https://www.nytimes.com/section/science en-us Copyright 2026 The New York Times Company Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:26:27 +0000 Wed, 21 Oct 2026 01:21:24 +0000 https://static01.nyt.com/images/misc/NYT_logo_rss_250x40.png https://www.nytimes.com/section/science https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/autoimmune-diseases-evolution-ms.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/autoimmune-diseases-evolution-ms.html Our genes evolved to fight ancient threats, but in the modern world, some of those changes may be turning against us. David Quammen Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:00:42 +0000 Autoimmune Diseases Evolution (Biology) Genetics and Heredity Research Plague Immune System Bronze Age https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/ai-virus-bacteria-radical-numerics.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/ai-virus-bacteria-radical-numerics.html Certain viruses attack bacteria and can sometimes clear antibiotic-resistant infections. Researchers said they had tailored a virus to attack one patient’s illness. Carl Zimmer Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:48:14 +0000 Artificial Intelligence Research Bacteria Drug Resistance (Microbial) Genetics and Heredity Microbiology Genetic Engineering Antibiotics Infections DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Food and Drug Administration https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/science/russia-satellite-kosmos-2612.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/science/russia-satellite-kosmos-2612.html Although Kosmos 2612 is now backing away, the maneuver raised alarm bells for analysts who see it as part of a pattern of Russian aggression. Kenneth Chang Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:24:26 +0000 Satellites Space and Astronomy Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) Defense and Military Forces LeoLabs Inc ICEYE Oy China Russia United States Ukraine ICEYE An artist’s concept of a satellite made by ICEYE, a multinational company that provides three-dimensional images of Earth’s surface. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/science/evolution-life-earth.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/science/evolution-life-earth.html 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. William J. Broad, Kenneth Chang and Carl Zimmer Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:56:27 +0000 Paleontology Earth Oceans and Seas Biology and Biochemistry Evolution (Biology) Fish and Other Marine Life Animals Fossils Volcanoes Mitochondria DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Darwin (Australia) Newfoundland (Canada) Photoillustration by Will Warasila for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/science/the-new-science-of-stuttering.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/science/the-new-science-of-stuttering.html Experts are reaching consensus on what the condition is. Now they’re debating how best to treat it. Jack Tamisiea Sun, 18 Oct 2026 11:41:01 +0000 Stuttering Voice and Speech Psychiatry and Psychiatrists Brain Research Maguire, Gerald A Stuttering Treatment and Research Society https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/science/mmx-mars-moons-jaxa-launch.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/science/mmx-mars-moons-jaxa-launch.html 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. Kenneth Chang Mon, 19 Oct 2026 20:41:50 +0000 Mars (Planet) Space and Astronomy Planets Rocket Science and Propulsion Asteroids Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency European Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration Japan Yuichi Yamazaki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Martian Moons Exploration spacecraft, built by the Japanese space agency, includes components from NASA and European partners. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/climate/tree-pandemics-northeast-forests.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/climate/tree-pandemics-northeast-forests.html Trees are suffering one devastating epidemic after another, unleashed by insects and bacteria that enter the country because of global trade. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 15:55:37 +0000 Trees and Shrubs Invasive Species Insects Global Warming New York State Catskill Mountains Hudson River Valley (NY) Northeastern States (US) North America Forest Service Forests and Forestry Flowers and Plants International Trade and World Market Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/17/science/sothebys-science-books-auction.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/17/science/sothebys-science-books-auction.html At Sotheby’s, a feast of rare science books includes volumes from Copernicus, Galileo and Newton that together revolutionized human understanding of the cosmos. William J. Broad and Andres Kudacki Sat, 17 Oct 2026 09:01:50 +0000 Books and Literature Science and Technology Sotheby's Auctions Collectors and Collections Antiques Space and Astronomy Solar System Copernicus, Nicolaus Galilei, Galileo Newton, Isaac Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Book) Hundreds of rare science books are now on display at Sotheby’s New York before they go up for auction on Tuesday, Oct. 20. