Chemical Spill Muddies Picture in a State Wary of Regulations
By TRIP GABRIEL, MICHAEL WINES and CORAL DAVENPORT
West Virginia, with its strong ties to coal and chemicals, has long had a fierce opposition to environmental regulations.
Severe Drought Grows Worse in California
By NORIMITSU ONISHI and MALIA WOLLAN
Max Whittaker for The New York Times
At Folsom Lake in California, which is at 17 percent of capacity, the marina sits on dry land and an abandoned town from the 19th century has resurfaced.
The problem is visible from the Sierra Nevada to the farmlands in the southern part of the state, and it threatens to cause major hardship.
South Africa: Rhino Killings Increase
By LOUIS LUCERO II
The South African government reported Friday that poachers killed 1,004 rhinos in South Africa last year, up from 668 in 2012.
The ‘No More Tears’ Shampoo, Now With No Formaldehyde
By KATIE THOMAS
Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo no longer contains two potentially harmful chemicals, formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, that have come under increasing scrutiny by consumers.
U.N. Says Lag in Confronting Climate Woes Will Be Costly
By JUSTIN GILLIS
Another 15 years of failure by nations to limit carbon emissions could make the situation virtually impossible to solve with current technologies, according to a draft United Nations report.
Climate Aids in Study Face Big Obstacles
By HENRY FOUNTAIN
The latest draft report by United Nations climate experts cites technologies that are still in their infancy, with few projects operating around the world.
Bird Data Confirms That V’s Help Save Energy
By FLORA LICHTMAN
Information collected from 14 flying bald ibises supports the explanation that birds fly in V formations to conserve energy.
Science Times: Jan. 14, 2014
The Flood Next Time
By JUSTIN GILLIS
Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post, via Getty Images
The last house on Holland Island, a Chesapeake Bay island that was home to 360 people, and was reduced by erosion.
The numbers are unmistakable, scientists say. Global sea levels are rising, while land along the East Coast is sinking. Just ask Norfolk, Va.
Tide Gauges Needed for Research Are Often Victims of Storms
By JUSTIN GILLIS
As Hurricanes Sandy, Katrina and Rita showed, equipment for accurate tidal readings, vital to understanding individual storms, may not withstand them.
A Busy Doctor’s Right Hand, Ever Ready to Type
By KATIE HAFNER
Scribes have entered the scene in clinics and operating rooms, liberating physicians from the constant note-taking that modern electronic health records systems demand.
Out There
Over the Side With Old Scientific Tenets
By DENNIS OVERBYE
Scientists, writers and other deep thinkers ponder a big question: What scientific idea is ready for retirement? (Hint: Watch yourselves, infinity and the universe.)
An Ancient Fish’s Four-Wheel Drive
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Based on fossils of Tiktaalik roseae, a transitional species that lived 375 million years ago, scientists have concluded that the modification of fins into four limbs began before vertebrates left the water.
Books
A Solution That Now Looks Crazy
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN, M.D.
The psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey offers an unflinching look at how grand intentions for fixing the treatment of severe mental illness went terribly wrong.
Science Bookshelf
Best-Selling Science Books
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Top-selling nonfiction titles based on the sciences.
Podcast: Science Times
A look at the growing threat of coast flooding in a time of climate change; the stenographer in the doctor’s shadow; reconstructive surgery of all kinds for what ails your pet.
A Rising Tide, the Doctor’s Scribe, Sparky on the Operating Table Science Columns
The Week
Frozen Insects, Glowing Fish and a Futuristic Suit
By DOUGLAS QUENQUA
NASA will keep the International Space Station in orbit through 2024, four years longer than planned, and Harvard researchers have developed an inexpensive carbon-based battery.
Q&A;
A Mental Alarm Clock
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
A period of relative alertness, part of the body’s circadian rhythm, may explain why some wake up in the middle of the night.
Observatory
A Window to Bone Disease in a ‘Shark’s’ Skeleton
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
The elephant shark’s skeleton is made up largely of cartilage, not bone, and a possible explanation could help in developing treatments for bone diseases like osteoporosis.
Nutcracker Man’s Secret: He Didn’t Crack Nuts
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
Forget the strong jaws. An ancient human ancestor actually preferred something softer and chewier, the nutrient-rich tiger nut.
Scientists Find Rare Hybrid of Two Other Dolphin Species
By SINDYA N. BHANOO
It is the first known instance among marine mammals of hybridization, which is more commonly seen in plants, fish and birds, researchers say.
Exploring Planetary Mass
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
A newly discovered planet weighs the same as Earth but is 60 percent larger in diameter. That means the planet, KOI-314c, has a very thick, gaseous atmosphere.
From the Magazine
Special Section
The Great Shakeup of the American Family
By NATALIE ANGIER
Same-sex parents. Cohabiting couples. Voluntary kin. Children with parents in prison. Immigrant-Americans. What we thought of as the typical American family is being rapidly redefined.
For the latest news, analysis and journalists' perspectives. Twitter list of staff journalists »
Editors' Picks
Profiles in Science
A series of articles and videos about leaders in science including Hopi E. Hoekstra, Linda Fried, Elizabeth Spelke, Richard Dawkins, Nora Volkow, Eric Lander, Michael Gazzaniga and Steven Pinker.
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