L.A. Times - Science

Peptide parties, including one on a WWII ship, celebrate new fed policy

Corinne Purtill — Wed, 11 Nov 2026 11:00:00 GMT

As HHS loosens peptide restrictions, advocates and entrepreneurs embrace unproven compounds despite researchers' warnings

Neil deGrasse Tyson gives NFL players a cheery pep talk on moon landing and flat-Earth conspiracies

Steve Henson — Mon, 9 Nov 2026 18:43:31 GMT

Neil deGrasse Tyson joined Travis and Jason Kelce on "New Heights," using jokes and science to tackle NFL locker-room claims that the moon landings were faked and Earth is flat.

A UC Riverside scientist skied deep into the Sierra to track microplastics in snow

Susanne Rust — Sat, 7 Nov 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Storm events spread microplastics across the environment, even to places that are nearly unreachable. A UC Riverside scientist skied into wilderness far off the beaten path, and found the polluting particles everywhere she looked.

California's plastic law will cut far less single-use plastic than expected

Susanne Rust — Wed, 4 Nov 2026 11:00:00 GMT

CalRecycle issued its final baseline number for plastic reduction in the state. It's even lower than the lowball the industry suggested this summer: 1/3 of the state's preliminary estimate.

Do mosquito repellent patches work? Experts weigh in on the buzz

Deborah Vankin — Wed, 4 Nov 2026 11:00:00 GMT

As West Nile virus concerns rise, some are turning to essential oil patches for easy bite prevention.

Yet another rare sea turtle nest discovered in Southern California, this time in Ventura

Corinne Purtill — Tue, 3 Nov 2026 22:04:07 GMT

The olive ridley sea turtle nest is the third one ever documented on the nation's West Coast.

As toxic chemical fire burns, L.A. County officials ghost Chiquita Canyon Landfill hearing

Tony Briscoe — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 18:10:23 GMT

Health officials cited ongoing litigation against Chiquita Canyon as the reason for not participating. Lawmakers called it 'unfortunate and disappointing.'

California's first sea turtle eggs could hatch any day now. Biologists prepare for the 'frenzy'

Corinne Purtill — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:42:55 GMT

Federal biologists made a last-minute decision to relocate the eggs after forecasters predicted high tides would swamp their nests on Orange County beaches.

Staggering 74.5% of NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 likely had CTE, study finds

Steve Henson — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 19:19:04 GMT

A study of former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 estimates that 74.5% had CTE, accounting for bias in brain donations because the disease can be diagnosed only after death.

Castaic's Chiquita Canyon landfill blamed for headaches, dizziness and wheezing, state lawsuit says

Andrew J. Campa — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 01:10:47 GMT

California Atty. General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that his office is seeking civil penalties and equitable relief against the operators of Castaic's Chiquita Canyon Landfill for allegedly mismanaging the operation, lawsuit says.

Fungi get their own global conservation strategy

John Cannon — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 17:43:58 GMT

A new global strategy launched at the U.N. biodiversity conference in Armenia aims to bring fungi — from mushrooms to yeasts — into international conservation efforts.

State officials defend California clean-truck subsidy program as lawmakers weigh reforms

Tony Briscoe, Sandhya Kambhampati — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT

California clean-air officials said they were disappointed by Los Angeles Times reporting on the state's Clean Bus and Truck Voucher Project.

Supplement sold at gas stations blamed for California man's opioid overdose

Karen Garcia — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 01:47:51 GMT

Public health officials in San Francisco reported a death associated with MGM-15, a lab-created and modified form of 7-OH.

Some GLP-1 injections recalled due to 'lack of assurance of sterility'

Karen Garcia — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:53:13 GMT

Apothecary Pharma, a compounding pharmacy, voluntarily recalled 22 vials of Tirzepatide injections due to a "lack of assurance of sterility," according to the official announcement.

'You Can See Everything': Theranos whistleblower says Elizabeth Holmes is 'still lying'

Emily St. Martin — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:53:28 GMT

A former Theranos research engineer who worked closely with Elizabeth Holmes says that 'You Can See Everything' is misleading and definitely not a documentary.

