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Sewage may offer early signs of coronavirus outbreaks.

Sewage may offer early signs of coronavirus outbreaks.

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california-smoke-children-health

Hawaii’s Fresh Water Leaks to the Ocean Through Underground Rivers

If the water could be pumped to the surface, it could help alleviate shortages on the island.

This Rat Covers Itself With Poison That Can Take Out an Elephant

The African crested rat gnaws on poisonous tree branches, then grooms its noxious spittle into its fur.

Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker

A look at all the vaccines that have reached trials in humans.

Monolith Discovered in Utah Desert

A metal monolith, planted firmly in the ground with no clear sign of where it came from or why it was there, was discovered at the base of a barren slot canyon in Utah’s Red Rock Country.

Need a Hypothesis? This A.I. Has One

Slowly, machine-learning systems are beginning to generate ideas, not just test them.

Three New Books That Stare Up at the Stars

From the secret lives of planets to the mysteries contained in meteors, a look at books that explore the vast and fascinating cosmos.

How Archaeologists Are Using Deep Learning to Dig Deeper

Trawling ancient history with neural nets.

Meet GPT-3. It Has Learned to Code (and Blog and Argue).

The latest natural-language system generates tweets, pens poetry, summarizes emails, answers trivia questions, translates languages and even writes its own computer programs.

When A.I. Falls in Love

The Times asked GPT-3 to tell us a little about itself and its romantic life.

Do You Have a Conflict of Interest? This Robotic Assistant May Find It First

They can’t detect all conflicts, but new computer programs serve as guard rails when scientists and publishers fail to self-police.

China Launches Spacecraft to the Moon

China launched a spacecraft to the moon’s surface on Monday. The mission, called Chang’e-5, is China’s aim to be the first country in more than four decades to bring back samples of lunar rocks and soil.

Can a Computer Devise a Theory of Everything?

It might be possible, physicists say, but not anytime soon. And there’s no guarantee that we humans will understand the result.

China Launches Moon Mission to Bring Back Lunar Rocks

It has been four decades since lunar samples were brought to Earth, and the Chang’e-5 spacecraft’s bounty could have great scientific value.

Can We Make Our Robots Less Biased Than We Are?

A.I. developers are committing to end the injustices in how their technology is often made and used.

Antibodies Good. Machine-Made Molecules Better?

With help from computer algorithms, researchers designed proteins from scratch that can trounce the coronavirus in lab animals.

Designed to Deceive: Do These People Look Real to You?

The people in this story may look familiar, like ones you’ve seen on Facebook or Twitter or Tinder. But they don’t exist. They were born from the mind of a computer, and the technology behind them is improving at a startling pace.

Signs of Recent Volcanic Eruption on Mars Hint at Habitats for Life

Not thought to be volcanically active, Mars may have experienced an eruption just 53,000 years ago.

When Sharks Turned Up at Their Beach, They Called in Drones

A goal of the SharkEye project is to one day produce automated “shark reports” for beachgoers to help them gauge levels of risk.

Scientists: How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Work?

We want to hear from scientists whose work has been upended — positively or negatively — by the pandemic.

‘The Real Right Stuff’ Review: A Movie Still Waiting for Liftoff

This Disney+ space race documentary is a bland chronology of successful launches and minor mishaps.

Cierra el observatorio de Arecibo, el gran ojo hacia el cosmos

El radiotelescopio en Puerto Rico, icono de la curiosidad humana, está por colapsar y tiene que ser derribado.

Arecibo Observatory, a Great Eye on the Cosmos, Is Going Dark

The radio telescope in Puerto Rico has to come down before it collapses.

Don’t Get Between a Caterpillar and Its Milkweed

Before metamorphosis, monarch butterflies will aggressively head butt each other for access to their favorite food.

Burning Fossil Fuels Helped Drive Earth’s Most Massive Extinction

Massive volcanic eruptions ignited oil and coal deposits in Siberia in the events that led to the Permian-Triassic “Great Dying” event.

These Shrimp Leave the Safety of Water and Walk on Land. But Why?

A biologist decided to investigate a shrimp parade that attracts thousands of tourists in a province of Thailand.

Use mouthwash to reduce your chances of getting gingivitis, not coronavirus.

