Science Times: As Earth Warms, Human History Is Melting Away

Plus: How Elephants and Walruses Got Their Tusks —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 2, 2021 Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times As Earth Warms, Human History Is Melting Away Climate change is revealing long-frozen artifacts and animals to archaeologists. But the window for study is slender and shrinking. By Franz Lidz TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE The average global temperature in 2020 was 58.8 degrees Fahrenheit (14.9 degrees Celsius). How cold was it during the height of the last ice age? –128.6 degrees Fahrenheit (–89.2 degrees Celsius) –58 degrees Fahrenheit (–50 degrees Celsius) 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) 56.7 degrees Fahrenheit (13.7 degrees Celsius) Click on what you think is the correct answer. Rosatom, via Reuters When the Soviets Set Off the Biggest Nuclear Bomb, J.F.K. Didn't Flinch A new study offers insights into how the United States reacted to Tsar Bomba, a planet shaker that made the deadly Hiroshima blast look tame. By William J. Broad Ryan Kingsbery/U.S. Geological Survey, via Associated Press Trilobites How Did Elephants and Walruses Get Their Tusks? It's a Long Story. A new study reveals how some mammals evolved nature's most impressive chompers (which are not always used for chomping). By Asher Elbein Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Endangered California Condors Can Reproduce Asexually, Study Finds The rare discovery came about as a result of efforts to preserve the species. By Claire Fahy Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. Kevin Browne/Alamy Trilobites To Err Is Human; To Mistakenly Bite Is Baby White Shark Researchers simulated a shark's visual system to test the "mistaken identity theory" of unprovoked shark bites. By Sabrina Imbler Li Xue and Jiajun Lei Trilobites Why Strawberries Turn a Ghostly Shade of White Researchers unlocked some of the genetic secrets that helped the colorful fruit evolve into so many varieties around the world. By Veronique Greenwood NASA, via Associated Press SpaceX's Latest Engineering Challenge: A Leaky Toilet A discussion of repairs of the waste management systems used aboard the company's passenger spacecraft offered rare insight into how it fixes things. By Joey Roulette Amazon Project Kuiper Amazon to Launch First Two Internet Satellites in 2022 Competing with SpaceX, OneWeb and others, the e-commerce titan will rely on small rockets to get prototypes of its satellite constellation into space. By Joey Roulette Louise Slade, Scientist Who Studied the Molecules in Food, Dies at 74 Her research focused on how to keep dough, bread, cookies and crackers tasting delicious even after weeks on a grocery store shelf. By Clay Risen Philippines Dispatch Please Don't Feed the Whale Sharks? Fishing Town Says It Must, to Prosper. The chance to swim with the world's biggest fish drew tourists to a Philippines town, but conservation groups denounce the hand-feeding that keeps the gentle creatures around. By Hannah Reyes Morales Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE Inti Ocon/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images Coffee and Climate Have a Complicated Relationship Your morning cup may depend on solving issues with a crop that both contributes to and is deeply affected by the changing climate. By Tatiana Schlossberg Sigga Ella for The New York Times Is Carbon Capture Here? A Swiss company is operating a device in Iceland that sucks CO2 from the air and shoots it into the ground, where it turns into rock. By Peter Wilson Louise Johns for The New York Times Keeping Cattle on the Move and Carbon in the Soil Ranchers and conservationists, once unlikely allies, are teaming up to preserve grasslands, which act as a carbon dioxide sink that could support climate goals. By Benjamin Ryan 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. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT HEALTH Agnes Lopez for The New York Times Biden Promised to Fix Home Care for Seniors. Much More Help May Be Needed. The latest Democratic proposal would funnel $150 billion toward subsidized home and community-based care. Experts worry that may not be enough to ease the severe shortage of workers. By Reed Abelson Kenny Holston for The New York Times The New Old Age Why Aren't More People Comparison Shopping for Health Plans? Most Medicare beneficiaries don't compare plans during open enrollment season, and may be paying more, or accepting more restrictions, than they should. By Paula Span Rachel Levit Ruiz Personal Health Are Too Many Older Adults Told They Have Kidney Disease? Many men and women with "failing kidneys" may not have anything more than a normal age-related decline in kidney function. By Jane E. Brody Donna Mcwilliam/Associated Press Patients Must Be Warned of Breast Implant Risks, F.D.A. Says A decade after scientists identified a link between certain implants and cancer, the agency ordered "black box" warnings and a new checklist of risks for patients to review. By Roni Caryn Rabin Dr. Aaron T. Beck, Developer of Cognitive Therapy, Dies at 100 It was an answer to Freudian analysis: a pragmatic, thought-monitoring approach to treating anxiety, depression and other mental disorders, and it changed psychiatry. By Benedict Carey Muriel Lezak, Leading Authority on Brain Injuries, Dies at 94 A neuropsychologist, she wrote a textbook that became an essential guide to describing and evaluating brain damage and dysfunction. By Richard Sandomir THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times How Often Do Covid Vaccines Cause Heart Problems in Kids? The latest data is reassuring. Myocarditis remains very uncommon, and it is almost always mild and temporary. The heart risk from Covid-19 itself is far greater. By Apoorva Mandavilli Katherine Taylor for The New York Times Covid Shots Are a Go for Children, but Parents Are Reluctant to Consent Vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds could be a big step toward returning to normal life in the U.S., but even parents who got the shot are worried about how it might affect their kids. By Jan Hoffman Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters When Vaccinating Kids, Does Weight Matter? Should an 11-Year-Old Wait to Turn 12 to Get a Bigger Dose? We turned to five experts to answer these frequently-asked questions. By Christina Caron Hazem Bader/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Should I Mix or Match My Booster Shot? Health officials approved mix-and-match Covid booster shots, but didn't say whether it's better to switch vaccines or stick with your original shot. By Tara Parker-Pope David Degner for The New York Times Has the Virus Infected Huge Numbers of Younger Children? Federal scientists estimated that more than 40 percent of children aged 5 to 11 had been infected with the coronavirus by June. Outside experts aren't so sure. By Apoorva Mandavilli Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters Global Health Merck Will Share Formula for Its Covid Pill With Poor Countries The company announced a licensing deal that will allow the drug, molnupiravir, to be made and sold cheaply in 105 developing nations. By Stephanie Nolen Roman Pilipey/EPA, via Shutterstock Origin of Virus May Remain Murky, U.S. Intelligence Agencies Say A declassified report said a clearer answer would require more information from Beijing or new discoveries and reiterated divisions over natural causes vs. a lab leak. By Julian E. Barnes 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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