealed the scientific determination that underpins the government’s legal authority to combat climate change.

E.P.A. administrator Lee Zeldin has claimed that previous administrations used the endangerment finding to justify “trillions of dollars” in regulations on polluting industries and its reversal will help the economy.

‘Kramer/Fauci’ Revisits a Sparring Match During the AIDS Crisis

NYT: Science

By:Juan A. Ramírez

12 February 2026 at 12:18

At the heart of Daniel Fish’s verbatim staging of a C-SPAN segment is a complex relationship, between Larry Kramer and Anthony Fauci, that “goes from ‘I hate you’ to ‘I love you’ and back.”

Thomas Jay Ryan as Larry Kramer in “Kramer/Fauci,” a verbatim staging of the 1993 televised clash between Anthony Fauci, who was the nation’s leading AIDS researcher, and Kramer, the playwright and activist.

4 Months Trapped in a Hospital for an Obsolete Way of Treating Their Disease

NYT: Science

By:Stephanie Nolen and Arlette Bashizi

12 February 2026 at 12:14

Health workers in developing countries know that isolating tuberculosis patients is an outdated and potentially harmful practice, but lack the resources to move away from it.

Asta Djouma, a tuberculosis patient in isolation at the Djarengol Kodek Health Center in Maroua, northern Cameroon, who hasn’t seen her three children since she was admitted in October. “We’re just here,” she said.

Senate Questions Health Care Firm for Profiting Off Program Meant for Poor

NYT: Science

By:Ellen Gabler

12 February 2026 at 12:00

The program was meant to help hospitals provide for poor patients by offering drug savings. But critics say a Texas company has turned it into a big business, driving up costs for patients and insurers.

The offices of Apexus in Irving, Texas. The company, a subsidiary of Vizient, negotiates drug discounts.

Satellite Pictures Show Snow And Ice Across North America

NYT: Science

By:Judson Jones and Leanne Abraham

12 February 2026 at 05:30

For much of North America, the last month has been an icy, frozen trudge. But from the right vantage point, it had a certain beauty.

New Method Can Find Hidden Eggs to Aid in Fertility Treatment

NYT: Science

By:Pam Belluck

12 February 2026 at 05:02

A study reported that the conventional method of searching follicular fluid didn’t find all the eggs. The new technology found extra eggs more than half the time.

A viable egg found by the OvaReady device that was not found using the conventional method.

Bans on Many CBD Products Loom This Year

NYT: Science

By:Jan Hoffman

12 February 2026 at 05:00

A federal law taking effect in November severely limits the amount of THC, the euphoric cannabis compound, allowed in over-the-counter items. Many groups are fighting back.

TV, It’s Not Just for Humans Anymore

NYT: Science

By:Emily Anthes

12 February 2026 at 05:00

Videos aimed at pets are drawing millions of views. But who’s actually watching?

This Comet Stopped Spinning. Then It Started Rotating Backward.

NYT: Science

By:Jonathan O’Callaghan

12 February 2026 at 07:09

The unusual event, never seen before, might be a way small comets are “blown to bits” in the solar system.

Mexico May Be on Brink of Losing Its Measles-Free Status

NYT: Science

By:Emiliano Rodríguez Mega

12 February 2026 at 11:57

The country’s confirmed cases have topped 9,000 since last year, raising fears that a high-stakes evaluation in April could lead to its status being revoked.

A health worker administering a dose of the measles vaccine in Mexico City last week. “We are confident that the outbreak will be controlled,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday.

Four States Sue Administration Over Loss of Public Health Funds

NYT: Science

By:Apoorva Mandavilli

11 February 2026 at 19:45

The states, all led by Democrats, claim the cuts were intended as retribution and will harm efforts to control H.I.V. and other sexually transmitted infections.

The headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The agency administered block grants for H.I.V. prevention that were allocated to public health departments in California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota.

Trump Orders Dept. of Defense to Buy Electricity From Coal Sources

NYT: Science

By:Brad Plumer

11 February 2026 at 18:11

Mr. Trump is trying to revive coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. At the White House, coal executives awarded him a trophy as the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.”

President Trump signed an executive order. On the desk beside him is a trophy labeled “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.”

U.S. Health Officials Defend Rejection of Moderna’s Flu Vaccine

NYT: Science

By:Christina Jewett

11 February 2026 at 16:53

The F.D.A.’s refusal to examine the company’s mRNA shot drew widespread criticism from doctors and was divisive within the agency.

Dr. Marty Makary, the F.D.A. commissioner, suggested that the agency might eventually approve Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine.

