Science

The Webb Space Telescope Is a Time Machine

The new observatory may have found the most ancient starlight we’ve ever seen—and it’s only the beginning.

The Spiders That Choose Death

For some species, getting eaten alive may be a small price to pay for passing on your genes.

We’ve Had Other Climate Defeats. This One Is by Far the Weirdest.

Seven ways of looking at where climate action goes from here

America’s Most Misunderstood Marsupial

The opossum might be snarly and a little bit scraggly, but she deserves our admiration.

The World Is Burning Once Again

We can only adapt so much to extreme heat.

There Is a Planet With Clouds Made of Sand

The James Webb Space Telescope’s new observations of exoplanet atmospheres are quietly thrilling.

New COVID Vaccines Will Be Ready This Fall. America Won’t Be.

Respiratory-virus season starts soon, and our autumn vaccine strategy is shaky at best.

An Army of Turtles Is Doing Cyclone Reconnaissance

Oceanographers are tagging sea turtles with sensors to get better storm data.

Joe Manchin’s Fickleness Is a Needless Catastrophe

The senator just worsened climate change—and inflation.

Seriously, What’s Making All These Mysterious Space Signals?

In astronomy, the study of fast radio bursts can sometimes feel like a game of Clue.

How to Successfully Smash Your Face Against a Tree

A new study refutes the widespread idea that woodpeckers have shock-absorbing heads.

The BA.5 Wave Is What COVID Normal Looks Like

The endless churn of variants may not stop anytime soon, unless we do something about it.

When Does the Clean-Energy Infinity Loop Start?

Digging up minerals for rechargeable batteries has a high initial cost, but eventually those minerals can be recycled indefinitely.

Whatever This Is, It Won’t Be Build Back Better

At this point, the ideal climate bill is out of the picture. Here are two ways to make sense of Democrats’ next move.

The Coolest Space Picture I’ve Ever Seen

Seen through the James Webb Space Telescope, the Carina Nebula is positively bursting with stuff.

This Is the Picture Astronomers Have Been Waiting For

The James Webb Space Telescope’s debut is dazzling—and only the beginning.

Do Gophers … Farm?

Step 1: Dig tunnel. Step 2: Cultivate roots. Step 3: Profit.

Shipping Containers Are Pumped Full of Toxic Gas

Chemicals used to fumigate cargo have sent dockworkers to the hospital.

A Very Basic Experiment Is Stumping the World's Best Physicists

Does hot water freeze faster than cold water?

Astronomers Haven’t Been This Giddy in Years

The James Webb Space Telescope’s first full-color images, set to be released in days, will signal the start of a new era in space science.