NYT > Science

1. The Toll of a ‘Missing Scientists’ Conspiracy Theory on the Families Left Behind
   The claim that their loved ones’ deaths and disappearances are linked is almost certainly false — but the loss remains real.
2. As A.I. Makes Strides in Mathematics, Mathematicians Urge Caution
   A week after OpenAI made headlines with an A.I.-generated proof, a new “declaration” by 16 experts raises concerns that the technology threatens math as a discipline.
3. As Ebola Spreads, Scientists Race to Find Vaccines and Treatments
   The Bundibugyo virus, a little known type, previously had caused just two small outbreaks. Now it’s at the center of a rapidly widening epidemic in Africa.
4. Giant Stone Urns Hint at the Death Rites of a Lost People in Laos
   Thousands of mysterious containers lie scattered across northern Laos. These “death jars” may have provided a form of communal interment, archaeologists reported.
5. Crested Ibises Get the Royal Treatment in Japan as They Fly Again
   Once widespread in Japan, the colorful birds went from being fairly commonplace in the country to being on the verge of extinction.
6. Trump Administration to Dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative
   The $368 million network of instruments collecting data in both the Atlantic and Pacific has been critical to climate and ocean research.
7. The Blue Micromoon Rises in Sunday’s Early Skies
   The second full moon of May will look smaller and dimmer than usual.
8. A Hidden Treasure of Rare Snake Specimens
   In the foothills of the Ecuadorean Amazon, a 101-year-old farmer and a young scientist turned an amateur collection into a scientific survey of one of the most diverse snake habitats on Earth.
9. Democrats Pledge to Fight Trump’s Termination of Ocean Monitoring Observatories
   The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that monitors marine ecosystems and the effects of climate change.
10. New York Sues Trump Administration Over TotalEnergies Wind Farm
    The lawsuit argues that it is illegal to pay the French energy giant TotalEnergies $795 million to cancel a planned wind farm off New York.
11. 2025 Wildfires Were the Costliest Ever, Researchers Say
    Severe, hard-to-control blazes in densely populated areas like Los Angeles drove the year’s record losses.
12. By September, Nearly a Third of Americans Will Live in States With Legal Aid in Dying
    Despite widespread support in polls, the number of people who actually go through with the practice remains very small.
13. China’s Rise in Drug Development Looms Over U.S.
    Clinical trials in China are getting attention at an international oncology gathering in Chicago. China’s surging biotechnology industry is fueling alarm that U.S. dominance in the field is waning.
14. What’s Next for Blue Origin After Rocket Explosion
    Jeff Bezos was gaining ground on Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Starlink. Thursday’s rocket explosion on a launchpad creates a major setback.
15. A Clean Energy PAC Helped Beat Chip Roy, and Now It Has New Targets
    A PAC representing wind and solar energy interests spent $1.1 million to boost the Republican primary opponent of Chip Roy, an opponent of renewables. Now they are trying to save a Republican ally in Iowa.
16. What Exactly Caused That Loud Boom in South Carolina?
    A huge noise rattled part of the state on Thursday. Multiple theories have been put forward, but the mystery remains.
17. Blue Origin Rocket Blows Up on Florida Launchpad During Test
    The rocket, built by the Jeff Bezos-owned space company, was to carry 48 satellites into space. Blue Origin reported on social media that “all personnel have been accounted for.”
18. Suit Says Black Infants Were Subjected to Experimental Vaccine Without Consent
    The babies were part of a vaccine trial for a respiratory virus in the 1960s and died shortly after. Their families said they had been unaware of the trial until recently.
19. Greenpeace’s Long War With a Pipeline Titan Enters a Strange New Phase
    This month, a North Dakota court barred Greenpeace from saying what it wanted in a European court, an unusual move. The environmental group says it is forging ahead.
20. Happy, Bronx Zoo Elephant at Center of Animal Rights Case, Is Dead at 55
    Activists had sued in a bid to secure her the fundamental human right to bodily liberty. Zoo officials said she was well cared for and called the lawsuit frivolous.
21. Genetic Scores are Booming. But Will Anti-Discrimination Laws Cover Your DNA?
    As predictive medicine advances, legal scholars warn that decades-old federal guidelines could set up a potential clash between your genes and your job.
22. New York City’s Manhattanhenge is Back: When, Where and How to Watch
    On Friday, some streets in Manhattan will get a lot more crowded as people gather for a second time to watch the city’s unique solar spectacle.
23. Can New Technology Help Save North Atlantic Right Whales?
    Innovative systems to keep ships from hitting North Atlantic right whales are coming into use. The Trump administration is weighing whether they can replace a bedrock protection.
24. Fish Sleep a Lot Like Us. (They Even Nap.)
    By tracking eye movements in zebrafish, researchers identified four different types of sleep, analogous to the complex sleep patterns of humans and other animals.
25. Why the Ebola and Hantavirus Outbreaks Have Confounded Scientists
    The types of Ebola and hantavirus worrying officials are very different from the species identified decades ago, raising new questions about how to respond.
26. A Fiery Visitor From Space Photo-Bombs an Erupting Volcano
    For a split second, a fireball outshone the rivers of molten lava flowing from the Philippines’ most active volcano.
27. NASA’s Moon Base Plan Adds Two Rovers for Its Astronauts
    The contracts, announced on Tuesday, are part of the space agency’s efforts to establish a moon base.