Science Times: How Bacteria-Eating Bacteria Could Help Win the War Against Germs

Plus: Just in Time for the Election: An Asteroid? —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 25, 2020 Oscar Gronner   How Bacteria-Eating Bacteria Could Help Win the War Against Germs While microscopic and little known, predatory bacteria are among the world’s fiercest and most effective hunters. By Katherine J. Wu NASA, JPL   Out There Just in Time for the Election: An Asteroid? The object has a slender chance of hitting Earth — but even if it does, it’s too small to do any damage, astronomers say. By Dennis Overbye Matt Rourke/Associated Press   The Dreaded Lanternfly, Scourge of Agriculture, Spreads in New Jersey The insect poses a serious threat to American crops, particularly vineyards, and inspires creative backyard methods of eliminating them. By Sabrina Imbler Ted Kinsman/Science Source   Cartilage Is Grown in the Arthritic Joints of Mice Researchers discovered a way to awaken dormant stem cells and transform them into cartilage. If the technique works in humans, it may help ease debilitating joint pain. By Gina Kolata Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we’re doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Gordon Welters for The New York Times   To Test Spread of Coronavirus, These Scientists Put on a Concert In Germany, volunteers gathered in an arena for an experiment that could help create safety measures for live events around the world. By Thomas Rogers Anthony Kwan/Getty Images   First Documented Coronavirus Reinfection Reported in Hong Kong The patient did mount an immune response to the new infection, however, and did not experience symptoms. By Apoorva Mandavilli Oliver Contreras for The New York Times   F.D.A. ‘Grossly Misrepresented’ Blood Plasma Data, Scientists Say Many experts — including a scientist who worked on the Mayo Clinic study — were bewildered about where a key statistic came from. By Katie Thomas and Sheri Fink     Why Are Coronavirus Cases Decreasing? Experts Say Restrictions Are Working Infection rates in the United States remain among the world’s highest, but numbers are down. All states driving the decrease have at least some local mask mandates. By Lauren Leatherby Michael Brunk/nwlens.com   This Trawler’s Haul: Evidence That Antibodies Block the Coronavirus Three crew members aboard were spared when the virus spread through the boat. They were the only ones who had antibodies at the beginning of the trip. By Apoorva Mandavilli Illustration by Ori Toor   Studies Show What if We Worried Less About the Accuracy of Coronavirus Tests? Regularly using the most accurate tests possible for millions of Americans is impractical. Could a shift in approach slow the spread of infections? By Kim Tingley Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images   Why Pooled Testing for the Coronavirus Isn’t Working in America Combining samples for coronavirus testing, an approach once hailed by U.S. health officials, only works when the vast majority of tests are negative. By Katherine J. Wu Bryan R. Smith/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   Flu Season Could Make Coronavirus Testing Delays Even Worse The nation’s testing efforts will be further overwhelmed once influenza, R.S.V. and other seasonal viruses arrive. By Katherine J. Wu Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE SCIENCE NEWS Arecibo Observatory/University of Central Florida   Out There A Rip in the Fabric of Interstellar Dreams The iconic Arecibo radio telescope is temporarily crippled by an accident. By Dennis Overbye Yi-Kai Tea   Why Some Tropical Fish Are Gettin’ Squiggly With It On occasion, different species of angelfish produce hybrid offspring even more colorful than the parents. By Sabrina Imbler Joyce Kim for The New York Times   Latif Nasser, Harvard Ph.D., on the Rewards of Being Dumb They include getting your own Netflix show. Nasser, a science journalist known for his work on “Radiolab,” talked about going on-camera for “Connected” and the importance of staying curious. By Remy Tumin The New York Times   Sharpen a Pencil and Challenge an Opponent These seemingly simple pencil-and-paper games were all invented by mathematicians. They call for two players and some strategic thinking. By Mary Jane Callister Alistair Conkie   Ann Syrdal, Who Helped Give Computers a Female Voice, Dies at 74 As a researcher at AT&T, she helped lay the groundwork for modern digital assistants like Siri and Alexa. By Cade Metz CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Is Taking On a Growing Role for Voters, Research Suggests Concern about global warming is steady despite other crises, a survey found, and the number of voters who are deeply engaged on the issue is rising sharply. By John Schwartz Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires? There are four key ingredients to the disastrous wildfire seasons in the West, and climate change figures prominently. By Kendra Pierre-Louis and John Schwartz Loss of Greenland Ice Sheet Reached a Record Last Year The ice loss in 2019 was more than twice the annual average since 2003, scientists said. By Henry Fountain Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT HEALTH Elizabeth Frantz for The New York Times   What to Know About Stuttering The speech disorder can play havoc with sociability, relationships, even identity, but there are ways to handle it. By Benedict Carey Gracia Lam   Personal Health Medication and Lifestyle May Lower Breast Cancer Risk There is compelling evidence that two classes of drugs normally prescribed following breast cancer treatment can also help prevent the disease. By Jane E. Brody Bryan R. Smith/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   New Measures Aim to Boost Vaccine Rates for Flu and Children’s Shots Pharmacists may now vaccinate young children under a new federal emergency rule aimed at helping families who missed well-child visits during the pandemic. By Jan Hoffman Tony Cenicola/The New York Times   Can Artificial Sweeteners Keep Us From Gaining Weight? Sugar substitutes may help stave off weight gain, but they have metabolic effects that some experts find concerning. By Anahad O’Connor Getty Images   The Checkup Young Adults’ Pandemic Mental Health Risks In a new C.D.C. survey, 18- to 24-year-olds reported the highest levels of symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a quarter of them said they had seriously considered suicide. By Perri Klass, M.D. phys ed E-Bikes Are All the Rage. Should They Be? Two new studies shed light on whether pedal-assisted electric bikes provide good exercise, and how safe (or unsafe) they might be. By Gretchen Reynolds Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Bagged Peaches Sickens Dozens At least 68 cases and 14 hospitalizations have been reported in nine states, federal health authorities said. By Concepción de León U.S. Mail Delays Slow Delivery of Medicines In addition to concerns over mail-in voting, the cost-cutting at the Postal Service affects the millions of people who get their prescriptions by mail. By Reed Abelson Trump Ethics Panel Urges Rejection of Fetal Tissue Research A new advisory board, appointed by the Trump administration, recommended that the health secretary reject funding for virtually every fetal tissue research project it considered. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg Pediatrics Group Offers ‘Long Overdue’ Apology for Racist Past The American Academy of Pediatrics recently joined other prominent medical organizations in confronting its history of discrimination. By Emma Goldberg Make a friend’s day: Forward this email. Got this from a friend? 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