Science News
F.C.C. Approves Test of Space Mirror to Light Night Sky Despite Outcry
A start-up company has permission to try its plan to bounce solar rays onto the dark side of Earth, turning night to day for a three-mile-wide patch.
Trump Cuts Habitat Protections for Endangered Species
The rule change ends a safeguard that had been in place for 50 years and could hasten the demise of imperiled animals.
Your Cat Is Being Nice? Think Again.
A new study finds that sometimes cats groom each other specifically to be annoying.
U.S. Department of Energy Underestimated Potential Los Alamos Plutonium Leak Danger, Study Finds
An accident at the lab that produces America’s nuclear bomb cores could lead to more fatalities than previously estimated by the federal government, according to new research.
She Studied Ways to Make People Smarter. Then Her Grant Was Cut.
Jessica Cantlon had a grant with the U.S. Navy to explore whether people could improve spatial problem-solving skills through training. Then the program was cut.
China Launches Reusable Rocket, Clearing a Key Hurdle in Race With SpaceX
The launch and recovery of the Long March 10B could represent a long-awaited breakthrough for Chinese satellite companies.
New York Sues Companies Over ‘Forever Chemicals’
The lawsuit claims that the companies, including 3M and DuPont, contaminated the environment and engaged in fraud by withholding information from the public about the harms of the chemicals, known as PFAS.
Nobel-Winning U.S. Chemist Omar Yaghi Will Move to China to Lead A.I. Institute
Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, will head an initiative to apply artificial intelligence to the discovery of new materials.
Advanced Recycling Hits a Rough Patch
In the past weeks, two sites in the United States have halted operations.
This Star Just Ate a Planet, and It’s Not Done Yet
A star 1,300 light-years away appears to have just consumed one world and is gearing up for seconds.
Joseph Fraumeni, 93, Dies; Helped Discover Genetic Link to Cancer
Considered the founder of molecular epidemiology, he worked with Frederick P. Li to identify a hereditary disorder that increased the risk of developing cancer at a young age.
Wally Funk, Who Set an Age Record for Space Travel, Dies at 87
As a young woman in the 1960s, she wasn’t allowed to become a NASA astronaut. She finally realized her long-held dream of flying in space as an octogenarian.
Trump’s Plans for Nuclear Power Lurch Ahead
Recent technological advances have brought the president’s goals a bit closer to reality.
These Fossils May Be the Earliest Evidence of Handedness in Animals
Scientists propose that recently uncovered fossils may be the earliest evidence of behavioral “handedness” in animals.
A Chinese Spacecraft Captures First Image of Quasi-Moon
A Chinese spacecraft has captured the first image of the asteroid Kamo‘oalewa.
I.U.C.N. Update Says Deep-Sea Mining Threatens Mollusks Around Hydrothermal Vents
The snails and other mollusks around hydrothermal vents have evolved to thrive in extreme conditions, but mineral extraction could drive more than half to extinction.
How to Turn Your Phone Into a Personal Health Dashboard
Free apps from Google, Samsung and Apple can help you track your diet, exercise and well-being — and provide vital information during emergencies.
This Kind of Obsessive Attraction Isn’t Love. But It Has a Name.
Limerence is more than a crush, psychologists say, and it can persist for months or years.
Western Europe Had Its Hottest June on Record
An unusually early heat wave smashed records across France, Britain and Spain. Temperatures in some areas are starting to soar again.
Spread of Seafloor Directly Observed for the First Time
The spread of the ocean floor, as tectonic plates spread apart, is known but hard to observe. Scientists have now documented the process in action.