NYT > Science

1. Mathematics Isn’t Just a Game to Let A.I. Solve. History Shows Why.
   In our field of applied mathematics, the long, human process of trial and error — not just the solutions themselves — is often what has led to progress.
2. At 145 Degrees, This Amoeba Manages to Keep Its Cool
   Found in volcanic streams in California, the newfound organism has the highest heat tolerance of any complex life on Earth.
3. C.T.E. Can’t Be Detected in the Living. New Brain Research Offers Hope.
   Scientists are developing imaging techniques and blood tests that one day may enable doctors to identify the disease definitively in living patients.
4. The Urgent Mystery of Where Viruses Hide
   Some viruses appear to vanish when outbreaks dissipate, only to emerge again. Scientists don’t always know which animals they lurk in — and how to stop them from spilling back over.
5. Sadness and Suicidal Behavior Among Teenagers Is Declining, C.D.C. Finds
   A national survey has found that key mental health measures for teenagers have significantly improved from their worst levels during the pandemic.
6. Are A.I. Models Being Misled to Act Too Human?
   A corporate spat between two tech giants last week was just the latest volley in a conflict over whether dangerous mistakes are being made in A.I. training.
7. What a Massive New Crater Means for Future Moon Bases
   At a whopping 728 feet wide, the newfound basin hints at the risks that impact events may pose to planned human outposts.
8. David George Gordon, Apostle for Bugs on the Dinner Plate, Dies at 76
   His “The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook” made a case for insects as food, while his boisterous cooking demonstrations brought tarantulas and crickets to TV.
9. Archaeologists Decode Rules of an Ancient Roman Board Game
   They scanned the pattern of microscopic imperfections on an ancient limestone slab, and used A.I. to figure out how a game might have been played.
10. Suicide Rate Dropped Slightly in 2024, C.D.C. Finds
    Suicide deaths have often fluctuated over the years but a sustained downward trend remains elusive.
11. Judge Dismisses Unusual Climate Suit Claiming Oil Giants Broke Antitrust Law
    The lawsuit, filed by Michigan, claimed oil companies colluded to obstruct solar power and to misrepresent climate risks, making energy costlier.
12. Texas Halts Data Center Permits, Expanding Environmental Scrutiny
    Less than a year ago, Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed data centers. Now he is confronting concerns about the projects even among fellow Republicans.
13. $345 Million Verdict Against Greenpeace Should Be Overturned, Lawyers Say
    A group of civil-rights and free-speech lawyers accused the judge of bias and “general incompetence.”
14. Judge Allows Transfer of Land in Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, for Now
    The ruling clears a path for a land swap deal that would expand Elon Musk’s Starbase launch site in South Texas.
15. White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants
    Federal officials are drafting an executive order that would place grants under review by an outside panel, the latest effort to redirect billions of dollars in research spending.
16. Creating a Kill Switch to Shut Down a Rogue A.I. Is Harder Than It Sounds
    A bipartisan group in Congress and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California have floated ideas for building a mechanism that would instantly power down an A.I. system. Only no one really knows how.
17. How Trump Has Disrupted National Parks
    Maintenance projects have been put off around the country and resources diverted to the president’s favored projects in Washington.
18. Video Shows a San Diego Dog Seeming to Greet an Intruder. Why Didn’t He Bark?
    Dog behavior experts offered a variety of explanations for why Nash the golden retriever wagged his tail and carried a toy near a man who broke into his owner’s home.
19. New Species of Cat Discovered for First Time in a Century
    The species, called a tilcayo, is smaller than a house cat and lives in the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia.
20. Will A.I. Kill Us? Can It Hack My Bank Account? Your A.I. Questions Answered
    Nearly 1,000 readers sent us their questions about artificial intelligence, its potential and its potential risks.
21. NASA Telescope Helps Scientists Find a New Type of X-ray Object
    The discovery of “hypersoft” X-ray beacons could help solve some mysteries about the universe.
22. Toxic Fracking Waste Becoming a Political Issue in Ohio
    The Democratic candidate for governor backed restrictions on disposal of fracking wastewater around a hard-hit town, and called for a “thorough investigation” of the dangers.
23. This Rare Gene Drastically Raises Lung Cancer Risk in People Who Never Smoked
    The gene is found predominantly in Southern Appalachia and may be one of the most powerful cancer-risk mutations ever found.
24. What Happens When A.I. Stops Doing What Humans Want?
    “Alignment” is the science of teaching A.I. to do what is in line with human preferences, ethics and judgment. But, at times, the systems have gone rogue.
25. The Next Gene-Editing Technology May Also Be the Oldest
    Scientists have discovered a powerful gene-targeting system in viruses. Billions of years old, VIPR seems to predate CRISPR and may be even more effective.
26. A Feather Found in Dinosaur Poop Might Explain How Birds Beat Extinction
    It’s the only example of a dinosaur-era feather found within rock that wasn’t completely flattened through the centuries.
27. Scientists Overhaul Giant Particle Collider in Search of Universe’s Hidden Building Blocks
    The European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, will dismantle the Large Hadron Collider, which helped discover the so-called God Particle, in order to build a more powerful particle accelerator.
28. Human-Caused Warming Played ‘Very Strong’ Role in Himalayan Floods, Report Finds
    Rising temperatures contributed to the disaster by destabilizing the permafrost and ice around the collapsed rock, scientists concluded.
29. Trump Administration Moves to Gut a Core Endangered Species Protection
    An internal memo reinterprets the law so that only the intentional killing of animals, not collateral harm, is illegal.
30. Fiji Declares a National Emergency as H.I.V. Cases Skyrocket
    Surging drug use has contributed to an epidemic in the Pacific island nation, where one in 60 adults is estimated to be living with the virus.
31. Microscopic Videos That Show the Invisible Wonders Around Us
    The winners of this year’s Nikon Small World in Motion competition showcase the wiggly, feathery, undulating beauty of invisible life.
32. T. Rex, King of the Dinosaurs, Had a Body Temperature of 97 Degrees
    Hotter than a crocodile, cooler than a chicken, T. Rex was definitely warm-blooded, according to a new study.
33. Massive Black Holes May Have Started as Little Red Dots
    A new simulation suggests little red dots, unusually compact objects seen in photos from space, might be one stage in the evolution of black holes.
34. Rising Seas Are Gobbling Up Beaches Around the World. A.I. Might Restore Them.
    An experiment with roots at M.I.T. used A.I. and satellite images to grow a coastline in the Maldives. More projects are planned for Boston and Miami.
35. These Mice Have Partly Human Brains
    The animals may help reveal the causes of brain disease in people and point the way to treatments. But researchers already are calling for new ethical guidelines.
36. The Liftoff Scenario That Terrifies A.I. Doomsayers
    “Recursive self-improvement” is the idea that artificial intelligence could learn to build and train itself, creating exponential new progress — and risk.
37. Mothers’ Intrusive Thoughts Are Mostly Benign. Lindsay Clancy’s Case Is an Exception.
    Experts say that after childbirth, intrusive thoughts are common and mostly benign. Lindsay Clancy’s story provides a disturbing exception.
38. Does This Bird’s Return to Britain Restore History or Rewrite It?
    Conservationists set up a colony of white storks in southern England, touching off a debate over whether they truly belong there.