To counteract the midday gloom, consider a brief yoga break. (Theodore Tae/The New York Times) By CHRISTINE YU For many people, the afternoon is a dreaded time of day when energy slumps, concentration fizzles and stress builds. To counteract the midday gloom, consider a brief yoga break. It’s a great way to pause and reset your body and mind, said Elena Cheung, a yoga instructor and yoga teacher trainer in Seattle. Yoga can also help offset the effects of prolonged sitting, s

An image provided by University of British Columbia (A.Trites), Dalhousie University (S. Fortune), Hakai Institute (K. Holmes), Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (X. Cheng) shows researchers near killer whales in waters off British Columbia, Canada. (University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, Hakai Institute, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research via The New York Times) By ALEXA ROBLES-GIL In the waters off British Columbia, an unusual partn

Many shots seem to have “off-target” benefits, such as lowering the risk of dementia, studies have found. (Jackson Gibbs/The New York Times) By PAULA SPAN Let’s be clear. The primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles is that two shots provide 90% protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of Americans will suffer in their lifetimes, one that can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences. The most important reason for older adu

A wary red-footed tortoise in Casanare, Colombia, June 26, 2024. Long dismissed as unintelligent, reptiles are emerging as cognitively and emotionally complex animals — a new study involving tortoises suggests that they also possess mood states. (Federico Rios/The New York Times) By BRANDON KEIM Should you meet a turtle basking on a log in the sun, you might reasonably conclude that the turtle is in a good mood. Granted, there has been little scientific evidence that reptiles

In an undated image provided by Ibiricu et al, Nature Communications 2025, Joaquinraptor, one of the most complete megaraptor specimens ever found. A fossil of the 23-foot-tall predator could help unlock secrets of an order of dinosaurs that remain poorly understood. (Ibiricu et al, Nature Communications 2025 via The New York Times) By ASHER ELBEIN In 2019, a team of researchers uncovered a 70-million-year-old dinosaur in a Patagonian province of Argentina. The dinosaur, a hu

A 20-minute workout to build strength for everyday tasks; practicing these pushing and pulling exercises can make daily movements feel more comfortable. (Theodore Tae/The New York Times) By ALYSSA AGES Pushing and pulling are two of the movements you do most throughout the day. Though they seem simple, daily tasks like opening a door, pushing a stroller and pulling out a load of laundry all require strength, control and coordination. Pushing motions rely on your shoulder and

In an undated image provided by Gabriel Diaz Yanten, a life reconstruction of Kostensuchus, a large, land-dwelling crocodile that was large enough to fight with predatory dinosaurs over prey. A fossil found in Argentina shows that up to the very end of the age of dinosaurs, they faced serious competition from other reptile species. (Gabriel Diaz Yanten via The New York Times) By ASHER ELBEIN An apex predator prowled the forests of Patagonia a few million years before the age

As another busy holiday season wraps up, pause to spare a thought for your brain. (Lorena Spurio/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA CARON and DANA G. SMITH As 2025 comes to a close, and another busy holiday season wraps up, pause to spare a thought for your brain. Does it need some TLC? These tips can help you take care of — and improve — your mental and cognitive health now and throughout 2026. Here is some of the best advice we learned from experts in 2025 about showing ourse

A photo provided by Bryan O’Malley shows a collage of foraminifera, a kind of single-celled organism, found in a potential mining zone and arranged by O’Malley, a lead researcher. An ocean-mining company has funded some of the most comprehensive scientific studies to date, and peer-reviewed results have begun to emerge. (Bryan O’Malley via The New York Times) By Sachi Kitajima Mulkey Industrial mining of the seabed could reduce the abundance and diversity of tiny animals livi

Ray Hester with his wife, Sandy Hester, at home in Versailles, Ky., in June 2025. On its own, LATE dementia is less severe than Alzheimer’s, but in combination, it makes Alzheimer’s symptoms worse, scientists say. (Morgan Hornsby/The New York Times) By Pam Belluck A recently recognized form of dementia is changing the understanding of cognitive decline, improving the ability to diagnose patients and underscoring the need for a wider array of treatments. Patients are increasin