Major loss of California beaches predicted in latest climate forecast

Blanca Begert — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:23:13 GMT

Southern California is on track to lose 30 to 70% of its beaches over the next several decades. Almost half of all beach cliffs are likely to retreat by 30 to 80 feet by 2100.

Reintroduced Grauer's gorilla is raising baby in Central African national park, 'makes us happy'

Elodie Toto — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:48:10 GMT

A reintroduced eastern lowland gorilla in the Democratic Republic of Congo has given birth and is successfully raising her baby in the wild, prompting plans to reintroduce more rescued gorillas.

Two Utah hikers rescued after perilous, freezing 36-hour trek on Mt. Shasta

Tony Briscoe — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 23:32:17 GMT

Two Utah hikers survived freezing 15-degree temperatures and a 36-hour ordeal on Mt. Shasta after getting lost off-trail with dead phone batteries.

Fire evacuation orders lifted for most of L.A., Orange counties

Tony Briscoe, Christopher Goffard, Hannah Fry — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 20:59:54 GMT

The Norte fire has burned more than 570 acres and damaged homes in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano as firefighters battle Southern California blazes.

New research shows how microplastics and water interactions could lead to cell damage

Corinne Purtill — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT

When water comes into contact with plastic surfaces, a key chemical reaction does take place, new research indicates.

Climate change is weakening Santa Ana winds — but won't save SoCal from devastating fires

Noah Haggerty — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Scientist have projected for years that climate change would lead to fewer Santa Anas by the end of the century. A new UCLA paper shows it's already happening.

Adult acne is real, but there are ways to treat it. Here's what to know

Adithi Ramakrishnan — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:44:16 GMT

As a teenager, Gillian Maegan Montalbo had pimples that weren't too bad — just a few bumps on her forehead and nose.

This Joshua Tree highway keeps killing wildlife. Enter the poop-hunting dogs

Noah Haggerty — Fri, 9 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Every year, hundreds of animals die trying to cross State Route 62, connecting L.A. and Joshua Tree. The research to fix it is a bit unconventional.

Flu season didn't start when or where it was expected. Get your shot now, health officials say

Iris Kwok — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Flu activity began rising in September, ahead of its typical early-November start, said Dr. Dawn Terashita with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Restaurant workers face hidden dangers from gas stoves, including pollution and extreme heat

Tony Briscoe — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Restaurants with gas stoves and ovens are exposing workers to harmful air pollution and unsafe levels of heat, according to a new study led by California researchers.

Biologists fear for humpback whale seen entangled in fishing gear near San Pedro

Corinne Purtill — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 21:25:22 GMT

Weather conditions have stymied efforts to help the animal, which was last seen Thursday.

ER visits from foreign-born patients fell drastically during ICE raids, study finds

Corinne Purtill — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Those who did visit during the immigration raids were more likely than U.S.-born patients to require hospitalization, a study finds.

988 crisis line restores LGBTQ+ youth specialized support

Corinne Purtill — Thu, 1 Oct 2026 21:41:26 GMT

Members of Congress from both parties pushed to get back a service removed by the Trump administration last year.

California gets a new eye in the sky to track planet-warming methane

Blanca Begert — Thu, 1 Oct 2026 19:06:07 GMT

A second satellite, launched Thursday, will double California's chances of detecting climate-changing methane releases.

Your guide to Proposition 44: Federally funded health clinic spending

Corinne Purtill — Thu, 1 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Prop 44 asks voters to require federally funded community health centers to spend at least 90% of their total annual revenue on "program services advancing their charitable purpose."

$7.5-billion mini-NIH plan goes to California voters under bill signed by Newsom

Andrew Khouri — Thu, 1 Oct 2026 01:55:25 GMT

California voters will decide whether to create a $7.5 billion state scientific research arm similar to the National Institutes of Health. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that puts the issue before voters in March 2028.

Jaco Muller, who turned his 15-year-old son's idea into 197 rhino births, has died

Rhett Ayers Butler, Mongabay — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:59:32 GMT

The idea for breeding rhinos came from his son, then 15. In 2010, Muller converted the family's antelope-breeding operation into what became the Rhino Momma Project.

