F.D.A. Approves Two New Drugs to Treat Gonorrhea

Researchers found a chasm between the health reasons for which the public seeks out cannabis and what gold-standard science actually shows about its effectiveness.

Addiction experts, who studied hundreds of clinical trials, guidelines and surveys conducted over 15 years, found a gulf between how the public perceives cannabis and what gold-standard science shows.

Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Oil Exploration in Remote Areas of the Arctic

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

11 December 2025 at 19:29

A federal lawsuit argues that proposed work by ConocoPhillips could threaten delicate ecosystems in the largest tract of public land in the U.S.

A ConocoPhillips oil drilling site on the North Slope of Alaska near the Willow site, another ConocoPhillips oil exploration project.

Trump Panel Abruptly Postpones Release of FEMA Overhaul Recommendations

NYT: Science

By:Scott Dance

11 December 2025 at 18:06

The group’s report had been expected to provide a road map for change after months of upheaval at the agency.

Talk of a FEMA overhaul comes as disasters are becoming more frequent and costly as a result of climate change.

Turkey’s Largest City Is Threatened by a Lurking Earthquake

NYT: Science

By:Robin George Andrews

11 December 2025 at 14:32

Escalating activity along a fault line in the Sea of Marmara is moving closer to Istanbul, seismologists warn.

People gathered in an earthquake assembly area following a 6.2 magnitude temblor in Istanbul in April.

A Hot Plant’s Irresistible Signal Makes Beetles Pollinate It

NYT: Science

By:Sofia Quaglia

11 December 2025 at 16:43

Ancient plants called cycads say “come hither” in infrared.

U.S. Helped to Weaken Report at U.N. Environment Talks, Participants Say

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

11 December 2025 at 13:54

American officials joined Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran in objecting to language on fossils fuels, biodiversity and plastics in a report that was three years in the making.

The opening session of the 7th United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday.

Russia Warns Poland Over Arrest of a Researcher Wanted by Ukraine

NYT: Science

By:Valerie Hopkins

11 December 2025 at 12:01

Poland detained a Russian archaeologist who works on an ancient site in Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Ukraine calls the work illegal.

The detention center where the Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin is held after being detained by Polish authorities, in Warsaw.

Killer Whales Find an ‘Unlikely Friend’ in Dolphins

NYT: Science

By:Alexa Robles-Gil

11 December 2025 at 11:47

Off the coast of British Columbia, dolphins lead killer whales to salmon and earn their share of lunch, a new study reveals.

She Studied Mosquitoes to Prevent Malaria. Then She Lost Her Job at U.S.A.I.D.

NYT: Science

By:Alexa Robles-Gil

11 December 2025 at 10:00

Jenny Carlson Donnelly traveled to malaria-affected countries to test mosquitoes and save lives. Then she lost her job at U.S.A.I.D.

New Eli Lilly Drug Retatrutide Brought Major Weight Loss in Trial

NYT: Science

By:Gina Kolata

11 December 2025 at 16:09

The maker of Zepbound reported results from a study of retatrutide, which targets three hormones in the body and led to much more weight loss than any approved drug.

Eli Lilly company offices in San Diego. The company reported results of retatrutide, its next-generation weight-loss drug.

Here’s What to Know About Japan’s Mega Quake Advisory

NYT: Science

By:Jin Yu Young

11 December 2025 at 07:26

Japan’s government says that the chances of a magnitude 8 earthquake have increased. Scientists can’t predict when one will strike, but it represents a meaningful jump over typical odds.

A vehicle teetered on a collapsed road in Tohoku Town off the coast of northern Japan.

How Long Should You Take Antidepressants?

NYT: Science

By:Christina Caron

11 December 2025 at 05:01

Clinical guidelines are vague, so we asked psychiatrists what to consider when deciding whether to continue taking these medications.

Gregg Phillips, a Proponent of Election Conspiracy Theories, to Join FEMA

NYT: Science

By:Scott Dance

10 December 2025 at 15:54

Gregg Phillips, who spread unsubstantiated claims of mass voter fraud in the 2016 election, will join the agency’s leadership, the Trump administration confirmed.

Gregg Phillips, right, onstage in 2022 with Catherine Engelbrecht, with whom he has led True the Vote, a conservative nonprofit group.

A Surrogacy Firm Told Parents-to-Be Their Money Was Safe. Suddenly, It Vanished.

NYT: Science

By:Sarah Kliff

10 December 2025 at 15:16

Surro Connections held itself out as a reliable business. Now, clients have lost as much as tens of thousands of dollars meant to compensate women carrying their pregnancies.

Our Children’s Trust Suit Asks Montana Court to Block Some New Laws

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

10 December 2025 at 18:45

The young plaintiffs, who won a major case over climate change policy in 2023, argue that legislators are illegally ignoring the effects of fossil fuels.

Rikki Held, the named plaintiff in Held v. Montana, in June 2023. The same plaintiffs are asking the state’s top court to prevent legislators from undermining their victory.