SpaceX Crew Docks at the International Space Station

“Docking confirmed,” the company founded by Elon Musk announced Monday night.

Masatoshi Koshiba, 94, Dies; Nobel Winner Tracked Ghostly Neutrinos

A physics teacher had flunked him, denigrating his abilities. Dr. Koshiba set out to prove the teacher was wrong.

Surviving Weed-Out Classes in Science May Be a State of Mind

Social ties to classmates and how students feel could be more important than innate ability when it comes to enduring early STEM courses.

Leonids Meteor Shower 2020: Watch It Peak in Night Skies

Meteor showers can light up night skies from dusk to dawn, and if you’re lucky you might be able to catch a glimpse.

SpaceX’s ‘Resilience’ Lifts 4 Astronauts Into New Era of Spaceflight

The crew will spend some 27 hours in a capsule built by the private company before docking with the space station Monday night.

‘One heck of a ride’: 4 astronauts lift off in a SpaceX capsule named Resilience.

Four astronauts lift off from Earth in a SpaceX capsule named Resilience.

Elon Musk ‘most likely’ has Covid-19.

The announcement came after the SpaceX founder sent a series of tweets about an assortment of coronavirus tests he took.

How have things changed at NASA since the last SpaceX astronaut launch?

How was the Crew Dragon’s first round-trip with astronauts on board?

Is the capsule big enough for 4 astronauts?

Victor Glover will be the first Black crew member on the space station.

NASA, which has worked to spotlight the “hidden figures” in its history, but has so far sent only 14 Black Americans to space.

Who are the astronauts?

The four astronauts headed to the launchpad ahead of their trip to space.

The four astronauts arrived at the launchpad ahead of their trip to space.

The four astronauts boarded the Crew Dragon capsule ahead of their trip to space.

The door to the Crew Dragon capsule has been closed ahead of four astronauts’ trip to space.

The hatch to the Crew Dragon capsule has been sealed before four astronauts’ head to orbit.

SpaceX is starting to load propellant in the rocket that will lift four astronauts to orbit.

The four astronauts are minutes from launching to orbit.

SpaceX’s Next NASA Launch: When to Watch

Here’s what you need to know about four astronauts’ journey to the International Space Station on Sunday.

Derrière le vaccin en tête de la course contre la Covid-19, un couple de scientifiques

L’entreprise allemande BioNTech, fondée par deux chercheurs, mari et femme à la ville, s’est associée à Pfizer pour élaborer un vaccin qui vient de se révéler efficace à 90%.

Platypuses Glow Under Blacklight. We Have No Idea Why.

What other secrets are they hiding?

A Record of Horseback Riding, Written in Bone and Teeth

Close examination of horse remains has clarified the timeline of when equestrianism helped transform ancient Chinese civilization.

Newton’s Daunting Masterpiece had a Surprisingly Wide Audience, Historians Find

The discovery suggests that “Principia” had a stronger impact on Enlightenment science than previous research suggested.

Using Wolves as First Responders Against a Deadly Brain Disease

Some scientists say that the predators are essential to curbing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease because they pick off weak deer.

These Researchers Tested Positive. But the Virus Wasn’t the Cause.

Several scientists working with harmless genetic material have discovered that their research may have contaminated their coronavirus tests.

Navy Research Confirms Need for Strict Coronavirus Testing Protocols

Two new studies clarify how Covid-19 spreads among young adults and expose the limits of quarantine measures.

These Microbes May Help Future Martians and Moon People Mine Metals

An experiment aboard the space station showed that bacteria were effective at extracting rare earth elements from rocks.

Les masques, ça marche. Vraiment. On va vous montrer comment.

Un voyage virtuel à travers le monde microscopique du coronavirus nous montre comment les masques sont un moyen de défense important contre sa transmission.

Ready to Mate? Take Off Your Mask, One Bat Says

Wrinkle-faced bats incorporate whistles, wing flaps and furry masks into their mating rituals, researchers have found.

Training Facial Recognition on Some New Furry Friends: Bears

In their spare time, two Silicon Valley developers aided conservationists in developing artificial intelligence to help keep track of individual bears.

The risk of dying from Covid-19 is higher for people with intellectual disabilities.

Who Is the Smartest Dog? Let the Competition Begin

Scientists in Hungary are streaming experiments with dogs that know many words, featuring them in a contest of canine intelligence.

