Science Times: How much is that gene-edited doggie in the window?
Plus: Pee problems on Mount Everest, narwhal tusks and single-time cholesterol treatments —
Science Times
September 1, 2026
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Benjamin Rasmussen for The New York Times

Study A.I. Consciousness? The Bots Would Like a Word With You.

Given access to email, A.I. agents have started reaching out to the philosophers and researchers exploring deep questions about them.

By Cade Metz

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NASA’s Roman Telescope Leaves Earth to Chart the Stars

Astronomers will use data collected by Roman’s wide, deep gaze to study the dark universe and hunt for new worlds.

By Katrina Miller

Two yellow spheres a clasped by purple-blue receptor molecules in a highly detailed computer illustration.

Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library, via Alamy

An Experimental Single-Time Treatment Slashed Cholesterol for a Year

A small gene-editing study significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels, and the results have stuck a year later.

By Carolyn Y. Johnson

A small pod of narwhals swimming close to the surface, viewed from above.

Carsten Egevang/Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, via Reuters

Trilobites

Narwhals Have Stunning Spiraled Tusks. That’s Not the Only Twist.

X-rays revealed that the tusks have an internal opposing twist, which may help explain how they grow so straight — the only tusks like them in nature.

By Taylor Mitchell Brown

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Let us know how we’re doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com.

A small tent pitched at the edge of a sparkling lake in a rocky area high up in the Himalayas on a bright day.

Khim Lal Gautam

Mount Everest Base Camp Is Melting. Human Urine Is a Contributor.

More than 6,000 liters are produced daily by thousands of climbers and guides, according to a study.

By Adam Popescu

An illustration of a silhouetted hand holding a vaccine vial. Various viral molecules and autumnal leaves hover in the background.

Vartika Sharma

How Bad Will This Year’s Flu Season Be?

Doctors are hopeful for a quieter fall and winter than in 2025.

By Dani Blum

A satellite view of Hurricane Melissa over the Caribbean.

CSU/CIRA/NOAA/Anadolu, via Getty Images

A.I. Brings Big Gains to Hurricane Forecasts, Google Researchers Say

Analysis by the company’s DeepMind unit suggests that an A.I.-enabled model delivers accurate forecasts a day or more before conventional models can.

By William J. Broad

A giant metal box sits at the bottom of an empty, abandoned natatorium that is covered in graffiti. Heavy cables and wires snake everywhere. Near the box stand a man, a woman and a teenage boy.

Apple TV

How Scientific Is the Science-Fiction of ‘Dark Matter’?

Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, the writer, a physicist by training, asked around. The answer? It’s complicated.

By Connie Chang

CLIMATE CHANGE

A person scuba diving underwater over a large coral reef.

Jason Gulley for The New York Times

The World’s Coral Reefs Are Running Out of Time to Recover, Research Finds

Rising sea temperatures mean reefs don’t have enough time to bounce back between intense heat waves, a new report warns.

By Quinn Glabicki

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Kristian Thacker for The New York Times

Pennsylvania’s A.I. Gold Rush Meets Second Thoughts

Amid a backlash, Gov. Josh Shapiro is pumping the brakes on enormous data centers. But in a region scarred by the collapse of the steel industry, some welcome billions in construction.

By David Gelles and Kristian Thacker

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HEALTH

A collage illustration of a calendar graphic featuring images of a plate with utensils, salmonella bacteria, a toilet, listeria bacteria, a clock, a row of toilet paper and an engraving of the digestive system.

Claire Merchlinsky/The New York Times; Photographs via Getty

Foodborne Illnesses Can Lead to Long-Term Gut Issues

The cyclospora outbreak may result in a surge in cases of post-infection irritable bowel syndrome.

By Alice Callahan

Close-up of a hand holding a vial of a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Controversy Erupts Over Pennsylvania Measles Deaths

The conflict, which largely falls along political lines, centers on the details of one of the deaths, in a newborn.

By Teddy Rosenbluth

A nurse wearing blue gloves prepares a syringe, while a person holds their sleeve up as they wait for a vaccination.

F.D.A. Approves New Covid Vaccines, and They Should Be Available Soon

The shots have been approved for people 65 and older, and for younger people with underlying conditions. Others may be able to get them off label.

By Maggie Astor

A white Prenuvo M.R.I. machine with a blue examination table stands in a lit room.

Celebrities Are Raving About Full-Body Scans. Doctors Urge Caution.

The scans are touted as a way to control your health. But researchers say healthy people don’t need them and they can lead to more harm than benefit.

By Dani Blum

An airport terminal, with a large departure board and people walking with luggage.

Malaria, Likely Spread by Mosquito on Plane, Kills 2 Airport Workers in Germany

Six employees at Frankfurt Airport were infected this summer, according to German health officials and the airport’s operator. Four recovered.

By Claire Moses

A $480,000-a-Year Pill Reflects a New Normal for Cancer Drugs

Rasonque, the new pancreatic cancer treatment from Revolution Medicines, illustrates the huge inflation in cancer drug prices over the past two decades.

By Rebecca Robbins

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