Archaeologists Find Oldest Evidence of Fire-Making

NYT: Science

By:Carl Zimmer

11 December 2025 at 09:01

Neanderthals 400,000 years ago were striking flints to make fires, researchers have found.

Trump Administration Rules Threaten Nobel Prizes Won by Immigrants

NYT: Science

By:William J. Broad

10 December 2025 at 05:03

As three immigrants claim Nobel Prizes in science for the United States this year, experts warn that immigration crackdowns could undo American innovation.

This Arkansas City Shows How to Slash Emissions and Save Money, Too

NYT: Science

By:Cara Buckley and Melyssa St. Michael

9 December 2025 at 21:35

In the Ozarks, the growing college town of Fayetteville, Ark., is using clean energy to power city facilities and embracing nature-based solutions to climate threats.

Ranchers in South Dakota Turn to Prescribed Burns to Treat Their Land

NYT: Science

By:Sachi Kitajima Mulkey

9 December 2025 at 21:34

A “green glacier” of trees is steadily taking over native grasslands. Landowners are banding together to treat the problem with fire.

Utah Tries Relocating Beavers to Save Them, and Remake the Landscape

NYT: Science

By:Catrin Einhorn and Kim Raff

9 December 2025 at 21:33

Their dams cause floods, and that gets them in trouble with humans. But in the right place, more water can be a big help.

Wyoming Cowboys Are Breaking Down Barriers, Literally

NYT: Science

By:Rebecca Dzombak and Will Warasila

9 December 2025 at 21:33

GPS collars on cattle are letting ranchers remove fences in the West. That’s good for wildlife and for the land.

For Real, a Natural History of Misinformation

NYT: Science

By:Carl Zimmer

9 December 2025 at 20:34

It’s not just humans who suffer from leading one another astray. So do fish, flies and even bacteria.

FDA Expands Covid Vaccine Inquiry to Adult Deaths

NYT: Science

By:Christina Jewett

10 December 2025 at 13:56

The agency claimed that 10 children’s deaths were linked to the shots, although it did not release evidence to support the assertions.

Bird Flu Is Suspected After Vulture Carcasses Sat Rotting Outside Ohio School

NYT: Science

By:Neil Vigdor

10 December 2025 at 11:08

The birds lingered for days at a Catholic school near Cincinnati as agencies haggled over who was responsible for removing them. Officials said the public health risk was low.

Some Mentions of Human Causes of Climate Change Removed From E.P.A. Site

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman

9 December 2025 at 15:50

An E.P.A. site listing the causes of climate change no longer includes the main one: human activity.

President Trump, who calls climate change a “hoax” is eliminating restrictions on coal, oil and gas while imposing new ones on renewable energy like wind and solar.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Who Studied, and Protected, Elephants, Dies at 83

NYT: Science

By:Jeffrey Gettleman

9 December 2025 at 14:05

Born into an aristocratic British family, he turned his empathy and knowledge of the world’s largest land mammals to the cause of saving them from poachers.

All 187,460 Miles of Road That Led to Rome, Mapped

NYT: Science

By:Franz Lidz

9 December 2025 at 03:00

A digital atlas of ancient Rome’s highways and byways reveals a road network that was more extensive than thought.

John Noble Wilford, Times Reporter Who Covered the Moon Landing, Dies at 92

NYT: Science

By:Robert D. McFadden

8 December 2025 at 20:51

He gave readers a comprehensive and lyrical account of the historic mission in 1969. His science coverage as a Pulitzer-winning journalist and an author took him around the world.

John Noble Wilford in 1981. Recalling his coverage of the moon landing, he said, “I thought to myself, yes, this is the biggest story I will probably ever write in my career.”

Youth Mental Health Improved When Schools Reopened, Study Finds

NYT: Science

By:Ellen Barry

8 December 2025 at 16:00

With the end of school shutdowns, children’s mental health appointments fell sharply, though other factors may have contributed.

Nine months after schools reopened, the probability that a child would be treated for a mental health condition was reduced by 43 percent, from 2.8 percent during the shutdown period, a study published Monday found.

Why Some Doctors Say There Are Cancers That Shouldn’t Be Treated

NYT: Science

By:Gina Kolata

8 December 2025 at 12:54

Statistics show a clear spike in eight cancers in younger people, but that has brought a debate over whether many cases ever needed to be found.

An image of a patient’s prostate. Patients in the early stages of prostate cancer and other types of cancer might safely wait to see if the disease progresses.

Obamacare Users Will Be Asked to Pay More for Plans That Cover Less

NYT: Science

By:Reed Abelson

8 December 2025 at 17:34

People who have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act will face higher deductibles and higher premiums.

The Married Scientists Torn Apart by a Covid Bioweapon Theory

NYT: Science

By:Katie J.M. Baker

8 December 2025 at 19:51

In 2020, a Chinese virologist fled to the United States, aided by allies of President Trump who sought to promote her unproven theories about the origins of Covid-19. Her husband still can’t find her.

