Science Times: Inside the D.O.J.’s investigation of Fauci and other virus scientists

September 8, 2026

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Inside the D.O.J.’s Investigation of Fauci and Other Virus Scientists

As Dr. Anthony Fauci has faced public scrutiny from congressional Republicans, the D.O.J. has pursued a quieter and more expansive effort against a wider circle of researchers.

An astronaut with tools walks on the moon.

NASA

Is There Alien Debris on the Moon? Some Scientists Plan to Find Out.

Researchers want to explore the idea that microscopic particles shed by alien civilizations have accumulated on the lunar surface, making it an archive of extraterrestrial technology.

By Becky Ferreira

A computer illustration showing a large ball of a lipoprotein in blue-purple with a protein chain squiggle encircling it.

Juan Gaertner/Science Source

Another Heart Drug Fails, Shocking Cardiologists

Doctors were hopeful the drug, which was being tested in a large clinical trial by Novartis, was going to be a powerful new tool to fight heart disease.

By Gina Kolata

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Oliver Farshi for The New York Times

The 92-Year-Old Mathematician and the Teenage Apprentice

Joan Birman thought her major discoveries were behind her. Then came an email from a young neighbor — a girl who knew little but wanted to learn.

By Gregory Barber

An illustration of a small, silverfish-like segmented animal with many legs and antennae, standing in a beam of light while perched on a rock.

Chao Tan

Trilobites

The World’s First Bugs Had Way More Legs

Meet the earliest known insects. Shaking hands with them will take a while.

By Kate Golembiewski

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Luis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times

Inside the Fight Against a Flesh-Eating Fly in Mexico

For the first time in a year, the U.S.-Mexico border partly reopened to cattle imports following a screwworm infestation across the region. The battle against the flesh-eating fly has only just begun deep in Mexico.

By James Wagner and Luis Antonio Rojas

A small vial of pale green pills resting on a reflective white table.

Laurie Chen/Reuters

Early Data Indicates an A.I.-Generated Drug Could Slow Aging

Artificial intelligence was used to help develop a drug candidate, rentosertib, for a rare lung condition. Its maker says the drug also seems to reduce the biological hallmarks of age.

By Cade Metz

Yosef Garfinkel

How Ancient Farmers Used Floral Designs to Track Goods

A Mesopotamian culture’s decorated ceramics show some early roots of math, researchers argued.

By Franz Lidz

Workers in silhouette gather around a large dinosaur model outside as they are installing it at a museum.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

A Nearly 200-Year-Old Museum Known for Its T. Rex Faces Extinction

The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, which is affiliated with Drexel University, cited attendance struggles and higher costs in its decision to close.

By Neil Vigdor