On his selections for this year’s The Best American Science and Nature Writing, Randall Munroe writes, “Rather than simply telling people facts, I leaned toward articles that explained why we knew those facts, and why we cared, sharing portraits of people trying earnestly to understand the world around them.” The essays in this collection are deeply informative and ultimately uplifting explorations into our ever-changing world—and our ever-changing place in it. From water shortages in Pakistan, to a medical device reversing the effects of vertigo, to the politics of the 2025 Los Angeles fires clean-ups, these stories span mental health, conservation, politics, climate, and more, celebrating our unending quest to better understand the world around us.

THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE AND NATURE WRITING 2026 INCLUDES: Sabrina Imbler • Rivka Galchen •

Rachel Aviv • Nathaniel Rich • Tatiana Schlossberg • Trevor Quirk • Roy Richard Grinker