Dr. Li-Meng Yan spoke in 2021 at a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on early outpatient treatment for the Covid-19 virus.

California Discourages Wild Mushroom Foraging After Fatal Outbreak

NYT: Science

By:Hannah Ziegler

6 December 2025 at 19:14

Officials said one person was killed and 20 others were poisoned after eating death cap mushrooms, which look and taste like safe mushrooms but can cause liver failure.

California health officials advised people to stop foraging for wild mushrooms after a poison found in one variety killed one person and caused liver damage to others.

Could President Trump Bring Japan’s Tiny Cars to America? Not So Fast.

NYT: Science

By:Hiroko Tabuchi

6 December 2025 at 14:17

Mr. Trump is pushing to approve their production in the United States.

A Japanese kei-car sits in a garage in Sapporo, Japan.

Kidney Recipient Dies After Transplant From Organ Donor Who Had Rabies

NYT: Science

By:Rylee Kirk

6 December 2025 at 09:37

Only four donors have transmitted rabies to organ transplant recipients since 1978, according to federal officials.

A man died of rabies he contracted after receiving a kidney transplant from another person who later tested positive for the virus after being scratched by a skunk.

Scientists Are Measuring Ocean Currents in Hopes of Charting AMOC’s Future

NYT: Science

By:Raymond Zhong and Esther Horvath

6 December 2025 at 05:00

Scientists fear warming is driving a collapse in the ocean currents that shape climate far and wide. The ice-choked waters off Greenland might hold the key.

Scoresby Sound, a fjord in eastern Greenland, as seen from the research ship.

Hamilton O. Smith, Who Made a Biotech Breakthrough, Is Dead at 94

NYT: Science

By:Delthia Ricks

5 December 2025 at 17:38

A Nobel laureate, he identified an enzyme that cuts DNA, laying the groundwork for milestones in scientific research and medicine, like insulin.

Hamilton Smith in 2000. His work essentially handed scientists the power to isolate, analyze and manually move discrete sequences of DNA.

MAHA Activists Urge Trump to Fire Lee Zeldin at the E.P.A.

NYT: Science

By:Maxine Joselow

5 December 2025 at 17:08

As head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin has weakened protections against toxic chemicals, say members of the MAHA movement.

A petition to fire Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, had more than 2,800 signatures by midday Friday.

A Look at What Lives Where Deep Sea Mining Would Happen

NYT: Science

By:Sachi Kitajima Mulkey

8 December 2025 at 12:27

An ocean-mining company has funded some of the most comprehensive scientific studies of the deep seabed to date, and peer-reviewed results have begun to emerge.

Stampeding Turtles Might Have Made Fossil Tracks in Italian Cliffs

NYT: Science

By:Carolyn Wilke

5 December 2025 at 14:15

Researchers suggest that an earthquake spooked a mob of sea turtles gathered together in a prehistoric sea.

His Group Made World-Class Measurements of Atomic Elements

NYT: Science

By:Katrina Miller

4 December 2025 at 09:30

Yuri Ralchenko led one of the oldest teams at the National Institute for Standards and Technology. The fate of some experiments hangs in the air.

Climate Shift Upends Atlantic Seaweed: One Massive Patch Grows as Another Vanishes

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

4 December 2025 at 05:05

Blooms of yellowish-brown seaweed along the Equator are breaking records and defiling beaches, while a centuries-old patch farther north is disappearing.

Mexican National Guard members during a sargassum seaweed cleanup event in Cancun, Mexico, in June.

Inside RFK Jr.’s Methodical Quest to Shake Up America’s Vaccine System

NYT: Science

By:Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Christina Jewett

4 December 2025 at 16:55

The health secretary has walled himself off from government scientists and empowered fellow activists to pursue his vaccine agenda.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, conferring with Hannah Anderson, then one of his top advisers, during a hearing in May.

When a Murder Hornet Becomes a Tasty Meal

NYT: Science

By:Jack Tamisiea

4 December 2025 at 00:01

A researcher found that a Japanese pond frog is impervious to the stings of the northern giant hornet, even when it goes down the hatch.

Trump Returns to Gasoline as Fuel of Choice for Cars, Gutting Biden’s Climate Policy

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman · Maxine Joselow and Jack Ewing

3 December 2025 at 17:39

The president said he would weaken Biden-era mileage standards, which were designed to increase electric-vehicle sales, calling them a “scam.”

President Trump, surrounded by executives from the auto industry, in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Trump’s NASA Pick Poised to Win Senate Vote After Do-Over Hearing

NYT: Science

By:Kenneth Chang

3 December 2025 at 14:53

The president withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination to lead the space agency in June, but senators of both parties appeared willing to give him a second shot at confirmation.

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur and NASA administrator nominee, appearing before the Senate on Wednesday.

Sterile Neutrino Prediction Muddled by Latest Experiments

NYT: Science

By:Kenneth Chang

4 December 2025 at 15:27

Two papers challenged the existence of theorized particles called sterile neutrinos that might account for mysteries like the cosmos’s dark matter.

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