Disney Agrees to Bring Its Characters to OpenAI’s Sora Videos

11 December 2025 at 14:40

The deal is a watershed for Hollywood, which has been trying to sort through the possible harms and upsides of generative artificial intelligence.

Disney is the first major Hollywood company to license content to an A.I. platform.

U.S. Helped to Weaken Report at U.N. Environment Talks, Participants Say

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

11 December 2025 at 13:54

American officials joined Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran in objecting to language on fossils fuels, biodiversity and plastics in a report that was three years in the making.

The opening session of the 7th United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday.

Archaeologists Find Oldest Evidence of Fire-Making

NYT: Science

By:Carl Zimmer

11 December 2025 at 09:01

Neanderthals 400,000 years ago were striking flints to make fires, researchers have found.

Taiwan Invokes National Security Law to Protect TSMC Trade Secrets

NYT: Technology

By:Meaghan Tobin and Xinyun Wu

10 December 2025 at 10:08

An executive left TSMC for Intel. Taiwan’s government says that could threaten its national security.

The authorities in Taiwan are taking a stronger hand in protecting the prized technology of the chip maker TSMC.

Some Teens Are on Social Media ‘Almost Constantly,’ Survey Says

NYT: Technology

By:Catherine Pearson

9 December 2025 at 15:06

The new Pew report also found that two-thirds of teens said they had used an A.I. chatbot.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Who Studied, and Protected, Elephants, Dies at 83

NYT: Science

By:Jeffrey Gettleman

9 December 2025 at 14:05

Born into an aristocratic British family, he turned his empathy and knowledge of the world’s largest land mammals to the cause of saving them from poachers.

Trump Eases Limits on Nvidia Exports to China at ‘Critical Moment’

NYT: Technology

By:Meaghan Tobin

9 December 2025 at 12:08

President Trump said Nvidia can export some chips. But years of U.S. restrictions have propelled China to make everything it needs for advanced A.I.

Nvidia has argued that blocking access to its chips has only spurred Chinese companies to improve faster.

All 187,460 Miles of Road That Led to Rome, Mapped

NYT: Technology

By:Franz Lidz

9 December 2025 at 03:00

A digital atlas of ancient Rome’s highways and byways reveals a road network that was more extensive than thought.

All 187,460 Miles of Road That Led to Rome, Mapped

NYT: Science

By:Franz Lidz

9 December 2025 at 03:00

A digital atlas of ancient Rome’s highways and byways reveals a road network that was more extensive than thought.

Climate Shift Upends Atlantic Seaweed: One Massive Patch Grows as Another Vanishes

NYT: Science

By:Eric Niiler

4 December 2025 at 05:05

Blooms of yellowish-brown seaweed along the Equator are breaking records and defiling beaches, while a centuries-old patch farther north is disappearing.

Mexican National Guard members during a sargassum seaweed cleanup event in Cancun, Mexico, in June.

Bitcoin’s Predicted Sky-High Prices Have Not Panned Out

NYT: Technology

By:David Yaffe-Bellany and Kailyn Rhone

3 December 2025 at 10:56

Bitcoin has plunged more than 30 percent and Ether is down around 40 percent in recent months, as gains from President Trump’s pro-crypto policies evaporated.

Could Weight Loss Drugs Turn Fat Cats Into Svelte Ozempets?

NYT: Science

By:Emily Anthes

2 December 2025 at 05:04

GLP-1 drugs for pets could be the next frontier for the blockbuster weight loss and diabetes drugs.

Recent estimates suggest that roughly 60 percent of the nation’s cats and dogs are obese, and hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs have diabetes.

Russian Launch Site Mishap Leaves Country’s Space Program in Limbo

NYT: Science

By:Kenneth Chang

2 December 2025 at 13:49

The ability of Russia to launch astronauts to the International Space Station remains in limbo after an incident last week at the Baikonur base in Kazakhstan.

A Soyuz spacecraft launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 27. The rocket itself headed to space without problem, but the rocket’s exhaust knocked a service platform out of its protective shelter.

