Science News
The Electric Worm Gets the Fly
By studying how worms use electric charge to jump onto flies, scientists are showing even physical strategies are embedded in evolution.
Bird Flu Is Back
After a quiet summer, the virus is hitting poultry flocks hard in the run-up to the holidays — and in the midst of a federal government shutdown.
‘Medicaid Cut Me Off’: A Rural Health Center Faces New Pressures
As cuts to federal health care take hold, local clinics like Delta Health Center in Mississippi will be stretched more thinly than ever.
Roundabouts in Keene Help Cut Emissions and Air Pollution
Despite its small stature, the city of Keene, has become an example of the safety and climate benefits of swapping traffic lights for roundabouts.
Helping to Save the Bees With Plants in Kansas
About 97 percent of the land in the state is privately owned. Meet the people helping to make it friendlier for native bugs.
Reviving California’s Kelp Forests, One Dive at a Time
Cove by cove, scientists, divers and volunteers are hauling up urchins to protect kelp.
An Alaska Solar Farm Produces Food, Too
Produce and power are both costly in the state. So researchers are testing ways to address both issues using the same land.
‘Pirate Lizards’ Can Get Around on 3 Legs
Researchers found more than a hundred lizards of nearly 60 species that survived losing a limb, with some even seeming to thrive.
From Industry to E.P.A.: Lobbyist Now Oversees Pesticide Rules
Kyle Kunkler fought for a restricted weed killer that can harm plants and wildlife when it drifts to nearby land. He’s now at the E.P.A., which wants to allow its use.
With SpaceX Behind Schedule, NASA Will Seek More Moon Lander Ideas
Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, and Lockheed Martin are among the contractors that may compete with Elon Musk’s company in the race back to the lunar surface.
George F. Smoot, Who Showed How the Cosmos Began, Is Dead at 80
He led a team of scientists who helped confirm that a Big Bang was the source of the universe. The discovery earned him a Nobel Prize.
How to See the Orionids Meteor Shower: Best Time to Watch
The shower is produced by Halley’s comet’s debris, and could offer strong viewing opportunities because the moon is new this week.
Vision Restored Using Prosthetic Retinal Implant
The device could help a million people with a severe form of macular degeneration to be able to see enough to read.
You’re About to Learn How Part of the Sausage Gets Made
If Oktoberfest brings links to your plate, there’s more to know about the meat- and vegetable-based casings they’re stuffed into.
Sea Otters Are Stealing Surfboards in Santa Cruz. Again.
Two years after Otter 841 menaced wave riders near Santa Cruz, there have been new encounters between the furry marine mammals and surfers.
Chen Ning Yang, Nobel-Winning Physicist, Is Dead at 103
He and a colleague, Tsung-Dao Lee, created a sensation in 1956 by proposing that one of the four forces of nature might violate a law of physics.
When a Hearing Aid Isn’t Enough
More older adults have turned to cochlear implants after Medicare expanded eligibility for the devices.
How Psychedelic Mushrooms Evolved Their Magic
Two distantly related groups of mushrooms take radically different routes to producing psilocybin, a mind-bending molecule.
The Kids Who Sued Trump Just Lost Big in Court. Or Did They?
A federal judge threw out their climate lawsuit against the president a few days ago. But legal experts say there was a silver lining in the judge’s opinion.
Three Cases of Mpox Tied to Severe Illness Worry Health Experts
None of the patients, all California residents, had traveled abroad, suggesting the Clade 1 form was transmitted locally.