California just changed the way you shop for food. Here's how

Karen Garcia — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 23:26:21 GMT

California is creating a front-of-package label for what it deems non-ultraprocessed foods. Some say a nationwide definition is needed to avoid confusing consumers.

Kaiser lays off 147 employees in California

Melody Petersen — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 20:47:37 GMT

Kaiser Permanente will layoff 147 business and administrative employees across California in November, the health giant said

State attorney general to oversee Kaiser's medical arbitration system under new law

Melody Petersen — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:53:15 GMT

The California attorney general will help oversee healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente's medical arbitration system to ensure it operates fairly under legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom signed. Patients have complained the system favors Kaiser.

Across California's IVF insurance divide, many are priced out of parenthood

Sarah Elizabeth Richards — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Landmark legislation requiring large employers to cover infertility treatments went into effect at the beginning of the year. It's changed lives and boosted clinic caseloads – and left those who don't qualify scrambling to afford care.

Biologists move unprecedented Orange County sea turtle eggs to protect them from hurricane-driven waves

Corinne Purtill — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:42:03 GMT

The olive ridley sea turtle eggs will incubate at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip steps away from public life after brain disease diagnosis

Steve Henson — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 16:14:09 GMT

NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip, 79, has been diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration and possible chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Thunder beast or swamp rhino? Fossils of prehistoric animal uncovered at SoCal construction site

Iris Kwok — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The fossilized remains, which belonged to a large, hoofed animal, are believed to be more than 40 million years old.

This JPL satellite mission is burning through its funding. One reason: the Eaton fire

Noah Haggerty, Ian James — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The mission is the newest generation of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE. The satellites measure water mass across the planet.

Dead Kennedys announce that founding guitarist East Bay Ray has Parkinson's disease

Deborah Day — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 19:19:41 GMT

East Bay Ray, a founding member of the San Francisco punk band Dead Kennedys, "plans to continue performing and touring," management said.

Mosquitoes are thriving in L.A.'s miserable humidity, worsening the spread of West Nile virus

Karen Garcia — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:17:23 GMT

Experts say recent intense and usual humidity could have fueled the rise in West Nile virus cases in Southern California.

Sea turtles laying eggs at Huntington Beach and Seal Beach are first known cases of nesting on West Coast

Corinne Purtill — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 16:32:57 GMT

Two olive ridley sea turtles have laid eggs on the sand on Southern California beaches.

This major California river has gotten too warm for its salmon

Ian James — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The Sacramento River has gotten too warm for salmon eggs. Environmental advocates blame the Trump administration for taking too much water out of Shasta Lake.

California is losing its oaks. One man is planting 10,000, including in tree-scarce Altadena

Jessie Schiewe — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

For years, he'd been a classroom science teacher in suburban San Diego County. Now he hopes to meaningfully contribute to the regrowth of oaks in burned Altadena.

New evidence shows that you are only slightly hotter than a T. rex

Corinne Purtill — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

These cold-blooded killers were probably as warm-blooded as mammals, according to new research.

A wave of dead seabirds washes ashore in Venice

Noah Haggerty, Caroline Petrow-Cohen — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:05:05 GMT

More than 40 cormorants, black pelican-like seabirds, washed ashore at Venice Beach this weekend. The cause is a mystery.

'Cognitive stunting' and the potential threat generative AI poses for children's brains

Corinne Purtill — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:34 GMT

As LAUSD starts moratorium, there aren't much data on what AI does to kids. The little information that is available doesn't look good

California's biggest lake is in crisis. Now tribes are coming back to save its sacred fish

Noah Haggerty — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 19:00:00 GMT

An agreement signed Friday formalizes seven tribes as co-managers of the Clear Lake watershed. Mercury contamination, toxic algal blooms and invasive fishes have threatened a rare and revered local fish.

Artemis II astronaut and SoCal native Victor Glover steps back from NASA, joins Cal Poly

Noah Haggerty — Wed, 9 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Glover will work closely with Cal Poly's president to position the university as a "global leader in polytechnic education, research innovation and workforce production."

