Were These Ancient Siberian Nomads the First Stoners?
Science, Today
Scientists ran a drug test on hair found in a 2,800-year-old burial mound. It came back positive for pot, the earliest known evidence of psychoactive cannabis use.
Tiny Chihuahuas Hold a Big Surprise: A Sliver of Coyote DNA
Science, Today
The breed is descended from indigenous canines, which may have been intentionally mixed with wild coyotes long before Europeans arrived in the Americas.
Beverly Whipple Has Died. She Introduced the G-Spot to the Mainstream.
Obits, Yesterday
Dr. Whipple studied the female erogenous zone and, with collaborators, wrote a best seller about women’s sexuality. She was 85.
Democrats Take Congress in a Landslide, and Trump Says He’s ‘Willing to Accept Those Results’
The Headlines, Yesterday
Plus, how to vote from space.
Prosecutors Seek to Drop Charges Against Russian Scientist Accused of Smuggling Frog Embryos
Science, Yesterday
Kseniia Petrova, a researcher at Harvard, has argued that she was vindictively prosecuted after her arrest in 2025.
As Picard, Patrick Stewart Had ‘Life-Changing’ Effects on Generations of Scientists
Science, October 30
After Flying Past the Moon, an Artemis II Astronaut Lands in California
Science, October 29
Reid Wiseman, now a retired emeritus astronaut, will become deputy director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s premier center for deep-space robotic missions.
Astronomers Create Detailed Simulation of the Early Universe
Video, October 26
Astronomers developed a simulation, called Lumina, that shows what most of the universe’s first two billion years might have looked like. To test its results, the team behind the project has started comparing it with actual observations from NASA.
Sweet Temptation: Ultimate Test of Chimp Friendships? Very Stealable Slices of Pineapple.
Science, October 23
Picky Eaters: Facing Increased Risks of Disease, Monkeys Can Turn Germophobic Too
Science, October 20
Why A.I. Has This Mathematician in Tears
Video, October 13
Artificial intelligence is now capable of helping solve some of mathematics’ most famous open problems. Steven Strogatz, a math professor at Cornell, joins Rachel Abrams on “The Daily” to talk about what happens when A.I. comes not just for your job, but for your purpose.
Counting on Nuclear: Does the Clock Need Resetting? Not for a Few Million Years or So.
Science, October 7
Grand Jury Indicts Former N.I.H. Official
Science, April 28
Prosecutors accused Dr. David Morens, a former adviser to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, of hiding records related to the onset of the pandemic.
Global Wildlife Trade Fuels Spread of Disease From Animals to People
Science, April 14
Live animal markets and the illegal sale of wildlife pose particular dangers, but any sale of wild animals or animal products poses spillover risks, a new study suggests.
Scientists Get a Glimpse to How New Pandemics Are Made
Science, March 9
Researchers have devised a new tool for discerning between naturally occurring viral outbreaks and those resulting from lab accidents.
He Built a Server to Protect Indigenous Health Data
Science, February 5
Joseph Yracheta was in charge of a repository that compiled and protected tribal health data. Then its funding was cut.
How the Pandemic Lockdowns Changed a Songbird’s Beak
Science, December 15
For ecologists, the Covid-19 pandemic has presented a remarkable natural experiment in what can happen to wild animals when humans stay home.
America Is Abandoning One of the Greatest Medical Breakthroughs
Opinion, August 18
Giving up on mRNA is a dangerous decision.
F.D.A. Approves Novavax Covid Vaccine With Stricter New Conditions
Science, May 17
The agency narrowed who can get the shot and added new study requirements that could cost the company tens of millions.
Genetic Study Retraces the Origins of Coronaviruses in Bats
Science, May 7
As China and the United States trade charges of a lab leak, researchers contend in a new paper that the Covid pandemic got its start, like a previous one, in the wildlife trade.
U.S. Switches Covid Site To Page on Leak Theory
Science, April 18
The White House has thrown its weight behind the lab leak theory, an idea that has divided intelligence agencies.
Reading Ability of America’s Children Plummets
National, January 29
With little post-pandemic recovery, experts wonder if screen time and school absence are among the causes.
