Science Times: To protect redwoods, they lit a fire

Plus: Europe's new rocket, sharks and nuclear weapons testing —

View in browser|nytimes.com July 9, 2024 SUPPORTED BY SELC Eros Hoagland for The New York Times To Protect Redwoods, They Lit a Fire After thousands of sequoias were destroyed by extreme wildfires, tribes are conducting cultural burns. By Jim Robbins and Eros Hoagland Wildlife Protections Take a Back Seat to SpaceX's Ambitions A New York Times investigation found that Elon Musk exploited federal agencies' competing missions to achieve his goals for space travel. By Eric Lipton and Meridith Kohut Los Alamos National Laboratory Trump Advisers Call for U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing if He Is Elected A former national security adviser says Washington "must test new nuclear weapons for reliability and safety in the real world," while critics say the move could incite a global arms race that heightens the risk of war. By William J. Broad Dongju Zhang's group/Lanzhou University Origins How the Denisovans Survived the Ice Age A trove of animal bone fragments from a cave on the Tibetan plateau reveals how Denisovans thrived in a harsh climate for over 100,000 years. By Carl Zimmer A MESSAGE FROM SELC WEBINAR: Decisions shaping our environmental future Join the Southern Environmental Law Center on July 31 at 12:30 pm ET for a free webinar about key decisions being made that will chart our future, and how we can ensure the right choices are made. From utilities locking us into fossil fuels through a methane gas grab to the chance to save natural treasures like the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, learn what we are doing to block bad decisions and drive smarter solutions in the South. We have a chance to get this right but we must act now. REGISTER TODAY Email us Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. Manuel Pedoussaut/ESA How to Watch Europe Launch Its Powerful New Rocket Ariane 6 is finally set to fly on Tuesday. If successful, European nations will regain independent access to space. By Katrina Miller Mark P. Witton/Science Source Trilobites Fearsome Sharks of Today Evolved When Ancient Oceans Got Hot More than 100 million years ago, scientists say, warming seas and reduced oxygen may have sent some sharks higher into the water column, where they evolved to be fierce and hungry. By Jeanne Timmons Gabriel Lio Trilobites This Bigheaded Fossil Turned Up in a Place No One Expected to Find It An ancient aquatic predator resembling a giant salamander turned up in an African fossil deposit, suggesting unwritten chapters of how animals moved onto land. By Asher Elbein Louisa Gouliamaki/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Trilobites Cosmic Research Hints at Mysterious Ancient Computer's Purpose Scientists used techniques from the field of gravitational wave astronomy to argue that the Antikythera mechanism contained a lunar calendar. By Becky Ferreira Melodies of Popular Songs Have Gotten Simpler Over Time A new study that reviewed Billboard hits from the past 73 years found a steady simplification of rhythm and pitch. By Alexander Nazaryan Earth Just Reached Its Greatest Distance From the Sun Our planet whirls around the sun in an ellipse, rather than a circle. On Friday the planet reached its farthest point from its star, known as aphelion. By Katrina Miller A Ban on Elephant Hunting Has Collapsed. Or Maybe It Never Existed. Five bulls from the area around a Kenyan wildlife reserve have been shot and killed in Tanzania in recent months. The countries have very different conservation strategies. By Shola Lawal Trilobites Videos Show Ants Amputating Nest Mates' Legs to Save Their Lives The insects seem to know which injuries to treat as they engage in a behavior that seems almost human. By Annie Roth CLIMATE CHANGE Bethan Davies Study Finds Alaskan Ice Field Melting at an 'Incredibly Worrying' Pace The speed of decline in the Juneau Ice Field, an expanse of 1,050 interconnected glaciers, has doubled in recent decades, scientists discovered. By Raymond Zhong Johnny Milano for The New York Times How Future Hurricanes Could Stress Power Grids of U.S. Cities A new analysis shows increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes could cause more devastating interruptions to the power grid. By Austyn Gaffney We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. HEALTH Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images F.T.C. Says Middlemen Appear to Be Driving Up Drug Prices In a report, the regulator sharply criticized pharmacy benefit managers, a reversal from its longstanding hands-off approach to policing the companies. By Reed Abelson and Rebecca Robbins Cristian Storto/Alamy Children With Autism Carry Unique Gut Flora, Study Finds The research, which builds on previous work, eventually may lead to a more objective diagnostic tool, scientists said. By Teddy Rosenbluth The Killer Stalking Sri Lanka's Men Climate change and contaminated water have combined to create an epidemic of kidney disease. By Kang-Chun Cheng and Apoorva Mandavilli via Markoff Family the new old age Your Brain Holds Secrets. Scientists Want to Find Them. Many Americans plan to donate their organs for transplants or their bodies for medical science. Few realize that there's a growing need for their brains, too. By Paula Span Ask Well Why Does Humidity Make Me So Miserable? Heat is only part of the picture. Here's why humid air makes us irritable and exhausted — and how you can cope. By Caroline Hopkins Do You Really Need Sunscreen Every Day? Some worry it robs you of the benefits of sunshine, like vitamin D. We asked experts to weigh in. By Caroline Hopkins New Drug Approved for Early Alzheimer's The drug, Kisunla, made by Eli Lilly, is the latest in a new class of treatments that could modestly slow cognitive decline in initial stages of the disease but also carry safety risks. By Pam Belluck V. Craig Jordan, Who Discovered a Key Breast Cancer Drug, Dies at 76 He found that a failed contraceptive, tamoxifen, could block the growth of cancer cells, opening up a whole new class of treatment. By Clay Risen This May Be the Most Overlooked Covid Symptom Gastrointestinal issues are a common but often unrecognized sign of infection. By Dani Blum Make a friend's day: Forward this email. Got this from a friend? Subscribe to the Science Times newsletter. 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