Latest Climate Report Warns of Major Upheaval to California Way of Life

19 October 2026 at 13:09

The dire projections come from the state’s Climate Change Assessment, which analyzes the impacts of changing weather patterns on the nation’s most-populous state.

The report finds that without major intervention, as much as three-quarters of California’s beaches could disappear — either seasonally or permanently — by 2100 because of coastal erosion.

What to Know About the Search for Amelia Earhart’s Plane

NYT: Science

By: Jin Yu Young

19 October 2026 at 06:47

A satellite image sent researchers to a remote Pacific atoll, but their findings brought no resolution to the decades-old search. Here’s what to know.

Amelia Earhart perched atop the nose of the Lockheed Electra plane in 1936.

How Did Life Arise? Three Turning Points in Early Evolution

NYT: Science

By: William J. Broad · Kenneth Chang and Carl Zimmer

19 October 2026 at 05:01

Where did it start? How did it grow complex? Why did it get big? Three moments in Earth’s early history when evolution suddenly, inexplicably turned up the dial.

The Overlapping Plagues Quietly Devastating American Forests

NYT: Science

19 October 2026 at 11:55

Trees are suffering one devastating epidemic after another, unleashed by insects and bacteria that enter the country because of global trade.

A Japanese Spacecraft Aims to Bring Back a Bit of a Martian Moon

NYT: Science

By: Kenneth Chang

19 October 2026 at 16:41

The mission, which launched on Monday, is headed to Phobos, the larger of the two moons of Mars. It could carry back the first samples from the Martian system.

The Martian Moons Exploration spacecraft, built by the Japanese space agency, includes components from NASA and European partners.

The New Science of Stuttering

NYT: Science

By: Jack Tamisiea

18 October 2026 at 07:41

Experts are reaching consensus on what the condition is. Now they’re debating how best to treat it.

A Reporter Who Saw Covid Coming Has Died

NYT: Science

By: Jeré Longman

17 October 2026 at 13:17

Helen Branswell recognized the threat of the pandemic ahead of the vast majority of journalists and even medical experts. She was 69.

Helen Branswell in 2020. She was a reporter for STAT, the medical and science news site, since its start in 2015.

For a Mere $2 Million, You Could Own Three Books That Unlocked the Universe

NYT: Science

By: William J. Broad and Andres Kudacki

17 October 2026 at 05:01

At Sotheby’s, a feast of rare science books includes volumes from Copernicus, Galileo and Newton that together revolutionized human understanding of the cosmos.

Hundreds of rare science books are now on display at Sotheby’s New York before they go up for auction on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

RFK Jr. Pledged to Advance Anti-Vaccine Group’s Goals. Here’s What He’s Doing.

NYT: Science

By: Christina Jewett

16 October 2026 at 19:45

The health secretary is quietly taking steps that public health experts fear will reduce immunization rates further.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, speaking in Washington on Wednesday.

The Leap Second Has Been Canceled

NYT: Science

By: K. R. Callaway

16 October 2026 at 16:13

Earth’s rotation subtly changes the length of the day. Now our clocks won’t change with it — at least not for a very long time.

Terry Tao Is on the Front Lines of the Debate Over AI and the Future of Math

NYT: Science

By: Elisabeth Bumiller

16 October 2026 at 16:15

The Fields Medalist Terence Tao is on the front lines of a debate about artificial intelligence and the future of his field.

Terence Tao's celebrated status has made him an unofficial spokesman for mathematics, a job that for now is consuming most of his time.

Citizen Science Groups Grapple With the Rise of A.I. Slop

NYT: Science

By: Eric Boodman

16 October 2026 at 14:36

Facing a flood of A.I. slop, groups bent on democratizing science create new checks and balances.

Inside the Plague Research Labs at the Heart of a Russian Mystery

NYT: Science

By: K. R. Callaway

15 October 2026 at 10:12

A Russian researcher, who died from an unknown illness, worked at a remote anti-plague facility. Few foreigners have visited these labs, which dot the former Soviet states, and are shrouded in secrecy.

