NYT > Science

1. 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.
2. This Virus Stole a Human Gene and Won’t Let Go of It
   Scientists have found a human gene lurking in a virus that causes skin infections. It may be using our own DNA to infect us.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. SpaceX’s Starship Makes It to Orbit for the First Time, but Returns to Earth Early
   The 14th test flight marks a crucial milestone toward the company’s ambitions of sending people to the moon and Mars, but it was not a complete success.
6. Dogs Will Fight Bears. But Not Because of the Reason You Might Think.
   Scientists analyzed hundreds of encounters between bears and canines. The results raise the suggestion that dogs may not always protect people in the wild.
7. Did Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own?
   An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.
8. In an $80 Motel Room, a Discovery to Shed Light on the Origins of Life
   A scrappy science project led to a significant discovery: two new species of a rare organism that could elucidate a fundamental transition in the history of life on our planet.
9. How El Niño Is Shaping Storms on Two Sides of the U.S.
   Hurricanes near Hawaii. A nor’easter on the East Coast. The ocean phenomenon’s influence on storms around the country may just be getting started.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Trump Sharply Scales Back Fuel Economy Rules for New Cars
    The move marked the final step in the administration’s efforts to dismantle policies aimed at speeding the shift to electric vehicles.
14. California Needs Water. El Niño Might Bring Too Much to Keep.
    The drought-stricken state has improved its ability to collect and store rainwater. But many gallons may still rush into the Pacific.
15. ‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission
    The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.
16. Four Beluga Whales Die Weeks After Major Rescue Mission
    The belugas were among 30 whales transferred to aquariums in the United States and Spain from a closed marine attraction in Canada.
17. Byron Sher, Early Environmental Warrior in California, Dies at 98
    A congenial legislator with a professorial air, he won battles through charm, not pugilism, passing laws to protect drinking water, redwood forests and clean air.
18. Is China Really Stealing A.I. From American Companies?
    As Xi Jinping visits President Trump in Washington, the leaders are expected to discuss claims that China is surreptitiously copying American A.I. technologies, a process known as distillation.
19. On This Mexican Island, Raccoons Make and Play With Toys (and Also Sip Margaritas)
    Scientists observed a family of pygmy raccoons near a Cozumel beach club learning from one another how to craft balls from paper, an indication that the animals have a culture.
20. In a New Anthropic Lab, A.I. Turns to Biology
    Scientists at the company announced their first finding: a group of enzymes whose function is unknown.
21. A Second Judge Strikes Down New York’s Climate ‘Superfund’ Law
    A federal judge ruled that the new law, which would force fossil fuel companies to pay $75 billion to help cover the costs of climate change, was unconstitutional.
22. Google Is Sending an A.I. Data Center to Outer Space
    Next Thursday, Google is sending an experimental satellite into orbit that will have enough computing power to answer simple A.I. queries from space.
23. Can Tech Companies Like Google Really Put Data Centers in Space?
    Google is preparing to launch a satellite that can run its A.I. technologies from the heavens. But this is just a first step.
24. Salmon Are Thriving After Klamath Dam Removals, Study Finds
    The first fall runs of chinook salmon since the project in California and Oregon was completed have surpassed researchers’ expectations.
25. Trump Backtracks on Plan for New Controls on N.I.H. Grants
    Democrats and Republicans in Congress opposed the creation of a commission with the power to veto federal research awards.
26. Trump’s Energy Secretary Dismisses Reports of Diesel Export Ban, Criticizes Solar Power
    Chris Wright also doubled down on his criticism of renewable energy sources like solar power.
27. Where Is the U.S. Beating China on A.I., and Where Is It Lagging?
    As Xi Jinping visits President Trump in Washington, his country lags behind the United States on A.I. development in key areas — but Beijing has advantages elsewhere.
28. Gerard Barron, Metals Company Chief, Makes the Case for Seafloor Mining
    The head of the company hoping to become the first to conduct commercial deep-sea mining said mines on land had a much larger environmental footprint.
29. New Study Illuminates Bats’ Murky Origins
    The largest analysis of bat genomes and fossils suggests that the first bats emerged in Europe roughly 65 million years ago and that echolocation evolved early.
30. Chris Wright Sells Trump’s ‘Energy Dominance’ Vision
    Energy Secretary Chris Wright is pitching a future of fossil fuel abundance. It’s not always an easy sell while war drags on and oil prices surge.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.
34. $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.”
35. 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.
36. 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.