U.S. Students Show Declines That Are Dire In Math Exam
National, December 4
On the test, American fourth and eighth graders posted results similar to scores from 1995. It was a sign of notable stagnation, even as other countries saw improvements.
Pharma Is Bracing For Tension
Science, November 27
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other candidates for top health posts are at odds with the drug industry, setting the stage for tense battles over regulatory changes.
A Crisis Neither Candidate Will Address
Op Ed, October 9
Covid learning loss and chronic absenteeism aren’t going to fix themselves
Fauci Calls Claims He Hid Leak of Covid From Lab ‘Preposterous’
Science, June 3
Dr. Fauci testified before a House panel investigating Covid’s origins. The panel found emails suggesting that his aides were skirting public records laws.
Mouse or Saturn: Can You Tell Which?
Science, May 21
A scientist finds beauty in the “visual synonyms” that exist in images seen through microscopes and telescopes.
White House Tightens Rules on Research That Could Risk Pandemic
Science, May 7
A long-awaited new policy broadens the type of regulated viruses, bacteria, fungi and toxins, including those that could threaten crops and livestock.
Republicans Step Up Attacks on Scientist at Heart of Lab Leak Theory
Science, May 1
A heated hearing produced no new evidence that Peter Daszak or his nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance, were implicated in the Covid outbreak.
Biotech Exec Gets 7 Years in Prison for False Claims About Rapid Covid-19 Test
Express, April 13
Prosecutors said Keith Berman falsely claimed he had invented a blood test that could detect Covid-19 in 15 seconds. His lawyer said he had put “genuine effort” into developing such a test.
¿Cuál es la siguiente fase del coronavirus?
En español, March 23
Los científicos que estudian la evolución continua del virus y las respuestas inmunitarias del organismo esperan evitar un rebrote y comprender mejor la covid prolongada.
Scientists Prepare for the Next Phase of the Coronavirus
Science, March 22
Scientists studying the virus’s continuing evolution, and the body’s immune responses, hope to head off a resurgence and to better understand long Covid.
Covid Set Off Animals’ Wary Dance
Science, March 18
A new study of camera-trap images complicates the idea that all wildlife thrived during the Covid lockdowns.
A Fern’s ‘Zombie’ Fronds Sprout Unusual Roots
Science, February 25
In the Panamanian rainforest, scientists found the first known plant species to transform decaying tissue into a new source of nutrients.
Early Clue to Coronavirus From China Was Overlooked, Then Deleted
Science, January 18
Newly released documents indicate that a U.S. genetic database had received the sequence of the coronavirus two weeks before it was made public by others.
Two Years Later, Omicron Isn’t Done
Science, November 21
The dominant variant of the coronavirus has proved to be not only staggeringly infectious, but an evolutionary marvel.
Lab Leak Fight Stalls Research By Virologists
Science, October 16
Scientists doing “gain-of-function” research said that heightened fears of lab leaks are stalling studies that could thwart the next pandemic virus.
Inside a High-Security Virus Lab
Interactive, October 16
High-security labs, like this one at Penn State, are at the center of a debate over research that alters viruses to make them more dangerous.
The Nation’s Top-Performing Public School System
N Y T Now, October 10
Schools run by the Defense Department educate 66,000 children of civilian employees and service members.
We Can Fight Learning Loss Only With Accountability and Action
Op Ed, September 5
Let’s bring back an era of accountability.
Pandemic-Era Learning Gaps Are Not Closing
National, July 11
Despite billions in federal aid, students are not making up ground in reading and math: “We are actually seeing evidence of backsliding.”
13-Year-Olds in U.S. Record Lowest Test Scores in Decades
National, June 21
The results are the federal government’s last major data release on the academic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wild Mammals Roamed Widely When Pandemic Corralled People
Science, June 8
Strict pandemic lockdowns may have allowed animals to range more widely and spend time closer to roads, a new study suggests.
Schools Get Mixed Grades for Use of Covid Aid
Washington, June 5
Pandemic aid was supposed to help students recover from learning loss, but results have been mixed.
Many American Women Are Afraid of Giving Birth
Science, May 16
Tokophobia, as it’s called, is not often studied in the United States. But a new survey finds that it may be very common, particularly among Black women and in disadvantaged communities.
