In 2024, natural disasters related to variations in the water cycle caused more than 8,700 deaths and at least $550 billion of economic loss.

With wind speeds falling, firefighting reinforcements arriving from out of state, and more water sources online, authorities now have a critical window to take control of the situation.

Cartilage cells that contain fat explain why some skeletal tissues are less rigid than others, and could one day be grown in labs to produce better materials for performing reconstructive surgeries and rhinoplasties.

The state’s insurance industry was reformed in late 2024 to promote coverage in disaster-prone areas. Tens of billions in fire damage will stress-test the new regime.

More than 130,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, with the fires—which are still uncontained—having been declared a major disaster by President Biden.

As hurricane-force winds fan the most destructive wildfires in California history across bone-dry foothills, communities face the dual threat of natural forces and a warming world.

Research and development is underway to create robots that can hunt for signs of life in the vast oceans that exist under the thick ice shells of bodies like Europa.

A Louisiana patient is the first person in the United States to die as a result of H5N1 infection. One expert likens what happens next to Russian roulette.

The attention being paid to a Chinese outbreak of a virus often confused with flu is a sign that respiratory infection tracking is improving.

Abstaining from alcohol can have immediate benefits. But lasting gains require lasting change.

Treatments for rare diseases are hard to create and expensive to deliver, but there is new hope for editing the software of the genome.

Two eyes in the sky are now trained on Earth, locating the worst offenders for releasing methane, wherever they may be.

The discovery that other vertebrates have healthy, microbial brains is fueling the still controversial possibility that we might have them as well.

NASA has plans to return humans to the moon with the Artemis mission—but Elon Musk’s preference for Mars could have influence in the Trump administration.

Fossil fuel pollution is impacting the most vulnerable among us: children. Their future—and health—are at stake.

The ritual of giving up animal products for a month leads participants to see both meat and themselves in a different way, and could have lasting effects on people’s diets.

Smoke exposure, researchers have found, raises the risk of dementia, poor mental health, fertility problems, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Members of the Elsevier-published Journal of Human Evolution quit, citing AI production processes introducing errors, high author fees, and concerns over editorial independence.

The first meteor shower of the year peaks on the night of January 2–3. Here’s everything you need to know to watch it and the many other showers that will appear in 2025.

The small step back to Earth’s satellite will provide a giant leap for exploring our solar system.

Reacquaint yourself with the good things in life by taking the time to appreciate them—and yes, it’s OK to rush through the bad stuff.

From childhood malaria vaccines to record-breaking solar panels to the discovery of a lost ancient city, this tumultuous year still had plenty of high points.

The reference frames from which observers view quantum events can themselves have multiple possible locations at once—an insight with potentially major ramifications.

If we can’t get to the forest, the forest must come to us, in the form of cities designed around green spaces.

There’s no such thing as black-colored light. So how can we see Darth Vader on a screen?

By learning lessons from other sectors, public health can ensure it is ready to face future outbreaks in record time.

The plant-based-meat company’s CEO, Ethan Brown, credits a series of attack ads with prompting a potentially sector-saving change of plan.

Your physical and mental well-being are crucial—but the picture isn’t complete if you aren’t flexing your connection muscles, too. Here’s how to build—and keep—your social health.

The Trump transition team is looking for “big changes” at NASA—including some cuts.

The first medical treatment to use Crispr gene editing has been on the market for a year. Its complexity means few patients in the US have received it yet.

Wherever astronomers look, they see life’s raw materials—and hints at answers to one of the great mysteries of science.

With big cash prizes at stake—and AI supercharging research—interspecies translation is closer than ever. But what, if anything, would animals want to tell us?

Expect more fires like the fast-moving one in Malibu, scientists say.

The festive period can be stressful, particularly for those who struggle with food anxiety, weight concerns, or an eating disorder. Here are some tips for navigating an intense time of year.

On Christmas Eve, NASA's fastest-moving probe will come closer than ever to the surface of the sun.

Microbes found in green spaces can transfer into your body, increasing bacterial diversity and potentially boosting the strength of the immune system.

Oropouche virus has posed little threat outside South America in the past, but land-use change, the climate crisis, and international travel all appear to be spreading this insect-borne disease to new places.

Yes, the weight distribution on an aircraft really does affect how well it flies. Our physics guy explains.

Here’s what happens on the longest night of the year—in the solar system and across different cultures here on Earth.

Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams will now come home in March at the earliest, to allow SpaceX and NASA engineers to complete development of a new Crew Dragon spacecraft.