NYT > Science

1. Eugenia Cheng Says You Don’t Need to Be Good at Math to Enjoy It
   In her latest book, Eugenia Cheng, a mathematician, explores the choices we make to determine if two things — numbers, shapes, words and even people — are equal.
2. Uncovering the Genes That Let Our Ancestors Walk Upright
   A new study reveals some of the crucial molecular steps on the path to bipedalism.
3. This Crocodile Relative Was One of Dinosaurs’ Most Fearsome Predators
   A fossil found in Argentina shows that up to the very end of the age of dinosaurs, they faced serious competition from other reptile species.
4. Like Humans, Every Tree Has Its Own Microbiome, a New Study Has Found
   Scientists have found that a single tree can be home to a trillion microbial cells — an invisible ecosystem that is only beginning to be understood.
5. It’s a Night Light. It’s a Plant. It’s a Glowing Succulent.
   In a proof of concept, researchers demonstrated that they could bioengineer a couple of hours of light into a common plant.
6. This Golden Arsenic Deep-Sea Worm Fights Poison With Poison
   To blunt the toxic arsenic in the waters where it lives, a deep-sea worm combines it with another chemical to produce a less toxic compound.
7. SpaceX Starship Completes Successful Test Flight After Previous Launch Setbacks
   After setbacks during the last three launches of Starship, Elon Musk’s rocket splashed down in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday night.
8. How Bees Engineer Honeycombs on Rough Construction Sites
   Honeycomb, a mathematical marvel, is made by worker bees. A new study shows that the insects are very good at adapting to wonky foundations.
9. Scientists Find a Quadruple Star System in Our Cosmic Backyard
   Two of the objects in the arrangement are cold brown dwarfs, which will serve as a benchmark for others throughout the Milky Way.
10. Margaret W. Rossiter, 81, Dies; Wrote Women Scientists Into History
    In her groundbreaking trilogy, “Women Scientists in America,” she told the stories of numerous accomplished but largely invisible women.
11. Will the C.D.C. Survive?
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s assault may have dealt lasting damage to the agency, experts fear, with harsh consequences for public health.
12. What to Know About Jim O’Neill, the New Acting C.D.C. Director
    The selection of Jim O’Neill, a former Silicon Valley executive, drew objections from Democrats, who noted his lack of medical or scientific training.
13. Transportation Dept. Cancels $679 Million for Offshore Wind Projects
    The Trump administration’s campaign against wind power continued as it targeted funding for marine terminals and ports to support development of the industry.
14. Sept. 23: NASA could launch a mission to map the solar system’s boundaries.
    
15. Sept. 29: Blue Origin could launch twin NASA satellites to Mars.
    
16. RFK Jr. Sought to Fire CDC Director Susan Monarez Over Vaccine Policy
    The director, Susan Monarez, declined to fire agency leaders or to accept all recommendations from a vaccine advisory panel made over by Mr. Kennedy, according to people with knowledge of the events.
17. A.K. Best, Master of the Art of Fly Tying, Is Dead at 92
    His meticulously crafted, lifelike designs were said to have “shaped the soul of modern fly fishing.”
18. ‘We Are All Shocked’: Warming Waters Bring a Stinging Sea Slug to Spain’s Coasts
    The blue dragons, which pack a ferocious sting, have led to several beach closures. Experts say it’s a worrying sign of the warming of the Mediterranean.
19. Steven Cook, a Former Chemical Industry Lawyer, Now at E.P.A., Wants to Change PFAS Rules
    A Trump appointee has proposed rewriting a measure that requires companies to clean up “forever chemicals,” documents show. The new version would shift costs from polluters.
20. Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures
    A pilot program in six states will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care.
21. A Casualty of Trump’s Tariffs: India’s Nascent Solar Industry
    The full weight of a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods took effect this week, undercutting one of the country’s most promising markets for solar exports.
22. Southwest Monsoon Brings Dust Storms and Rain
    The season for strong storms came late. This week, it has led to travel delays, a snarled start to Burning Man and a recharged waterfall in Yosemite.
23. CDC Director Susan Monarez Is Fired, White House Says
    Susan Monarez was said to have refused to adopt Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on vaccination policy. A lawyer for Dr. Monarez said the firing was “legally deficient.”
24. Trump, With Tariffs and Threats, Tries to Strong-Arm Nations to Retreat on Climate Goals
    The president has made no secret of his distaste for wind and solar in America. Now he’s taking his fossil fuel agenda overseas.
25. FDA Approves Updated Covid Vaccines With New Restrictions
    The agency’s fall recommendations underscore the goals of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to limit access to the vaccines, which he has long opposed.
26. Rainer Weiss, Who Gave a Nod to Einstein and the Big Bang, Dies at 92
    He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on gravitational waves, which helped confirm Einstein’s general theory of relativity and how the universe began.
27. Human Case of Flesh-Eating Screwworm Reported in Maryland
    The patient had traveled to Central America, where an outbreak of myiasis, an infection by screwworm larvae, has been ravaging livestock.
28. China Finds Buyers for Surplus Solar: Africa’s Energy-Hungry Countries
    Overproduction in China has led to slashed prices, and buyers on the continent are taking advantage to sharply increase investments in clean energy.
29. With Little Explanation, Trump Throws Wind Industry Into Chaos
    The Trump administration is halting wind projects that had been approved, financed and underway — while providing little to no justification.
30. SpaceX Scrubs 10th Starship Test Launch Because of Lousy Weather
    Weather interfered on Monday night with the ability of Elon Musk’s company to show it could overcome setbacks faced by its Starship prototype.
31. How the Pygmy Sea Horse Lost Its Snout
    The genome of a small, remarkable sea horse offers a surprising lesson in nature’s creativity.
32. Scientists Perform First Pig-to-Human Lung Transplant
    Researchers in China placed a lung from a genetically modified pig into a brain-dead man, with mixed results.
33. New Study Shows Heat Waves Make People Age Faster
    Exposure to heat waves over just two years could add up to 12 extra days of age-related health damage.
34. Cities Move Away From Strategies That Make Drug Use Safer
    San Francisco, Philadelphia and others are retreating from “harm reduction” strategies that have helped reduce deaths but which critics, including Trump, say have contributed to pervasive public drug use.
35. Should I Get a Portable Induction Cooktop?
    If you’re cooking with gas, it might help your health and the environment. Here’s why.
36. SpaceX Reschedules Scrubbed 10th Test Launch of Starship Rocket
    Elon Musk’s company says it will try again on Monday for the next trip of its Starship prototype, which experienced setbacks during its last three flights.