NYT > Science

1. A Deadly Outbreak of Plague, Nearly 5,000 Years Before the Black Death
   The oldest known cases, discovered among hunter-gatherers in Siberian graves, contradict the theory that the disease once was mild.
2. D.O.J. Seeks to Halt Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk’s Data Center
   The department cited national security concerns, saying Elon Musk’s company had played a crucial role in the Iran war. It also argued it has the authority to stop environmental lawsuits brought by citizens.
3. How Does One Brain Speak Two Languages?
   A new study of bilingual speakers suggests that a single “grammatical engine” in the brain can power multiple languages at once.
4. New Coral Study Identifies Areas Where Reefs Are Hanging On
   New research has identified areas around the world where cooler currents and other favorable conditions are helping to protect coral from the worst effects of global warming.
5. The Secrets of a Soccer-Turf Master
   John Sorochan, a turf scientist at the University of Tennessee, has led the yearslong, multimillion-dollar effort to develop perfect playing fields for the 2026 World Cup.
6. The Scientific Quest for Perfect World Cup Pitch
   Every match must be played on natural grass that gives players as consistent a surface as possible, no matter the venue. Cue the years of sod studies.
7. What NASA Needs to Stay on Track for the Moon
   The agency gave a rosy update on Artemis III, a test flight for its goal to return humans to the moon, but experts say the timeline is ambitious.
8. They Bought a Famous Puzzle in Cryptography. Now They’re Opening It Up.
   A San Francisco company paid nearly $1 million for the solution to an unsolved code in Kryptos, a sculpture on the C.I.A. grounds. Soon it will become an online challenge.
9. NASA Leader Responds to Criticism Over All-Male Artemis III Crew
   NASA’s missions these days rarely feature all-male crews. Jared Isaacman, its administrator, said women play prominent roles throughout the space agency.
10. New Plan Scales Back C.D.C.’s Work on Diseases Abroad
    The State Department is taking over much of the control of global health initiatives, for which critics say the department does not have the expertise.
11. Trump Administration to Pay $765 Million to Cancel 4 More Wind Projects
    It’s the third such deal the Interior Department has struck to pay firms to abandon plans for offshore turbines, spending roughly $2.5 billion to get companies to abandon their wind projects.
12. Richard Tapia, Mathematician Who Pushed to Diversify His Field, Dies at 88
    A math whiz as a young man, he later blazed trails, both with his theoretical advances and his advocacy for minority students.
13. Trump’s FEMA Nominee Calls Staff Cuts a ‘Challenge’ for Disaster Agency
    Cameron Hamilton, who briefly led the agency on an acting basis last year but was fired for contradicting the president, also said he would get money out to states faster.
14. How Kratom, an Addictive Gas Station Drug, Found Allies in Trump’s Cabinet
    With support from Markwayne Mullin and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the kratom industry is pursuing a potentially lucrative policy. Mr. Mullin owns equity in a company that could benefit.
15. Algae Is Turning the Reflecting Pool Green. Again.
    Algal blooms have hit the site, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, after a $14.2 million repair project.
16. Kennedy Seeks to Expedite Appeal of Ruling That Blocked His Vaccine Policies
    The health secretary is trying to restart the work of a panel that advises the government on vaccines, after a judge froze its decisions and prevented it from meeting.
17. Tensions Are Rising Among States That Rely on the Colorado River
    A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead.
18. Can the Artemis III Mission Go on as Planned?
    NASA has chosen four astronauts for the Artemis III mission, but there has been a major setback: the destruction of a Blue Origin rocket and its only launchpad. Our science reporter Katrina Miller describes what this event might mean for the U.S. goal of landing on the moon by 2028.
19. SpaceX’s Unlikely Journey From Far-Out Idea to $2 Trillion Juggernaut
    Elon Musk said he had initially given SpaceX less than a 10 percent chance of succeeding. His rocket company has come a long way.
20. 26-Year Mystery of a Skeleton in a Tent Ends With DNA Identification
    Remains of the man, Joseph Louis Serrao Jr., discovered in a remote area in Olympic National Park in 2000, were identified using forensic genealogy.
21. Scientists Race to Test Treatments as Ebola Outbreak Widens
    Trials are beginning on several drugs that have shown promise in preliminary studies against the virus that is causing the current outbreak.
22. Neil Shubin on Trusted Science in a ‘Deeply Partisan Age’
    An eminent fossil hunter takes the reins at the National Academy of Sciences in a turbulent moment for American researchers.
23. Renewable Groups Ask Courts to End Pentagon’s ‘Total Halt’ of Wind Power
    More than 100 planned wind farms in 21 states are now stalled indefinitely as the Pentagon delays military reviews once seen as routine.
24. She Used A.I. to Create Better Forecasts for Extreme Weather. Then Her Funding Was Cut.
    Amy McGovern was the director of an A.I. institute dedicated to weather forecasting — until the National Science Foundation ended its funding.
25. Alan Hale, Sky Watcher Who Created a Comet Sensation, Dies at 68
    In 1995, he and Thomas Bopp spotted, from different states, the same mysterious object in the sky. What turned out to be a comet was named after them: Hale-Bopp.
26. Cleve Moler, Who Unlocked the Power of Computing for Millions, Dies at 86
    He built interfaces that allowed engineers, scientists and everyday people to solve difficult problems without having to write the underlying code.
27. Scientists Measure Earth’s Vast Underground Fungal Webs
    With machine learning and a high-resolution imaging robot, scientists measured and mapped the extent of Earth’s carbon circulatory system.
28. NOAA Issues El Nino Advisory
    The global weather pattern threatens to worsen floods and heat waves already intensifying due to climate change. But it may also mean fewer hurricanes.
29. The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know
    Her decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself?
30. A Newer Approach to Editing Embryos Ignites Debate
    Fertility specialists, biotech companies and ethicists are divided over whether progress in early gene editing would wipe out diseases or trigger a rush toward enhancement.
31. What Does ‘Triggered’ Really Mean?
    This popular term is often misused, experts say, which may cause more harm than good.
32. Democrats Once Vowed to Stop Oil and Gas. Now They’re Not So Sure.
    As the midterm elections approach, many leading Democrats are rethinking their approach to climate change.