Science News
A.I. Bots Told Scientists How to Make Biological Weapons
Scientists shared transcripts with The Times in which chatbots described how to assemble deadly pathogens and unleash them in public spaces.
Global Deforestation Slows, W.R.I. Report Finds. But Wildfires Are Taking a Toll.
In 2025, the world razed less forest than any other year in the last decade. The bad news: global warming is making wildfires more frequent and intense.
Could At-Home Brain Stimulation Reduce Psychiatry’s Reliance on S.S.R.I.s?
A headset recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration uses a weak electric current to shock the brain. Some researchers hope it could challenge the current pill-centric paradigm.
Grand Jury Indicts Former N.I.H. Official
Prosecutors accused Dr. David Morens, a former adviser to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, of hiding records related to the onset of the pandemic.
Nick Pope, U.F.O. Sleuth Who Chased the Truth, Dies at 60
Often likened to Agent Mulder from “The X-Files,” he worked for Britain’s defense ministry and became a leading commentator on extraterrestrial matters.
Thanks to GLP-1s, Obesity Experts Are Trying to Understand ‘Food Noise’
Before the rise of GLP-1s, obesity experts didn’t study the internal buzz that compels people to eat. Now that food noise is being switched off, they want to understand it.
Pregnancy With Lupus Is Risky. Would She Be Able to Carry Her Baby to Term?
Fatimah Shepherd’s kidneys were compromised, and pregnancy could send her into kidney failure.
60 Countries to Meet on Phasing Out Fossil Fuels but Are Excluding the U.S.
The Trump administration was not invited to the gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia. A White House spokeswoman called the green transition “destructive.”
Immaculate Wilderness, Uncertain Future: Paddling the Boundary Waters
A proposed copper mine in northern Minnesota has become a battleground for politicians and environmentalists — and a pressing reason to explore the waterways.
Targeted Hunts Were Supposed to Curb ‘Zombie Deer Disease.’ Now What?
In Illinois and other states, officials hoped that culls could halt the progress of chronic wasting disease. Now they are losing hope.
40 Years After the Meltdown, War Layers Another Disaster on Chernobyl
Ideas have been floated for how the contaminated zone could bring economic benefits to Ukraine. But for the foreseeable future, it will be an army-controlled security belt.
Trump Fires Board Members of Group That Oversees U.S. Science Funding
The dismissals from an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation marked the president’s latest assault on scientific research organizations.
Trump Seeks to Abolish Iran’s Atomic Stockpile, a Problem He Helped Create
President Trump withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear accord in 2018, saying it was the worst deal ever. But Iran responded with an enrichment spree that haunts the negotiations to this day.
AIDS Creeps Back in Parts of Zambia, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance
A once-robust H.I.V. treatment and prevention system, credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives, has begun to crumble.
A New Idea to Save the AMOC? Dam the Bering Strait.
Blocking the narrow waterway between Russia and Alaska could help stabilize a vulnerable system of ocean currents, scientists found in a study.
Were Neanderthals Able to Hunt Elephants? The Proof Is in an Ancient Bone
A new study found that a pachyderm skeleton, dismissed for decades as unimportant, offers evidence of careful planning, teamwork and a calculated kill.
Golden Blob, a Mystery From the Deep Sea, Is Identified
The strange, shiny discovery, retrieved from the ocean near Alaska in 2023, turned out to be part of an anemone, scientists said.
Could an Earthly Fungus Contaminate Mars? NASA May Have Found One Hardy Enough.
Researchers identified a species that can survive radiation, extreme heat and simulated Martian soil, posing a new challenge for protocols intended to keep the red planet pristine.
Doug Allan, Polar Cameraman for David Attenborough’s Films, Dies at 74
He was renowned for his skill at capturing candid scenes of penguins, polar bears and other cold-weather creatures — and for his ability to tolerate extreme discomfort.
Trump Keeps Talking About Iran’s ‘Nuclear Dust.’ What Is It?
First of all, it isn’t dust. It’s Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium, which is stored in large canisters about the size of scuba tanks.