The Universe’s Darkest Mysteries Are Coming Into Focus

As the Vera C. Rubin Observatory surveys the night sky, astrophysicists expect to unlock the secrets of dark matter, dark energy and cosmic phenomena that go “bang!”

By Katrina Miller and Marcos Zegers

This Powerful Telescope Quickly Found 2,100 New Asteroids

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to find millions of unknown objects in our solar system, and perhaps even a mysterious Planet Nine.

By Kenneth Chang

Earth’s Largest Camera Takes 3 Billion-Pixel Images of the Night Sky

At the heart of the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a digital camera that will create an unparalleled map of the cosmos.

By Jonathan Corum, Kenneth Chang and Marcos Zegers

How Astronomers Will Deal With 60 Million Billion Bytes of Imagery

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will make the study of stars and galaxies more like the big data-sorting exercises of contemporary genetics and particle physics.

By Kenneth Chang and Irena Hwang

Vera Rubin’s Legacy Lives On in a Troubled Scientific Landscape

A powerful new telescope will usher in a new era of cosmic discovery, but in a political climate vastly different from when it was named for a once overlooked female astronomer.

By Katrina Miller

Here Is All the Science at Risk in Trump’s Clash With Harvard

More than 900 research grants worth $2.6 billion are in jeopardy. So is the 80-year-old model of American science.

By Emily Badger, Aatish Bhatia and Ethan Singer

How Bees, Beer Cans and Data Solve the Same Packing Problem

Trying to fit it all in? There’s a trick to it, even in 24 dimensions.

By Steven Strogatz and Jens Mortensen

Can A.I. Quicken the Pace of Math Discovery?

Breakthroughs in pure mathematics can take decades. A new Defense Department initiative aims to speed things up using artificial intelligence.

By Alexander Nazaryan

Origins

Mysterious Ancient Humans Now Have a Face

Fifteen years after the discovery of a new type of human, the Denisovan, scientists discovered its DNA in a fossilized skull. The key? Tooth plaque.

By Carl Zimmer

Fifty Years After ‘Jaws,’ Shark Science Is Still Surfacing

The film’s release in 1975 haunted the reputation of sharks worldwide. But a generation of scientists helped to turn the tide.

By Alexa Robles-Gil

Repeal of Clean Energy Law Will Mean a Hotter Planet, Scientists Warn

Republicans plan to terminate billions of dollars in clean energy tax credits. Experts say that will mean more greenhouse gas emissions and more dangerous heat.

By Lisa Friedman

Oil Companies Fight Climate Lawsuits by Citing Free Speech

The firms say their First Amendment rights are being violated when cities and states sue and accuse them of spreading misinformation about climate change.

By Karen Zraick and Sachi Kitajima Mulkey

People With Severe Diabetes Are Cured in Small Trial of New Drug

Most in a small group of patients receiving a stem cell-based infusion no longer needed insulin, but the drug may not suit those with more manageable type 1 diabetes.

By Gina Kolata

‘I Feel Like I’ve Been Lied To’: When a Measles Outbreak Hits Home

From a lone clinic in Texas to an entire school district in North Dakota, the virus is upending daily life and revealing a deeper crisis of belief.

By Eli Saslow and Erin Schaff