Stories by Andrea Thompson

From the first sighting of a colossal squid in the wild to a seriously goofy octopus, 2025 delivered some astounding photos from the ocean’s depths

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? The odds of snow on the big day comes down to a mix of climate and weather, scientists explain

A look back at 2025’s biggest science stories—from federal upheaval and public health setbacks to climate policy reversals and groundbreaking discoveries in space.

The U.S. government is dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research, jettisoning key climate science projects in the process

The Arctic has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, a new report shows, as temperatures skyrocket and ice rapidly melts

This week’s science roundup covers 2025’s near-record heat, a new mpox strain and fresh clues about why hobbits vanished 50,000 years ago.

Europe’s climate agency said 2025 is likely to be the second or third hottest on record

Hawaii’s Kilauea, one of Earth’s most active volcanoes, sent lava fountains spewing into the air, obliterating a U.S. Geological Survey camera

Japanese officials said to expect a tsunami of up to 3 meters in some areas after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan

An estimated 280 million metric tons of plastic waste will enter the air, water, soil, and human bodies every year by 2040, data shows

It was thought that complex cells couldn’t survive above a certain temperature, but a tiny amoeba has proven that assumption wrong

China has rapidly become the world leader in renewable energy, but continued coal use means it could take longer for its emissions to decline

Ten years after the Paris climate agreement, the limited progress we’ve made in reducing global warming means that there will be less extreme heat in the future than there would be without the accord

Hurricane Melissa’s rare intensity and lasting impact reveal how storms are evolving in a warming world.

These images of Hurricane Melissa show the Category 5 storm in all its power

A nearly perfect alignment of factors has enabled Hurricane Melissa to become one of the most intense Atlantic storms ever recorded

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa’s exceptional strength and slow pace could make it more destructive than Hurricane Gilbert, which hit Jamaica in 1988

This is only the second time we’ve had more than two Category 5 storms in a single Atlantic hurricane season

Earth has breached a critical boundary for ocean acidification, with potentially grim effects for ocean ecosystems and human livelihoods

In a version of the Fujiwhara effect, Hurricane Humberto is pulling Tropical Storm Imelda eastward and away from the U.S.

Climate-fueled heat has caused thousands of excess deaths over the past three summers, which were the three hottest on record

A child in Los Angeles County has died from a rare but always fatal brain disorder that develops years after a measles infection. Experts underscore the need for vaccination to protect the most vulnerable

Warmer temperatures are associated with higher consumption of sugary beverages and frozen treats, raising concerns about long-term health effects

Hurricane forecast maps are more complex than they appear. Understanding them could change how you prepare for the next storm.