Science Times: The mysteries we’re still thinking about.
Octopuses riding sharks, orange-colored owls and more.
Science Times
December 26, 2025

So this is it for 2025. It was a turbulent year for science and medicine, but readers never lost their sense of wonder and fascination, especially with things that couldn’t quite be explained. Here are five stories we’re still thinking about as we head into the unknown of 2026. Happy New Year to everyone who loves Science Times.

Article Image

Esther Stuck and Wednesday Davis, University of Auckland

Fishy friends

Why was this octopus riding a shark? →

A snowy owl with flecks of orange all over its body sits atop a utility pole.

Julie Maggert

Orange alert

Did genetics or human hands cause the unusual hue of “Rusty” the snowy owl? →

A whale carcass on a seabed with blurry undersea lights helping illuminate it.

Jules Jacobs

Vanishing act

What really happened to this fallen whale in the waters near San Diego? →

A black-and-white image of a opossum and an ocelot on the forest floor at night.

Nadine Holmes

What were they up to?

The ocelot and opossum were “Like two old friends walking home from a bar.” →

A row of giant monolithic stone figures on Easter Island on a cloudy day.

Josh Haner/The New York Times

Walking heads

Is this how the moai of Easter Island moved around? →

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