The long rise may be inflated by redefinition of autism, social acceptance of the disabled and desire for services. If this is a real epidemic, it’s even more critical to find the cause.

People have been controlling fermentation for at least 9,000 years. What were the ancients brewing, and how did alcohol change society?

Turkeys got help for 75 years from conservation agencies. Coyotes spread across half the country all on their own. Why have these animals succeeded? How have they changed the environment?

Flu vaccine is made in eggs, but that’s too slow for a major epidemic. How are vaccines made inside animal cells? What other methods can protect us against a fast-changing, deadly virus?

Golfer-doctor finds that treating apnea cuts golf scores; sees new motivator for wearing nighttime masks.

Ultralight aircraft are guiding crane chicks toward Florida wintering grounds. Dangers remain, but it’s a step ahead for Americas’ largest flying bird, once reduced to 21 animals.

Until now, getting a picture of genetic change in a tumor over time has been next to impossible. A new study reveals that cancer’s genetic tangle gets more complicated with time.

The ozone layer protects Earth from UV rays: Twenty-two years after a treaty to protect ozone, how is the layer doing? What has happened to the ozone hole above Antarctica?

As Earth warms, should we try huge geoengineering projects to cool the climate? Would adding iron to fertilize ocean plants withdraw enough carbon dioxide to slow warming — or backfire?

Virologists have been working late since swine flu appeared in April. With flu running amok in South America, what can we expect when the epidemic returns north this fall?