Reuters Science News Summary

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

New cat species identified ​in Bolivia, first in over a century

A diminutive ​wild cat that inhabits Bolivia's cloud ‌forest has ​been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living cat species has been formally named and described in more than a ‌century. The cat, called Tilcayo by local communities, is part of a group called tiger cats found across much of South America. It was found in Bolivia's lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region where forests are often covered by clouds and surrounded ‌by high humidity, according to researchers. It measures about 18 inches (46 cm) long and weighs around 3 pounds (1.4 ‌kg), making it smaller than the average domestic cat.

NASA in talks for Boeing's Starliner to handle new missions, WSJ reports

NASA is in talks with Boeing about using the aerospace manufacturer's Starliner vehicle to handle new missions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The discussion pertains to Starliner ⁠handling 10 ​or more new flights ⁠in the years ahead, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Exclusive-Anthropic quietly sets up biology lab as it ramps AI drug program

Anthropic ⁠has quietly set up a laboratory to do physical biology work as it pushes its artificial-intelligence ambitions into the world of ​drug science. At a time when fears of AI are gripping the public, the startup has built a ⁠wet lab, or place for physical experiments, in the San Francisco Bay Area, two people familiar with the matter said. Anthropic has said it wants ⁠to ​unlock treatments for rare diseases, and its biology work has gone beyond "in silico" or computer evaluations.

SpaceX to fly more NASA crews to space station under expanded $5.92 billion deal

NASA said Friday that the agency had given SpaceX ⁠a $946 million contract to fly three more astronaut missions to the International Space Station, extending the company's crewed flights to the ⁠station through 2030. The deal ⁠brings SpaceX's total number of NASA astronaut flights under the contract to 17 and raises the contract's total value to $5.92 billion. NASA is relying heavily on SpaceX to keep ‌astronauts traveling to and ‌from the station while it works to maintain a second ​U.S. option through Boeing.