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/science/leap-second-abolished-vote.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/science/leap-second-abolished-vote.html 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. K. R. Callaway Fri, 16 Oct 2026 20:13:02 +0000 Time Leap Year Earth Weights and Measures Watches and Clocks International Bureau of Weights and Measures Miguel Román, Joshua Stevens/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/primates-germaphobe-avoid-sickness.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/primates-germaphobe-avoid-sickness.html Some monkeys become significantly more cautious about food sources that appear contaminated after experiencing deadly outbreaks of disease. Ryan Green Tue, 20 Oct 2026 23:05:04 +0000 your-feed-science Monkeys and Apes Disease Rates Animal Behavior Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Research Quarantines Hygiene and Cleanliness Texas https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/technology/spacex-earnings-elon-musk.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/technology/spacex-earnings-elon-musk.html Elon Musk’s rocket company said its artificial intelligence spending had soared, but revenue more than doubled from its Starlink internet satellite service and A.I. products. Ryan Mac and Kate Conger Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:37:38 +0000 Space Exploration Technologies Corp Musk, Elon Tesla Motors Inc Shotwell, Gwynne Artificial Intelligence Private Spaceflight Company Reports Computers and the Internet Andres Kudacki for The New York Times SpaceX’s performance on the stock market is a barometer for Anthropic, the A.I. company that may go public as early as next month. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/ketamine-fda-spravato-ketafree.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/science/ketamine-fda-spravato-ketafree.html Spurred on by the Trump administration’s embrace of psychedelic medicine, researchers are experimenting with new — and not so new — forms of the anesthetic. Andrew Jacobs Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:49:20 +0000 Psychedelic and Hallucinogenic Drugs Ketamine (Drug) Sedatives Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Alternative and Complementary Medicine Drug Abuse and Traffic Mental Health and Disorders Medicine and Health Antidepressants Health Insurance and Managed Care Anesthesia and Anesthetics Food and Drug Administration Johnson & Johnson Teresa Crawford/Associated Press https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/us/california-climate-change-warning.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/us/california-climate-change-warning.html 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. Soumya Karlamangla Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:09:21 +0000 Global Warming Wildfires Floods Drought Coast Erosion Greenhouse Gas Emissions Weather Agriculture and Farming Research Politics and Government California Mario Tama/Getty Images 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. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/world/asia/amelia-earhart-plane-search-explained.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/world/asia/amelia-earhart-plane-search-explained.html 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. Jin Yu Young Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:47:20 +0000 Aviation Accidents, Safety and Disasters Airlines and Airplanes Pilots Earhart, Amelia Nikumaroro Island (Kiribati) Kiribati Pacific Ocean Purdue Research Foundation International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery Purdue University The New York Times Amelia Earhart perched atop the nose of the Lockheed Electra plane in 1936. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/17/health/helen-branswell-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/17/health/helen-branswell-dead.html Helen Branswell recognized the threat of the pandemic ahead of the vast majority of journalists and even medical experts. She was 69. Jeré Longman Sat, 17 Oct 2026 17:17:00 +0000 Branswell, Helen Deaths (Obituaries) News and News Media Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Epidemics Medicine and Health STATNews.com Philip Keith for The New York Times Helen Branswell in 2020. She was a reporter for STAT, the medical and science news site, since its start in 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/politics/rfk-jr-vaccines.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/politics/rfk-jr-vaccines.html The health secretary is quietly taking steps that public health experts fear will reduce immunization rates further. Christina Jewett Fri, 16 Oct 2026 23:45:43 +0000 Vaccination and Immunization Rumors and Misinformation United States Politics and Government Children and Childhood Suits and Litigation (Civil) Compensation for Damages (Law) Regulation and Deregulation of Industry Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Children's Health Defense Food and Drug Administration Health and Human Services Department Informed Consent Action Network National Institutes of Health Kennedy, Robert F Jr Trump, Donald J Annabelle Gordon/Reuters Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, speaking in Washington on Wednesday. