Suit Says Black Infants Were Subjected to Experimental Vaccine Without Consent
Families of two Black infants who died after receiving an experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in the mid‑1960s have filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit against the U.S. government. The suit alleges the children were enrolled without parental consent and that tissue samples taken at autopsy were later used to develop the modern RSV vaccine. The case stems from a 2023 investigative report that uncovered the infants' names in government lab records. It revives scrutiny of historic medical research practices that targeted low‑income Black communities.
Why the Ebola and Hantavirus Outbreaks Have Confounded Scientists
A hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship M.V. Hondius infected 13 passengers, killing three, and marked the first documented person‑to‑person transmission of the virus. In Africa, a new Ebola strain has caused over 900 infections and 220 deaths, raising doubts...
Fish Sleep a Lot Like Us. (They Even Nap.)
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute tracked zebrafish eye movements and identified four distinct sleep substates that parallel human sleep stages. Three nighttime substates add up to roughly 10 hours, ranging from a deep, motionless stare to lighter eye‑twitch phases...
NASA’s Moon Base Plan Adds Two Rovers for Its Astronauts
NASA has awarded contracts worth about $220 million each to Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab to build next‑generation lunar terrain vehicles (LTVs). The two rovers, each about one metric ton, will transport two astronauts and can navigate 20‑degree slopes, with autonomous...
One-and-Done Heart Disease Prevention? Scientists Show It May Be Possible.
Scientists reported that a single infusion of an experimental gene‑editing drug lowered LDL cholesterol by up to 62 percent in an interim analysis of 35 patients. The reduction remained durable in a subgroup treated 18 months earlier, suggesting a potentially...
SpaceX Completes Mostly Successful Starship Rocket Flight
SpaceX’s Starship completed its 12th integrated test flight on May 22, 2026, reaching orbit and surviving re‑entry despite two engine failures. The upper‑stage spacecraft performed a simulated ocean landing over the Indian Ocean using only two of the planned three engines before...
A New Era of Exploring the Universe in Radio
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory unveiled the first light from a prototype of the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA), capturing radio emissions from the Sun, a supernova remnant, and a distant supermassive black hole. The ngVLA, if fully funded,...
Trump Eases Restrictions on Climate ‘Super Pollutants’
President Trump announced a delay in the federal phase‑out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the high‑global‑warming chemicals used in air‑conditioning and refrigeration. The EPA, led by Lee Zeldin, softened requirements for grocery stores, HVAC firms and semiconductor plants, citing a projected $2.4 billion...
How a Funding Pause Derailed an Artificial Heart for Babies
James Antaki, a biomedical engineer at Cornell, was on the brink of delivering a battery‑size artificial heart for infants when the Trump administration froze over $1 billion in federal research funding, forcing his lab to shut down and staff to be...
Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows
A new JAMA Network Open study of 1.8 million Massachusetts children shows pediatric mental‑health visits climbed from 5.7% of all visits in 2014 to 9.7% in 2023. Anxiety appointments surged more than 250%, rising from 1.7% to 6.1% of visits. Smaller...
Nancy Cox, Who Worked to Conquer the Wily Flu, Dies at 77
Nancy J. Cox, the longtime CDC influenza program leader, died at 77 from glioblastoma. Over a nearly 40‑year career she transformed a modest flu unit of about a dozen staff into a 350‑person division and headed the CDC’s role in the...
A Fish That Hitches Rides Where the Sun Doesn’t Shine
Scientists have documented a new behavior in remoras, where the fish slip into the cloacal opening of manta rays—a tactic dubbed “cloacal diving.” The phenomenon was recorded seven times between 2010 and 2025 across all three manta species and in...
A Single Infusion Could Suppress H.I.V. for Years, Study Suggests
Scientists presented early data showing that a single infusion of genetically engineered immune cells can drive HIV to undetectable levels in patients. In a small study, two participants received the therapy, with one maintaining viral suppression for almost two years....
Scientists Press Congress on Dismissal of National Science Foundation Board and Research Funding
Scientists warned that the National Science Foundation’s grant slowdown, driven by the Trump administration’s dismissal of its oversight board, threatens U.S. competitiveness against China. More than 2,500 researchers signed a letter urging Congress to reinstate the board, while former NSF...
With Commissioner Under Pressure, F.D.A. Opens Door to Flavored Vapes
The Trump administration released an FDA guidance that would permit flavored e‑cigarettes to be sold in mainstream retail outlets, effectively rolling back a year of tightened tobacco‑control measures. The move comes amid reports that President Trump signed a plan to...
U.F.O. Files Released by U.S. Shed Light on What the Government Knows
On May 8, 2026, the Pentagon uploaded a batch of previously unseen files related to unidentified aerial phenomena, some dating back to the 1960s space race. The release includes videos, images, and documents that Congress has been urging the government...
There Are Ants in This Canadian Hospital. Again.
Ants have forced Carman Memorial Hospital in Manitoba to suspend surgeries indefinitely after an infestation was discovered in the operating room. Sixteen elective procedures were postponed, marking the third ant-related disruption since August 2024. Southern Health‑Santé Sud is working with exterminators...