A picture released by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute showing specialists working in a laboratory in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in 2019.

Bleached Coral Rebounded After Touching Healthy Coral, Study Finds

NYT: Science

By: Raymond Zhong

15 October 2026 at 09:20

After sick corals were placed in direct contact with healthy ones of the same genetic makeup, they recovered at “incredible” speed, scientists found.

A New World of Lung Cancer Therapy Awaits Pope Leo

NYT: Science

By: Gina Kolata and Carolyn Y. Johnson

14 October 2026 at 13:02

Lung cancer is still a leading cause of cancer death, but that rate is half what it was in the 1990s, partly because newly developed treatments are working.

Pope Leo greeted his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, as he arrived at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Tuesday to remove a lung nodule.

They Created a Cell That’s Almost Alive. What to Do With It Now?

NYT: Science

By: Carl Zimmer

14 October 2026 at 16:43

SpudCells may one day produce new medicines and materials. But first scientists have to improve them — and make sure they aren’t misused.

How Top Trump Officials Stoked Fears of a Nuke That Could Fry the Power Grid

NYT: Science

By: William J. Broad

14 October 2026 at 12:59

For more than a decade, conservative activists held that a single atomic bomb could, without killing Americans directly, lay waste to the country — a claim that built fervor for war with Iran.

The test detonation in 1962 of a hydrogen bomb lit up the night sky over Honolulu and knocked out some of the city’s electrical systems. Experts linked the unanticipated damage to what they came to call the electromagnetic pulse.

Amit Forlit, the Israeli Private Eye at the Heart of a Climate Hacking Scandal

NYT: Science

By: Karen Zraick and Gabby Sobelman

14 October 2026 at 10:13

He’s been linked to someone called “The Hawk.” He named his company “This Isn’t a Dentist’s Office.” The feds say he hacked American environmentalists.

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sets a Mars Driving Record

NYT: Science

By: Kenneth Chang

13 October 2026 at 15:26

Advances in self-driving technology have made it easier to traverse distant worlds.

How a Logging Industry Downturn Fuels Wildfires

NYT: Science

By: Scott Dance

13 October 2026 at 05:01

Loggers are finding it impossible to profitably harvest some federal forests. That leaves more fuel for fires to accumulate.

The Plaskett Fire burning in California in August.

What Can Four-Winged Dinosaurs Teach Us About Birds?

NYT: Science

By: Jack Tamisiea

13 October 2026 at 05:01

Flight was probably more widespread in dinosaurs than previously thought. A newly identified species sheds light on how some achieved liftoff.

There’s Worlds Out There More Habitable Than Earth

NYT: Science

By: Natalie Wolchover

13 October 2026 at 23:51

Scientists believe there are planets outside our solar system where life is even more abundant and sustainable.

He Helped Discover Ebola 50 Years Ago. He’s Still Worried.

NYT: Science

By: Apoorva Mandavilli

12 October 2026 at 05:02

In an interview, Dr. Peter Piot recalled when he first saw the spindly virus under a microscope and reflected on a five-decade career spent fighting two deadly pathogens.

Dr. Peter Piot was among the first scientists to see the Ebola virus, as a young researcher in Belgium in 1976.

How Do Cuttlefish Hide? Scientists Search for the Secret to Camouflage.

NYT: Science

By: Alexa Robles-Gil

12 October 2026 at 05:00

Cephalopods are masters of camouflage. Scientists want to decipher how the process works in the brain.

The Times’s New Space Editor Has Her Eye on the Cosmos

NYT: Science

By: Sarah Bahr

11 October 2026 at 14:14

On the Science desk, Victoria Jaggard spends her days pondering the universe’s most pressing mysteries.

Who Were the Vikings? 21 Graves Weave a Tale of Hunters, Nomads and Sorceresses.

NYT: Science

By: Franz Lidz

11 October 2026 at 05:00

“The Sea-King and the Sorceress” examines the lives and deaths of the diverse people who called themselves Vikings.

