Science

Better or Worse

The AI Boom Will Increase US Carbon Emissions—but It Doesn’t Have To

A new analysis finds that data centers’ energy demands will drastically increase power plant emissions over the next decade. Renewables, though, could cut them while helping keep prices from rising.

Bovine Inspiration

‘Veronika’ Is the First Cow Known to Use a Tool

Baby Maker

He Went to Prison for Gene-Editing Babies. Now He’s Planning to Do It Again

Health

Want to Stop Doomscrolling? You Might Need a Sleep Coach

Traditionally sleep coaches treat babies. But now more and more anxious, screen-attached grownups are the ones who need nursing.

The Ancient Art of Nasal Rinsing Might Protect You From a Cold

New research has given credence to a 5,000-year-old practice.

Flu Is Relentless. Crispr Might Be Able to Shut It Down

Innovative research into the gene-editing tool targets influenza’s ability to replicate—stopping it in its tracks.

Here’s How Long You Should Walk Every Day to Prevent Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. Recent research reveals how much time you should spend walking on a daily basis to prevent it.

Environment

Trump’s Agriculture Bailout Is Alienating His MAHA Base

The administration’s pro-industry tilt—across three executive agencies—is feeding the MAHA movement’s growing discontent.

Radiation-Detection Systems Are Quietly Running in the Background All Around You

If a major disaster like Fukushima or Chornobyl ever happens again, the world would know almost straight away, thanks to an array of government and DIY radiation-monitoring programs running globally.

How the Next Big Thing in Carbon Removal Sank Without a Trace

With support from Microsoft, Stripe, and Shopify, Running Tide billed itself as on the cutting edge of carbon removal. In the end, it resorted to dumping thousands of tons of wood chips in the sea.

Scientists Thought Parkinson’s Was in Our Genes. It Might Be in the Water

New ideas about chronic illness could revolutionize treatment, if we take the research seriously.

Climate

China’s Renewable Energy Revolution Is a Huge Mess That Might Save the World

A global onslaught of cheap Chinese green power is upending everything in its path. No one is ready for its repercussions.

The Oceans Just Keep Getting Hotter

For the eighth year in a row, the world’s oceans absorbed a record-breaking amount of heat in 2025. It was equivalent to the energy it would take to boil 2 billion Olympic swimming pools.

True Patriots Are Cashing In on the Apocalypse

How two big names in mainstream disaster preparedness helped sell Americans on fear, anxiety, and a new generator.

The Earth Is Nearing an Environmental Tipping Point

Today’s global coral bleaching events are the worst kind of climate warning.

Energy

Microsoft Has a Plan to Keep Its Data Centers From Raising Your Electric Bill

In response to a growing backlash, Microsoft said it would take steps to ensure that data centers don’t raise utility bills in surrounding areas and address other public concerns.

Meta Is Making a Big Bet on Nuclear With Oklo

Meta will finance Oklo’s purchase of uranium for its reactors. It’s a massive vote of confidence for both the startup and nuclear power, but challenges remain.

Trump Wants Venezuela’s Oil. Getting It Might Not Be So Simple

The administration has made it clear that Nicolás Maduro's capture was tied to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Much less certain is how US companies will actually access them—or if they even want to.

The Great Big Power Play

US support for nuclear energy is soaring. Meanwhile, coal plants are on their way out and electricity-sucking data centers are meeting huge pushback. Welcome to the next front in the energy battle.

Space

The Search for Alien Artifacts Is Coming Into Focus

From surveys of the pre-Sputnik skies to analysis of interstellar visitors, scientists are rethinking how and where to look for physical traces of alien technology.

Trump Declared a Space Race With China. The US Is Losing

If you want to put people back on the moon, don’t gut the agency in charge of getting them there.

How to Watch the Ursids Meteor Shower—the Last of the Year

Conditions in the US should be perfect for the final meteor shower of 2025, with no moonlight present to interfere with spotting shooting stars.

The Longest Solar Eclipse for 100 Years Is Coming. Don’t Miss It

NASA has announced when the longest total solar eclipse of the century will occur—and you won’t have to wait long. Here’s what you should know.

Physics and Math

How Does the Hive Mind Work in Pluribus?

The “Joining” seems to connect people via radio waves. Let’s dig into the physics at play.

A New Bridge Links the Strange Math of Infinity to Computer Science

Descriptive set theorists study the niche mathematics of infinity. Now, they’ve shown that their problems can be rewritten in the concrete language of algorithms.

Behold the Manifold, the Concept that Changed How Mathematicians View Space

In the mid-19th century, Bernhard Riemann conceived of a new way to think about mathematical spaces, providing the foundation for modern geometry and physics.

Could You Use a Rowboat to Walk on the Seafloor Like Jack Sparrow?

In Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack and Will use an overturned dinghy to hold air underwater. Madness or brilliance?

Biotech

OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s New Brain-Tech Startup Merge Labs

Merge Labs has emerged from stealth with $252 million in funding from OpenAI and others. It aims to use ultrasound to read from and write to the brain.

Crispr Pioneer Launches Startup to Make Tailored Gene-Editing Treatments

Aurora Therapeutics, cofounded by Nobel Prize–winning scientist Jennifer Doudna, plans to use gene editing and a new FDA regulatory pathway to commercialize treatments for rare diseases.

Traces of Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA May Have Been Discovered on a Red Chalk Drawing Called Holy Child

Researchers suggest that they have recovered sequences from ancient works and from letters that may belong to the Renaissance genius.

‘Wolf DNA’ Lurks in Many Modern Dog Breeds

Although wolf-canine interbreeding has been considered extremely rare, the latest research shows that many present-day canines carry a small amount of wolf genes.