How Some Skinks Lost Their Legs and Then Evolved New Ones

The lizards have complicated a rule of thumb that in evolution, once you lose a body part, you don’t regain it.

A study finds that many children who have never had the virus carry an antibody to prevent it.

Could Listening to the Deep Sea Help Save It?

In the abyss, everyone can hear you scream.

Brain Scientists Explore the How of When

A new study offers the strongest evidence yet of “time cells” in the brain.

How a Human Cousin Adapted to a Changing Climate

A skull found in a South African cave suggests that the species went through a process of microevolution during a chaotic environmental shift.

Old Dogs, New Research and the Secrets of Aging

The ways that dogs grow and age may provide potentially useful similarities with people.

What Makes Sand Soft?

Understanding how grains flow is vital for everything from landslide prediction to agricultural processing, and scientists aren’t very good at it.

Covid Infections in Animals Prompt Scientific Concern

Mink in Denmark are not the only animals that could become reservoirs for the coronavirus to spread new mutations to people.

Earthquake Rattles Parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island

The quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 3.6, was also felt in the Long Island Sound, the United States Geological Survey said.

Iceberg Headed for Sub-Antarctic Island Could Threaten Wildlife

The iceberg, known as A68a, broke apart from the Antarctic Peninsula in 2017 and has been drifting ever since.

Nasal Spray Prevents Covid Infection in Ferrets, Study Finds

Scientists at Columbia University have developed a treatment that blocks the virus in the nose and lungs, is inexpensive and needs no refrigeration.

Looking for Another Earth? Here Are 300 Million, Maybe

A new analysis of data from NASA’s Kepler spacecraft increases the number of habitable exoplanets thought to exist in this galaxy.

Spider Silk Is Stronger Than Steel. It Also Assembles Itself.

Scientists are figuring out the chemical triggers that turn the liquid stored in silk glands into a solid that’s tougher than Kevlar.

Ancient Remains in Peru Reveal Young, Female Big-Game Hunter

Scientists are divided on broader implications of the find for ancient gender roles.

‘Let’s Get to Work,’ Mark Kelly Says

Mr. Kelly, an astronaut and retired Navy, captain defeated Senator Martha McSally, Republican of Arizona, in a special election.

The Pandemic’s Future — and Ours

“Apollo’s Arrow,” by Nicholas A. Christakis, looks at the coronavirus from several angles and suggests some possibilities in the months and years to come.

We’ve Rarely Seen a Dinosaur Brain Like This Before

While later dinosaurs in this lineage were giant herbivores with tiny brains, this small species packed a lot more power in its skull.

Home Sweet Home in Orbit

A visual tour of the International Space Station, humanity’s high-tech home in the sky.

How the Space Station Became a Base to Launch Humanity’s Future

Once derided as a poster child for government waste, the outpost in orbit is now seen as a linchpin for future economic activity in space.

20 Years Aboard the International Space Station

Twenty years ago today, three astronauts stepped aboard the International Space Station. Since then, the I.S.S. has hosted hundreds of residents from many countries. This is a history of our first 20 years of living aboard.

A perilous flight that reinforced Russia’s rocketry skills.

The astronauts survived the accident, a reminder of the Soyuz rocket’s excellent engineering.

Many firsts for women in a very male orbit.

Women have accomplished a great deal on the space station, when they’ve been there.

A watery near miss during a spacewalk.

Move-in day, but in orbit.

(Almost) a year in space.

A new window that forever changed our view of Earth.

Many of the greatest images you’ve seen from the space station were made in the cupola.

The need for caffeine was the mother of invention.

“I love coffee and I was worried that our standard freeze-dried brew wasn’t going to cut it,” one astronaut said.

Holding their breath and dodging space junk.

Finished.

Chris Hadfield’s spirited song in space was no “oddity.”

Even David Bowie called it the most poignant version ever performed.

Bob and Doug’s excellent journey.

They went to the space station in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, launching a new era of human spaceflight.

SpaceX makes its first special delivery to low earth orbit.

Seeing less clearly with squashed eyes.

The era of space tourism begins.

A dark day on the space station, and on Earth.

Inflating the station with a soft-walled expansion.

13 astronauts in a crowded house.

