https://www.nytimes.com/section/science en-us Copyright 2026 The New York Times Company Sat, 05 Sep 2026 10:53:56 +0000 Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:02:43 +0000 https://static01.nyt.com/images/misc/NYT_logo_rss_250x40.png https://www.nytimes.com/section/science https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/the-worlds-first-bugs-had-way-more-legs.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/the-worlds-first-bugs-had-way-more-legs.html Meet the earliest known insects. Shaking hands with them will take a while. Kate Golembiewski Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:00:08 +0000 your-feed-science Insects Fossils Museums San Diego Natural History Museum Grimaldi, David Jr https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/health/psilocybin-cancer-nerve-damage.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/health/psilocybin-cancer-nerve-damage.html The preliminary research was conducted in mice, but scientists were optimistic the results would apply to humans. Clinical trials begin this month. Andrew Jacobs Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:46:22 +0000 Psilocybin Mushrooms Chemotherapy Nerves and Nervous System Pain Research Cancer Clinical Trials Science (Journal) Mason Trinca for The New York Times There are no effective treatments for neuropathy, which causes pain, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, and can force patients to scale back or halt chemotherapy when the discomfort becomes too much. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/science/genes-personality-traits.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/science/genes-personality-traits.html More than one million genomes helped identify DNA variants linked to extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism and more. Researchers measured how those traits influenced how people lived. Emily Baumgaertner Nunn Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:15:56 +0000 Psychology and Psychologists Genetics and Heredity DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Research Nature (Journal) Andrew Syred/Science Source https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/science/what-did-jurassic-forests-sound-like-like-this.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/science/what-did-jurassic-forests-sound-like-like-this.html Scientists spent over a decade reconstructing the calls of nine species of ancient insects to create the first accurate Jurassic soundscape. Annie Roth Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:11:39 +0000 Fossils Paleontology Insects Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences internal-open-access-from-nl Richard Bizley/Science Source By studying the fossilized wings of ancient insects as well as the bioacoustics of their living relatives, researchers were able to use computer modeling and machine learning to replicate their sounds. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/world/americas/screwworm-facility-mexico.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/world/americas/screwworm-facility-mexico.html For the first time in a year, the U.S.-Mexico border partly reopened to cattle imports following a screwworm infestation across the region. The battle against the flesh-eating fly has only just begun deep in Mexico. James Wagner and Luis Antonio Rojas Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:49:53 +0000 Mexico Screwworm Fly Agriculture and Farming Livestock Diseases Darien Gap Cattle International Trade and World Market Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times New World screwworm flies in a cage at a facility in Metapa, Mexico, that that produces sterile flies, which when released into the wild slowly reduce the population size. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/science/dark-matter.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/science/dark-matter.html A lone signal from an experiment in South Dakota doesn’t fit the profile of any other known particles, physicists say. Katrina Miller Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:49:34 +0000 Dark Matter (Astronomy) Physics Research Physical Review Letters https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/science/ai-consciousness-agents-email.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/science/ai-consciousness-agents-email.html Given access to email, A.I. agents have started reaching out to the philosophers and researchers exploring deep questions about them. Cade Metz Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:10:40 +0000 Artificial Intelligence Computers and the Internet Research Berg, Cameron Brain Emotions Gopnik, Alison Ord, Toby Anthropic AI LLC Google Inc OpenAI Labs your-feed-science Benjamin Rasmussen for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/science/dog-breeding-gene-editing-crispr.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/science/dog-breeding-gene-editing-crispr.html Technologies like CRISPR are giving us new ways to create the dogs of our dreams — and a reason to reckon with our past mistakes. Emily Anthes Mon, 31 Aug 2026 15:50:08 +0000 Dogs Genetic Engineering Crispr (DNA) Pets Allergies Breeding of Animals Biotechnology and Bioengineering Animal Abuse, Rights and Welfare Kindred Companion Sciences internal-open-access-from-nl Mary Conlon/Associated Press Life with Bailey has been “amazing,” Dr. Walker said. “I didn’t really appreciate, when people say pets are part of your family, what that really means. But she really is a part of our family.