Geoff Brumfiel

75 years ago this weekend, the U.S. killed tens of thousands when it dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It was a mission marked by arbitrary decisions, technical problems, and bad weather.

The massive explosion leveled the city's port and scattered debris across a road thousands of feet away. The blast killed at least 100 people and injured thousands more.

A growing number of researchers think until there's an effective vaccine, the coronavirus will simply persist in the population, causing illness indefinitely. Better to squelch the spread instead.

As the pandemic drags on, researchers are increasingly doubtful that so-called "herd immunity" can be reached without a vaccine. Many now believe COVID-19 may be around forever.

NPR's Geoff Brumfiel has been passing the time in part by looking for bugs with his two kids. Recently, they came across an ant that was actually a wasp that leads a relatively solitary life.

The celestial visitor should be visible just after sunset for anyone who wants to see it. Bring along the binoculars for an even better view.

An incident last week at an Iranian nuclear facility appears to be sabotage. A look at the chief suspects and what the impact could be on Iran's nuclear ambitions.

NPR's Geoff Brumfiel has been passing the time in part by looking for bugs with his two kids. While wandering in the woods, they found a millipede. It can be poisonous but also makes a great pet.

NPR's Geoff Brumfiel has been stuck at home with his two small kids since March. They have been passing the time in part by looking for bugs. Recently, they have found a water strider.

After an aborted launch attempt to the International Space Station on Wednesday, the weather cleared and the launch went ahead on Saturday.

With astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken strapped inside the capsule and the countdown narrowing, poor weather conditions forced an abort. The next opportunity to try will be on Saturday.

Later this week, NASA and SpaceX will launch the first rocket carrying astronauts from U.S. soil since the end of the space shuttle era. But COVID-19 has forced some changes to their plans.

Countries around the world have imposed various travel bans to fight the pandemic. But those restrictions are contradicting international health regulations and might not be viable long-term.

An analysis by NPR finds many nations are tossing aside international health regulations and imposing strict travel restrictions. Experts say the benefits are likely to be small.

The White House continues to say the coronavirus may have leaked from a Chinese lab. That's at odds with the assessment of the intelligence community and reminds some of the run-up to the Iraq war.

The Trump administration is investigating the theory that the virus leaked from a lab. Scientists who work with viruses say that's virtually impossible and point to transmission from an animal.

Scientists dismiss the idea that the coronavirus pandemic was caused by the accident in a lab. They believe the close interactions of people with wildlife worldwide are a far more likely culprit.

President Trump is ready to reopen America — at least the parts where coronavirus is less of a problem. How has his rhetoric throughout the crisis matched with the reality on the ground?

An overblown immune response could be killing a portion of the sick, and some doctors think that new treatments being tested could help at least some of those patients.

Many people can ride the disease out at home, but doctors are getting a better idea of who should seek medical attention and when.