National Center for Atmospheric Research to Be Dismantled, Trump Administration Says

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman · Brad Plumer and Jack Healy

17 December 2025 at 14:57

Russell Vought, the White House budget director, called the laboratory a source of “climate alarmism.”

National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., is responsible for many of the biggest scientific advances in humanity’s understanding of weather and climate since its founding in 1960.

More Than 2,000 Dinosaur Footprints Are Found in the Italian Alps

NYT: Science

By:Elisabetta Povoledo and Victor Mather

17 December 2025 at 13:33

Two hundred million years ago, prosauropods walked the earth. They left something behind.

Dinosaurs once roamed the earth, including, it seems, in this spot in Italy.

MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Is Fatally Shot in His Brookline, Mass., Home

NYT: Science

By:Michael Levenson

17 December 2025 at 10:57

The professor, Nuno F.G. Loureiro, was pronounced dead at a hospital on Tuesday morning. The authorities said they had opened a homicide investigation.

The professor, Nuno F.G. Loureiro, was the director of M.I.T.’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

Greenpeace’s Fight With Pipeline Giant Exposes a Legal Loophole

NYT: Science

By:Karen Zraick

17 December 2025 at 09:49

A court filing by a group with deep ties to the pipeline company Energy Transfer raises questions about the growing use of amicus briefs in litigation.

Energy Transfer pipes for the Dakota Access Pipeline in a staging area in Worthing, S.D., in 2015.

Penguins Become Prey for the Pumas of Patagonia

NYT: Science

By:Alexa Robles-Gil

16 December 2025 at 19:01

In Argentina, the return of pumas brought top predators back to the landscape — much to penguins’ dismay.

When the Bones Were Good, These Bees Buried Their Babies

NYT: Science

By:Jack Tamisiea

16 December 2025 at 19:01

A cave in the Dominican Republic concealed thousands of years worth of animal bones that had been turned into nests by prehistoric bees.

Research Flights Over the Atlantic Could Help Improve Atmospheric River Forecasting

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

16 December 2025 at 17:37

A global effort to better understand moisture-laden rivers in the sky, like those currently battering the West Coast, will take flight in January.

A view out the window of a research mission by NOAA into atmospheric rivers over the Pacific in 2023.

U.S. Is Seeking Exemption From a European Climate Law, Officials Say

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman

16 December 2025 at 15:09

Diplomats told E.U. officials that the bloc’s law on methane, a potent greenhouse gas, would hurt American oil and gas companies.

A liquified natural gas tanker. This year the Trump administration signed a deal with the European Union in which Europe pledged to buy American gas in exchange for tariff relief.

Arctic Report Card Marks Record Temperatures and Rainfall in Arctic

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

16 December 2025 at 14:12

A yearly checkup on the region documents a warmer, rainier Arctic and 200 Alaskan rivers “rusting” as melting tundra leaches minerals from the soil into waterways.

A tributary of the Kugaaruk River in northern Alaska turning orange from elevated heavy metal concentrations.

Ruth Kiew Dies at 79; Botanist Made Discoveries in Remote Forests

NYT: Science

By:Adam Nossiter

16 December 2025 at 14:11

Trekking across Malaysia, her adopted country, she found more than 150 unrecorded plant species. “She’s one of the greatest botanists who ever lived,” a colleague said.

Heart Association Revives Theory That Light Drinking May Be Good for You

NYT: Science

By:Roni Caryn Rabin

16 December 2025 at 13:40

The American Heart Association report runs contrary to recent studies — and the group’s own guidelines — that found any amount of alcohol to be harmful.

While there is no dispute that heavy drinking is harmful to health, the question before experts is whether light to moderate drinking provides more protection from cardiovascular disease than not drinking at all.

How the Pandemic Lockdowns Changed a Songbird’s Beak

NYT: Science

By:Emily Anthes

16 December 2025 at 09:12

For ecologists, the Covid-19 pandemic has presented a remarkable natural experiment in what can happen to wild animals when humans stay home.

Dark-eyed juncos, normally forest-dwelling, have occupied Los Angeles for about 20 years.

A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a ‘Withdrawal Crisis’ in Philadelphia

NYT: Science

By:Jan Hoffman and Hannah Yoon

15 December 2025 at 06:59

Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative, mixed into fentanyl has sent thousands to hospitals, not only for overdose but for life-threatening withdrawal. It is spreading to other cities.

The Temple University Hospital emergency entrance.

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

NYT: Science

By:Andrew Jacobs

12 December 2025 at 17:34

The sexually transmitted disease has become increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea.

How to Watch the Geminids Meteor Shower Reach Its Peak

NYT: Science

By:Katrina Miller

12 December 2025 at 06:43

The moon will be about one-third full as one of the year’s last meteor showers becomes most visible.

A meteor over Lukeville, Ariz., during the Geminids meteor shower in December 2023.

This Squid Is Playing Peekaboo at the Bottom of the Ocean

NYT: Science

By:Elizabeth Preston

12 December 2025 at 05:02

Perhaps it was hiding from predators. Or trying to catch food. Then again, maybe it just wanted to be left alone.

Review of Medical Cannabis Use Finds Little Evidence of Benefit

NYT: Science

By:Jan Hoffman

12 December 2025 at 18:52

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.

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