In an undated rendering from Ko Arimatsu/NAOJ, an artist’s impression of the trans-Neptunian object 2002 XV93 occulting a background star. Observations of that star revealed gradual fading and recovery of starlight, evidence of a thin atmosphere around the object, astronomers reported on Monday, May 4. (Ko Arimatsu/NAOJ via The New York Times) By KENNETH CHANG A small world about 300 miles wide and 3.5 billion miles from the sun — nearly as far away as Pluto — appears to be s

A photo provided by Elizabeth Weiss shows Nick Pope in 2011. Pope, who investigated UFO sightings for Britain’s Ministry of Defense and later made him one of the world’s most respected ufologists, died on April 6 at his home in Tucson, Ariz. He was 60. (Elizabeth Weiss via The New York Times) By MICHAEL S. ROSENWALD Nick Pope, who investigated UFO sightings for Britain’s Ministry of Defense, a position that turned him from skeptic to believer and later made him one of the wor

An emperor penguin on Antarctica’s Ross Sea ice shelf, Jan. 16, 2011. Populations of emperor penguins are declining as climate change causes the sea ice the birds need for survival to retreat, according to researchers. (Andy Isaacson/The New York Times) By RACHEL NUWER Emperor penguins, the world’s largest and perhaps most recognizable penguin species, have joined the list of wildlife endangered by global warming, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced

In an undated image from Kathryn Killackey, an artist’s reconstruction of a site in Turkey 15,800 years ago, based on evidence from archaeological excavations by University of Liverpool researchers. New research pushes the first genetic evidence of dogs back by 5,000 years and suggests that hunter-gatherer groups may have acquired dogs from one another. (Kathryn Killackey via The New York Times) By EMILY ANTHES In the waning days of the last ice age, when humans were still hu

Stiffness, achy joints, acid reflux, snoring — experts explain the pros and cons of the three main ways people sleep. (Rachel Levit Ruiz/The New York Times) By AMANDA SCHUPAK Ever wake up with a crick in your neck or a pain in your lower back? Are you roused from sleep by heartburn, or a partner complaining that you snore? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your sleep position might be to blame. There is no one “right” way to sleep, said Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatu

Calliope, an orphaned manatee that had spent three years in Cincinnati for rehabilitation, mingles with others of her kind moments after being released back into the wild at Three Sisters Springs, in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Florida on Feb. 13, 2024. Since the start of the year, at least 31 of the sea cows — as the manatees are colloquially known — have been struck and killed by boats in Florida. (Jason Gulley/The New York Times) By JOHNNY DÍAZ In early M

The phrase “trauma bonding” has been used online to describe connections built through shared suffering, but experts say that’s all wrong. (Vanessa Saba/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA CARON As a young girl, Lilli Correll both loved and feared her mother. In good times, she felt special — her mother affectionately called her Monkey, and they often laughed together. “I was her favorite child,” said Correll, now 55 and living in Austin, Texas. But at other times her mother, wh

Years of testing, emergency systems and sensors have gone into protecting the Artemis II astronauts heading to the moon. (NASA via The New York Times) By KATRINA MILLER Rocket failures, oxygen leaks, space debris and scorching heat: These are just a few of the risks that NASA’s Artemis II astronauts face as the first humans to return to the moon in more than half a century. Since NASA first attempted to send people beyond the safety of Earth, spaceflight has been a death-defy

The tests could help to improve dementia care, but scientists say there are still some caveats and unknowns. (Ricardo Tomás/The New York Times) By DANA G. SMITH Could a simple blood test predict your risk of getting dementia years, or even decades, before you experience memory loss? That’s the potential promise of a new class of biomarker tests. Two were approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration to help diagnose people with Alzheimer’s disease if they have sympto

Manuel Firmani and Liliana Garay dance at a milonga event outside of the tango program. (Magalí Druscovich via The New York Times) By PAM BELLUCK Tango is the national dance of Argentina, known for its passion, precision and heart. At a hospital in Buenos Aires, it has another purpose: as a therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Once a week, about a dozen patients come to Ramos Mejía Hospital to dance — a session that uses the movements of tango to help address issue