Fully Vaccinated Is About to Mean Something Else
The CDC might update the definition very soon, even though we still don’t know for sure how many shots we’ll need.
The Death Toll Says It All
We know how America really feels about the 800,000 lives lost to COVID.
The CDC’s Flawed Case for Wearing Masks in School
The agency’s director has said, repeatedly, that schools without mask mandates have triple the risk of COVID outbreaks. That claim is based on very shaky science.
Millipedes Have Been Living a Lie
No known creature actually had 1,000 legs—until now.
Why NASA Is Trying to Dodge the Moon
If the James Webb Space Telescope were to leave Earth at the wrong time, our very own satellite could thwart the mission.
A New Estimate of the ‘Most Effective’ Way to Fight Climate Change
Climate-concerned donors should focus on helping to pass climate policy, not offset their emissions, an advisory group says.
T Cells Might Be Our Bodies’ Best Shot Against Omicron
The new variant may undermine some vaccine-derived defenses. But the immune system’s best assassins are likely to hold the line.
Every Night, Hordes of Sea Creatures Rise From the Deep
Jellyfish, plankton, and even sharks rise from the deep. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why.
Why Is NASA Sending Its New Telescope a Million Miles Away?
The view is worth it, even if astronauts can’t reach the spacecraft for repairs.
Our First Preview of How Vaccines Will Fare Against Omicron
The variant will change the risk landscape for the vaccinated. The question is, how much?
Omicron Has Created a Whole New Booster Logic
For a while I was on the fence about getting another shot. Then came the newest variant of concern.
A Legendary VC Has a Plan for Solving Climate Change
John Doerr’s new book, Speed and Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now, is a checklist for global action.
Why Are We Still Isolating Vaccinated People for 10 Days?
If vaccinated people are less likely to transmit the coronavirus, maybe they should be able to test out of isolation.
Plankton May Have Escaped ‘Survival of the Fittest’
Scientists have a new theory about why the ocean has so many types of plankton.
A Billion Sea Creatures Cooked to Death
This summer’s historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest was an ecological catastrophe.
Omicron Won’t Ruin Your Booster
Sometimes, dips in immunization quality can be rescued with a little extra quantity.
Climate Advocates Are Gambling With Fate
Climate advocates finally have some power—and all the dilemmas that come with it.
The Biggest ‘Oh No’ Moment in the Solar System
Everything has to go right for the James Webb Space Telescope.
What J&J Can Still Teach Us
A vaccine’s value isn’t just in its peak performance.
COVID Parenting Is Reaching a Breaking Point
An epidemiologist joins five Atlantic parents to discuss just how long their pandemic trade-offs can hold.
/media/img/mt/2021/12/telescope-1/original.gif)