Portland Lawsuit Alleges Tear Gas Use by ICE Is a Health Threat

NYT: Science

By:Hiroko Tabuchi

11 February 2026 at 09:55

A novel lawsuit in Portland argues the chemicals are a health threat that have soaked into apartment walls, furniture and even children’s toys.

An October incident outside an ICE facility in Portland, Ore. Residents across the street have sued over the use of tear gas.

F.D.A. Refuses to Review Moderna Flu Vaccine

NYT: Science

By:Christina Jewett and Rebecca Robbins

10 February 2026 at 21:49

The vaccine maker’s shots involve the successful Covid vaccines’ RNA technology. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has broadly rejected it, canceling millions of dollars in research projects.

Moderna is a pioneer in using mRNA technology, first with the Covid vaccine. Its flu shot was being developed for people 50 and older.

Baboon Sibling Rivalry Suggests Monkeys Feel Jealousy Like People

NYT: Science

By:Annie Roth

11 February 2026 at 10:26

Young primates in a southern African nature park were observed to constantly interfere when their mother was giving attention to a younger brother or sister.

Climate Change Is Erased From Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence for Judges

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

10 February 2026 at 16:11

After Republican criticism, a group that offers professional resources to judges withdrew a climate science chapter from its Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence.

J.B. McCuskey, the West Virginia attorney general, in Washington last month. He led the effort against the climate chapter in the judges’ handbook.

Behind the E.P.A.’s Rush to Repeal the Endangerment Finding

NYT: Science

By:Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman

10 February 2026 at 15:17

The agency is racing to repeal a scientific finding that requires it to fight global warming. Experts say the goal is to get the matter before the justices while President Trump is still in office.

Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator, at the agency’s headquarters in Washington last year.

‘Galileo’ Musical, Starring Raúl Esparza, Will Open on Broadway

NYT: Science

By:Michael Paulson

10 February 2026 at 13:24

The musical, called “Galileo,” will star Raúl Esparza, and is scheduled to open in December at the Shubert Theater.

Lost Soviet Luna 9 Moon Lander May Have Been Found

NYT: Science

By:Becky Ferreira

11 February 2026 at 09:25

Two research teams have identified possible landing sites for Luna 9, the first human-made object to safely reach the lunar surface. “One of them is wrong,” an expert said.

Dr. Oz Says Drinking Is a ‘Social Lubricant.’ Some Experts Worry About That.

NYT: Science

By:Roni Caryn Rabin

10 February 2026 at 17:56

“Most of the harm that comes from alcohol,” said one researcher, is “due mostly or mainly to drinking with their buddies.”

Most research examining the effects of alcohol in a controlled laboratory setting has ignored the social context in which most drinking occurs.

Seals Are Recruited to Study the Ocean Under Antarctic Glaciers

NYT: Science

By:Raymond Zhong

10 February 2026 at 09:13

The environment is changing rapidly around the melting Thwaites Glacier. Seals can collect data in waters that ships could never reach.

The tags themselves don’t seem to bother the animals, but Ms. Cheon and Mr. Chung agreed the tagging process tugs on some complicated heartstrings.

Newly Unbound, Trump Weighs More Nuclear Arms and Underground Tests

NYT: Science

By:David E. Sanger and William J. Broad

9 February 2026 at 18:46

It remains to be seen whether the three big nuclear powers are headed into a new arms race, or whether President Trump is trying to spur negotiations on a new accord now that a last Cold War treaty has expired.

An underground atomic test at the Nevada Test Site near Yucca Flats in 1955. The last U.S. explosive test of a nuclear weapon was in 1992.

A Gray Wolf’s Visit to Los Angeles County Is a First in Nearly a Century

NYT: Science

By:Livia Albeck-Ripka

9 February 2026 at 20:18

The wolf, known as BEY03F, roamed more than 500 miles from Northern California, signaling that the species continues to rebound after being wiped out in the state in the 1920s.

The gray wolf known as BEY03F in April 2025.

How Are Health Care Costs Affecting You?

NYT: Science

By:Reed Abelson

9 February 2026 at 15:11

We want to hear from readers who are trying to manage their medical bills and their health insurance costs.

A.I. Is Making Doctors Answer a Question: What Are They Really Good For?

NYT: Science

By:Gina Kolata

9 February 2026 at 12:17

Many physicians find chatbots threatening, but that doesn’t mean they’re giving up on medicine.

These Birds Are of Different Feathers, but They Flock Together

NYT: Science

By:Clarissa Brincat

9 February 2026 at 11:40

Researchers and volunteers in Texas documented birds of different species preening one another. Experts say the behavior may be more common than documented.

2 to 3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Reduce Dementia Risk. But Not if It’s Decaf.

NYT: Science

By:Pam Belluck

9 February 2026 at 13:56

One to two cups of caffeinated tea per day helps too, researchers found after following nearly 132,000 people for 40 years.