Your Kids Asked the Artemis Astronauts Questions. They Answered.
NASA’s Artemis II crew completed a ten‑day lunar flyby, venturing farther than any human and spending time on the moon’s far side. In a kid‑focused interview, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen answered questions about the mission,...
A Mutation Gave Humans the Gift of Speech. These Mice Have It, Too.
Researchers identified a genetic mutation that expands neural pathways, enabling the complex, turn‑taking vocalizations of Alston’s singing mouse—behaviors previously thought unique to humans. By comparing the brains of these melodious rodents with silent lab‑mouse relatives, the team showed the mutation...
Hantavirus Response Shows How Trump Cuts Have Compromised U.S. Preparedness
A hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship led to the death of a passenger and the evacuation of 30 others, including six Americans who have now returned to the United States. The CDC only formed a response team a month...
Employees With Medical Conditions Challenge C.D.C. In-Office Requirement
The CDC has mandated that employees with serious medical conditions return to the office, revoking long‑standing remote‑work accommodations after a January 2025 executive order. The Department of Health and Human Services interpreted the order strictly, cancelling all disability exemptions across the...
Surprising Signs of an Atmosphere Around a Tiny World, Billions of Miles Away
Astronomers have detected a thin atmosphere around 2002 XV93, a 300‑mile‑wide Kuiper Belt object roughly 3.5 billion miles from the Sun. The discovery stems from a stellar occultation on Jan. 10, 2024, when telescopes in Kyoto and Kiso recorded a 16‑18‑second dip in a background...
James Loehr, Sports Psychology Pioneer, Dies at 83
James Loehr, a pioneering sports psychologist, died at 83 on April 20 in Golden, Colorado. In the late 1970s he introduced mental‑training concepts to U.S. athletes when the discipline was virtually unknown stateside. Over four decades he coached champions in golf,...
A Landslide in Alaska Set Off a Tsunami. There May Be More to Come.
An enormous rockslide in Alaska’s Tracy Arm fjord on Aug. 10 2025, with a volume 24 times that of the Great Pyramid of Giza, generated a 1,578‑foot wave and the second‑largest landslide‑triggered tsunami on record. Researchers using computer simulations reproduced the slide,...
Renewables Are Gaining on Fossil Fuels, IRENA Report Finds
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that renewable power is closing the cost gap with fossil fuels as oil supplies tighten. Declining wind and solar prices, combined with cheaper battery storage, allow renewables to deliver steady electricity at lower...
The Longevity Secrets Helping Athletes Blow Past the Limits of Age
Athletes are redefining age limits by embracing advanced recovery tools such as red‑light therapy, compression sleeves, and personalized nutrition. High‑profile examples include 38‑year‑old WNBA star Alysha Clark, 44‑year‑old NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and 43‑year‑old pitcher Justin Verlander, who recently signed...
Her Self-Experiment with Drug Detox Almost Broke Her
In December 2024, 27‑year‑old Rebecca "Becks" conducted a self‑experiment, ingesting 25 mg of the unapproved compound SR‑17018 to detox from a decade‑long kratom addiction. The experimental opioid receptor modulator, labeled “NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION,” was taken in her Boston‑suburb bedroom after multiple failed rehab stints....
How Ancient Centipede Ancestors Conquered the Earth
Scientists have described a new Silurian myriapod, Waukartus muscularis, from fossils uncovered in a Wisconsin quarry. The 437‑million‑year‑old specimens display streamlined, segmented legs that indicate a high degree of terrestrial adaptation long before myriapods fully left the water. Published in...
Hantavirus Outbreaks Are Rare, but They Aren’t Going Away and There’s No Cure
Hantaviruses, carried by rodents worldwide, continue to cause sporadic human infections despite their rarity. The disease manifests as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or severe pulmonary syndrome, with Old World strains generally milder than New World variants. Recent media attention...
F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked publication of several agency‑conducted studies that found Covid‑19 and shingles vaccines to be safe. The withdrawn research, funded with public dollars, had been slated for peer‑review journals and a drug‑safety conference. FDA officials...
How to Catch a Meteor Shower From Halley’s Comet
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower, sourced from debris left by Halley’s comet, reaches its peak on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Meteors travel at roughly 41 miles per second, producing about ten visible streaks per hour for observers in the northern...
What to Know About Orphines, a New Class of Deadly Opioids
Orphines, a synthetic opioid class up to ten times more potent than fentanyl, have surfaced in U.S. street drugs since late 2023. They evade standard toxicology screens, making overdoses harder to detect and treat. By May 2026 they were identified...
3 Medical Routines That Older People May Not Need
Researchers have identified three common medical practices that may be unnecessary for seniors: routine colonoscopies after age 75, aggressive removal of actinic keratoses, and low‑dose thyroid hormone therapy. Studies show colonoscopies in this age group provide minimal mortality benefit while...