We Could Easily Make Risky Virological Research Safer
Op Ed, May 10
Lab safety doesn’t need to torpedo scientific progress.
History and Civics Test Scores Are Dropping
National, May 3
The latest test results continue a nearly decade-long decline. Try a sample quiz to test your knowledge.
Scientist Revisits Data on Raccoon Dogs and Covid, Stressing the Unknowns
Science, April 29
After analyzing genetic data swabbed from a Wuhan market in early 2020, a virologist said it was unclear if animals for sale there had been infected.
Africa’s Vaccine Ambitions
Science, April 25
Leaders on the continent have vowed that if there is another pandemic, they won’t be shut out of the vaccine market.
China Publishes Data Showing Raccoon Dog DNA at Wuhan Market
Science, April 5
Scientists from the Chinese C.D.C. confirmed that DNA from raccoon dogs and other animals susceptible to the coronavirus was found at the market in early 2020.
Wuhan Market Report Found Genetic Traces of Virus and Animals
Science, March 21
In a much-anticipated study, experts described a swab that was positive for the coronavirus and contained loads of genetic material from raccoon dogs.
New Data Links Pandemic’s Origins to Raccoon Dogs at Wuhan Market
Science, March 17
Genetic samples from the market were recently uploaded to an international database and then removed after scientists asked China about them.
Biden Proposal Would Ban Online Prescribing of Certain Drugs
Science, February 25
Some medications, like Ritalin and Vicodin, would require an in-person doctor’s visit under the new rules, a reaction to the pandemic-era rise of telemedicine.
After Extended Delay, Moderna Pays N.I.H. For a Vaccine Technique
Science, February 23
Moderna has paid $400 million to the government for a chemical technique key to its vaccine. But the parties are still locked in a high-stakes dispute over a different patent.
To Play a Crucial Role In the Path to a Vaccine
Science, February 9
Kizzmekia Corbett helped lead a team of scientists contributing to one of the most stunning achievements in the history of immunizations: a highly effective, easily manufactured vaccine against Covid-19.
When Animals Are Used in Research
Letters, January 31
Readers discuss experimentation on lab animals. Also: Racism in America; preparing for the next pandemic; maternal deaths; Amazon’s donations.
Expert Panel Recommends Stricter Rules for Research on Risky Viruses
Science, January 27
The White House will decide whether to adopt the panel’s recommendations on so-called gain of function experiments.
N.I.H. Did Not Properly Track a Group Studying Coronaviruses, Report Finds
Science, January 26
An internal federal watchdog said that the health agency had not given adequate oversight to EcoHealth Alliance, which had been awarded $8 million in grants.
Health Experts Warily Eye XBB.1.5, the Latest Omicron Subvariant
Science, January 7
A young version of the coronavirus makes up one-quarter of Covid cases across the United States and over 70 percent of new cases in the Northeast.
Your Tuesday Briefing: China’s Space Push
N Y T Now, December 12
Plus China’s vaccination pivot and the year’s most stylish “people.”
Your Monday Briefing: The World Cup Semifinals Loom
N Y T Now, December 11
Plus, China’s sluggish economy and the arrest of the Lockerbie bombing suspect.
Ómicron cumple un año. Así ha evolucionado
en Español, November 29
Al cumplirse el aniversario del descubrimiento de la variante, los expertos en virología siguen intentando ponerse al día con la rápida transformación de ómicron.
Omicron Is Proving To Be a Slippery Virus
Science, November 26
One year after the variant’s discovery, virologists are still scrambling to keep up with Omicron’s rapid evolution.
Colleges Face Generation of Students Left Behind
National, November 1
Students missed a lot of high school instruction. Now many are behind, especially in math, and getting that degree could be harder.
Pandemic Learning Loss Is Not an Emergency
Op Ed, October 29
In a vacuum, test score declines look like bad news. But none of this happened in a vacuum.
Republican’s Report on Virus Suggests It Was Lab Leak, but Without Much Proof
Science, October 27
The report, signed by Senator Richard Burr, foreshadows a new wave of political wrangling over Covid’s origins if Republicans gain control of the House or Senate.
Testing Reveals Alarming Drop In Math Skills
National, October 24
The results, from what is known as the nation’s report card, offer the most definitive picture yet of the pandemic’s devastating impact on students.