NYT > Science

1. Killer Whales Find Prey Bonanza in Melting Arctic Is a Bonanza
   Audio recordings in Arctic seas show orcas in waters that were once blocked by ice, and the effects are being felt up and down the food chain.
2. Iron World Appears to Be Lightest Exoplanet Ever Detected
   Astronomers call it a “super-Mercury” and think it holds clues to how planets form close in to their stars.
3. Prints Long Thought to Be Bear Tracks May Have Been Made by Human Ancestor
   New research published in the journal Nature suggests that the prints, discovered in Tanzania in 1976, were left by an unidentified hominin, or early human ancestor, more than 3.6 million years ago.
4. This Dinosaur Found in Chile Had a Battle Ax for a Tail
   While ankylosaurs are already known for their armor and club tails, this specimen from South America had a unique way of fighting predators.
5. Trust in Science and Scientists Increased Globally, Poll Finds
   An international survey found that the pandemic had enhanced public faith in researchers and science, up from 2018.
6. This Extinct Eagle May Have Gulped Guts Like a Vulture
   Scientists suggest the largest eagle that ever existed hunted down its 500-pound prey and then stuck its head inside to gorge on organs.
7. Stamping Bar Codes on Cells to Solve Medical Mysteries
   By tracking every cell in an organism, scientists are working out why certain cancer treatments fail, which could lead to improved medicine.
8. This Fire-Loving Fungus Eats Charcoal, if It Must
   Some fungi sprout in fiery shades of orange and pink after wildfires, feasting on what was left behind by the burn.
9. The Arctic Ocean Was Invaded by Its Neighbor Earlier Than Anyone Thought
   The saltier Atlantic broke through layers of ice and freshwater, contributing to the Arctic’s warming.
10. Most Covid Vaccines Will Work as Boosters, Study Suggests
    In a comparison of seven different brands, researchers found that most shots give a strong boost, even in mix-and-match combinations.
11. Why Didn’t the U.S. Detect Omicron Cases Sooner?
    Genomic surveillance has improved enormously in recent months, but the system has built-in delays, and blind spots remain.
12. Omicron Prompts Swift Reconsideration of Boosters Among Scientists
    Many public health experts were opposed to a boosters-for-all approach. The new variant is changing some minds.
13. Drought Study on Madagascar Underlines Complexity of Climate
    Low rainfall has caused a humanitarian crisis in Madagascar, but common assumptions about drought didn’t hold up to scrutiny.
14. Vaccine Hesitancy Hurts Covid Fight in Poorer Countries
    Vaccines are finally available in many African countries, but an underfunded public health system has slowed their delivery, and some people there, as well as in South Asia, are wary of taking them.
15. Omicron Variant, in 20 Nations, Spread Earlier Than Was Known
    With evidence growing that a worrisome new coronavirus variant is highly contagious, health officials issued warnings that vulnerable people should not travel.
16. NASA Delays Spacewalk, Citing Space Debris Threat to Astronauts
    The agency did not link the postponement of repairs to wreckage caused by a recent Russian antisatellite weapon test.
17. What We Know About the New Covid Variant, Omicron
    Intense research into the new coronavirus variant first identified in southern Africa has just begun. World leaders have urged people not to panic — and to get vaccinated, if they can.
18. Counterfeit Covid Masks Are Still Sold Everywhere
    Rising Covid cases have spurred a return to mask-wearing in the U.S. and overseas, at a time when flawed KN95s from China continue to dominate e-commerce sites.
19. Omicron Has Scary Mutations. That Doesn't Mean They Work Well Together
    Mutations can work together to make a virus more fearsome, but they can also cancel one another out. This phenomenon, called epistasis, is why scientists are reluctant to speculate on Omicron.
20. Antiviral Covid-19 Pills Are Coming. Will There Be Enough Tests?
    The pills must be given early in the course of infection, which means access to timely, accurate test results will be crucial.
21. As World Shuts Borders to Stop Omicron, Japan Offers a Cautionary Tale
    Japan, which has been very cautious throughout the pandemic, is again barring all nonresident foreigners. There is an economic and human cost.
22. Climate Change Driving Some Albatrosses to ‘Divorce,’ Study Finds
    Warming oceans are sending the monogamous sea birds farther afield to find food, putting stress on their breeding and prompting some to ditch their partners.
23. Will the Covid Vaccines Stop Omicron? Scientists Are Racing to Find Out.
    A “Frankenstein mix” of mutations raises concerns, but the variant may remain vulnerable to current vaccines. If not, revisions will be necessary.
24. As U.S. Hunts for Chinese Spies, University Scientists Warn of Backlash
    A chilling effect has taken hold on American campuses, contributing to an outflow of academic talent that may hurt the United States while benefiting Beijing.
25. As China Speeds Up Nuclear Arms Race, the U.S. Wants to Talk
    The Pentagon thinks Beijing may build 1,000 or more weapons by 2030. But it’s the new technologies that worry strategists.
26. Laszlo Z. Bito, Scientist, Novelist and Philanthropist, Dies at 87
    He fled communist rule in Hungary, discovered a treatment for glaucoma in the U.S., then became an author and a voice against authoritarianism in his homeland.
27. How Did the New Covid Variant, Omicron, Get Its Name?
    The World Health Organization began naming the variants after Greek letters to avoid public confusion and stigma.
28. Booster Rollout for Nursing Homes Is Sluggish
    Thousands of new cases have been reported among vulnerable elderly residents in the last several months, as the virulent Delta variant fuels outbreaks.
29. Families Cheer, Some Doctors Worry as Nursing Homes Open Doors Wide to Visitors
    The federal government recently lifted most visitation restrictions at nursing homes. But concerns linger that a full reopening could leave residents vulnerable to another coronavirus surge.
30. A Cure for Type 1 Diabetes? For One Man, It Seems to Have Worked.
    A new treatment using stem cells that produce insulin has surprised experts and given them hope for the 1.5 million Americans living with the disease.
31. New 'Omicron' Variant Stokes Concern but Vaccines May Still Work
    The Omicron variant carries worrisome mutations that may let it evade antibodies, scientists said. But it will take more research to know how it fares against vaccinated people.
32. Merck Says Its Covid Pill Is Less Effective in a Final Analysis
    The drug, molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk Covid patients by 30 percent. An earlier analysis had found a 50 percent reduction.
33. Interior Dept. Report on Drilling Is Mostly Silent on Climate Change
    The department recommended higher fees for oil and gas leases, but there was no sign the government planned to take global warming into account when weighing new applications.
34. Texas Abortion Law Complicates Care for Risky Pregnancies
    Doctors in Texas say they cannot head off life-threatening medical crises in pregnant women if abortions cannot be offered or even discussed.