The Biggest Party of 2021 Is About to Start
Billions of bugs will soon burst out of the ground to begin the mass gathering of a lifetime. It’s hard not to feel jealous.
Life Up Close
The Pandemic Is Undoing Field Researchers’ Oldest Assumption
With the right partners, scientists don’t have to visit their study sites to get good data.
The Sand Octopus Was Hiding in Plain Sight
And yet it took a 19th-century naturalist, a 21st-century grad student, and some Brazilian fishers to crack the mystery.
You Probably Have an Asymptomatic Infection Right Now
No, not COVID-19. Many, many viruses can infect humans without making us sick, and how they do that is one of biology’s deepest mysteries.
An Interstellar Visitor Had a Sad Story to Tell
A hint of warmth from our sun helped reveal a mysterious comet’s secrets.
You Won’t Remember the Pandemic the Way You Think You Will
The stories you hold on to will be colored by your own experience—but also by the experiences of those around you.
Vaccine Cheat Days Are Adding Up
Vaccinated and unvaccinated people are getting more lax with behavior at a time when vigilance really matters.
So What’s the Point of Playtime?
Scientists think it’s valuable, but they’re not quite sure why.
Pregnant? Breastfeeding? The Vaccine Might Protect You and Your Baby
Antibodies that cross the placenta or end up in milk could give infants temporary immunity to COVID-19.
The Weekly Planet: 3 Ways That Biden Could Green the Financial System
“If it actually looks seriously like the world is gonna cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, you could, overnight, see fire sales of fossil-fuel assets.”
An Entire Group of Whales Has Somehow Escaped Human Attention
The only way to give them the space they need might be to seek them out.
We Need to Talk About the AstraZeneca Vaccine
For the moment, reports of a very rare, dangerous blood disorder among recipients cannot be ignored.
Why People Keep Asking Which Vaccine You Got
Vaccine small talk has given America something to chat about again.
You’ve Been Lied to About Lying
The conventional wisdom about how to spot a liar is all wrong.
What Killed These Bald Eagles? After 25 Years, We Finally Know.
A perfect confluence of events created a stealth killer.
A Pesky Insect Took an Evolutionary Shortcut
Millions of years ago, whiteflies pilfered a plant defense, and they have been benefiting ever since.
Long-Haulers Are Pushing the Limits of COVID-19 Vaccines
People with long COVID were left out of vaccine trials. They are now navigating the new shots on their own.
An Eerie Glow in the Sky Might Come From Mars’s Direction
A spacecraft on its way to Jupiter made a surprising discovery about interplanetary dust.
The Weekly Planet: Why Celebrities Are Agog Over This Tiny Climate Think Tank
A one-of-a-kind Washington nonprofit has become a hit with musicians selling crypto-art.
Where Science and Miracles Meet
Recent speculations in physics reveal that believers and nonbelievers may have more in common than they think.
Billions of Day-Old Chicks Are Shredded, Gassed, and Suffocated
Everyone wants to end “chick culling.” So what’s the holdup?
There’s Nothing Historic About Biden’s NASA Pick
After 62 years, the space agency will have to wait a little longer for its first female leader.