Science Times: The Coronavirus at Six Months

Plus: SpaceX Launches Astronauts to the Space Station —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story June 2, 2020 Richard McGuire   Monster or Machine? A Profile of the Coronavirus at 6 Months Our “hidden enemy,” in plain sight. By Alan Burdick Jens Mortensen for The New York Times   Six Months of Coronavirus: Here’s Some of What We’ve Learned Much remains unknown and mysterious, but these are some of the things we’re pretty sure of after half a year of this pandemic. By The New York Times Jens Mortensen for The New York Times   After 6 Months, Important Mysteries About Coronavirus Endure Times journalists summarize some of the most critical things that scientists and public health officials have yet to understand. By The New York Times Album/British Library, via Alamy   Matter How You Should Read Coronavirus Studies, or Any Science Paper Published scientific research, like any piece of writing, is a peculiar literary genre. By Carl Zimmer DeAgostini/Getty Images   U.S. and Chinese Scientists Trace Evolution of Coronaviruses in Bats Researchers whose canceled U.S. grant caused an outcry from other scientists urge preventive monitoring of viruses in southwestern China. By James Gorman Christopher Pike/Reuters   Medical Workers Should Use Respirator Masks, Not Surgical Masks The surgical masks used in risky settings like hospitals offer much less protection against the coronavirus, an analysis found. By Apoorva Mandavilli Ruth Fremson/The New York Times   Coronavirus Epidemics Began Later Than Believed, Study Concludes In Washington State and Italy, the first confirmed cases were not linked to the outbreaks that followed, the analysis found. The epidemics were seeded later. By Carl Zimmer Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we’re doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. A COMMERCIAL TRIP TO SPACE On Saturday, SpaceX became the first private company to launch people to orbit. NASA   Astronauts Dock With Space Station After Historic SpaceX Launch Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley could stay in orbit for months to aid the station’s short-staffed crew. By Kenneth Chang Doug Mills/The New York Times   Trump Hopes for His Own Booster Shot From SpaceX Rocket Launch The president, beleaguered by a pandemic, economic troubles and racial unrest, viewed the liftoff as a welcome moment of triumph that he celebrated with a campaign rally-style speech. By Peter Baker John Raoux/Associated Press   SpaceX Lifts NASA Astronauts to Orbit, Launching New Era of Spaceflight The trip to the space station was the first from American soil since 2011 when the space shuttles were retired. By Kenneth Chang SpaceX   Now Boarding: SpaceX’s New Ride to Orbit for NASA Astronauts The Crew Dragon launched successfully on Saturday. By Jonathan Corum Joe Raedle/Getty Images   How NASA’s Astronauts Became SpaceX’s Customers A successful launch on Wednesday could forever change how the world thinks about getting people to space. By Kenneth Chang SpaceX, via Associated Press   Elon Musk’s SpaceX Suit Is Like a Tuxedo for the Starship Enterprise It also may herald the return of wearable tech. By Vanessa Friedman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE SCIENCE NEWS out there Going Viral, or Not, in the Milky Way Is the pandemic a rehearsal for our own cosmic mortality? By Dennis Overbye Mass Extinctions Are Accelerating, Scientists Report Five hundred species are likely to become extinct over the next two decades, according to a new study. By Rachel Nuwer trilobites How Line-Dried Laundry Gets That Fresh Smell This is what happens when atmospheric chemists hang towels on drying racks around their chemistry building. By Cara Giaimo The Birds Are Not on Lockdown, and More People Are Watching Them Bird-watching has surged in popularity during the pandemic. It’s easy to start, and you can do it anywhere — even from inside, and even in urban spaces. By Jacey Fortin trilobites Wild Cockatoos Are Just as Smart as Lab-Raised Ones Previous research suggested that spending a lot of time with humans might make animals more innovative. These birds had another idea. By James Gorman HEALTH Stephen Speranza for The New York Times   Do Runners Need to Wear Masks? Some people have taken to yelling (online and off) at people exercising without masks. But does it really matter? By Heather Murphy Leah Nash for The New York Times   Ask Well Starting to Exercise Again After Lockdown Expert advice on taking it slow to prevent injuries. By Gretchen Reynolds TheStewartofNY/Getty Images   The Checkup How Do You Decide if Children Can Play Together Again? As always, parents must weigh the risks, look at what the experts say and make decisions based on their own level of comfort. By Perri Klass, M.D. Brittainy Newman/The New York Times   Phys Ed A Possible Remedy for Pandemic Stress: Exercise People who stayed physically active while sheltering were less depressed and more mentally resilient than those whose activity levels declined. By Gretchen Reynolds Gary He/Getty Images   Is Takeout and Delivery Food Safe? Yes, if you follow some common-sense guidelines. Here are some answers from health experts. By Amelia Nierenberg Monica Garwood   When a Close Friend Has Doubts About Vaccinations Health experts offer ways to approach the charged topic when speaking with people you care about. By Leah Chernikoff Todd Heisler/The New York Times   ‘We Loved Each Other’: Fauci Recalls Larry Kramer, Friend and Nemesis In public, the activist berated the infectious disease expert for federal inaction on AIDS. But their affection lasted decades and changed the course of the epidemic. By Donald G. McNeil Jr. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT 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. Subscribe to The Times |Get The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your Email|Privacy Policy|Contact Us The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018