Science

Sleep Apnea

Rising Temperatures Are Taking a Toll on Sleep Health

As nights get hotter around the globe due to climate change, the prevalence of sleep apnea is expected to increase by as much as threefold.

Improper Ideology

HHS Is Using AI Tools From Palantir to Target ‘DEI’ and ‘Gender Ideology’ in Grants

Dot Physics

How to Use Physics to Escape an Ice Bowl

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

A North Atlantic Right Whale Baby Boom Is On—but the Species Remains at Risk

Researchers have documented the births of nearly two dozen North Atlantic right whale calves this season. It’s an encouraging sign for a species whose population is estimated to be below 400.

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

This is the first recorded instance of a bovine using tools from her environment to relieve an itch—leaving scientists astonished.

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.

Climate

Data Centers Are Driving a US Gas Boom

Gas projects in the US pipeline explicitly linked to data centers increased by almost 25 times over the past two years, according to new research from Global Energy Monitor.

The Doomsday Clock Is Now 85 Seconds to Midnight. Here’s What That Means

Catastrophic risks are increasing, cooperation is declining, and swift action is needed from global leaders to correct course.

Skip the Shovel: How to Prep for the Biggest Storm of the Season

Bitter cold, power outages, and impassible roads are a terrible cocktail. Here’s how to prep and bunker in for an extreme winter storm.

What We Know About the Winter Storm About to Hit the US—and What We Don’t

A huge portion of the United States is going to be hit with snow or freezing rain this weekend. Exactly where, what, and how much remains uncertain.

Energy

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.

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.

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.

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

This Chinese Startup Wants to Build a New Brain-Computer Interface—No Implant Required

Gestala is the latest company to emerge from China’s burgeoning brain-computer interface industry. It plans to access the brain with noninvasive ultrasound technology.

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

Chinese scientist He Jiankui wants to end Alzheimer’s and thinks Silicon Valley is conducting a “Nazi eugenic experiment.”

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.