A field station of the Tromso Geophysical Observatory and the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association, or EISCAT, project outside Tromso, Norway, Jan. 21, 2026. Norway’s northern region has led the scientific quest to understand the aurora borealis, with a 10,000-antenna radar system expected to begin the next phase of exploration this summer. (Michal Siarek/The New York Times) By ALEXA ROBLES-GIL The world’s first permanent northern lights observatory occupies a s

A flu vaccine is prepared in Mountain Lakes, N.J., Sept. 16, 2025. (Laila Stevens/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT and REBECCA ROBBINS The Food and Drug Administration reversed its decision on Moderna’s flu vaccine and has agreed to review it for possible approval. On Feb. 10, Moderna announced that the agency had rejected its application for review of a new flu vaccine. The FDA said the company’s research design had been flawed. But in subsequent discussions, the agen

A photo provided by Dr. Axelle Delaunay shows a baboon family in Namibia. Young primates in a southern African nature park were observed to constantly interfere when their mother was giving attention to a younger brother or sister. (Dr. Axelle Delaunay via The New York Times) By ANNIE ROTH Ever been jealous of your brother or sister for getting too much attention from your mom or dad? Scientists believe you’re not the only creature in the animal kingdom to feel that way. A t

An empty classroom at the high school in Williston, N.D., during an outbreak of measles there, May 19, 2025. Longtime allies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, have launched a new effort to repeal laws that for decades have required children to be vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases before they enter day care or kindergarten. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT Longtime allies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s healt

When it comes to longevity, bigger is not always better. (Jackson Gibbs/The New York Times) By HILARY ACHAUER These days, you might think you have to become a power lifter to age well. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a celebrity physician, calls muscles “the organ of longevity.” For Dr. Peter Attia, they’re “the most important retirement accounts you can have.” We’re often reminded that muscle mass starts to decline as early as 30, and that it becomes harder to build muscle as we get ol

Sabrina and Cameron Scully with their 2-month-old son in Denver, Jan. 27, 2026. Rattled by the CDC’s actions and the spread of measles, some parents are scrambling to figure out how to best protect their children. (Matt Nager for The New York Times) By MAGGIE ASTOR A father in North Carolina is delaying taking his infant son to see his parents. A mother in Washington state is switching pediatricians. And some parents are vaccinating their babies against measles early. They ar

A photo provided by Ape Initiative shows Kanzi, a bonobo living at the Ape Initiative in Des Moines, Iowa, was able to play make-believe with researchers studying the ape imagination. In a playtime experiment, scientists found that apes, our closest living relatives, have the capacity for make-believe, too. (Ape Initiative via The New York Times) By ALEXA ROBLES-GIL Having an imaginary friend, playing house or daydreaming about the future were long considered uniquely human

Decades of research suggests that your diet can influence the risk of various cancers. (Bobbi Lin/The New York Times) By NINA AGRAWAL Over decades, a growing body of literature has shown clear links between what we eat and how likely we are to develop various cancers. In recent years, the research has moved away from the impact of individual “superfoods” and antioxidants to focus on how overall, long-term dietary habits affect risk. That’s not to say that any individual cance

Engineer Paul Anker checks on the supply of hot water for a drilling operation at Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, Jan. 30, 2026. An attempt to drill through Thwaites Glacier is foiled; scientists lost their instruments within Antarctica’s most dangerously unstable glacier, though not before getting a glimpse at the warming waters underneath. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times) By RAYMOND ZHONG A daring attempt to study Antarctica’s fast-melting Thwaites Glacier collapsed over t

A worker prepares polio vaccines at a pop-up clinic at the Rockland County Department of Health in Pomona, N.Y. on July 22, 2022. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times) By APOORVA MANDAVILLI Offering a startlingly candid view into the philosophy guiding vaccine recommendations under the Trump administration, the leader of the federal panel that recommends vaccines for Americans said shots against polio and measles — and perhaps all diseases — should be optional, offered only in