Science News
Despite Setbacks, NASA Gives Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft a Boost
A previous mission left two astronauts stuck in space for months. Still, the space agency is investing $359 million to keep the craft flying.
The Coal Industry Asked for a Rescue. Trump Obliged.
In a previously unreported letter, a top lobbyist floated the idea of using emergency powers to keep aging coal plants open.
Judge Blocks FEMA From Tying Antiterrorism Grants to Election Changes
The Trump administration had threatened to withhold some Homeland Security money unless states explored paper balloting and citizenship verification.
Trump Sharply Scales Back Fuel Economy Rules for New Cars
The move marked the final step in the administration’s efforts to dismantle policies aimed at speeding the shift to electric vehicles.
This Virus Stole a Human Gene and Won’t Let Go of It
Scientists have found a human gene lurking in a virus that causes skin infections. It may be using our own DNA to infect us.
SpaceX’s Starship Is Set to Make Its First Orbital Flight
If successful, the 14th test flight will be a crucial milestone toward the company’s ambitions of sending people to the moon and Mars.
Did Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own?
An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.
Dogs Will Fight Bears. But Not Because of the Reason You Might Think.
Scientists analyzed hundreds of encounters between bears and canines. The results raise the suggestion that dogs may not always protect people in the wild.
How El Niño Is Shaping Storms on Two Sides of the U.S.
Hurricanes near Hawaii. A nor’easter on the East Coast. The ocean phenomenon’s influence on storms around the country may just be getting started.
California Needs Water. El Niño Might Bring Too Much.
The drought-stricken state has improved its ability to collect and store rainwater. But many gallons may still rush into the Pacific.
‘Zombified’ C.D.C., Hobbled by Cuts, Struggles to Fulfill Scientific Mission
The agency has lost its independence and nearly a third of its staff, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and associates have tightened control.
In an $80 Motel Room, a Discovery to Shed Light on the Origins of Life
A scrappy science project led to a significant discovery: two new species of a rare organism that could elucidate a fundamental transition in the history of life on our planet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.