Science News
Vera Rubin Observatory Brings Universe’s Darkest Mysteries Into Focus
As the Vera C. Rubin Observatory surveys the night sky, astrophysicists expect to unlock the secrets of dark matter, dark energy and cosmic phenomena that go “bang!”
SpaceX Starship Explodes During Test in Texas
The Starship experienced a “major anomaly” before starting its 10th flight test. Elon Musk’s giant moon and Mars rocket has a mixed record of success.
Can A.I. Quicken the Pace of Math Discoveries?
Breakthroughs in pure mathematics can take decades. A new Defense Department initiative aims to speed things up using artificial intelligence.
Trump Travel Restrictions Bar Residents Needed at U.S. Hospitals
Limits on travel and visa appointments have delayed or prevented foreign doctors from entering the country for jobs set to begin in weeks.
Regulators Approve Lenacapavir for H.I.V. Prevention
The drug could change the course of the AIDS epidemic. But the Trump administration has gutted the programs that might have paid for it in low-income countries.
Real Risk to Youth Mental Health Is ‘Addictive Use,’ Not Screen Time Alone, Study Finds
Researchers found children with highly addictive use of phones, video games or social media were two to three times as likely to have thoughts of suicide or to harm themselves.
DNA Discovery Gives Mysterious Ancient Humans a Face
Fifteen years after the discovery of a new type of human, the Denisovan, scientists discovered its DNA in a fossilized skull. The key? Tooth plaque.
When Humans Learned to Live Everywhere
About 70,000 years ago in Africa, humans expanded into more extreme environments, a new study finds, setting the stage for our global migration.
Scientific Study Shows Bogong Moths Use Sky For Migration
A new study suggests that these Australian insects may be the first invertebrates to use the night sky as a compass during migration.
Why a Vaccine Expert Left the C.D.C.: ‘Americans Are Going to Die’
Dr. Fiona Havers is influential among researchers who study immunizations. The wholesale dismissal of the agency’s scientific advisers crossed the line, she said.
Elon Musk’s AI Company Faces Lawsuit Over Gas-Burning Turbines
The company, xAI, has installed several dozen turbines in Memphis without proper permits, the group said, polluting a nearby community.
Octopuses’ 8 Arms Snoop on the Microbial World
Scientists discovered that octopuses use their limbs to sample the microbiomes on the surfaces they touch.
Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion.
Four experts were sued for defamation ahead of a seminar where they planned to talk about research into the potential health risks on playgrounds and sports fields nationwide.
A Traveler Waits in the Stars for Those Willing to Learn How to Look
A new book shows that the Northern Dene people of Alaska and Canada have known far more about the stars than an earlier generation of scientists were willing to acknowledge.
South Africa Built a Medical Research Powerhouse. Trump Cuts Have Demolished It.
The budget cuts threaten global progress on everything from heart disease to H.I.V. — and could affect American drug companies, too.
Bat Cave Footage Offers Clues to How Viruses Leap Between Species
Video from a national park in Uganda depicted a parade of predatory species feeding on and dispersing fruit bats that are known natural reservoirs of infectious diseases.
Trump’s Cuts to N.I.H. Grants Focused on Minority Groups Are Illegal, Judge Rules
The judge accused the Trump administration of discriminating against racial minorities and L.G.B.T.Q. people and ordered the government to restore much of the funding.
Graduate Students Push Back Against Science Funding Cuts
Hundreds of graduate students are writing to their hometown newspapers to defend their research, as the Trump administration drastically reduces science funding.
Pangolins Should Receive Endangered Protections, U.S. Officials Say
The armored mammals are trafficked for their scales and meat.
Sotheby’s to Auction a Ceratosaurus, With Millions and More on the Line
The 150-million-year-old specimen is valued at up to $6 million. Some paleontologists worry this auction and earlier ones are driving fossil market speculators.