The Scientist

New data indicates the current El Niño is the strongest ever measured, driving a major shift in global weather patterns. Scientists say the event is altering rainfall and temperature patterns across continents, with potential impacts on droughts, floods and harvests worldwide. The finding is drawing wide attention as meteorologists track how the intensified pattern will affect weather in the months ahead.

Scientists and commentators say the current El Niño is unlike any previously observed, with ocean temperatures in the Pacific reaching record highs. The event is being linked to extreme weather worldwide, including heatwaves, flooding and droughts, and is fuelling debate about how climate change may be intensifying the natural cycle.

Scientists are developing new ways to control mosquitoes as warming temperatures lengthen mosquito seasons and expand the range of dangerous diseases. Mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal on earth, and researchers warn that longer warm periods give the insects more time to spread illnesses such as malaria and dengue, prompting renewed focus on innovative control strategies.

A new report says global temperatures have reached record highs as the El Niño climate pattern strengthens in the Pacific. El Niño, which warms ocean surface waters and alters weather worldwide, is adding to the underlying warming trend driven by greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists warn the combination could push average temperatures to new extremes in the coming months, with implications for heatwaves, droughts and storms across many regions.

The Trump administration is retreating from a proposed executive order that would have given the White House greater control over National Institutes of Health grant decisions. Reporting by Semafor says the plan, which would have tightened political oversight of NIH research funding, is now considered 'dead' after significant pushback from scientists, universities and lawmakers. The retreat comes amid ongoing concerns over federal science funding policy.

Roche has outlined plans to move towards autonomous laboratories powered by artificial intelligence, where research experiments could be designed, run and analysed with minimal human involvement. The Swiss pharmaceutical group's roadmap points to AI systems handling much of the drug discovery workflow. Details of timelines and investment were limited in the initial reporting, leaving analysts awaiting specifics.

A vast, slow-moving kelvin wave — an ocean phenomenon tied to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation — is reported to be heading toward the California coast, raising alarm among scientists and officials about its potential impact on weather patterns along the US West Coast. Comment is focused on what the wave could mean for extreme weather and coastal conditions in the region.

Scientists report that as the Pacific Ocean warms, a strange reversal is taking place in its water circulation: younger surface water appears to be ageing while older deep water is becoming younger, a shift in how water masses mix and move. Researchers say the trend could signal wider changes in ocean circulation driven by warming, with possible implications for heat and carbon storage in the Pacific.

Anthropic, the AI company behind Claude, is reported to have achieved a significant breakthrough in biology, and CNET asked independent scientists to assess the claim. Researchers weighed in on whether the company's assertions hold up to scrutiny, with the piece examining what the AI firm actually demonstrated and how meaningful the result is for the field. The story reflects growing debate over how much AI labs' scientific claims can be trusted without independent verification.

A New York Times piece examines how scientists can influence public opinion on the risks of artificial intelligence, reportedly through protests and public engagement. It suggests researchers are becoming active voices in the debate over AI safety, rather than leaving the conversation to companies and regulators.

Scientists and news outlets are raising alarms about a slow-moving, planetary-scale Kelvin wave in the Pacific Ocean that is heading toward the California coast. These massive underwater waves along the equator can redistribute warm water and influence weather patterns, and observers are watching closely for potential effects on coastal conditions and climate.

AMD has agreed to acquire World Labs, the spatial AI startup founded by renowned computer scientist Fei-Fei Li, in a deal valued at $8.2 billion. The move signals AMD's push to expand beyond chips into frontier artificial intelligence, and is drawing attention given Li's prominence as a pioneer of modern AI research.

Scientists and fishermen in the United States are calling on federal agencies to maintain funding for a deep-ocean observation system that tracks conditions in waters important to both research and commercial fishing. Supporters say the system provides valuable long-term data on ocean health, and that cutting it would leave researchers and industry without critical information about changing deep-sea conditions.

Scientists and weather watchers are tracking a vast, slow-moving Kelvin wave—a planetary-scale ocean or atmospheric pattern—that is heading toward California. The development is drawing attention because such waves can influence coastal conditions and extreme weather, and concern is mounting over what impact it could bring to the US West Coast.

A new study is probing whether artificial intelligence systems could experience pain, one of the hardest questions in debates over machine consciousness. The research feeds into a wider argument among scientists and ethicists about whether large language models have any form of subjective experience, and what that would mean for how such systems should be treated and regulated.

NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered evidence that Jezero Crater on Mars was more complex than previously thought, indicating it was not simply an ancient lake. The finding suggests the crater experienced a richer and more varied geological history, with implications for understanding Mars' past water activity and its potential to have once supported life.

Peter Barrett, a leading figure in Antarctic science in New Zealand and internationally, has died. Colleagues describe him as a legend in the field, noting that even in death he left behind a list of tasks and challenges, reflecting his lifelong commitment to Antarctic research and climate issues. Tributes have come from across Aotearoa and the wider scientific community.

Scientists in Germany are preparing to copy and store vast troves of American climate data, fearing the Trump administration could alter, restrict, or remove federal climate records. The effort has been likened to building an ark, preserving scientific information outside the United States in case it becomes unavailable at home, and has drawn attention as researchers weigh risks to publicly funded datasets.