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/science/citizen-science-ai-slop.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/science/citizen-science-ai-slop.html Facing a flood of A.I. slop, groups bent on democratizing science create new checks and balances. Eric Boodman Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:36:16 +0000 Artificial Intelligence Science and Technology Research Academic and Scientific Journals Laboratories and Scientific Equipment Rumors and Misinformation Falsification of Data https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/math-ai-terence-tao.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/us/math-ai-terence-tao.html The Fields Medalist Terence Tao is on the front lines of a debate about artificial intelligence and the future of his field. Elisabeth Bumiller Fri, 16 Oct 2026 20:15:45 +0000 Tao, Terence (1975- ) Mathematics Colleges and Universities Graduate Schools and Students Research Awards, Decorations and Honors Artificial Intelligence OpenAI Labs Green, Ben Joseph (1977- ) Regulation and Deregulation of Industry United States Politics and Government Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times Terence Tao's celebrated status has made him an unofficial spokesman for mathematics, a job that for now is consuming most of his time. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/science/russia-plague-laboratory-mystery.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/science/russia-plague-laboratory-mystery.html 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. K. R. Callaway Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:12:01 +0000 Plague Research Laboratories and Scientific Equipment Biological and Chemical Warfare Deaths (Fatalities) Politics and Government Shipilova, Darya (d 2026) Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East Irkutsk (Russia) Russia USSR (Former Soviet Union) Irkutsk Antiplague Research Institute, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A picture released by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute showing specialists working in a laboratory in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/climate/coral-bleaching-healing-touch.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/climate/coral-bleaching-healing-touch.html After sick corals were placed in direct contact with healthy ones of the same genetic makeup, they recovered at “incredible” speed, scientists found. Raymond Zhong Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:20:19 +0000 Coral Reefs Wildlife Die-Offs Fish and Other Marine Life Oceans and Seas Greenhouse Gas Emissions Global Warming Science Advances (Journal) Research https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/science/pope-leo-lung-cancer-therapies-genetic-mutations.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/science/pope-leo-lung-cancer-therapies-genetic-mutations.html 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. Gina Kolata and Carolyn Y. Johnson Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:02:22 +0000 Lung Cancer Clinical Trials Leo XIV Immunotherapy Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters Pope Leo greeted his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, as he arrived at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Tuesday to remove a lung nodule. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/science/spudcell-adamala-biotic.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/science/spudcell-adamala-biotic.html SpudCells may one day produce new medicines and materials. But first scientists have to improve them — and make sure they aren’t misused. Carl Zimmer Mon, 19 Oct 2026 16:56:19 +0000 Synthetic Biology Proteins Research Innovation Ethics and Official Misconduct SpudCell Biotic (Nonprofit) Adamala, Kate University of Minnesota https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/science/electromagnetic-pulse-nuke-trump-officials.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/science/electromagnetic-pulse-nuke-trump-officials.html 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. William J. Broad Wed, 14 Oct 2026 16:59:11 +0000 United States Politics and Government United States Defense and Military Forces Nuclear Weapons Electric Light and Power Power Failures and Blackouts Conservatism (US Politics) EMPact America Inc Schwartz, Henry (1934- ) Vance, J D Hegseth, Pete Gingrich, Newt Huckabee, Mike Trump, Donald J Iran Danvis Collection/Alamy 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. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/climate/amit-forlit-climate-hacking-allegations.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/climate/amit-forlit-climate-hacking-allegations.html 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. Karen Zraick and Gabby Sobelman Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:13:49 +0000 Forlit, Amit Israel Detectives (Private) Cyberattacks and Hackers Suits and Litigation (Civil) Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline Global Warming Shin Bet Greenhouse Gas Emissions Exxon Mobil Corp Mark Harris