NYT > Science

1. What Are the Biggest Questions in Science Today? 100 Scientists Weigh In.
   We asked 100 scientists about unsolved problems in their fields. They sent back provocations — on the origins of life, the possibilities for human progress and much more.
2. Are Babies Conscious?
   By pinpointing when it begins in young humans, scientists hope to better understand what consciousness is, and how it arises, in all of us.
3. Superpowers Race to Put Nuclear Reactors on the Moon
   The United States wants a reactor on the moon by 2030. A Russian-Chinese alliance is working on one for 2036. Some leading scientists say the danger is great.
4. Who Owns the Moon?
   A treaty from the 1960s declared that nobody can own outer space. Half a century later, billionaires and superpowers see fortunes to be made nonetheless.
5. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded for Discoveries in Neuroscience
   Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were recognized for their work on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, a technique that uses pulses of light to activate neurons in the brain.
6. Scientists Warn of Another Unseen Risk From Fire: Ozone
   Small particulates sent up by wildfires are a well-documented health hazard. But recent research finds that ground-level ozone is now on the rise, too.
7. These Birds Are Louder Than Elephants, Jackhammers and Chain Saws
   A new study has identified two species of Brazilian birds, the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema, as the loudest in nature.
8. National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress
   The move, affecting about one-fifth of the National Science Foundation’s primary research budget, is the latest sign of how the White House is asserting more control over grants.
9. What Is Out There? The Findings So Far of a Trump-Backed U.F.O. Panel.
   Uncovering evidence of alien life would be “the biggest discovery ever made by humanity,” one expert said. But so far, there’s a lot of blurry photos and unconfirmed reports.
10. Texas Pediatricians Face Paxton Investigations for Vaccinating Children
    Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate, has alleged a sprawling profit-driven conspiracy. Pediatricians say the accusations are an attempt at intimidation.
11. Nobel Prizes 2026: What to Know
    The recipients of the six awards in science, literature, economics and peace work are being announced this week.
12. A Supreme Court Battle Over Climate Change Begins
    The justices are about to hear a lawsuit that could determine whether the oil industry faces billions of dollars in liability for damages caused by global warming.
13. F.D.A. Found Cyclospora During Taylor Farms Inspection in Mexico
    The discovery adds strong evidence that the outbreak that sickened thousands over the summer originated in a grower’s field or processing facility.
14. California Sues to Block Trump From Weakening Fuel Economy Rules
    The lawsuit is the 97th the state has filed against the Trump administration over the past year and a half.
15. Scientists Untangle the Biology of an ‘Undruggable’ Cancer Gene
    Found in 70 percent of cancers, the gene is seen as a grand orchestrator, but has been surprisingly difficult to stop.
16. The MacArthur ‘Genius’ Studying Sea Ice Secrets
    A climate scientist was one of 20 recipients of a “no-strings-attached” $800,000 stipend.
17. Prosecutors Cannot Revive Reflecting Pool Case Against Ex-Olympian, Judge Rules
    A charge against David Hearn was dismissed “with prejudice” because of President Trump’s attempts to influence the case.
18. How Did Christa Pike Survive Two Lethal Injections of Pentobarbital?
    A catheter carrying the drug may not have delivered the doses to Ms. Pike’s bloodstream, experts said. The drug itself may have been degraded.
19. States Sue Over Trump’s Repeal of Climate Rules for Power Plants
    The mostly Democratic-led states say that the E.P.A. acted unlawfully when it erased Biden-era limits on carbon dioxide from coal- and gas-fired plants.
20. A Hacking Competition Shows the Power of China’s Approach to A.I.
    The winner of a cybersecurity contest prevailed by relying on an ‘open weight’ Chinese model — another sign that available A.I. systems could already be too powerful to easily regulate.
21. Cornell’s Jane Doe Said She Was Given Ketamine. Here’s How the Drug Works.
    Ketamine is a short-acting anesthetic that can have hallucinogenic effects. It is becoming more easily available, and some experts fear misuse is increasing.
22. Clues to Why a Breakthrough Pancreatic Cancer Drug Eventually Stops Working
    Researchers are asking why patients, like former Senator Ben Sasse, inevitably develop resistance to the drug daraxonrasib.
23. Viper Image That Caused Alarm in California Was A.I.-Generated
    A Gaboon viper, a venomous snake native to equatorial regions of Africa, was supposedly photographed in a tree in Santa Ana, Calif. How could that be? Well, it turns out it wasn’t.
24. See How El Niño Is Washing Ashore in California
    An enormous pulse of wave energy will soon reach Southern California and continue north, raising sea levels by half a foot and increasing threats from swells and tides.
25. New Cancer Drugs Are Revolutionary. Why Don’t More Patients Get Them?
    Targeted gene therapies are highly effective at stopping cancers, but the very abundance of the treatments, plus cost and sluggish change, are hindering access.
26. Ukrainian Science Academy, Struck by Drone, Played Key Role in Research
    Over 90 percent of Ukraine’s scientific discoveries have been attributed to Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, including advancements in astronomy and military technology.
27. Tennessee Valley Authority Gets Approval to Build Small Nuclear Reactor
    It’s only the second time that American regulators have approved a next-generation commercial reactor for construction. Big hurdles remain.
28. Radio Waves Coming From an Alien Planet May Be a Cosmic First
    Beta Pictoris b appears to have an aurora caused by a powerful magnetic field. If confirmed, it would be the first such field known outside our solar system.
29. What If A.D.H.D. Isn’t About Attention at All?
    Evidence suggests that it really affects what psychiatrists like me call sustained engagement — an important difference in understanding how to think about the condition.
30. V.A. Institutes New Consent Requirements for Some Psychiatric Drugs
    Veterans under 30 will have to sign forms before being given antidepressants. Medical groups fear the moves may stigmatize mental health treatment.
31. Despite Setbacks, NASA Gives Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft a Boost
    A previous mission left two astronauts stuck in space for months. Still, the space agency is investing $359 million to keep the craft flying.
32. The Coal Industry Asked for a Rescue. Trump Obliged.
    In a previously unreported letter, a top lobbyist floated the idea of using emergency powers to keep aging coal plants open.
33. Judge Blocks FEMA From Tying Antiterrorism Grants to Election Changes
    The Trump administration had threatened to withhold some Homeland Security money unless states explored paper balloting and citizenship verification.