Science Times: Ancient teeth reveal the earliest evidence of drug use

September 15, 2026

An ancient human skull, half-buried in black earth.

Two skulls of early hunter-gatherers found in Indonesia had similar deep grooves on their teeth that scientists say were the result of sucking on betel nuts. Fakhri

Scientists Discover the Earliest Evidence of Drug Use in Really Old Teeth

A hunter-gatherer who lived in Indonesia as early as 25,000 years ago may have regularly sucked on betel nuts to release their psychoactive properties.

Other Worlds

The Planets We Can Only Imagine

Thousands of planets have been discovered beyond our solar system, offering clues to where life might thrive and whether Earth is truly unique.

By Natalie Wolchover

A researcher in a biosafety suit adjusts his mask with gloved hands.

Gianluca Panella/Getty Images

News Analysis

A.I. Queries From Abroad Raise Fears of a Biological Weapons Race

Today’s chatbots aren’t likely to help lone actors invent a deadly pathogen, experts say. But newer models, trained in biology, may need stronger safeguards.

By Carl Zimmer

A view of the planet Mercury in black and white, with its streaks and asteroid impacts bright on its rocky surface.

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

Mercury Is Shrinking, and Faster Than We Thought

New estimates using the planet’s surface wrinkles show that our smallest planet is growing even smaller, at a faster clip than expected.

By K. R. Callaway

A computer illustration of a low-density lipoprotein ball with a squiggly protein chain attached to it.

Science Photo Library, via Alamy

How Did a Heart Drug With So Much Promise Fall So Flat?

Cardiologists are struggling to figure out why a drug that should have prevented heart attacks didn’t work at all.

By Gina Kolata

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A double helix made of metal, golden and shiny at the top and corroded at the bottom, with a towel hanging off the top, as if for cleaning.

Matt Chase

Can Geneticists Fight Disease by Targeting ‘Nurture’ Instead of ‘Nature’?

Traditional gene editing rewrites DNA. But a new approach, called epigenome editing, aims to treat the molecular scars we collect throughout our lives.

By Emily Baumgaertner Nunn

A person wearing a reflective vest and waders holds up a tall measuring stick while standing on top of a culvert in a forested area.

Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe, via Getty Images

Most People Don’t Think About Culverts. Their Failure Can Be Deadly.

Scientists simulated what happens when the pipes and tunnels that divert rainwater fail. In one scenario, 30 percent of local residents couldn’t reach an E.R.

By Alexander Nazaryan

A close-up view of a pair of hands showing how foldable smartphone folds.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg, via Getty Images

Glass Thinner Than a Human Hair: How the New iPhone Bends but Doesn’t Break

The screens of foldable phones are a triumph of materials science and microengineering.

By William J. Broad

Lasker Foundation

How Sleepy Dogs and Collapsing Mice Taught Scientists About Narcolepsy

Two researchers who study the debilitating sleep disorder have won a prestigious Lasker Award. Their research in animals laid the groundwork for a new drug that addresses the condition’s root cause.

By Carolyn Y. Johnson

CLIMATE CHANGE

Donald Trump sits at a desk as Lee Zeldin speaks behind him, with flags and a statue of a golden eagle in the background.

Pete Marovich for The New York Times

E.P.A. Erases Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants

Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.

By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman

A satellite image shows two hurricanes swirling in the ocean.

NOAA, via Associated Press

Where Are All the Atlantic Hurricanes? Why This Year Is So Quiet.

There hasn’t been a single one yet.

By Judson Jones

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HEALTH

A split view illustration of a child doing a handstand among a chaotic arrangement of shapes and lines on one side of the composition. On the opposite side, an adult figure stands with similar shapes and lines overlaid inside their silhouetted body.

Cristina Spano

How A.D.H.D. Changes as You Age

Researchers are learning more about the ways symptoms can emerge, disappear and evolve.

By Dana G. Smith

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, wearing a dark suit, stands outside next to a stone building.

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

As Midterms Rage, a Top Democrat Wants Congress to Talk Menopause

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is devoting a hearing to a topic that affects millions but is poorly understood and widely ignored, including when it comes to federal research money.

By Annie Karni

Jeremie Souteyrat for The New York Times

U.S. Health Officials Move Quickly to Deploy Medical A.I. Despite Concerns

Federal projects are rolling out A.I. agents that offer therapy and prescribe medicine, raising concerns about safety and the influence of venture capital investors.

By Christina Jewett