Over the last few years, a growing body of research has suggested that people who eat more ultraprocessed foods have higher risks of developing certain conditions that affect the stomach and the intestines. (Jiaqi Wang/The New York Times) By ALICE CALLAHAN Walk into a typical supermarket in the United States, and much of what you see — breakfast cereals, frozen meals, processed meats, sodas — is considered ultraprocessed food. These products, typically defined as foods and dr

Alzheimer’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia, but it’s far from the only one. (Robert Samuel Hanson/The New York Times) By DANA G. SMITH Alzheimer’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia, but it’s far from the only one. In fact, most people who have dementia (including Alzheimer’s) show signs of several different types of neurodegenerative disease in their brains. That can include the amyloid plaques and tau tangles that are hallmarks

An undated photo provided by Craig Williams/The Trustees of the British Museum shows an artist’s conception of a fire in Barnham, southeast England, 400,000 years ago. (Craig Williams/The Trustees of the British Museum via The New York Times) By CARL ZIMMER Some 400,000 years ago, in what is now eastern England, a group of Neanderthals used flint and pyrite to make fires by a watering hole — not just once, but time after time, over several generations. That is the conclusion

The committee did not change the recommendation that newborns of mothers known to be infected or whose status is unknown be immunized. (Freepik) By APOORVA MANDAVILLI A federal vaccine committee last Friday took a major step toward Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s goal of remaking the childhood vaccine schedule, voting to end a decades-long recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B, a highly infectious virus that can cause severe liver

Casa Batlló, center, in Barcelona, Spain, May 22, 2025. The fantastical look of Casa Batlló is a trademark of Antoni Gaudí, its designer. (Edu Bayer/The New York Times) By KATRINA MILLER Every summer, scores of tourists take to the bustling streets of Barcelona, Spain, a city known for its breathtaking architecture. Nicolás Atanes Santos, a young Spanish mathematician, sees this as an opportunity to engage more people in his favorite subject. In partnership with the regional

A conservation team, including Elizabeth Fly, standing at rear, on the Edisto River in South Carolina, July 25, 2025. “We’ve been testing and piloting things for so long, and now is the time to scale it up,” said Fly, who is the director of resilience and ocean conservation at the Nature Conservancy’s South Carolina chapter. (Madeline Gray/The New York Times) By DELGER ERDENESANAA Working from a dock on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, on a sweltering day this summer, Ed At

It’s important to not only identify sciatica correctly, but find exercises you can comfortably do. (Joyce Lee/The New York Times) By AMANDA LOUDIN Ryan Smith was 23 when he felt a pop in his back while performing a heavy dead lift at the gym. That pop led to an immediate, radiating pain from his spine all the way down the back of his leg and into his foot. A physical therapy student at the time, he quickly recognized it as a possible sign of sciatica. “The pain was debilitati

An image provided by Rocket Lab shows an artist’s concept of an ESCAPADE spacecraft above Mars. The ESCAPADE mission, which launched to space on a Blue Origin rocket on Nov. 13, 2025, breaks the mold of how planetary science missions typically come together. (Rocket Lab via The New York Times) By KENNETH CHANG NASA’s latest robotic mission to Mars, ESCAPADE, should perhaps have been named the Great Escape, given how many times it has eluded doom. The data that the mission eve

A mother holds her 8-month-old while a COVID-19 vaccine is administered in Hatfield, Pa., June 30, 2022. Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said in a staff memo on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, that a review spearheaded by vaccine skeptic Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg found that at least 10 children in the U.S. died “after and because of” getting a COVID-19 vaccination. (Hannah Beier/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA JEWETT The Trump administration is casting

Struggling to feel pleasure is a key marker of depression, but this distressing symptom can also occur on its own. (Vanessa Saba/The New York Times) By CHRISTINA CARON On Wednesday, Michela turned 49. She considered forcing herself to celebrate, but when two friends offered to take her out, she said no. First, she would have to spend time getting ready. Then, she would need to participate in conversation, act enthusiastic, appreciate the moment. “All that takes so much effort