New York City’s Latest Famous Family Is a Hoot. Yes, They’re Barn Owls.

NYT: Science

By: Christopher Maag

11 October 2026 at 17:07

The city’s latest feathered extraordinaires are captivating the Upper West Side with their screeches.

Barn owls are rarely seen in dense urban areas like New York City.

Why Ketamine Immobilizes Some Users

NYT: Science

By: Andrew Jacobs

10 October 2026 at 16:38

Potent powders can produce a nearly catatonic state, particularly in those who have not tried the drug before.

Ketamine is a useful sedative and antidepressant at light doses. At stronger doses, it is a powerful anesthetic, but at repeated high doses, it deadens sensation, leaving users conscious but unable to act.

Will We Ever Understand Dementia?

NYT: Science

By: Robert Kolker

10 October 2026 at 10:28

Since the days of Dr. Alzheimer himself, there has been a dream that severe senility might have an explanation — and a cure. The search for both has never been more urgent.

The Underappreciated Benefits of Leaving Fallen Leaves Alone

NYT: Science

By: Alan Burdick

10 October 2026 at 10:20

To homeowners, fallen leaves look like work. To nature, they’re an investment, with tremendous value on the secondary market as invertebrate real estate.

Mathematician Who Waited 50 Years for Proper Credit for Her Work Has Died

NYT: Science

By: Ama Sarpomaa

10 October 2026 at 05:00

At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mary Tsingou Menzel’s computer programming helped set the stage for chaos theory and other fields.

Big Controversy Upends a Contest About Microscopic Videos

NYT: Science

By: Stella Raine Chu

9 October 2026 at 18:47

Nikon announced that it had disqualified the winner of its Small World in Motion competition over how A.I. was used in his submission.

Nikon’s Small World in Motion competition is an annual video contest that awards the best footage captured through the lens of a microscope.

Cancer Vaccines Are the N.I.H.’s Next ‘Big Bet’

NYT: Science

By: Gina Kolata

9 October 2026 at 16:26

New details have emerged about an initiative that starts in December to fast-track the vaccines, similar to the successful push for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Cancer vaccine research at the biotech company Moderna in Cambridge, Mass., which reported in August promising results that a melanoma vaccine increased the time before cancers recurred and increased the time before the cancers spread.

‘Breathtaking,’ ‘Devastating’: Mathematics Reels After New OpenAI Release

NYT: Science

By: Siobhan Roberts

9 October 2026 at 16:28

Hundreds of new A.I.-generated findings moved the frontiers of higher math in a single day — dispelling any doubt that the field is forever changed.

Experts say the cataclysmic upheaval to the field will affect students the most, especially graduate students on the cusp of becoming a part of this intellectual community.

21 Birds Are Found at Miami Airport Stuffed in Underwear and Hidden in a Belt

NYT: Science

By: Rebecca Chao

8 October 2026 at 20:36

Two men, who arrived separately from Cuba days apart, each carried clutches of live birds concealed in their clothes, the authorities said.

A man who was detained at Miami International Airport on Sunday appeared nervous and had an “unexplained bulge” around his pelvis, according to a criminal complaint.

What Are the Remaining Millennium Prize Problems?

NYT: Science

By: Siobhan Roberts

9 October 2026 at 08:12

OpenAI’s trove of new math results doesn’t fully solve any of these highly prestigious open questions, but it seems to make progress on some.

A page from an 1859 manuscript in which Berhard Reimann formulated his famous hypothesis, one of the remaining Millennium Prize problems.

U.N. Warns Against Technology Used to Read Citizens’ Minds

NYT: Science

By: Jonathan Moens

9 October 2026 at 05:32

A report by the secretary general warned that new technologies could be used to access and criminalize people’s innermost thoughts.

While neurotechnologies have become powerful clinical tools for patients with brain injuries, the United Nations on Thursday warned that future technologies could be abused by governments.

The National Hurricane Center’s Boss Keeps an Eye on the Storms

NYT: Science

By: Johnny Diaz

8 October 2026 at 14:00

The director, Michael Brennan, oversees 45 federal workers, including hurricane specialists and meteorologists.