NASA Rover Discovers Lightning on Mars

NYT: Science

By:Kenneth Chang

26 November 2025 at 11:10

The Perseverance rover picked up audio evidence of electric discharges in the red planet’s atmosphere.

A towering dust devil casting a shadow over the Martian surface, captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2012.

A.I. Can Do More of Your Shopping This Holiday Season

NYT: Technology

By:Natallie Rocha and Kailyn Rhone

25 November 2025 at 05:01

New tools and features from retailers and tech companies use artificial intelligence to help people find gifts and make decisions about their shopping lists.

COP30 Climate Summit Ends With Dire Warnings and Scant Plans for Action

NYT: Science

By:Max Bearak and Lisa Friedman

23 November 2025 at 13:13

The final agreement, with no direct mention of the fossil fuels dangerously heating Earth, was a victory for countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia, diplomats said.

The closing session of the COP30 climate negotiations in Belém, Brazil, on Saturday.

Fine Chocolate in Brazil, Home of the Cacao Bean

NYT: Science

By:Somini Sengupta and Alessandro Falco

22 November 2025 at 09:37

A new generation of craft chocolate makers in Brazil is creating bars with “identity.” And they’re helping to sustain the forest, too.

The A.I. Boom Has Found Another Gear. Why Can’t People Shake Their Worries?

NYT: Technology

By:Cade Metz

20 November 2025 at 20:34

It is a time of superlatives in the tech industry, with historic profits, stock prices and deal prices. It’s enough to make some people very nervous.

OpenAI’s Stargate data center complex in Abilene, Texas.

Fire Breaks Out at COP30 Climate Talks in Brazil

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman

20 November 2025 at 15:08

Delegates were evacuated from the conference venue, where thousands from nearly 200 countries had gathered.

A screen grab from a video taken on Thursday at the COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil.

Kissing Has Existed for at Least 16 Million Years, Scientists Say

NYT: Science

By:Ali Watkins

19 November 2025 at 18:33

And humans are far from the only species locking lips.

Orangutans were one of the species whom the scientists focused on in their study.

Larry Summers Resigns From OpenAI’s Board

NYT: Technology

By:Mike Isaac

19 November 2025 at 14:57

Mr. Summers departed the artificial intelligence company’s board after revelations of his communications with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Larry Summers’ exit from OpenAI is part of the widening fallout of those who were in the orbit of Jeffrey Epstein.

A Day at the Beach Hunting Mammoths

NYT: Science

By:Nina Siegal and Ilvy Njiokiktjien

18 November 2025 at 05:20

“Citizen paleontologists” can keep the fossils they uncover around Europe’s largest port. All the professionals ask is that those amateurs let them know.

Google Unveils Gemini 3, With Improved Coding and Search Abilities

NYT: Technology

By:Tripp Mickle and Cade Metz

18 November 2025 at 11:29

The new artificial intelligence model is the second the company has released this year. OpenAI and Anthropic made similar updates a few months ago.

Google said the information produced by Gemini 3 was 72 percent accurate.

We Can Now Track Individual Monarch Butterflies. It’s a Revelation.

NYT: Technology

By:Dan Fagin and Jonathan Corum

17 November 2025 at 17:23

Scientists used tiny new sensors to follow the insects on journeys that take thousands of miles to their winter colonies in Mexico.

We Can Now Track Individual Monarch Butterflies. It’s a Revelation.

NYT: Science

By:Dan Fagin and Jonathan Corum

17 November 2025 at 17:23

Scientists used tiny new sensors to follow the insects on journeys that take thousands of miles to their winter colonies in Mexico.

Video Reveals How Far Wolves Will Go to Steal a Meal

NYT: Science

By:Lesley Evans Ogden

17 November 2025 at 12:00

After a wolf dragged a crab trap out of water to get a snack, some scientists said the behavior revealed their ability to use tools.

Jeff Bezos Creates A.I. Start-Up Where He Will Be Co-Chief Executive

NYT: Technology

By:Cade Metz

17 November 2025 at 14:03

Called Project Prometheus, the company is focusing on artificial intelligence for the engineering and manufacturing of computers, automobiles and spacecraft.

The new artificial intelligence project partly financed by Jeff Bezos is entering an increasingly crowded market.

The Crypto Industry’s $28 Billion in ‘Dirty Money’

NYT: Technology

By:David Yaffe-Bellany · Spencer Woodman and Sam Ellefson

17 November 2025 at 12:05

As President Trump has championed crypto and the industry has gone mainstream, funds from scammers and other criminal groups have flowed onto major crypto exchanges.

Blue Origin Lands Booster After Rocket Launch and Matches SpaceX’s Feat

NYT: Science

By:Kenneth Chang

13 November 2025 at 22:11

The lower half of the New Glenn rocket set down on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean after lifting a small NASA Mars mission to space.

A screengrab from the live feed of the Blue Origin launch showing the returned booster rocket on the floating platform Jacklyn in the Atlantic Ocean.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Head for a Record in 2025, Global Carbon Project Reports

NYT: Science

By:Brad Plumer

12 November 2025 at 19:00

But there are signs that greenhouse gas pollution in China might be slowing, according to a new analysis.

A coal-fired power plant in Candiota, in southeastern Brazil.

Who Pays When A.I. Is Wrong?

NYT: Technology

By:Ken Bensinger

12 November 2025 at 05:01

New court cases seek to define content created by artificial intelligence as defamatory — a novel concept that has captivated some legal experts.

Wolf River Electric sued Google when A.I.-generated search results fabricated a lawsuit against the company. Its executives include, from left, Luka Bozek, Vladimir Marchenko and Justin Nielsen.

Northern Lights Bring Dazzling Views to Northeast U.S. and Across Canada, With More Possible Tonight

NYT: Science

By:Qasim Nauman

12 November 2025 at 21:19

After a colorful display overnight, the northern U.S., parts of Canada and Britain could see the aurora Wednesday night.

A photographer setting up at Hulah Lake to capture the northern lights in Oklahoma on Tuesday.

SoftBank Sells $5.8 Billion Stake in Nvidia to Pay for OpenAI Deals

NYT: Technology

By:Michael J. de la Merced

11 November 2025 at 11:40

The move has further stoked concerns among some investors that the rally in artificial intelligence stocks was overdone.

Masayoshi Son, the founder and chief executive of SoftBank, has bet big on artificial intelligence.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Chinese Technology Is Shifting Climate Politics

NYT: Science

By:Somini Sengupta and Brad Plumer

10 November 2025 at 11:15

At this year’s climate summit, the United States is out and Europe is struggling. But emerging countries are embracing renewable energy thanks to a glut of cheap equipment.

A solar farm near Kayathar in southern India. The country can now meet half of its electricity demand with wind, solar, and hydropower.

Blue Origin Scrubs Launch of NASA’s ESCAPADE Mission to Mars

NYT: Science

By:Kenneth Chang

9 November 2025 at 19:32

The second flight of the orbital rocket from Jeff Bezos’s space company was halted by weather. The company may try again on Wednesday.

The Blue Origin New Glenn rocket seen at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday.

Blue Origin Scrubs Launch of NASA’s ESCAPADE Mission to Mars

NYT: Technology

By:Kenneth Chang

9 November 2025 at 19:32

The second flight of the orbital rocket from Jeff Bezos’s space company was halted by weather. The company may try again on Wednesday.

Stinking, Spongy, Dark, Huge: A Spider Web Unlike Any Seen Before

NYT: Science

By:Adeel Hassan

11 November 2025 at 12:33

A pitch-black cave in the Balkans is home to what researchers say is a singular work of cooperation by two usually-hostile species of spider.

Elon Musk Wins $1 Trillion Tesla Pay Package

NYT: Technology

By:Rebecca F. Elliott · Jack Ewing and Reid J. Epstein

6 November 2025 at 19:56

Tesla shareholders approved a plan to grant Elon Musk shares worth nearly $1 trillion if he meets ambitious goals, including vastly expanding the company’s stock market valuation.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, had threatened to leave the company if shareholders rejected the pay plan.

OpenAI Races to Quell Concerns Over Its Finances

NYT: Technology

By:Mike Isaac

6 November 2025 at 16:52

The A.I. company faced pushback after a top executive raised the idea of government aid, amid concerns that the A.I. industry is headed toward a dangerous bubble.

Sarah Friar, OpenAI’s chief financial officer.

Trump Officials Accused of Bullying Tactics to Kill a Climate Measure

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman · Max Bearak and Jeanna Smialek

7 November 2025 at 09:14

Nations were poised to approve the first fee on pollution from ships. That’s when the Trump administration began the threats.

Lula Hitches a Ride to the COP30 Climate Talks in an E.V.

NYT: Science

By:Ana Ionova

7 November 2025 at 15:13

The climate-friendly fleet assembled to shuttle delegations to the gathering in Brazil sent a clear signal: China is making inroads in Latin America.

A factory in Camaçari, Brazil, assembling electric vehicles for BYD, a Chinese manufacturer.

The U.S. Is Skipping This Year’s Climate Summit. For Many, That’s OK.

NYT: Science

By:Lisa Friedman

6 November 2025 at 07:58

World leaders, gathering in Brazil, will try to agree on new, more ambitious plans to cut greenhouse gases.

The conference venue in Belém, Brazil, this week. The talks, known as COP30, are scheduled to run through Nov. 21.

COP30 U.N. Climate Talks Are Starting in Brazil. Here’s What to Know.

NYT: Science

By:David Gelles

6 November 2025 at 05:01

Diplomats and leaders from around the world are gathering on the edge of the Amazon rainforest for annual talks on how to limit global warming.

The COP30 venue in Belém, Brazil, this week. World leaders will address the meeting starting on Thursday.

Brazil Proposes a New Type of Fund to Protect Tropical Forests

NYT: Science

By:Somini Sengupta and Claire Brown

5 November 2025 at 05:02

The multibillion-dollar fund would essentially pay countries to keep forests standing, hoping for success where earlier forest-protection ideas have struggled.

Morning mist in Carajás National Forest, Brazil. The proposal comes as global climate talks start this week in Brazil.

2 Spooky Flashes Lit Up the Moon. Here’s What Made Them.

NYT: Science

By:Robin George Andrews

5 November 2025 at 10:01

A Japanese astronomer captured a pair of objects slamming into the lunar surface in recent days.

Tom Brady Says He Cloned His Dog. Cue the Critics.

NYT: Science

By:Sopan Deb and Simar Bajaj

5 November 2025 at 09:36

Mr. Brady became the latest celebrity to try to preserve a pet’s genetics, a move that animal rights groups have criticized.

Tom Brady, the former star quarterback, revealed this week that he had cloned his dog.

OpenAI Signs $38 Billion Cloud Computing Deal With Amazon

NYT: Technology

By:Cade Metz

3 November 2025 at 14:07

After signing agreements to use computing power from Nvidia, AMD and Oracle, OpenAI is teaming up with the world’s largest cloud computing company.

Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, at the White House in September.

Control of Tesla Is at Stake in Vote on Elon Musk’s Pay Plan

NYT: Technology

By:Jack Ewing

3 November 2025 at 10:44

Mr. Musk’s supporters say he may quit if shareholders don’t approve a trillion-dollar package. Some investors say it’s excessive and would give him too much sway.

Elon Musk and his critics agree on one thing: The compensation fight is about how much influence he has over Tesla.

That Time Xi Jinping Joked About Espionage

NYT: Technology

By:Yan Zhuang

2 November 2025 at 08:15

Xi Jinping gave two cellphones to South Korea’s president, who asked how secure they were. “You can check if there’s a backdoor,” he said with a laugh.

Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, giving two cellphones to President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday.

Volkswagen, Hit by Tariffs, Reports $1.5 Billion Loss and Warns of Chip Shortage

NYT: Technology

By:Melissa Eddy

30 October 2025 at 14:12

Europe’s largest automaker said a shortage of semiconductors could further hurt productivity.

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