Arctic Sea Ice Hits Its Annual Low
Each September, the ice at the top of the world hits its lowest extent of the year. Researchers are studying how a warming climate is affecting a not-so-frozen ocean.
Following State Errors, Nearly 500,000 Americans Will Regain Health Insurance
Low-income people who wrongly lost Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage will keep their insurance, federal officials said.
Advances in Eye Scans and Protein Structure Win 2023 Lasker Awards
This year’s awards were given to scientists who helped doctors see the retina and used artificial intelligence to predict the shapes of cellular proteins.
‘Only God Can Thank You’: Female Health Workers Fight to Be Paid
Community health workers put in long hours to protect people in developing countries from diseases such as malaria, Covid-19 and H.I.V. But most are compensated minimally, or not paid at all.
This Tiny Parasitic Wasp Can Drill Through Plastic
In experiments under his microscope at home, a teenage researcher discovered a very unusual talent in a species of tiny insect that usually lays eggs on the inside of a tough plant growth.
Astronaut Ready for Silence After Record-Setting Full Year in Space
Last week, Frank Rubio broke the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut. He was supposed to be away for only six months.
We Asked Readers to Spend the Summer Watching Birds. Here’s What Happened.
Thousands of people from around the world responded to the invitation, sharing their sightings with scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Ancient Logs Offer Earliest Example of Human Woodworking
Scientists have unearthed logs in Africa that are nearly a half-million years old, the remnants of large wooden structures crafted by our early ancestors.
The Reach of Wildfire Smoke Is Going Global and Undoing Progress on Clean Air
In the United States, smoke from wildfires is undoing progress from the Clean Air Act. In poorer countries, the situation is even worse.
The Beach Is Lovely. The Water, Maybe Not So Much.
As oceans warm, pathogenic bacteria are turning up more frequently in northern regions, scientists say.
The Animals Are Talking. What Does It Mean?
Language was long understood as a human-only affair. New research suggests that isn’t so.
Block Island’s Nature Preserves Offer Solitude and Wildlife
On Block Island, a tiny dot off the New England coast, birders and other nature lovers can find beauty and solitude in 2,500 acres of ponds, dunes and marshes.
How Much Do Patients Need to Know About a Potentially Risky Treatment?
An unapproved product made from umbilical cord blood was used at a prominent New York hospital. After an F.D.A. warning came an internal complaint: Patients should have been told.
What James Cameron Wants to Bring Up From the Titanic
Preservationists such as Robert D. Ballard have long clashed with salvors such as Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who died in June on the Titan submersible. Is a third way possible?
Pink Diamonds Emerged Out of One of Earth’s Most Ancient Breakups
Australian researchers said the colorful gems of the Argyle mine, which produced more than 90 percent of the world’s pink stones, may have erupted when a supercontinent split.
You May Have This Blobby Animal to Thank for Your Nervous System
Researchers propose that placozoans, one of the simplest kinds of animals, may contain the blueprint for the neurons of more complex creatures.
A Vanishing Nomadic Clan, With a Songlike Language All Their Own
New genetic research confirms the oral history of a small group of nomadic people living in Indonesia’s rainforest.
Why Miró’s Yellows Have Lost Their Brilliance
Researchers discovered that a particular brand of paint favored by the Spanish artist had an atomic structure that predisposed it to degradation.
How to Tell if Your A.I. is Conscious
In a new report, scientists offer a list of measurable qualities that might indicate the presence of some presence in a machine.
Climate Protesters Around the Globe Sharpen Their Message and Head to New York
Ahead of U.N. meetings this week, thousands are marching through Midtown to demand that President Biden and other world leaders stop new oil and gas drilling.