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/climate/coral-reef-recovery-time.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/climate/coral-reef-recovery-time.html Rising sea temperatures mean reefs don’t have enough time to bounce back between intense heat waves, a new report warns. Quinn Glabicki Mon, 31 Aug 2026 04:01:06 +0000 Reefs Heat and Heat Waves Oceans and Seas Fish and Other Marine Life Conservation of Resources Biodiversity Global Warming Wildlife Die-Offs Research Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network Jason Gulley for The New York Times Bleaching corals at Looe Key Reef off Florida in 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/science/space/is-there-alien-debris-on-the-moon-some-scientists-plan-to-find-out.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/science/space/is-there-alien-debris-on-the-moon-some-scientists-plan-to-find-out.html Researchers want to explore the idea that microscopic particles shed by alien civilizations have accumulated on the lunar surface, making it an archive of extraterrestrial technology. Becky Ferreira Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:02:43 +0000 Extraterrestrial Life Moon SETI Institute NASA Harrison H. Schmitt, an Apollo 17 astronaut, on his way to take samples on the lunar surface in 1972. Scientists propose sending a lunar mission to sift through about a cubic meter of soil to screen for materials. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/heart-drug-fails-novartis-pelacarsen.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/heart-drug-fails-novartis-pelacarsen.html Doctors were hopeful the drug, which was being tested in a large clinical trial by Novartis, was going to be a powerful new tool to fight heart disease. Gina Kolata Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:42:44 +0000 Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Cholesterol Stroke Clinical Trials Heart Novartis AG Krumholz, Harlan M Maron, David J Juan Gaertner/Science Source An illustration of lipoprotein(a), a low-density lipoprotein. Every study short of a randomized clinical trial had indicated that the drug would lower Lp(a) and help protect people from heart disease. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/us/politics/pentagon-nih-biodefense-agreement.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/us/politics/pentagon-nih-biodefense-agreement.html Under a new partnership, the Defense Department would play a larger role in biodefense and pandemic preparedness. Democrats warned it could allow a Pentagon cash grab. Catie Edmondson and Carolyn Y. Johnson Fri, 04 Sep 2026 22:31:51 +0000 United States Politics and Government United States Defense and Military Forces Research Defense Department Health and Human Services Department National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health Democratic Party Senate House of Representatives Kenny Holston/The New York Times The agreement, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, is focused on chemical and biological defense research. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/hideki-shirakawa-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/hideki-shirakawa-dead.html The Japanese chemist played a key role in the discovery of electricity-conducting plastics, largely by accident. Dylan Loeb McClain Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:47:05 +0000 Shirakawa, Hideki Deaths (Obituaries) Nobel Prizes Plastics Chemistry Electric Light and Power Research MacDiarmid, Alan G Heeger, Alan J Japan Henrik Montgomery/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Hideki Shirakawa in Stockholm in 2000, when he shared the Nobel Prize. From a young age, he developed an ambition to work in the lab with plastics. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/archaeology-shipwrecks-pirates-kingsley.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/science/archaeology-shipwrecks-pirates-kingsley.html For the marine archaeologist Sean Kingsley, the most honest history can be found on the seafloor. Franz Lidz Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:43:29 +0000 Shipwrecks (Historic) Oceans and Seas Archaeology and Anthropology Piracy at Sea Bahama Islands David Shaw for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/sports/f1-brains-drivers-racing.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/sports/f1-brains-drivers-racing.html They are moving too fast for the normal mind to keep up, but elite drivers have more densely packed brain cells where it counts and use their minds more efficiently. Erik Vance Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:07 +0000 Brain Automobile Racing Formula One https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/climate/cleaner-air-smarter-toddlers.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/climate/cleaner-air-smarter-toddlers.html New research links climate policies to improved early-childhood development. Claire Brown Thu, 03 Sep 2026 18:11:42 +0000 Air Pollution Medicine and Health Respiratory Diseases Children and Childhood Research Global Warming New York City Seasons and Months Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drew Angerer/Getty Images Researchers at Columbia University followed more than a thousand children between 1998 and 2020, testing their cognitive development. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/climate/patagonia-bears-ears-lawsuit-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/climate/patagonia-bears-ears-lawsuit-trump.html The outdoor apparel maker joined environmental and Native American groups in challenging President Trump’s reduction of Bears Ears National Monument. Maxine Joselow Thu, 03 Sep 2026 03:09:06 +0000 Patagonia Inc Bears Ears National Monument (Utah) Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Utah) Suits and Litigation (Civil) National Parks, Monuments and Seashores Conservation of Resources Mines and Mining Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline United States Politics and Government Trump, Donald J Utah Native Americans George Frey/Getty Images Tourists at Muley Point, looking out on Monument Valley, in Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/climate/pollution-soot-glaciers-melting-himalayas.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/climate/pollution-soot-glaciers-melting-himalayas.html Darkened by soot from vehicles and factories, the region’s glaciers are absorbing more heat and melting at dangerous rates. Hiroko Tabuchi Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:24:14 +0000 Nepal-Tibet Floods (August 2026) Glaciers Air Pollution Fuel Emissions (Transportation) Factories and Manufacturing Nepal Research Far East, South and Southeast Asia and Pacific Areas Jason Gulley for The New York Times A meltwater lake on the Ngozumpa Glacier in Nepal in 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/climate/united-nations-climate-target-overshoot.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/climate/united-nations-climate-target-overshoot.html Carbon removal combined with emissions reduction is the only remaining pathway to avert catastrophic levels of warming, a new report warns. Chico Harlan Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:47:03 +0000 Global Warming United Nations Greenhouse Gas Emissions Carbon Dioxide Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline Wahyudi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Extinguishing a fire in Indonesia. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/science-museum-drexel-philadelphia-closing.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/us/science-museum-drexel-philadelphia-closing.html The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, which is affiliated with Drexel University, cited attendance struggles and higher costs in its decision to close. Neil Vigdor Tue, 01 Sep 2026 23:18:05 +0000 Academy of Natural Sciences Shutdowns (Institutional) Museums Drexel University Paleontology Philadelphia (Pa) Finances Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) United States Politics and Government internal-eafs Matt Rourke/Associated Press The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia opened in 1828 and is known for its Dinosaur Hall. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/climate/climate-forward-data-center-backlash.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/climate/climate-forward-data-center-backlash.html Today we visit Pennsylvania, where there’s a high-stakes clash over A.I. jobs and the environment. David Gelles Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:09:02 +0000 Data Centers Artificial Intelligence Global Warming Natural Gas Pennsylvania Kristian Thacker for The New York Times A rally against data centers at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg this summer. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/science/ada-yonath-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/science/ada-yonath-dead.html Her mapping of the ribosome, which led to new designs for antibiotics, faced years of derision, as many scientists saw it as a dead-end effort. Jonathan Kandell Tue, 01 Sep 2026 15:02:59 +0000 Yonath, Ada E Deaths (Obituaries) Nobel Prizes Research Chemistry Proteins Antibiotics Women and Girls Israel Gali Tibbon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Ada Yonath in 2009. Her work, once dismissed as impractical, ultimately earned her a share of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry that year and opened new pathways for designing antibiotics at a time when drug resistance has become a global threat. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/climate/new-york-climate-superfund-law.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/climate/new-york-climate-superfund-law.html The court said the measure, which required energy companies to pay $75 billion to the state, conflicted with federal law. Karen Zraick Tue, 01 Sep 2026 19:50:27 +0000 New York State Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Law and Legislation Decisions and Verdicts Federal-State Relations (US) Global Warming Suits and Litigation (Civil) Regulation and Deregulation of Industry Hochul, Kathleen C Sannes, Brenda K Cindy Schultz for The New York Times Kathy Hochul, New York’s governor, signed the law in 2024 and several other states have considered similar measures. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/science/spacex-roman-telescope-launch.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/science/spacex-roman-telescope-launch.html Astronomers will use data collected by Roman’s wide, deep gaze to study the dark universe and hunt for new worlds. Katrina Miller Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:39:49 +0000 Telescopes and Observatories National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space and Astronomy Stars and Galaxies Dark Matter (Astronomy) Dark Energy (Astronomy) Planets