Science Times: The Killer Disease Is Tuberculosis

Plus: Where Stonehenge’s Big Stones Came From —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story August 4, 2020 Meghan Dhaliwal for The New York Times   GLOBAL HEALTH ‘The Biggest Monster’ Is Spreading. And It’s Not the Coronavirus. Tuberculosis kills 1.5 million people each year. Lockdowns and supply-chain disruptions threaten progress against the disease as well as H.I.V. and malaria. By Apoorva Mandavilli Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images   Whence Came Stonehenge’s Stones? Now We Know Last year archaeologists pinpointed the origin of many of the ancient monument’s massive stones. A new study identifies the source of the rest. By Franz Lidz Randall Munroe   Good Question How Hot is Too Hot? The human body can survive at surprisingly high temperatures, so long as you’re prepared to sweat. By Randall Munroe James Steinberg   How to Think Like an Epidemiologist Don’t worry, a little Bayesian analysis won’t hurt you. By Siobhan Roberts Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we’re doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Evan Vucci/Associated Press   Birx Says U.S. Epidemic Is in a ‘New Phase’ She and other top health officials in the Trump administration warn states of a deepening spread of the coronavirus, in both rural and urban areas. By Benedict Carey Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times   Scientists Worry About Political Influence Over Coronavirus Vaccine Project Operation Warp Speed has moved along at a rapid clip. But some people involved in the process fear pressure to deliver an October surprise for President Trump. By Sharon LaFraniere, Katie Thomas, Noah Weiland, Peter Baker and Annie Karni Kim Raff for The New York Times   Can Humans Give Coronavirus to Bats, and Other Wildlife? Federal agencies suggest caution in U.S. bat research to avoid transmitting the novel coronavirus to wildlife. By James Gorman Lynne Sladky/Associated Press   Contact Tracing Is Failing in Many States. Here’s Why. Inadequate testing and protracted delays in producing results have crippled tracking and hampered efforts to contain major outbreaks. By Jennifer Steinhauer and Abby Goodnough Mike Belleme for The New York Times   The New Old Age Should Youth Come First in Coronavirus Care? If medical rationing becomes necessary, some older adults are prepared to step aside. But many have the opposite concern: that they will be arbitrarily sent to the rear of the line. By Paula Span Bettmann, via Getty Images Plus   Yes, the Coronavirus Is in the Air Transmission through aerosols matters — and probably a lot more than we’ve been able to prove yet. By Linsey C. Marr Behrouz Mehri/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   Aboard the Diamond Princess, a Case Study in Aerosol Transmission A computer model of the cruise-ship outbreak found that the virus spread most readily in microscopic droplets light enough to linger in the air. By Benedict Carey and James Glanz Mario Tama/Getty Images   Children May Carry Coronavirus at High Levels, Study Finds The research does not prove that infected children are contagious, but it should influence the debate about reopening schools, some experts said. By Apoorva Mandavilli Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE SCIENCE NEWS Artokoloro, via Alamy   Trilobites The Romans Called it ‘Alexandrian Glass.’ Where Was It Really From? Trace quantities of isotopes hint at the true origin of a kind of glass that was highly prized in the Roman Empire. By Katherine Kornei Jason Warner   Lizard Popsicles, Anyone? The coolest reptiles on the planet occasionally freeze solid. By Joshua Rapp Learn Kobe University   Trilobites There Are Two Ways Out of a Frog. This Beetle Chose the Back Door. A researcher fed beetles to frogs. The encounter did not end as expected. By Katherine J. Wu Kirsten Fisher   Trilobites This Moss Uses Quartz as a Parasol In the Mojave Desert, a translucent crystal offers bryophytes much-needed respite from the heat of the sun. By Sabrina Imbler trilobites How Woody Vines Do the Twist Slowly, scientists are learning how lianas quickly climb. By Devi Lockwood How the Ultimate Live-in Boyfriend Evolved His Way Around Rejection Commingling tissues and blood would normally prompt a massive immune response. These deep sea lovers found a workaround. By Katherine J. Wu ‘Thanks for Flying SpaceX’: NASA Astronauts Safely Splash Down After Journey From Orbit Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley returned to Earth in the first water landing by an American space crew since 1975. By Kenneth Chang NASA Launches Perseverance Rover, Capping Summer of Missions to Mars The third and final mission to the red planet of the month lifted off on Thursday. By Kenneth Chang Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE Inequity At The Boiling Point A Quarter of Bangladesh Is Flooded. Millions Have Lost Everything. The country’s latest calamity illustrates a striking inequity of our time: The people least responsible for climate change are among those most hurt by its consequences. By Somini Sengupta and Julfikar Ali Manik Munir Uz Zaman/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   Rising Seas Could Menace Millions Beyond Shorelines, Study Finds As climate change raises sea levels, storm surges and high tides will push farther inland, a team of researchers says. By Brad Plumer HEALTH Gracia Lam   Personal Health The Benefits of Talking to Strangers Casual connections with people we encounter in the course of daily life can give us the sense of belonging to a community. By Jane E. Brody Sean Gallup/Getty Images   Dementia on the Retreat in the U.S. and Europe Rates of dementia have steadily fallen over the past 25 years, a new study finds. But the disease is increasingly common in some parts of the world. By Gina Kolata Zephyr/Science Source   ‘Amazing, Isn’t It?’ Long-Sought Blood Test for Alzheimer’s in Reach Scientists say such tests could be available in a few years, speeding research for treatments and providing a diagnosis for dementia patients who want to know if they have Alzheimer’s disease. By Pam Belluck Hana Asano for The New York Times   Phys Ed Is Your Blood Sugar Undermining Your Workouts? Eating a diet high in sugar and processed foods could dent our long-term health in part by changing how well our bodies respond to exercise. By Gretchen Reynolds Callaghan O'Hare for The New York Times   Is Telemedicine Here to Stay? The answer largely depends on whether Medicare and private health insurers will adequately cover virtual doctor visits once coronavirus outbreaks subside. By Reed Abelson Hannah Price for The New York Times   Feature Pollution Is Killing Black Americans. This Community Fought Back. African-Americans are 75 percent more likely than others to live near facilities that produce hazardous waste. Can a grass-roots environmental-justice movement make a difference? By Linda Villarosa 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? 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