A Conversation With

A Physicist Who Thinks in Poetry From the Cosmic Edge

In her second pop-science book, theoretical cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein returns to her celestial and cultural roots.

By Katrina Miller

Military Bases Are Rife With ‘Forever Chemicals.’ New Mexico Wants Them Cleaned Up.

The state is leading the country’s reckoning with PFAS. The outcome of its suit against the federal government will affect how courts treat more than 15,000 other claims nationwide.

By Alexander Nazaryan and Nina Riggio

How a Funding Pause Derailed an Artificial Heart for Babies

James Antaki’s efforts to develop a baby’s heart were close to success when his federal funding was cut off. The grants were eventually restored; rebuilding what was lost wasn’t so easy.

By Simar Bajaj

A 16th-Century Sketch Claims to Depict Anne Boleyn. A.I. Says It’s Her Mom.

Using facial-recognition technology, scholars have concluded that a 500-year-old drawing labeled “Anna Bollein Queen” more likely showed her mother, Elizabeth Howard.

By Katherine Kornei

When Tornado Weather Hits, These Scientists Break Out the Colored Pencils

With a battery of modern technology at their fingertips, meteorologists often turn first to an old-fashioned tracking technique.

By Judson Jones and Desiree Rios

Art of Craft

At a Los Angeles Museum, Giving New Life to Dead Animals

The creation, care and keeping of creatures is a responsibility the last full-time museum taxidermist in the U.S. takes both seriously and joyfully.

By Jordan Kisner and Sasha Arutyunova

Can Some Very Tiny Particles Cool the Planet? One Tech Company Says Yes.

Stardust Solutions says its tiny spheres can reflect the sun’s rays without harming people or the environment. Critics say private companies have no business altering Earth’s atmosphere.

By Eric Niiler

Scientists Tweaked the Global Warming Outlook. So Trump Weighed In.

Renewable energy has helped make the worst-case scenario a bit less bad. The president said, falsely, it shows that climate scientists were wrong all along.

By Eric Niiler

The Quest for an Elusive Clean Fuel Is Moving Underground

The dream of clean hydrogen has tantalized energy experts for years, but producing it has been tough. Many start-ups think the answer could lie beneath our feet.

By Brad Plumer and Ian Willms

Medical Care Delays for Approval Persist, Despite Insurers’ Promises

Doctors and patients complain that the controversial practice of prior authorization for treatment and procedures is still widespread.

By Reed Abelson

Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows

Doctor’s visits for children’s anxiety rose by more than 250 percent over 10 years, according to a study of nearly two million children.

By Ellen Barry

A Guide to Medicare’s New Coverage for Obesity Drugs

What you should know about the federal government’s pilot program offering GLP-1s solely for weight loss.

By Mark Miller

Some Medicare Patients Can Now Get Free CBD

The Trump administration has authorized a test program to see if the cannabis compound can ease some symptoms and reduce health care costs among older patients.

By Jan Hoffman

Thinking About Stopping an Antidepressant? Here’s What to Consider.

The decision is individual, but experts have some general guidance.

By Dana G. Smith