Science News
They Bought a Famous Puzzle in Cryptography. Now They’re Opening It Up.
A San Francisco company paid nearly $1 million for the solution to an unsolved code in Kryptos, a sculpture on the C.I.A. grounds. Soon it will become an online challenge.
Renewable Groups Ask Courts to End Pentagon’s ‘Total Halt’ of Wind Power
More than 100 planned wind farms in 21 states are now stalled indefinitely as the Pentagon delays military reviews once seen as routine.
She Used A.I. to Create Better Forecasts for Extreme Weather. Then Her Funding Was Cut.
Amy McGovern was the director of an A.I. institute dedicated to weather forecasting — until the National Science Foundation ended its funding.
Cleve Moler, Who Unlocked the Power of Computing for Millions, Dies at 86
He built interfaces that allowed engineers, scientists and everyday people to solve difficult problems without having to write the underlying code.
Alan Hale, Sky Watcher Who Created a Comet Sensation, Dies at 68
In 1995, he and Thomas Bopp spotted, from different states, the same mysterious object in the sky. What turned out to be a comet was named after them: Hale-Bopp.
Scientists Measure Earth’s Vast Underground Fungal Webs
With machine learning and a high-resolution imaging robot, scientists measured and mapped the extent of Earth’s carbon circulatory system.
NOAA Issues El Nino Advisory
The global weather pattern threatens to worsen floods and heat waves already intensifying due to climate change. But it may also mean fewer hurricanes.
The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know
Her decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself?
A Newer Approach to Editing Embryos Ignites Debate
Fertility specialists, biotech companies and ethicists are divided over whether progress in early gene editing would wipe out diseases or trigger a rush toward enhancement.
What Does ‘Triggered’ Really Mean?
This popular term is often misused, experts say, which may cause more harm than good.
Democrats Once Vowed to Stop Oil and Gas. Now They’re Not So Sure.
As the midterm elections approach, many leading Democrats are rethinking their approach to climate change.
Nearly Everyone, Everywhere, Veers Left When Walking
Researchers are at a loss for why people across cultures and ages, regardless of their dominant hand, have a natural bias toward wandering in a counterclockwise direction.
NASA Crew-12 Commander Captures Snaky Southern Lights From Space Station
The footage of the aurora over Earth’s Southern Hemisphere was shared on Sunday by Jessica Meir, commander of NASA’s Crew-12 mission.
Indonesia Landslides Devastated Endangered Orangutans, Study Finds
More than 5 percent of the species is estimated to have been lost when a climate-fueled storm unleashed torrents of water, mud and debris.
Bees Are Swarming Earlier: What to Do if You’re Attacked
Experts discuss the threat and how to escape aggressive bees. Hint: Don’t jump in water.
Meet the NASA Astronauts in the Artemis III 4-Person Crew
NASA’s next mission in its effort to return humans to the moon will be led by an all-male crew. Three of them have extensive experience in space, while the other was a backup on Artemis II.
NASA Will Announce New Artemis III Astronauts and an Update on Its Moon Program
The agency will announce the crew of Artemis III on Tuesday. But will the mission be ready to fly in 2027?
Can NASA Really Land Astronauts on the Moon by 2028?
Experts have been hopeful, but say the agency’s lunar aspirations are largely at the whims of two billionaires, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
A Scientific Achievement That’s Totally Random
Encryption systems rely on “random” numbers, but conventional computers can’t generate them perfectly. New research shows that quantum physics can.