Science Times: Dog DNA, a Pacemaker for the Brain and Marie Antoinette’s Letters

Plus: Did Death Cheat Stephen Hawking of a Nobel Prize? —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story October 5, 2021 Metropolitan Museum of Art How Old Is the Maltese, Really? Many dog fanciers like to trace their favorite breed to antiquity, but the researchers who study the modern and ancient DNA of dogs have a different perspective. By James Gorman Jonathan Nackstrand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded for Study of Humanity's Role in Changing Climate The work of Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi "demonstrate that our knowledge about the climate rests on a solid scientific foundation," the committee said. By Marc Santora and Cora Engelbrecht Greg Funnell/Camera Press/Redu​x Out There Did Death Cheat Stephen Hawking of a Nobel Prize? A recent study of black holes confirmed a fundamental prediction that the theoretical physicist made nearly five decades ago. But the ultimate award is beyond his reach. By Dennis Overbye Ruth Fremson/The New York Times A 'Pacemaker for the Brain': No Treatment Helped Her Depression — Until This It's the first study of individualized brain stimulation to treat severe depression. Sarah's case raises the possibility the method may help people who don't respond to other therapies. By Pam Belluck Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. Roscosmos/Via Reuters Live Updates: Watch a Russian Film Crew's Arrival at the Space Station. An actress and a director will head to the International Space Station, aiming to shoot scenes from the first feature film to rely on scenes shot in orbit. By Joey Roulette Steven Senne/Associated Press Like Captain Kirk, William Shatner Will Travel to Space (Almost) It's only the edge of space, but the man who played the "Star Trek" captain is heading there with three other people for Blue Origin's second flight with passengers. By Joey Roulette VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images Yale Says Its Vinland Map, Once Called a Medieval Treasure, Is Fake For decades, researchers at Yale and elsewhere have questioned the authenticity of a map that seemed to reflect Viking travels to North America. The school now says the case is closed. By Alan Yuhas Library of Congress Marie Antoinette's Letters to Her Dear Swedish Count, Now Uncensored Researchers used an X-ray technique to resurface the redacted text of letters exchanged between the queen and her dear friend Axel von Fersen. By Sabrina Imbler Nigel Cattlin/Alamy Trilobites This Parasite Turns Plants Into Zombies It's a never-ending cycle of "Night of the Living Dead-meets-Dracula" in the world of green and leafy things. By Veronique Greenwood Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT The Marvelous Physics of Swarming Midges There's more in that cloud of bugs than meets the eye. By Brandon Keim A Strange Comet Erupted 4 Times in a 'Super Outburst' Comet 29P is already known as one of the solar system's oddest icy objects, but the light show it put on in recent days has surprised astronomers. By Robin George Andrews This May Be the First Planet Found Orbiting 3 Stars at Once It's called a circumtriple planet, and evidence that one exists suggests that planet formation is less unusual than once believed. By Jonathan O'Callaghan Trilobites The World's Deadliest Bird Was Raised by People 18,000 Years Ago Researchers studying ancient cassowary egg shells in New Guinea found signs that the sharp-taloned bird was being domesticated. By Asher Elbein CLIMATE CHANGE Patrick Kyle Guest Essay What's the Least Bad Way to Cool the Planet? Pretending that climate change can be solved with emissions cuts alone is a dangerous fantasy. By David Keith Federico Rios for The New York Times Trams, Cable Cars, Electric Ferries: How Cities Are Rethinking Transit Urban transportation is central to the effort to slow climate change. It can't be done by just switching to electric cars. Several cities are starting to electrify mass transit. By Somini Sengupta Barry Lewis/InPictures, via Getty Images In Your Facebook Feed: Oil Industry Pushback Against Biden Climate Plans The messages take aim at Democrats by name as part of a broad effort to undermine landmark climate legislation that now hangs in the balance in Congress. By Hiroko Tabuchi Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. HEALTH Alamy Losing Your Hair? You Might Blame the Great Stem Cell Escape. By observing mouse hair follicles, scientists discovered an unexpected mechanism of aging. "If I didn't see it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it," one said. By Gina Kolata Gracia Lam Personal Health The Devastating Ways Depression and Anxiety Impact the Body Mind and body form a two-way street. By Jane E. Brody Jonathan Nackstrand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Nobel Prize Awarded for Research About Temperature and Touch David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian were honored for their discoveries about how heat, cold and touch can initiate signals in the nervous system. By Benjamin Mueller, Marc Santora and Cora Engelbrecht Cydni Elledge for The New York Times The New Old Age Tallying the Cost of Growing Older Researchers have been studying how much care American adults will require as they age, and for how long. By Paula Span Getty Images Phys Ed Why Exercise Is More Important Than Weight Loss for a Longer Life People typically lower their risks of heart disease and premature death far more by gaining fitness than by dropping weight. By Gretchen Reynolds Join Us for a Conversation on the Business of Longevity On Oct. 12, the Harvard researcher and biotech company founder David Sinclair talks with Andrew Ross Sorkin about the quest for immortality. By The New York Times It's Time to Get a Flu Shot The 2021-22 flu season is here and experts strongly recommend a flu vaccine, warning not to dismiss the virus. By Christine Hauser Ask Well Can Drinking Alcohol Raise Your Heart Rate? Drinking can elevate your pulse, which isn't a concern for most healthy adults, though those with heart rhythm problems should use caution. By Anahad O'Connor Can a Low-Carb Diet Help Your Heart Health? Overweight people who ate fewer carbohydrates and increased their fat intake had significant improvements in their cardiovascular disease risk factors. By Anahad O'Connor How to Fend Off Winter Depression As the days get shorter and the nights start earlier, take these steps to help prevent seasonal affective disorder. By Christina Caron Youth Vaping Declined Sharply for Second Year, New Data Show Now that it has stopped selling most flavored pods, Juul has become far less popular with teens than brands offering disposable fruit- and candy-flavored devices. By Matt Richtel THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press Is the Coronavirus Getting Better at Airborne Transmission? The Alpha variant traveled more efficiently in small droplets, two new studies found. The Delta variant may have continued this evolution. By Apoorva Mandavilli Abbott Labs, via Reuters How Accurate Are At-Home Covid Tests? When used correctly, many at-home rapid tests are good at detecting people carrying high levels of the virus. By Emily Anthes Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Johnson & Johnson to Seek F.D.A. Authorization for Booster Shot The request, expected this week, comes after a study found the company's vaccine was only 71 percent effective against hospitalization from Covid-19. By Sharon LaFraniere Merck Merck Says It Has the First Antiviral Pill Found to Be Effective Against Covid The drug maker will seek authorization for molnupiravir, the first drug of its kind for Covid. Experts said such pills could be a powerful tool against the virus. By Rebecca Robbins Make a friend's day: Forward this email. Got this from a friend? Subscribe to the Science Times newsletter. Check out other New York Times newsletters (all free!) including: Climate Fwd: for climate coverage and expert analysis. The Upshot for a data-driven look at the news. Well for the latest on health, fitness and nutrition. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Science Times from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. 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