Science Times: Yellowstone wolves, part of a tangled story of ecosystems

Plus: Bird flu in mammals, brain waves for sale —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 23, 2024 SUPPORTED BY SELC Diane Renkin/National Park Service Yellowstone's Wolves: A Debate Over Their Role in the Park's Ecosystem New research questions the long-held theory that reintroduction of such a predator caused a trophic cascade, spawning renewal of vegetation and spurring biodiversity. By Jim Robbins Sebastian Castaneda/Reuters Bird Flu Is Infecting More Mammals. What Does That Mean for Us? H5N1, an avian flu virus, has killed tens of thousands of marine mammals, and infiltrated American livestock for the first time. Scientists are working quickly to assess how it is evolving and how much of a risk it poses to humans. By Apoorva Mandavilli and Emily Anthes The Magnetic Heart of the Milky Way A new map of the center of the Milky Way galaxy reveals details of its magnetic fields By Dennis Overbye Martin Mejia/Associated Press Global Health The Push for a Better Dengue Vaccine Grows More Urgent A public research institute in Brazil has proved a new shot protects against the disease, but can't make it fast enough to stop the huge outbreak sweeping Latin America. By Stephanie Nolen Continue reading the main story A MESSAGE FROM SELC Celebrate Earth Day Every Day Earth Month is a time for action—especially this year as we face a critical moment to address the causes and impacts of climate change. The stakes for our environmental future have never been higher but the opportunities have never been greater. With your support for SELC's vital work, we are seizing this moment with urgency and optimism.The landmark work we do in court, in government and in our communities, helps shape policies and protections across our country because of supporters like you. DONATE Email us Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. Photo Illustration by Zachary Scott How Do We Know What Animals Are Really Feeling? Animal-welfare science tries to get inside the minds of a huge range of species — in order to help improve their lives. By Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy The octopus, via Craig Foster Guest Essay An Octopus Took My Camera, and the Images Changed the Way I See the World "Saving the planet" is the wrong goal. By Craig Foster Sergey Krasovskiy Trilobites An 11-Year-Old Girl's Fossil Find Is the Largest Known Ocean Reptile When Ruby Reynolds and her father found a fossil on an English beach, they didn't know it belonged to an 82-foot ichthyosaur that swam during the days of the dinosaurs. By Kate Golembiewski Winni Wintermeyer for The New York Times Your Brain Waves Are Up for Sale. A New Law Wants to Change That. In a first, a Colorado law extends privacy rights to the neural data increasingly coveted by technology companies. By Jonathan Moens Trilobites Like Moths to a Flame? We May Need a New Phrase. Over time researchers have found fewer of the insects turning up in light traps, suggesting they may be less attracted to some kinds of light than they once were. By Veronique Greenwood Trilobites This Lava Tube in Saudi Arabia Has Been a Human Refuge for 7,000 Years Ancient humans left behind numerous archaeological traces in the cavern, and scientists say there may be thousands more like it on the Arabian Peninsula to study. By Robin George Andrews Comet Pons-Brooks Is Having Its Last Hurrah Soon, this devil-horned comet won't be visible for another seven decades. By Katrina Miller NASA Seeks 'Hail Mary' for Its Mars Rocks Return Mission The agency will seek new ideas for its Mars Sample Return program, expected to be billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. By Kenneth Chang Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE The New York Times Carbon Dioxide Levels Have Passed a New Milestone There's 50 percent more carbon dioxide in the air than before the Industrial Revolution. By Aatish Bhatia Photo Illustration by Doug Chayka Climate Doom Is Out. 'Apocalyptic Optimism' Is In. Focusing on disaster hasn't changed the planet's trajectory. Will a more upbeat approach show a way forward? By Alexis Soloski Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press Drought Pushes Millions Into 'Acute Hunger' in Southern Africa The disaster, intensified by El Niño, is devastating communities across several countries, killing crops and livestock and sending food prices soaring. By Somini Sengupta and Manuela Andreoni We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. HEALTH Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Abortion Data Wars: States and Cities Debate How Much Information to Collect Some states with Republican-controlled legislatures want more data, while some controlled by Democrats want less, fearing it could be used to target patients or providers. By Pam Belluck and Emma G. Fitzsimmons Kelly Burgess for The New York Times the new old age 'Aging in Place, or Stuck in Place?' Homeownership is not the boon to older Americans that it once was. By Paula Span Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News, via Getty Images Some Older Women Need Extra Breast Scans. Why Won't Medicare Pay? Mammography can miss tumors in women with dense breasts, so their doctors often include ultrasound or M.R.I. scans. Patients often wind up paying the bill. By Roni Caryn Rabin Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Often Go Untreated for Parents on Medicaid Among those with substance use disorders who have been referred to child welfare, less than half received medication or counseling. By Emily Baumgaertner Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT W.H.O. Broadens Definition of Airborne Diseases After a drawn-out global controversy over the coronavirus, the W.H.O. has updated its classification of how pathogens spread through the air. By Carl Zimmer Global Health Millions of Girls in Africa Will Miss HPV Shots After Merck Production Problem The company has told countries that it can supply only 18.8 million of the 29.6 million doses it was contracted to deliver this year. By Stephanie Nolen Global Health Long-Acting Drugs May Revolutionize H.I.V. Prevention and Treatment New regimens in development, including once-weekly pills and semiannual shots, could help control the virus in hard-to-reach populations. By Apoorva Mandavilli Sleep Apnea Reduced in People Who Took Weight-Loss Drug, Eli Lilly Reports The company reported results of clinical trials involving Zepbound, an obesity drug in the same class as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. By Gina Kolata A Little Bit of Dirt Is Good for You Go on, grab a handful of soil or hike a muddy trail: It can benefit everything from your mood to your microbiome. By Holly Burns Make a friend's day: Forward this email. Got this from a friend? Subscribe to the Science Times newsletter. 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