Science Times: Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They’re Saying.

Plus: Why It Hurts to Lose Sleep —

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Sean McSorley Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They're Saying. By CARL ZIMMER The body's microbial community may influence the brain and behavior, perhaps even playing a role in dementia, autism and other disorders.

Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times Which Allergens Are in Your Food? You Can't Always Tell From the Labels By ERIC ATHAS Despite federal legislation passed 15 years ago, food labels don't always alert consumers to allergens that may be present in packaged goods. NASA, via Associated Press 'This Could Be the End' for NASA's Mars Opportunity Rover By KENNETH CHANG The agency has received only silence from the intrepid explorer since contact was lost during a global dust storm on the red planet last June. Long Cheng and Ryosuke Motani And You Thought the Platypus Was Odd By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR "When I first saw it, I just said 'What?!' and didn't speak for a while," said one of the researchers who studied the fossils of a prehistoric marine reptile. BSIP/UIG, via Getty Images Why It Hurts to Lose Sleep By BENEDICT CAREY Sleep deprivation can make your physical aches more painful. A new study begins to explain how that happens.

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Karen Reyes Where Sloths Find These Branches, Their Family Trees Expand By VERONIQUE GREENWOOD A study showed that when some animals find a crucial resource, they can survive in changing environments and even thrive. NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, via Southwest Research Institute, via Associated Press A Sharper Picture of Ultima Thule From NASA's New Horizons By KENNETH CHANG The spacecraft captured the image when it was 4,200 miles from the object in the solar system's distant Kuiper belt. Agence France-Presse — Getty Images How Long Is a Day on Saturn? By NADIA DRAKE The answer was hiding in the planet's rings. Jim Clark/United States Fish and Wildlife Service, via Associated Press Why a Border Wall Could Mean Trouble for Wildlife By JOHN SCHWARTZ If the Trump administration extends the wall at the southern border, it could degrade important habitats for animals and plants, even birds and insects.

Seeking Superpowers in the Axolotl Genome By STEPH YIN The smiling salamanders can regrow most of their body parts, so researchers are building improved maps of their DNA. During the Lunar Eclipse, Something Slammed Into the Moon By ROBIN GEORGE ANDREWS 3 Newborn Endangered Right Whales Seen After Year With No Births By KAREN WEINTRAUB Q&A We once had to have an elderly cat euthanized because of painful arthritis. The vet said there were no good long-term analgesics for cats. Why? By C. CLAIBORNE RAY

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Climate Change Marian Carrasquero/The New York Times As Climate Warms, Plants Will Absorb Less CO₂, Study Finds By KENDRA PIERRE-LOUIS Plants and soil absorb carbon dioxide, which helps mitigate climate change. But global warming will degrade that ability, scientists say. Eric Thayer for The New York Times Global Warming Concerns Rise Among Americans in New Poll By JOHN SCHWARTZ "I've never seen jumps in some of the key indicators like this," the lead researcher said.

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Health Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times These Patients Had Sickle-Cell Disease. Experimental Therapies Might Have Cured Them. By GINA KOLATA Success against sickle-cell would be "the first genetic cure of a common genetic disease" and could free tens of thousands of Americans from agonizing pain. Zephyr/Science Source Study Offers Hint of Hope for Staving Off Dementia in Some People By PAM BELLUCK People who received intensive treatment for hypertension were less likely to develop minor cognitive problems than those receiving standard treatment. Tom Jamieson for The New York Times Caroline Elton Helps Doctors Heal Themselves By CLAUDIA DREIFUS The psychologist counsels doctors who are suffering even as they tend to the needs of others. Gracia Lam Personal Health For Real Weight Control, Try Portion Control By JANE E. BRODY If you're serious about losing or maintaining weight, learn the size of a healthful portion and treat restaurant servings as enough for two or more. Donald Gruener, via iStock Balancing the Risks and Benefits of Opioids for Children By PERRI KLASS, M.D. Experts say opioids are sometimes warranted for kids, in cases like severe burns or major trauma. But doctors should prescribe carefully, and parents should never keep leftovers in the house. Scott Camazine, via Getty Images Spinal Fractures Can Be Terribly Painful. A Common Treatment Isn't Helping. By GINA KOLATA Injections of bone cement into fractured vertebrae fail to relieve pain any more than a placebo does, researchers found.

Ask Well I know that antibiotics don't treat viruses, but at some point, isn't it time to try one? By RICHARD KLASCO, M.D. Don't Kiss Your Pet Hedgehogs, C.D.C. Warns By JULIA JACOBS

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