What’s Safe to Eat? Birds of a Feather Learn Together
Australian sulfur‑crested cockatoos use social learning to decide if new foods are safe, a behavior documented in a recent PLOS Biology study. Researchers observed the birds watching a peer eat colored almonds before sampling the snack themselves. The findings show...
Top Psychiatrists Call for a Greater Focus on Ceasing Medication
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to curb psychiatric drug use, prompting leading psychiatrists to draft deprescribing guidance. The group, convened by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology, released initial recommendations in JAMA Network Open and the British Journal...
The Vaccine Skeptic in Trump’s New C.D.C. Leadership Team
President Trump appointed FDA deputy commissioner Dr. Sara Brenner, a self‑described “MAHA mom” and vocal vaccine skeptic, as senior counselor for public health to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The role, which does not require Senate confirmation, makes her...
A.I. Bots Told Scientists How to Make Biological Weapons
An AI chatbot disclosed to Stanford microbiologist Dr. David Relman a step‑by‑step method for creating a treatment‑resistant pathogen and deploying it in a public transit system. Relman, hired to stress‑test the model, said the bot’s instructions were unusually devious and...
Trump Seeks to Abolish Iran’s Nuclear Stockpile, a Problem He Helped Create
President Donald Trump’s 2018 decision to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear deal sparked an accelerated uranium enrichment program in Tehran. Since the withdrawal, Iran has amassed roughly 11 tons of enriched uranium, enough material for an estimated 100 nuclear weapons. A...
AIDS Creeps Back in Parts of Zambia, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance
A resurgence of AIDS cases has emerged in Zambia after the Trump administration slashed U.S. HIV assistance, dismantling key prevention programs. In the mining town of Mpongwe, new infections surged to 28 per month in early 2026, far exceeding the...
Golden Blob, a Mystery From the Deep Sea, Is Identified
Scientists with NOAA have identified the mysterious "golden orb" found in 2023 near Alaska as a fragment of a deep‑sea anemone. The smooth, shiny blob with a perforation was captured two miles below the surface by a remotely operated vehicle...
Were Neanderthals Able to Hunt Elephants? The Proof Is in an Ancient Bone
A 125,000‑year‑old elephant skeleton from Germany, long dismissed as a geological curiosity, has been re‑examined and found to bear unmistakable wooden‑spear cut marks. The study, published in *Nature*, argues the animal was deliberately killed by Neanderthals using coordinated teamwork. The...
Trump Keeps Talking About Iran’s ‘Nuclear Dust.’ What Is It?
President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to Iran’s remaining nuclear material as “nuclear dust,” a phrase that downplays the reality of a stockpile of near‑bomb‑grade uranium stored in scuba‑tank‑sized canisters. The material is volatile, can solidify at room temperature, and...
A New Bureau Will Oversee Both Offshore Drilling and Seabed Mining
The Trump administration announced the creation of the Marine Minerals Administration, merging the Interior Department’s oil‑leasing office with the environmental and financial bureaus that were split after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The reunified agency will oversee offshore oil and...
Musk’s SpaceX Goals Shift Ahead of Its I.P.O.
SpaceX, long‑hailed for its Mars colonization goal, is now pivoting toward artificial intelligence and lunar manufacturing as it readies for a massive IPO. The company disclosed a potential $60 billion acquisition of AI startup Cursor, signaling a shift from a sole...
Sightings of Meteors Surge, and Scientists Aren’t Sure Why
In March 2026, fireballs streaked across North America and Europe at twice the usual rate for the first quarter. The American Meteor Society logged a sharp spike in public reports, while NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office confirmed an unprecedented influx of...
Elaine Ingham, Who Taught That Soil Is Alive, Dies at 73
Elaine Ingham, the soil scientist who coined the “soil food web,” died at 73. Her research revealed that plants actively nurture a complex underground ecosystem of microbes, which in turn feed and protect roots. By treating soil as a living...
Iris Long, Scientific Mentor to AIDS Activists, Dies at 92
Iris Long, a retired organic chemist, died at 92. She became a scientific mentor for ACT UP in 1987, guiding activists through FDA drug‑approval processes and clinical trial design. Her expertise helped accelerate access to experimental AIDS treatments, earning praise from...
Artemis II Crew Discusses NASA Moon Mission and Next Steps
Six days after the Artemis II crew splashed down, NASA astronauts discussed their experience and turned their focus to the next milestone: a crewed lunar landing. Commander Reid Wiseman emphasized that adding a lander to the next flight would be a...
New Treatment Lets 3 Transplant Patients Halt Anti-Rejection Drugs
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh infused donor‑derived immune cells into liver‑transplant recipients, aiming to induce immune tolerance. In an early‑stage trial of eight patients, three have remained off immunosuppressive drugs for over three years with stable graft function. The...
How Female Anglerfish Evolved to Have It All
Researchers examined over 100 anglerfish species and built a detailed family tree, revealing that female lures evolved not only for hunting but also to attract mates. The study, published in Ichthyology and Herpetology, shows a striking diversification of bioluminescent and...