Reuniting an Orphan Elephant and Her Mom, Perhaps, With DNA and Luck

Nania beat the odds to survive separation from her forest elephant family in Burkina Faso. Her caretakers hope DNA testing may help return her to the wild with her family.

Edmond H. Fischer, 101, Who Helped Discover How Cells Talk, Dies

He and a colleague identified a mechanism by which cells communicate, a Nobel-winning breakthrough that paved the way for disease-fighting drugs.

House Committees Demand F.D.A. Records on Alzheimer’s Drug Approval

The agency approved Biogen’s Aduhelm “despite concerns raised by experts,” committee leaders said in a letter.

The Grooviest Cocoons in the Insect Kingdom

Larvae of some paper wasp species use mysteriously fluorescent silk to weave the container in which they mature to adulthood.

Answers to Questions About the Texas Abortion Law

The law prohibits abortions before many women even know they’re pregnant, and it will be hard to challenge in the courts.

Answers to Questions About the Texas Abortion Law

The law prohibits abortions before many women even know they’re pregnant, and it will be hard to challenge in the courts.

When Will the Delta Surge End?

The variant retreated unexpectedly in Britain and India, but has begun to rebound. The United States may take an even bumpier path, scientists said.

Another Hidden Covid Risk: Lingering Kidney Problems

In a study of veterans, Covid survivors were 35 percent more likely than other patients to have long-term kidney damage or declines in kidney function.

Another Hidden Covid Risk: Lingering Kidney Problems

In a study of veterans, Covid survivors were 35 percent more likely than other patients to have long-term kidney damage or declines in kidney function.

Meet the Spotted Skunks. They’ve Been Keeping a Secret From Us.

New research using hundreds of DNA samples showed that there are seven species of these hand-standing, stink-spraying mammals.

How Scorpion Tails Do the Bend and Twist

It remains unknown if this move has an 83 percent return on a dinner invitation.

An Experimental H.I.V. Vaccine Fails in Africa

Researchers ended a large trial in South Africa after finding that an experimental vaccine offered little protection.

Searching for Bird Life in a Former ‘Ocean of Forest’

A century after museum collectors surveyed Colombia’s avian fauna, a new generation of researchers returns to see what remains, and what has changed.

Demand Surges for Deworming Drug for Covid, Despite Scant Evidence It Works

Prescriptions for ivermectin have jumped to more than 88,000 per week, some pharmacists are reporting shortages and people are overdosing on forms of the drug meant for horses.

Satellites Spot Oceans Aglow With Trillions of Organisms

A new generation of detectors let scientists identify a dozen large episodes of bioluminescence, one a hundred times larger than Manhattan — and that’s the smallest.

Female Hummingbirds Avoid Harassment by Looking Like Males

Among white-necked Jacobin hummingbirds, those with plumage that resembles colors found on males get harassed less.

Breakthrough Covid Cases: Uncommon and Often Mild, but Not Always

Vaccination remains the best defense, health experts say. But some infections occur regardless, and can come as a traumatic surprise.

A Shifting Climate Gave Humans Many Opportunities to Leave Africa

A new paleoclimate model finds many favorable windows when Homo sapiens might have survived a migration out of Africa.

Overweight Adults Should Be Screened for Diabetes at 35, Experts Say

Nearly one in seven Americans now has diabetes, a record rate. The condition also raises the risk of severe illness after coronavirus infection.

Looks Like Bird Dung. But It’s Really a Predatory Spider.

Many creatures use mimicry to hide from predators. This one also uses it to lure in prey.