Tests Show Genetic Signature of Virus That May Have Infected President Trump

The White House did not take basic steps to investigate its outbreak. We worked with geneticists to sequence the virus that infected two journalists exposed during the outbreak, providing clues to how it may have spread.

Did This Building Grow a Beard? Nope. Those Are Legs.

Daddy longlegs will sometimes collect in large groups. Don’t mistake their dangling limbs for fur.

Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

A visual journey through the microscopic world of the coronavirus shows how masks provide an important defense against transmission.

A Pinnacle of Coral Is Discovered in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

The underwater skyscraper teems with sea life, and had been overlooked in past surveys of the reef system.

Scientific Journals Commit to Diversity, but Lack the Data

Several prominent publishers said they did not track the race and ethnicity of the researchers contributing to their platforms.

NASA’s Asteroid Mission Packs Away Its Cargo. Next Stop: Earth.

The OSIRIS-REX spacecraft stowed the rock and dust it collected from Bennu, setting itself up to return the sample to our planet.

How To See the Halloween Blue Moon (and Uranus!) With Your Kids

“The Uranus jokes never end,” an astronomer said.

Ancient Dog DNA Shows Early Spread Around the Globe

Research on fossil canine genomes is expanding and producing some surprises about the lives of dogs and humans in prehistoric times.

Ancient Dog DNA Shows Early Spread Around the Globe

Research on fossil canine genomes is expanding and producing some surprises about the lives of dogs and humans in prehistoric times.

How Suckerfish Surf Across Blue Whales Without Falling Off

Remoras — known for hitching rides on whales and sharks — swim surprisingly freely over the surfaces formed by their hosts.

How Musk Ox Make It Through Arctic Nights and Never-Ending Days

Scientists wondered whether animals living above the Arctic Circle had the same circadian rhythms as the rest of us.

Read the document

The Trump Administration last year shut down an office focused on the long-term safety of vaccines. Experts say plans to track coronavirus vaccines are fragmented and “behind the eight ball.”

5 Strange Facts About Quokkas

They are curious, bold and known for their adorable grins. They follow tourists around and even “pose” for photos.

The Coronavirus Unveiled

Scientists around the world have captured detailed images of the coronavirus.

Can You Spot One of These Migrating Birds?

More than 500 bird species in North America migrate in the fall, so it’s a great time to whip out the binoculars.

What’s Behind Those Colorful Leaves?

It may seem like magic, but each leaf’s new look comes from chemical changes happening within.

Exploring the Solar System

A guide to the spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit.

Meet the 3 Spacecraft Heading to Mars This Summer

Three missions are headed to Mars this summer. They carry a wide array of instruments to explore the red planet.

Tratamientos y medicamentos para el coronavirus: monitoreo de efectividad

Una lista actualizada de tratamientos potenciales para la COVID-19.

Coronavirus Drug and Treatment Tracker

An updated list of potential treatments for Covid-19.

SpaceX Postpones Launch of Two NASA Astronauts

The Crew Dragon launch is now scheduled for Saturday at 3:22 p.m. Eastern time.

Different Approaches to a Coronavirus Vaccine

Scientists are using many techniques to develop coronavirus vaccines.

Following Comet SWAN

A newly discovered comet is swinging around the sun.

How Coronavirus Mutates and Spreads

The virus has mutated. But that doesn’t mean it’s getting deadlier.

Así muta y se propaga el coronavirus

El virus ha mutado. Pero eso no significa que se esté volviendo más mortal.

This 3-D Simulation Shows Why Social Distancing Is So Important

We visualized a cough to show how far respiratory droplets can spread. If you haven’t been keeping your distance to fight the coronavirus, this may persuade you.

Apollo 13: As They Shot It

Surviving disaster, in the astronauts’ words and photographs.

Bad News Wrapped in Protein: Inside the Coronavirus Genome

The virus injects a tiny but remarkably complex strand of RNA into infected cells.

Así secuestra tus células el coronavirus

El intrincado viaje que sigue en el cuerpo el virus que causa COVID-19.

Así secuestra tus células el coronavirus

El intrincado viaje que sigue en el cuerpo el virus que causa COVID-19.

How Coronavirus Hijacks Your Cells

The intricate journey of the virus that causes Covid-19.