NYT > Science

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Trump and Xi Are Expected to Discuss Accusations of Copying American A.I. Tech
   American artificial intelligence companies have accused their Chinese counterparts of using a technique called distillation to enhance their own systems.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. $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.”
23. C.T.E. Can’t Be Detected in the Living. New Brain Research Offers Hope.
    Scientists are developing imaging techniques and blood tests that one day may enable doctors to identify the disease definitively in living patients.
24. The Urgent Mystery of Where Viruses Hide
    Some viruses appear to vanish when outbreaks dissipate, only to emerge again. Scientists don’t always know which animals they lurk in — and how to stop them from spilling back over.
25. Sadness and Suicidal Behavior Among Teenagers Is Declining, C.D.C. Finds
    A national survey has found that key mental health measures for teenagers have significantly improved from their worst levels during the pandemic.
26. Judge Allows Transfer of Land in Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, for Now
    The ruling clears a path for a land swap deal that would expand Elon Musk’s Starbase launch site in South Texas.
27. Are A.I. Models Being Misled to Act Too Human?
    A corporate spat between two tech giants last week was just the latest volley in a conflict over whether dangerous mistakes are being made in A.I. training.
28. What a Massive New Crater Means for Future Moon Bases
    At a whopping 728 feet wide, the newfound basin hints at the risks that impact events may pose to planned human outposts.
29. White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. Grants
    Federal officials are drafting an executive order that would place grants under review by an outside panel, the latest effort to redirect billions of dollars in research spending.
30. Archaeologists Decode Rules of an Ancient Roman Board Game
    They scanned the pattern of microscopic imperfections on an ancient limestone slab, and used A.I. to figure out how a game might have been played.
31. Creating a Kill Switch to Shut Down a Rogue A.I. Is Harder Than It Sounds
    A bipartisan group in Congress and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California have floated ideas for building a mechanism that would instantly power down an A.I. system. Only no one really knows how.
32. How Trump Has Disrupted National Parks
    Maintenance projects have been put off around the country and resources diverted to the president’s favored projects in Washington.