Beyond two and a half cups of coffee daily, the advantage plateaued, possibly because there’s a limit to how much caffeine our bodies can metabolize, researchers said.

Can Mountain Lions Survive as Humans Close In? California Is Trying to Find a Way.

NYT: Science

By:Catrin Einhorn and Loren Elliott

10 February 2026 at 06:53

A giant freeway crossing for wildlife is due to open outside Los Angeles this year. Here’s the story of one young cat hemmed in near the city.

War Came to Ukraine and Its Dogs Are Not the Same

NYT: Science

By:Anthony Ham

8 February 2026 at 05:01

Researchers discovered surprising changes to former pets along the front line of combat with Russia.

A dog walked past damaged houses in the city of Svyatohirsk, Donetsk, last summer.

Hims & Hers Withdraws Knockoff Weight-Loss Pill After Regulatory Scrutiny

NYT: Science

By:Rebecca Robbins

7 February 2026 at 18:19

Federal officials had warned that the new product from the online provider of weight loss drugs might be illegal.

6 Fishermen Reel In a 244-Pound Atlantic Halibut, Setting a Local Record

NYT: Science

By:Mark Walker

7 February 2026 at 18:24

The fish, hooked as part of a study on the halibut population around the Ha! Ha! Bay in the Canadian province of Quebec, measured more than 6.5 feet long, researchers said.

Michael Pollan Says Humanity Is About to Undergo a Revolutionary Change

NYT: Science

By:David Marchese

9 February 2026 at 06:28

The best-selling author grapples with big questions about A.I., consciousness and the distractions polluting our minds.

These Mathematicians Are Putting A.I. to the Test

NYT: Science

By:Siobhan Roberts

12 February 2026 at 17:04

Large language models struggle to solve research-level math questions. It takes a human to assess just how poorly they perform.

Martin Hairer, a mathematician at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne. He splits his time between there and the Imperial College London.

TrumpRx: What to Know About Insurance Benefits, Pricing and Savings

NYT: Science

By:Rebecca Robbins

6 February 2026 at 13:18

People may be able to pay less for prescriptions with their insurance rather than via the new government website. The Trump drugstore is meant to help people buy medications using their own money.

President Trump; Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid; and Joe Gebbia, who oversees the design of government websites, unveiled TrumpRx at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday.

Studying Antarctica’s Ice From the Side of a Helicopter

NYT: Science

By:Raymond Zhong

6 February 2026 at 13:01

The fastest way into the gaps between gigantic blocks of a broken-up glacier is by lowering instruments from above, through the door of a helicopter.

Climate ‘Superfund’ Bills Spread Nationwide, Despite Legal Battles

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

6 February 2026 at 11:03

The laws aim to force oil companies to help pay for damage from global warming. Industry is gearing up for state-by-state battles.

Flooding in Vermont in July 2023. The state was the first to adopt a climate “superfund” law. Other states are now following.

Federal Vaccine Advisers Take Aim at Covid Shots

NYT: Science

By:Apoorva Mandavilli

6 February 2026 at 10:00

One panelist accused the F.D.A. of withholding data on potential harms. The advisers also are reviewing research on vaccines given to pregnant women.

Dr. Robert Malone, during a December meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in Atlanta.

Rebuilding the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Block by Virtual Block

NYT: Science

By:Franz Lidz

6 February 2026 at 08:42

An ancient skyscraper considered the seventh wonder of the world crumbled to ruin centuries ago. Now an ambitious archaeological project aims to reassemble it in 3-D.

A 19th-century engraved depiction of the Pharos of Alexandria.

TrumpRx, the President’s Online Drugstore, Opens for Business

NYT: Science

By:Rebecca Robbins and Margot Sanger-Katz

6 February 2026 at 03:57

TrumpRx is aimed at helping patients use their own money to buy medicines. But researchers who study drug pricing warned that many patients could pay too much if they use the site.

The TrumpRx website is meant to be an entry point for consumers to search for their medicines and then direct them to manufacturers’ websites to buy the drugs directly.

Federal Judge Blocks Texas Law Targeting Critics of Fossil Fuels

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

5 February 2026 at 16:18

The court ruled that it was unconstitutional to bar state agencies from investing with firms that the state had accused of boycotting the oil industry.

Trucks at an oil field in Midland, Texas. A judge ruled that a 2021 law about investing practices was unconstitutional.

At a Bonobo’s ‘Tea Party,’ Scientists Find Hints of Imagination

NYT: Science

By:Alexa Robles-Gil

5 February 2026 at 16:56

In a playtime experiment, researchers found that our closest living relatives have the capacity for make-believe, too.

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