Science

The Legacy of a Hidden Figure

The stories of black women at NASA were once buried so deep that it felt like a revelation when they were brought to light.

• Marina Koren
• 2:59 PM ET

The Strange Influence the Sun Has on Whales

A solar storm can throw whales off-course, suggesting that the large animals might have an internal compass.

• Ed Yong
• 11:00 AM ET

Voters Really Care About Climate Change

For Democrats, climate change is now one of the two most important issues in politics, according to a new poll.

• Robinson Meyer
• February 21, 2020

The Oil Industry Is Quietly Winning Local Climate Fights

In the past few years, the American Petroleum Institute and its allies have fought against climate-friendly policies in at least 16 different states.

• Robinson Meyer
• February 20, 2020

A Huge Discovery in the World of Viruses

Giant phages have been found in French lakes, baboons from Kenya, and the human mouth.

• Ed Yong
• February 20, 2020

$10 Billion? In This Climate??

Jeff Bezos has pledged more money to battling climate change than anyone ever has before. But where will it go?

• Robinson Meyer
• February 18, 2020

A Photographer Has Spent 20 Years Documenting Stillbirths

For grieving families, the photos preserve the only memories they have of their child.

• Sarah Zhang
• February 18, 2020

The Pros and Cons of a Lunar Pit Stop

NASA definitely wants to go to Mars. But does it need the moon to get there?

• Marina Koren
• February 18, 2020

The Remarkable Versatility of Tonic Water

How an antimalarial medicine became a cocktail sensation

• Nicola Twilley, Cynthia Graber, and Gastropod
• February 15, 2020

The Power of the ‘Pale Blue Dot’ Three Decades Later

The spacecraft that captured the famous, fuzzy photo grows weaker each year, but the image still soothes.

• Marina Koren
• February 14, 2020

The Cascading Consequences of the Worst Disease Ever

Nature is clearly in crisis—but what do researchers do when they only have imperfect data on the extent of the losses?

• Ed Yong
• February 13, 2020

How Hospitals Changed Their Approach to Stillbirth

Grieving patients are encouraged to see and hold their stillborn infants—and in some cases even bring them home.

• Sarah Zhang
• February 12, 2020

‘We Knew They Had Cooked the Books’

The Trump administration’s attempt to kill one of America’s strongest climate policies has been a complete debacle.

• Robinson Meyer
• February 12, 2020

Why SpaceX Wants a Tiny Texas Neighborhood So Badly

The residents of Boca Chica didn’t ask Elon Musk to move in, but now his company is taking over.

• Marina Koren
• February 11, 2020

NASA Will Only Tolerate So Much Danger

An investigation into what really went wrong with Boeing's last space mission turned up serious issues.

• Marina Koren
• February 10, 2020

The Night Sky Will Never Be the Same

Elon Musk’s plan for worldwide internet has sent bright artificial, lights streaking through the dark.

• Marina Koren
• February 6, 2020

After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted

Six date seeds as old as the Dead Sea Scrolls are now flourishing as trees on a kibbutz.

• Sarah Zhang
• February 5, 2020

The New Coronavirus Is a Truly Modern Epidemic

New diseases are mirrors that reflect how a society works—and where it fails.

• Ed Yong
• February 3, 2020

McDonald’s Is Inescapable

How did a tiny teen hangout become one of the world’s most ubiquitous sources of food?

• Nicola Twilley, Cynthia Graber, and Gastropod
• February 2, 2020

A Virus With a Deadly Boring Name

2019-nCoV isn't going to cut it long term.

• Sarah Zhang
• January 31, 2020