NYT > Science

1. DNA Reveals the Origin Stories of America’s Captive Tigers
   Scientists have wondered if the many captive tigers in the United States could one day help restore the species in the wild.
2. Researchers Find Cannibalized Victim of 19th-Century Arctic Voyage
   A new study offers clues to a 179-year-old mystery that killed more than 100 explorers on the Franklin expedition in the Canadian Arctic.
3. The Oldest Termite Mound? 34,000 Years and Counting.
   Scientists recently found the planet’s longest continuously occupied termite colony in an arid region of South Africa. It dates to the time of the Neanderthals.
4. Scientists Found a Surprising Way to Make Fungus Happy
   The discovery that sound improves the growth rate of beneficial fungus suggests that dirges in the dirt may help restore forests.
5. The Food of Space Travel Could Be Based on Rocks
   Scientists are studying whether future astronauts on deep-space journeys could transform compounds in asteroids into food.
6. After a Decade, Scientists Unveil Fly Brain in Stunning Detail
   Scientists have mapped out how 140,000 neurons are wired in the brain of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.
7. Iran Would Need Much More Than Weeks to Build a Nuclear Bomb
   Nuclear experts see Tehran as facing up to a year of hard work to master the knotty basics of building a deliverable atom bomb.
8. You Can Stand Under My Umbrella, if You’re an Egg-Laying Locust
   Male locusts have long been observed shielding mates from other males. Researchers say this behavior may also protect the females from desert temperatures.
9. Wreck of ‘Ghost Ship of the Pacific’ Found Off California
   The rediscovery of the vessel, which was captured by the Japanese for a time during World War II, highlights the potential of underwater autonomous vehicles to map the ocean floor.
10. What to Know About the 2024 Nobel Prizes
    The annual prizes will be announced beginning Monday.
11. Nighttime Depression Is a Real Thing
    There are lots of reasons your mood might tank at night. Here’s how to address the bedtime blues.
12. What to Know About Test Alternatives to Colonoscopies for Colon Cancer Screening
    Doctors can provide alternative forms of screening for colon and rectal cancer but sometimes have a good reason to stick with the colonoscope.
13. A NOAA Climate Agency in Asheville Was Knocked Out by Helene
    The National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, N.C., sweep together data from around the world to help track Earth’s warming.
14. Trump Promised to Release His Medical Records. He Still Won’t Do It.
    If elected again, he would become the oldest president by the end of his term. Yet he is refusing to disclose even basic health information.
15. Gilead Agrees to Allow Generic Version of Groundbreaking H.I.V. Shot in Poor Countries
    Many middle-income countries are left out of the deal, widening a gulf in access to critical medicines.
16. Officials Cast Doubt on a Dementia Drug, but Human Trials Continue
    The S.E.C. alleged shortcomings in research said to support the drug, and its developer agreed to a $40 million settlement. Some experts wonder why clinical trials have not been stopped.
17. How the VP Candidates Talked About Climate Change
    Tim Walz said climate change is real, but boasted about high U.S. levels of oil and gas production. JD Vance called climate change “weird science.”
18. Hurricane Helene Deaths Will Continue for Years, Study Suggests
    Research on hundreds of tropical storms finds that mortality keeps rising for more than a decade afterward, for reasons you might not expect.
19. ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse Will Be Visible in Parts of South America
    Not everyone will be able to see the phenomenon, known as an annular eclipse, on Wednesday, though a partial solar eclipse may be visible in parts of Antarctica and Hawaii.
20. Why Restoring Power After Hurricane Helene Is Complicated
    Damage went beyond downed power lines. Hundreds of substations went out after the storm. Getting them back online is difficult.
21. Breast Cancer Continues to Rise Among Younger Women, Study Finds
    Death rates are declining among U.S. women with breast cancer. But the disease is turning up more often in women under age 50.
22. Why Helene Was So Destructive in Florida, the Carolinas and Appalachia
    Hurricanes typically weaken over land. But if the ground is already wet from earlier rains, storms can receive an extra jolt that keeps them churning.
23. California Sues Hospital for Denying Patient an Emergency Abortion
    The state said that despite a doctor’s recommendation and state law, a Catholic hospital declined to provide an abortion because fetal heart tones were present.
24. Why Mount Everest Is Growing Taller Every Year
    Researchers say that two rivers merged some 89,000 years ago and gave the mightiest peak in the Himalayas a huge growth spurt.
25. Britain Shuts Down Last Coal Plant, ‘Turning Its Back on Coal Forever’
    The Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant was the last surviving coal-burning power station in a country that birthed the Industrial Revolution and fed it with coal.
26. California Passes Law Protecting Consumer Brain Data
    The state extended its current personal privacy law to include the neural data increasingly coveted by technology companies.
27. Rabies Death in Minnesota Linked to Exposure to Bat, Officials Say
    The death, which was reported on Friday, is only the fifth fatal human rabies case in Minnesota since 1975, health officials said.
28. SpaceX Launches Crew-9 Mission to Bring NASA Starliner Astronauts Home
    Two astronauts — one American, one Russian — are headed to the International Space Station with two empty seats for crewmates who are already in orbit.
29. Power Outages Hamper Assessment of Landslides From Helene
    With communication lines down in the mountains amid Helene, early reports were unclear about how many landslides had occurred and the extent of damage from the storm.
30. After Your Death, Who Takes Care of the Dog?
    A pet trust designates a new guardian for companion animals and sets aside funds for their care. Better yet, it’s legally binding.
31. Viewfinders Make Fall Foliage Pop for the Colorblind in Virginia
    Specialized viewfinders installed across state parks let visitors with red-green colorblindness see more distinct colors.
32. Titan Sub Hearing: What We’ve Learned So Far
    Contrary to public reports last year, the passengers probably had no idea that the vessel was about to implode.
33. Biden Officials Stave Off Sticker Shock on Medicare Drug Premiums
    Federal regulators spent billions of dollars to avoid a spike in costs for older Americans that could have been politically damaging to the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris.