Because Science

The Simons Foundation has announced a $15 million program aimed at helping mathematicians adapt to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in their field. The initiative is intended to support the mathematics community as AI tools reshape research methods, collaboration and training, and it has drawn attention as a notable philanthropic response to AI's growing impact on fundamental science.

Biologists analyzed DNA methylation across 864 dogs enrolled in the Dog Aging Project, looking at how genes are regulated rather than the genes themselves. The work, covered by Popular Science, aims to explain why large dog breeds tend to have shorter lifespans than smaller ones, a long-standing puzzle in canine biology.

A new examination of planetary science argues that some worlds, possibly even planets in our own solar system, could be more habitable than Earth. The piece points to factors such as thicker atmospheres, warmer oceans and more stable climates that could make certain planets friendlier to life. Readers are debating how scientists define habitability and what this means in the search for life beyond our planet.

A new study, reported by Danish science site Videnskab.dk, used DNA extracted from a strand of hair believed to be Thomas Jefferson's — reportedly found between the pages of an old Bible in a museum — and compared it with DNA from descendants of two of Sally Hemings's children. The findings feed into the long-running debate over Jefferson's relationship with Hemings, the enslaved woman at Monticello, and his fatherhood of her children.

Researchers report a newly created form of 'super ice' that is ten times stronger than ordinary ice, putting its strength close to that of concrete. The material is drawing wide attention online, with readers discussing what such a strong ice variant could mean for materials science and possible future applications.

Multiple US public media outlets, including PBS and New York's THIRTEEN, are running a story under the headline "Cats Accidentally Solved a Physics Mystery." The item suggests that something about cats' behaviour or anatomy has unexpectedly contributed to resolving a question in physics. The specific discovery and the researchers involved are not detailed in the available headlines, but the story is being distributed widely across public broadcasting platforms.

A homeschool science program called '3rd Rock - Earth from the Core to Climate Change' is scheduled for Monday, November 9 at 10:30 a.m. The session, offered through the US Air Force Academy, aims to teach students about Earth's structure and climate. Details on speakers and registration remain limited.

High-speed footage has shown for the first time how a honey bee's stinger works as a double-piston pump to inject venom. The mechanism, described by Ars Technica, explains how the barbed structure continues pumping after a sting. Readers are sharing the finding as a striking example of tiny-scale biomechanics.

A new discussion of Mars terraforming argues that warming the planet could be more plausible than previously believed, but stresses that heat is only the first step. Even a warmed Mars would keep a thin atmosphere, intense radiation and no breathable air, leaving the planet hostile to human life. Commenters are weighing how far science could realistically go in making Mars habitable.

10x Genomics, the US biotechnology company behind single-cell and spatial genomics tools, is drawing attention as traders track its stock price, quotes and trading history under the ticker TXG. Coverage on financial platforms is focused on where the shares are headed, with investors watching developments in the life-sciences tools sector.

Scientists have developed a chemistry-based technique that allows tattoos to be toggled on and off, according to a Live Science report on the technology. The trick relies on a chemical process that changes the visibility of the ink, suggesting body art that could be temporary or reversible. Details of how it works and whether it will reach real-world use are limited in the coverage.