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Wordle’s Hard Mode Is Actually Easier, 730 Million Games Show

TONI MONKOVIC, EVE WASHINGTON AND TOM GIRATIKANON

As the game turns 5 years old, the data reveals that while standard-mode players have much more freedom, they’re not making the most of it.

Jean Houston, ‘Midwife of Souls’ Who Advised Hillary Clinton, Dies at 89

MICHAEL S. ROSENWALD

The author of books like “The Possible Human,” she held workshops that drew on mythology, psychology and the experiential ethos of Esalen. But she refused to be called a guru.

JWST catches cosmic imposters spoofing faraway galaxies

The James Webb Space Telescope has found nearby brown dwarfs masquerading as far-distant galaxies. The discovery reinforces how, in astronomy, what you see isn't always what you get

Scientists are uncovering how common viruses may quietly increase cancer risk

Everyday viral infections may be quietly reshaping the body's network of molecules that support cells and tissues in ways that can raise cancer risk over time

Why some irrational numbers are more irrational than others

The quest to approximate irrational numbers with fractions reveals hidden patterns, surprising hierarchies and enduring mathematical mysteries

Ancient human ancestors may have first used fire 1.79 million years ago

A new method that detects whether bones have been burned reveals Homo erectus brought fires into caves far earlier than previous evidence had suggested

Scientists discover remnants of Jellyfish Nebula’s ‘sibling’ supernova

Astronomers may have found the remains of two long-dead stellar siblings

In world first, a man living with HIV received a lung transplant from an HIV-positive donor

The operation opens the door to treating more people living with HIV who have end-stage organ disease

Scientists pop the cork on the hidden chemistry inside wine bottles

A new study captures how cork, wine and air interact over time

Which World Cup cooling methods really protect players from extreme heat?

From booed hydration breaks to cooling-gel vests, teams are trying everything to keep their players from overheating. Physiologists—and one World Cup team doctor—say feeling cooler is different than cooling the body

A water treatment expert on what could actually fix the Reflecting Pool

The Trump administration wanted the surface of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to be "American flag blue." A water-treatment expert explains why the pool is still algal green and why the bloom could keep coming back

Buildings May Soon Have ‘Immune Systems’ That Fight Airborne Disease

CARL ZIMMER AND CAROLINE GUTMAN

Following the pandemic, the federal government is spending $150 million on new technology to ensure clean indoor air. Here’s what scientists are pursuing.