Michael Brennan has been director of the National Hurricane Center since 2023.

Before Computer Science Became a Boys’ Club, Margaret Hamilton Wrote the Code

NYT: Science

By: Carolyn Y. Johnson and Kenneth Chang

8 October 2026 at 22:09

The woman who helped put astronauts on the moon was a software engineer when the field was not prestigious or lucrative.

For Two Sisters, a “Biological Age Test” Measured More Than Their DNA

NYT: Science

By: Emily Baumgaertner Nunn and Annie Flanagan

8 October 2026 at 11:06

They thought it might explain why their health had diverged. Instead, it stirred up feelings that weren’t so easily quantified.

As Flood Risk Increases in Himalayas, Nepal Builds More in Vulnerable Areas

NYT: Science

By: Raymond Zhong

8 October 2026 at 11:00

The total footprint of buildings along flood-prone riverbanks in the Himalayas grew by half in recent years, a study found.

Flood hazards in Nepal include monsoon downpours, earthquakes and avalanches that send boulders tumbling into lakes formed by melting glaciers.

Margaret Hamilton, Whose Software Guided the Apollo Missions, Has Died

NYT: Science

By: Trip Gabriel

8 October 2026 at 09:09

Margaret Hamilton, the first female programmer hired to work on the space project at M.I.T., was 90.

Margaret Hamilton with printed computer code in 1969.

RFK Jr. Plans Vaccine Injury Initiative, Drawing Wary Eye From Experts

NYT: Science

By: Sheryl Gay Stolberg

7 October 2026 at 21:40

Vaccine safety experts say more research into the side effects would be welcome yet question whether the health secretary’s effort will be grounded in science.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, testifying during a Senate health committee hearing earlier this year.

A Lab Worker’s Death Is Raising Plague Fears in Russia. What Do Experts Want to Know?

NYT: Science

By: K. R. Callaway

8 October 2026 at 11:09

Missing details about the death of a lab worker, including the cause, are worrying scientists.

Russian health officials have not linked the death of a lab worker to infection with Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague.

Jonathan the Giant Tortoise Is 194 Years Old. He Just Had His Genome Sequenced.

NYT: Science

By: Monique Brouillette

8 October 2026 at 15:06

Scientists have sequenced his genome for the first time, hoping the world’s oldest land animal can offer clues into the genetics of longevity.

A Public Health-Minded Senator Asks: What Comes After Trump and Kennedy?

NYT: Science

By: Sheryl Gay Stolberg

7 October 2026 at 15:59

Senator Patty Murray, a former chair of the Senate health committee, is forming a group of experts to examine how to insulate the C.D.C. from political interference.

Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, at the Capitol last month.

Trump Administration Delays Threaten Funding for HIV Research

NYT: Science

By: Apoorva Mandavilli and Benjamin Mueller

7 October 2026 at 12:33

The networks also develop treatments and preventions for other infectious diseases and were instrumental in testing the Covid vaccine.

Drawing blood at an H.I.V. clinic in South Africa last year. The research networks’ large footprint has enabled them to develop tools to prevent and treat H.I.V., including in marginalized or rare populations.

Was the Human Gut Healthier in Ancient Times?

NYT: Science

By: Carl Zimmer

7 October 2026 at 11:57

The microbiome isn’t what it used to be in many parts of the world. The shift may be affecting the well-being of people in industrialized countries.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Is Awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai

NYT: Science

By: K. R. Callaway

7 October 2026 at 11:17

The Nobel Committee recognized Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for solving a century-old mystery about molecules with mirror images. Their work is crucial for pharmaceuticals and carries clues to the origins of life.

Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai are awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry during a news conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, on Wednesday.

Russia Says It Found No ‘Emergency’ in Plague Lab

NYT: Science

By: Paul Sonne

7 October 2026 at 14:20

New information around the death of a lab worker, including a statement that she had been vaccinated against the plague, came as U.S. officials demanded more data.

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