A more scientific definition of obesity should guide decisions about weight loss treatment, researchers argue

Result could be first success at stitching a curative gene into a chromosome’s “safe harbor,” reducing cancer and other risks

The biomedical research agency’s 17th director is proud of her initiatives amid tough political landscape

The behavior—also seen in humans and other social animals—is a key to bonding

Norovirus, which causes explosive diarrhea and vomiting, may be on the rise because of an antibody-dodging variant and post–COVID-19 socializing

Republicans in Congress had raised concerns about work with Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Insects use “crazy turning” to dry off after a cooling dip in water

Inked skin from the Chancay culture shows tattooing rivaled other forms of art in complexity

Workers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Mount Wilson Observatory made preparations for wildfires

The Biden administration had aimed to create a nationwide approach to protecting the most mature forests from fire, disease, and logging

Historic deal will boost researcher pay—if Congress provides funding

El Niño and declining reflectivity brought a warming surge

X-ray analysis of bony scale shows vertebrates developed ability to remodel and repair bone much earlier than thought

Glare from proposed green hydrogen plant could degrade views of distant universe

Imaging study of people with aphantasia reveals differences—but not a complete deficit—in visual processing area

Studies suggest mammals’ external ears carry unexpected type of cartilage and rely on the same genetic instructions as gills

Measuring levels of thousands of proteins in the blood of half a million people could suggest treatments and diagnostic tools, researchers say

Exodus from the Journal of Human Evolution leaves a flagship journal in crisis

The latest in science and policy

The Bird's Foot, critical for shipping and wildlife, is “one of the most threatened places in America”

Pulsating blood vessels push fluid into and out of the brains of slumbering mice

Their keen noses are helping researchers document the diversity of fungi living underneath Pacific Northwest forests

Two options both promise to trim billions from mission’s cost

Platform fosters collegial interactions among scientists, but potentially limits interactions beyond the academic community

Biologists Olesia Sokur and Ihor Zyma died in their Kyiv apartment

Ice cores show ancient silver production produced lead levels high enough to lower some people’s IQ

The public needs context about unreviewed manuscripts, survey suggests

Longtime MIT professor served as the first director of research in the Department of Energy

The first clinical trial of zebrafish embryos acting as cancer “avatars” will start soon

New recommendations stress tracing and respecting links between communities and animal bones, pelts, and other remains

Tiny transmitters reveal at least one bat species is surprisingly flexible in its migration timing and pathfinding

Five years after SARS-CoV-2 surfaced, scientists reflect and look ahead to the next threat

Ecologists differ on whether to steer recovery or let nature take its course

Trump’s shakeups, risks from avian flu, and peak carbon emissions could produce big stories

Team members describe what went into making and publishing 2024’s most engaging images and multimedia

The 1831 eruption of Zavaritskii volcano in the Kuril Islands sparked cropped failures and famines

Insects put their minds together in ways that sometimes eludes people

A rundown of the biggest stories that stuck with our news editors this year

But so far, few investigators seem interested in having a contract lab repeat their experiments

Our Working Life essays highlight the people behind the research and lessons learned as they overcome personal and professional challenges