NYT > Science

1. A Physicist Who Thinks in Poetry from the Cosmic Edge
   In her second pop-science book, theoretical cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein returns to her celestial and cultural roots.
2. Building Nests Is Hard. That’s Why Some Birds Steal.
   When researchers used GPS devices to monitor the nests of Hawaiian honeycreepers, they found dozens of cases of brazen avian burglary.
3. How an ‘Impossible’ Idea Led to a Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough
   The new strategy also holds promise for lung and colon tumors. Here’s how scientists discovered it.
4. A Taxidermist Gives Dead Animals a New Life
   The creation, care and keeping of creatures is a responsibility the last full-time museum taxidermist in the U.S. takes both seriously and joyfully.
5. A Fish That Hitches Rides Where the Sun Doesn’t Shine
   The remora often latches on to the exteriors of larger marine creatures. But sometimes it travels in a more intrusive spot: inside a manta ray’s backside.
6. Scientists Press Congress on Dismissal of National Science Foundation Board and Research Funding
   The slowed pace of grants by the National Science Foundation, under attack from the White House, could put the United States at a disadvantage with China, the scientists warned.
7. U.S.-China Rivalry Reaches South American Skies
   The U.S. has pressed Argentina and Chile to review two Chinese telescope projects in the Andean deserts. Astronomers are worried about setbacks to research.
8. She Tried to Help Schools Build Healthier Playgrounds. Then Her E.P.A. Grant Was Canceled.
   Kirsten Beyer was assessing the benefits of improving school playgrounds in Milwaukee. Then her E.P.A. grant was canceled.
9. David Attenborough, a Voice of Nature, Turns 100
   Pictures and striking scenes from the making of perhaps the world’s most celebrated naturalist.
10. Nancy Cox, Who Worked to Conquer the Wily Flu, Dies at 77
    As the leader of the C.D.C.’s influenza division, she battled to keep up with an ever-changing viral opponent, building a global network of researchers and forecasters.
11. Rich Danker, RFK Jr.’s Top Spokesman, Resigns in Protest Over New Vaping Policy
    In a letter to President Trump, the spokesman, Rich Danker, said allowing the sale of flavored e-cigarettes would enhance their appeal to children.
12. With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win
    In a dispute over vapes, the president sided with tobacco companies that filled his groups’ coffers over his own F.D.A. commissioner, who resigned in protest.
13. 5 Great Stargazing Trains
    On nighttime excursions in dark-sky hot spots like Norway, New Zealand and Nevada, all you have to do is relax and look up. The stars will do the rest.
14. Lithuania’s Peat Bogs Could Help the Climate and Defend the Border, Too
    Lithuanian officials hope restored peat bogs can reinforce the border in addition to locking away planet-warming carbon.
15. Marty Makary, Trump’s F.D.A. Commissioner, Resigns After Weeks of Pressure
    The agency’s top food official will step in to the role after Dr. Makary privately said he opposed the administration decision to approve flavored vapes.
16. Trump Nominates Cameron Hamilton to Lead FEMA
    President Trump chose Cameron Hamilton to direct federal disaster response. As acting head of FEMA last year, he had opposed abolishing the agency and was ousted.
17. RFK Jr. Is Driving a Vast Inquiry Into Vaccines, Despite His Public Silence
    Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has toned down his public criticism of vaccines, under orders from the White House. But inside his department, a sprawling research effort is a top priority.
18. A Single Infusion Could Suppress H.I.V. for Years, Study Suggests
    A study of a few patients, to be presented this week, showed promise for a type of therapy that has already cured some blood cancers.
19. With Commissioner Under Pressure, F.D.A. Opens Door to Flavored Vapes
    Though illicit e-cigarettes have flooded in from China, the new policy could allow major tobacco companies to sell from prime shelf space at thousands of stores.
20. Hantavirus Vaccines and Treatments Are in the Pipeline
    But it has been hard to attract interest in medical interventions for viruses that have not been considered a top public health priority, scientists say.
21. U.F.O. Files Released by U.S. Shed Light on What the Government Knows
    The Pentagon on Friday released online what it called “new, never-before-seen” files, dating back decades, related to unidentified flying objects.
22. Trump Plans to Fire F.D.A. Commissioner Marty Makary
    Dr. Makary has been a supporter of the Make American Healthy Again Movement but made some enemies in the administration over vaping, the abortion pill and rejections of new drugs.
23. There Are Ants in This Canadian Hospital. Again.
    A hospital in Manitoba had to postpone a “limited number of elective surgeries” after ants appeared there for the third time since 2024.
24. Greenpeace Suffers Another Blow in Court Fight With Energy Transfer
    In an unusual move, a North Dakota court said Greenpeace International shouldn’t be allowed to pursue a lawsuit in Europe, where it is based, against the company.
25. Hantavirus Is Nothing Like Coronavirus, but It’s Bringing Some ‘Covid P.T.S.D.’
    Experts have been quick to reassure the public after the deaths aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, but images and turns of phrase have rekindled anxieties from Covid’s early days.
26. What Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
    It may look like vanity, but it’s a debilitating mental health condition.
27. Pentagon Releases Files on U.F.O.s
    The initial files are murky images that show what could be anything. The government said more would be released on a rolling basis.
28. Trump Administration Lifts Ban on ‘Cyanide Bombs’ on Public Lands
    The Bureau of Land Management will allow the use of the spring-loaded traps, which can kill coyotes and other animals that prey on livestock.
29. Trump Panel Recommends FEMA Respond to Fewer Disasters
    A White House task force called for speeding up aid and responding to fewer disasters. But some of its ideas would require action by Congress to become reality.
30. Hantavirus Response Shows How Trump Cuts Have Compromised U.S. Preparedness
    The Trump administration has slashed funding for infectious disease research and has far fewer employees, including disease detectives, to respond to outbreaks.
31. Surprising Signs of an Atmosphere Around a Tiny World, Billions of Miles Away
    A gradual dimming and brightening when a star passed behind it suggested the mini-Pluto was wrapped in a thin layer of air.
32. Employees With Medical Conditions Challenge C.D.C. In-Office Requirement
    The health agency has been particularly strict in abolishing at-home work, overriding accommodations that were granted years before the pandemic.
33. America the Undammed
    More miles of the country’s rivers were reconnected last year thanks to dam removals than at any other time in history.
34. What My Father’s Experience Taught Me About Memory and the Brain
    In the final stages of his dementia, a long-lost memory from childhood returned, perfectly formed. What was going on in his brain?