The Blue-Strawberry Problem
A family in the Netherlands has a rare and perplexing brain condition that helps explain how we recognize color.
Science
The Uphill Battle to Save the West’s Kelp
The large brown algae is uniquely hard to preserve. It's also uniquely important.
Even 90-Degree Heat Could Be Devastating
The Pacific Northwest’s early heat wave is a warning for the world.
Fall’s COVID Shots May Be Different in One Key Way
This year’s might include XBB.1 and … perhaps no other strain.
The Fight Over Animal Names Has Reached a New Extreme
Forget changing only the names that honor the horrors of the past. Some biologists now argue no species should ever be named after a single individual.
There Is No Evidence Strong Enough to End the Pandemic-Origins Debate
The recent fight over wet-market raccoon dogs underscores just how much prior beliefs can affect interpretation.
Hawaii’s Feral Chickens Are Out of Control
Polynesians brought chickens’ wild ancestors to the islands. Europeans brought domestic chickens. Now they’ve mixed, and are everywhere.
Eating Fast Is Bad for You—Right?
The widespread advice to go slow is neither definitive nor universal.
The Great Chinchilla Mystery
The fluffy rodents belong high on the mountains—so how are they thriving by the sea?
American Food Will Never Look Natural Again
Health concerns keep shrinking the roster of approved artificial dyes. But Americans still can’t seem to go cold turkey on ultra-colorful foods.