NYT > Science

1. Spaceflight Started 100 Years Ago in a Massachusetts Cabbage Patch
   Before humanity sent satellites, telescopes, humans and weapons into space, Robert Goddard experimented with the first liquid-fueled rocket on his aunt’s farm.
2. NASA Says Artemis II Moon Launch Is On Track for April 1
   After postponing launch opportunities in February and March, the agency determined that four astronauts could proceed toward the first crewed lunar journey in more than 50 years.
3. Space Jam: NASA’s MADCAP Team Directs Traffic at the Moon
   A “red alert” involving the private Blue Ghost mission in lunar orbit a year ago highlights a growing number of incidents above Earth’s neighbor.
4. In Criminal Cases, Moss Is Often Underfoot and Overlooked
   A group of scientists and law enforcement officials are pointing to the role moss can play to help solve crimes.
5. Why Falling Cats Always Seem to Land on Their Feet
   It takes backbone to solve an enigma like the “falling cat” problem.
6. Her Lab Worked to Future-Proof Fruits and Vegetables
   Erin McGuire ran a research network that studied how to get healthy food to marginalized populations around the world.
7. Slowly, Slowly, ‘Darwin’s Finches of the Snail World’ Return From Near Extinction
   Partula snails all but vanished from Polynesia after the arrival of a carnivorous foreign snail. But a global alliance of zoos has worked to bring them back.
8. Bumblebee Queens Can Breathe Underwater
   A new study offers clues as to how the insects survive flooding as they emerge from a hibernation-like phase every winter.
9. In Ancient Peru, a Parrot Trade That Crossed the Andes
   Scientists studied centuries-old bird feathers from an ancient tomb on the coast, and then traced the origins back to the Amazon.
10. Judge Strikes Down RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policies in Blow to Trump’s Health Agenda
    Ruling on a lawsuit brought by several prominent medical organizations, a district court said the federal government had not based its decisions on science in limiting Covid shots and revising the childhood immunization schedule.
11. Administration to Convene ‘God Squad’ With Power to Override Environmental Law
    The meeting, planned for this month, will focus on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
12. No H.I.V. Aid Without More Access to Minerals: U.S. Ponders ‘Sticks’ Against Zambia
    A draft State Department memo outlines ways the Trump administration may ratchet up pressure on the African country by ending health support “on a massive scale.”
13. What Displays Get Scrapped at America’s Parks? It Looks Like Anyone’s Guess.
    President Trump ordered officials to remove information deemed disparaging to the United States. A review of government documents shows little guidance and striking inconsistencies.
14. In Ski Towns, a Bad Snow Year Is Worsening Wildfire Fears
    A record-breaking snow drought has residents worried about much more than slushy slopes.
15. Iceland’s Chief ‘Lava Cooler’ Is Bracing for the Next Volcanic Eruption
    Helgi Hjorleifsson, a firefighter, is a leader in a national experiment to steer rivers of lava away from important sites. Some called it crazy, but it worked.
16. ‘How Low Can You Go?’ The Shifting Guidelines for Blood Pressure Control
    The number doctors use to demarcate hypertension keeps going down, a trend applauded by many experts, who point to studies linking high blood pressure and dementia.
17. How My Trip to Antarctica Unlocked a Family Discovery
    An eight-week voyage to the bottom of the Earth helped the photojournalist Chang W. Lee better understand his late father.
18. Earlier Cholesterol Testing Can Reduce Heart Attacks and Strokes, New Guideline Says
    Eleven medical organizations advised changes to preventive cardiac care that it says could markedly reduce heart attacks and strokes.
19. E.P.A. Moves to Weaken Limits on Ethylene Oxide
    The gas, ethylene oxide, plays a crucial role in sterilizing medical devices. But long-term exposure is linked to several types of cancer and other ailments.
20. Trump Administration Readies Plans to Dismantle NCAR Research Lab
    Proposals include transferring a supercomputer to the University of Wyoming and shifting a space weather lab to a private company.
21. A New Lifeline Helps Inmates Transition to Life Outside the Bars
    Medicaid is now paying for health care in jails and prisons, helping smooth inmates’ return to the community. Corrections and law enforcement officials say they’re all for it.
22. Palisades Fire Recovery Tests L.A.’s Ability to Invest in Resilience
    Palisades fire victims want to raise money for disaster hardening. Their idea could be a model — if it can get past L.A.’s most vexing housing problems.
23. His Harvard Lab Was Thriving. Then Came the Cuts.
    Will Mair, who studies aging, lost almost all his research funds when the White House cracked down on Harvard. He was wholly unprepared for the upheaval that followed.
24. Flowers Are Blooming in California’s Death Valley
    Visitors are flocking to see a bonanza of wildflowers that has transformed this barren desert.
25. Trump Administration Sues California Over Tailpipe Emissions Limits
    A lawsuit argues that the state’s regulations would illegally force a rapid transition to electric vehicles.
26. How Trump Officials Embraced an Animal Rights Campaign
    The Trump administration is curbing animal experiments in response to shifts in public opinion, technological advances, years of animal rights advocacy and the work of a conservative activist.
27. A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care
    A new survey finds many people are skipping meals or driving less, making sacrifices to pay for the rising cost of medical care.
28. Anthony J. Leggett Dies at 87; Won Nobel for Theories on Superfluids
    When scientists unwittingly turned helium into a superfluid — a feat many thought was impossible — Dr. Leggett not only recognized what had happened but also explained how.
29. Iran Shocks Could Spur a Shift to Clean Energy — But Also to Coal
    The oil crisis in the Middle East could spur countries to invest in wind, solar and other renewables. It could also spike reliance on coal, a cheap and polluting fossil fuel.
30. In Talking to Parents About Vaccines, Pediatricians Navigate a Sea of Misinformation
    Practitioners nationwide are striving to do what’s best for children’s health, while staying supportive in the face of mistrust and confusion.
31. ‘Don’t Worry About It’: NASA Satellite to Burn Up in Fall to Earth
    Most of the Van Allen Probe A, in orbit since 2012, will incinerate in Earth’s atmosphere, NASA said. But some pieces are expected to survive, posing a small risk to people on the ground.
32. Cancer Haunts Neighbors of Canada’s Oil Sands Wastelands
    Though high rates of the disease persist among the nearby Indigenous communities, the Canadian government is weighing rules that may allow energy giants to release treated mining waste into the river system.