Stories by Rachel Feltman

Valentine’s Day often focuses on romance, but deep friendships deserve love, too. Here’s why they matter.

News of an asteroid with a 2 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032 made headlines. But is its fluctuating risk really cause for concern?

In this week’s roundup, we’re reviewing some animal research, the latest on bird flu and the burden of microplastics on our brain.

Researchers in the U.S. are grappling with Trump administration executive orders around health and science agency funding and communications.

Outrage fatigue can wear us down—but we can take care of ourselves in an onslaught of overwhelming news.

In this week’s roundup, catch up on the spread of bird flu in the U.S., a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas and lessons from fossilized vomit.

Giving in to cynicism makes us less trusting, less connected, and even less physically and mentally healthy.

From space weather to science missions, there’s a lot to be excited about in heliophysics this year.

A rundown on what’s at stake for global health if the U.S. withdraws from the World Health Organization and an update on bird flu are in this week’s science news roundup.

The founder of Adventure Scientists explains how community science is the ultimate civic engagement

A U.S. federal court struck down the FCC’s enforcement of net neutrality. What does that mean for Internet users?

We discuss a big week for commercial spaceflight, a red dye ban and a scary spider species in this news roundup.

Linguists think that the words that we use to express pain might tell us something about our shared biology and the commonality of language.

The U.S. government lost control of the bird flu because of a sluggish response and deference to industry.

In this week’s news rundown, norovirus cases are up, a bird flu death is reported and Los Angeles has experienced devastating fires.

Pluto was unseated as the ninth planet in our solar system. Will we find a real Planet Nine?

Nature can affect our nervous system and diversify our microbiome—and you don’t need to go on a hike to reap the benefits.

We’re closing out the year with a roundup of the science stories that stood out to our editors in 2024.

There are so many species facing extinction—but today we’re telling stories about the animals making a comeback and the conservationists working hard to help.

Modern conservationists are finding new ways to protect wildlife.

Conservationists have access to massive amounts of data on wildlife—and machine learning is helping them make meaning out of them.

Though it may seem paradoxical, zoos can play a big role in modern conservation efforts.

Translating complex information into captivating podcasts is no simple task. Is AI up to the challenge?

A mysterious outbreak occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and researchers find evidence that exposure to leaded gasoline was linked to increases in mental illness. Plus, we discuss orcas wearing salmon as hats.