Cats want to talk to us. Scientists are trying to decipher the meow

Todd Martens — Wed, 9 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Cats are conversationalists. Researchers suggest the meow has evolved over centuries as a tool to better communicate with humans.

Low-income patients at UCLA Health scramble to find new doctors as contract ends

Melody Petersen — Sat, 5 Sep 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Thousands of low-income patients, some desperately ill, are scrambling to find new doctors as they lose access to UCLA Health physicians after an eight-year Medi-Cal contract was not renewed.

Rare Torrey pines faring worse than expected after Santa Rosa Island fire: 'Heartbreaking'

Corinne Purtill — Wed, 2 Sep 2026 00:21:35 GMT

Up to 80% of the grove's trees may die as a result of the largest fire in Channel Islands National Park history.

Weird, wet heat is finally set to taper off: Here's where and when

Corinne Purtill — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:06:04 GMT

Expect weather that feels "more like California than Miami," the National Weather Service says

NASA's Roman Space Telescope, set to probe universe with JPL tech, launches on SpaceX rocket

Noah Haggerty — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:52:07 GMT

The $4.3-billion observatory will aid the search for "Earth twins" and explore the nature of dark matter and dark energy.

NASA's new space telescope will aid hunt for 'Earth twins' and seek the fate of the universe

Noah Haggerty — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:49:45 GMT

The Roman Space Telescope, equipped with JPL tech, may shed some light on the greatest mysteries of the universe.

California moves to outlaw disposable vapes, a toxic trash plague from beaches to battery fires

Susanne Rust — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:09:56 GMT

Lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday that would ban disposable vape cartridges, a scourge to waste haulers and facilities.

U.N. warns of 'moral red line' on killer robots; experts say it's already been crossed

Corinne Purtill — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:52:50 GMT

Autonomous machines have killed humans in recent conflicts, arms experts say.

'She masked, she masked, she masked': Unseen autism and its toll on young girls

Corinne Purtill — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Why delayed diagnosis of autism in young girls puts their mental health at risk.

L.A. takes aim at phenibut, an unregulated 'gas station drug' that is growing in popularity

Sandra McDonald — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 23:35:22 GMT

L.A. City Council hopes to regulate phenibut, a drug one council member says is widely available to children in gas stations and convenience stores.

Contributor: Forget about COVID-19's origins. Focus on preventing the next pandemic

Neil Vora — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:02:00 GMT

The cycle of recriminations and scapegoating undermines everyone's common goal of preventing future waves of mass death, lockdowns and school closures.

NASA's nuclear Dragonfly copter to search for signs of life on Titan: 'A lot's riding on it'

Eric Niiler — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

As the agency pivots to putting astronauts on the moon, this $3-billion space-copter is the agency's last large-scale mission to explore the solar system.

Why the secret to a longer life might start with training your balance

Deborah Vankin — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Better balance can help you live longer. Here's why it matters, how to test your 'balance IQ' at home and 3 different modalities to train your balance — no special equipment needed.

Hydrogen failed as car fuel. Now California's big dollar bet on it for green energy is fading, too

Blanca Begert — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:05:00 GMT

Green hydrogen has gone bust in California, with project cancellations, ongoing fuel disruptions and station build-outs at a standstill.

Tommy John, Dodgers pitcher and medical pioneer, dies at 83

Michael Kupper — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 17:45:42 GMT

Tommy John, who ruptured a ligament in his left elbow in 1974, agreed to a radical surgery that revived his career and changed baseball. He pitched for 26 years.

Are mosquitoes, ticks and fleas turning California into a disease hotspot?

Susanne Rust, Lila Seidman — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

It feels like vector-borne diseases are popping up everywhere these days. Has something changed?

California defends childhood vaccination schedule against Trump efforts to weaken it

Rong-Gong Lin II — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 10:00:00 GMT

The defense comes after President Trump issued an executive order recommending that the singular measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine should be separated into three, and that all childhood immunizations should be given at separate visits.