NYT > Science

1. The New DNA Technology That Linked Ted Bundy to a 52-Year-Old Cold Case
   Software known as STRmix was instrumental in identifying Mr. Bundy’s DNA in a decades-old sample.
2. Three Stone Age Caves Reveal Continual Cannibalism
   A tour of the three caves in southern Spain suggests that people in the area cannibalized one another as funerary practice over many generations.
3. After Reinventing Mathematics, Can A.I. Eradicate Computer Bugs?
   Using the same techniques that allowed A.I. technologies to crack a million-dollar math problem, researchers are building new systems that aim to solve the world’s cybersecurity crisis.
4. These Patients Struggle With Runaway Bones. Finally There’s Hope.
   F.O.P., a rare genetic condition, causes uncontrolled explosions of bone. A new drug may slow or halt the process.
5. After Flying Past the Moon, an Artemis II Astronaut Lands at a New Job in California
   Reid Wiseman, now a retired emeritus astronaut, will become deputy director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s premier center for deep-space robotic missions.
6. Brain Disease Is Pervasive in N.F.L., New Estimate Suggests
   Using statistical techniques, a new study has arrived at a harrowing estimate: Three of four retired pro football players most likely had C.T.E. at death.
7. Can Scientists Make Football Safer?
   Researchers are exploring novel ways to treat, even prevent, the brain disease C.T.E. One of the most surprising: near-infrared light.
8. A New Dwarf Planet (Probably) Spotted Beyond Pluto
   The object, known for now as 2026 ED138, is one of the first discoveries by the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.
9. Did the Hardest A.I. Problem Just Get Much Easier?
   A prominent researcher claims to have a revolutionary approach to “interpretability,” or the science of why A.I. models do what they do. Other experts aren’t so sure.
10. Dozens of Headless Skeletons Pose a Macabre Mystery
    Mass graves found at a Stone Age farming settlement in Slovakia have researchers baffled about the details — including the location of the missing skulls.
11. Scary Ghost Stories From New York Times Archives
    From haunted zoo cages to ghostly bar owners, here are five stories from our archives that will make you shiver, or maybe chuckle.
12. A Marathon Runner’s Hard Lesson
    Racing in Chicago showed your newsletter host firsthand how warming is disrupting the sport.
13. New Batteries That Store Blistering Heat Are Taking Off
    Large batteries that store electricity have revolutionized power grids and car markets. Now some start-ups are betting that “heat batteries” could be just as transformative.
14. RFK Jr. to Allow Broad Use of Unapproved Peptide Injections
    In a unilateral declaration by the health secretary, several injections promoted by online influencers will become widely available. The F.D.A. had advised against the move.
15. U.S. Restricts Trade With Chinese Genomics Company
    The move will block shipments from BGI, a major Chinese firm that U.S. officials allege is associated with forced labor and the abuse of minority groups.
16. Trump Administration Backs Down on an Opioid Ban After Kratom Industry Lobbying
    Health officials will now allow some levels of a powerful substance to remain in products marketed as natural. The change could help a G.O.P. donor facing wrongful death lawsuits.
17. E.P.A. Loosens Methane Rules for Oil Firms
    The Biden administration had sought to crack down on methane leaks, a big driver of climate change. Those rules are now being scaled back.
18. Nanotyrannus Skeleton ‘Jodi’ Is Auctioned for $47.3 Million
    The T. Rex cousin is the latest dinosaur fossil to fetch a high price at an auction, this time at Sotheby’s.
19. Antidepressants Don’t Correct A Chemical Imbalance. How, Then, Do They Work?
    Here’s how psychiatrists like me think about the most promising hypotheses.
20. It’s Docktober. Do You Know Where the Sea Slugs Are?
    Where there are floating docks, there are often communities of colorful marine organisms just below — and a community of curious people just above.
21. The Science Behind Your Reaction to Art
    The Honolulu Museum of Art is showing how art can influence thinking, perspective and mood, in an exhibition that is part of a trend by museums to mix science and art.
22. Gaze at the Cosmic Dawn in Dizzying Detail
    A new simulation offers a highly immersive look at what happened during the first couple of billion years following the Big Bang.
23. Neutrinos Are Everywhere. A Physicist Explains.
    Dr. Francis Halzen, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, sheds some light on the mysterious, subatomic particles that whiz through us every day.
24. Shiny Glass Skyscrapers Are a Hot Thing. Literally.
    They’re transforming cities with million-dollar views and a message of modernity. But climate change makes cooling them tricky and costly.
25. What Happened to the Neanderthals?
    Scientists now know that they shared many of the sophisticated abilities of Homo sapiens. So why are we the only humans left standing?
26. What Amy Poehler’s New Series, ‘Dig,’ Gets Right About Archaeology
    To get the science right, classical archaeologists, who excavate the world of the ancient Mediterranean, consulted on the show, which also stars Hugh Laurie.
27. Some Buy Telescopes. These People Build Them From Scratch.
    For a century, amateur telescope makers have gathered at the Stellafane convention to celebrate their craft. Will the event last another 100 years?
28. NASA Is Still Aiming for the Next Moon Landing in 2028
    Administrator Jared Isaacman said that the space agency was exploring ways to keep Artemis III on target without compromising safety.
29. Are Fewer Teens Identifying as Gay or Bisexual? It’s Complicated.
    New data have prompted questions about changes in teens’ sexual orientations. But researchers disagree on how much the numbers can really tell us.
30. Chimps Steal Less Often From Their Friends, Even When Offered Pineapple
    The discovery may hint at the roots of human norms around fairness and friendship.