Science Times: Gun Owners Confront Suicide Epidemic

Plus: Newton’s Principia, Murder Hornets and Glowing Platypuses

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story November 17, 2020 Ruth Fremson/The New York Times ‘How Did We Not Know?’ Gun Owners Confront a Suicide Epidemic The toll of self-inflicted gun deaths has led to an unusual alliance between suicide-prevention advocates and gun-rights proponents. By Roni Caryn Rabin Simone Noronha Surviving Weed-Out Classes in Science May Be a State of Mind Social ties to classmates and how students feel could be more important than innate ability when it comes to enduring early STEM courses. By Dalmeet Singh Chawla Caltech Archives Newton’s Daunting Masterpiece Had a Surprisingly Wide Audience, Historians Find The discovery suggests that “Principia” had a stronger impact on Enlightenment science than previous research suggested. By William J. Broad Elaine Thompson/Associated Press Scientists Destroyed a Nest of Murder Hornets. Here’s What They Learned. Officials vacuumed the country’s first nest of so-called murder hornets last month in Washington State. The invasive insects could multiply and kill native bee populations, endangering crops and ecosystems. By Christina Morales Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT A Conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci This week, on Nov. 17-18, DealBook is holding its first Online Summit. Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. Eastern time for a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci as he discusses the latest developments in the pandemic and reflects on his service under six presidents. Watch free from anywhere in the world. Register now. THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Tony Luong for The New York Times Early Data Show Moderna’s Coronavirus Vaccine Is 94.5% Effective Moderna is the second company to report preliminary results from a large trial testing a vaccine. But there are still months to go before it will be widely available to the public. By Denise Grady Gracia Lam Personal Health The Greatest Gift to Loved Ones This Covid Winter? Don’t Infect Others “Our biggest worry is Covid-19 fatigue,” a coronavirus expert says. “People are losing respect for the virus and letting their guard down, which is a bad idea.” By Jane E. Brody Getty Images The Checkup How Pediatricians Are Fending Off Coronavirus Myths Doctors report misinformation at both extremes, with some parents worrying about taking impossible precautions and others encouraged to believe their children can’t get infected. By Perri Klass, M.D. Sergio Flores for The New York Times Ask Well How Can My College Student Come Home Safely for Thanksgiving? As coronavirus infections rage across the U.S., we asked the experts how families and students should manage the risks of the holiday break. By Tara Parker-Pope and Julie Halpert Brittainy Newman for The New York Times Teens in Covid Isolation: ‘I Felt Like I Was Suffocating’ Remote learning, lockdowns and pandemic uncertainty have increased anxiety and depression among adolescents, and heightened concerns about their mental health. By Emma Goldberg Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press The Children Never Had the Coronavirus. So Why Did They Have Antibodies? A provocative study suggests that certain colds may leave antibodies against the new coronavirus, perhaps explaining why children are more protected than adults. By Gina Kolata Robyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Missing From State Plans to Distribute the Coronavirus Vaccine: Money to Do It The government has sent billions to drug companies to develop a coronavirus shot but a tiny fraction of that to localities for training, record-keeping and other costs for vaccinating citizens. By Abby Goodnough and Sheila Kaplan Audra Melton for The New York Times As the Pandemic Surges, C.D.C. Issues Increasingly Assertive Advice Agency scientists often contradict the Trump administration now, but critics urge a more public stance. By Apoorva Mandavilli Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT MORE SCIENCE NEWS Cj Gunther/EPA, via Shutterstock SpaceX’s ‘Resilience’ Lifts 4 Astronauts Into New Era of Spaceflight The crew will spend some 27 hours in a capsule built by the private company before docking with the space station Monday night. By Kenneth Chang and Allyson Waller Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service, via Associated Press Using Wolves as First Responders Against a Deadly Brain Disease Some scientists say that the predators are essential to curbing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease because they pick off weak deer. By Jim Robbins Rosa Santomartino/University of Edinburgh These Microbes May Help Future Martians and Moon People Mine Metals An experiment aboard the space station showed that bacteria were effective at extracting rare earth elements from rocks. By Kenneth Chang Jonathan Martin/Northland College Trilobites Platypuses Glow Under Blacklight. We Have No Idea Why. What other secrets are they hiding? By Cara Giaimo LaTrobe University, Melbourne How a Human Cousin Adapted to a Changing Climate A skull found in a South African cave suggests that the species went through a process of microevolution during a chaotic environmental shift. By Nicholas St. Fleur Trilobites A Record of Horseback Riding, Written in Bone and Teeth Close examination of horse remains has clarified the timeline of when equestrianism helped transform ancient Chinese civilization. By Katherine Kornei Trilobites Ready to Mate? Take Off Your Mask, One Bat Says Wrinkle-faced bats incorporate whistles, wing flaps and furry masks into their mating rituals, researchers have found. By Katherine J. Wu Archaeologists Discover Viking Age Ship Burial in Norway Using ground-penetrating radar, a team of archaeologists made the discovery in southeastern Norway. Once excavated, the findings could offer insight into Viking settlements. By Jenny Gross Trilobites Who Is the Smartest Dog? Let the Competition Begin Scientists in Hungary are streaming experiments with dogs that know many words, featuring them in a contest of canine intelligence. By James Gorman Trilobites How Some Skinks Lost Their Legs and Then Evolved New Ones The lizards have complicated a rule of thumb that in evolution, once you lose a body part, you don’t regain it. By Veronique Greenwood Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE Matthew Busch for The New York Times Warming May Make Hurricanes Weaken More Slowly After Landfall New research suggests that climate change may be causing storms to retain destructive power for longer after moving inland. By Henry Fountain Courtesy of Hulu/Hulu, via Associated Press ‘I Am Greta’ Review: Birth of a Climate Warrior Nathan Grossman alternates truth-to-power moments with quiet ones in his documentary about the young Greta Thunberg. By Nicolas Rapold Email us Let us know how we’re doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. HEALTH NYU Q. AND A. Dr. Céline Gounder, Adviser to Biden, on the Next Covid Attack Plan Schools are essential while restaurants are not, said Dr. Gounder. And manufacturers may soon be ordered to produce protective gear for health workers. By Apoorva Mandavilli Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times Doctors Are Calling It Quits Under Stress of the Pandemic Thousands of medical practices are closing, as doctors and nurses decide to retire early or shift to less intense jobs. By Reed Abelson Veasey Conway for The New York Times The New Old Age Progress in Kidney Care Starts at Home A new Medicare program aims to increase the proportion of patients using home dialysis and receiving transplants. By Paula Span Hoi Chan Is It Possible to Outgrow A.D.H.D.? The challenges of the diagnosis make it unclear whether the condition is outgrown or simply becomes better managed, experts say. By Cheryl Maguire Mike Blake/Reuters Now’s the Time to Sign Up for Health Insurance. Here’s How. It’s open enrollment season for the Affordable Care Act. Anyone who needs insurance for next year can pick a plan now. By Margot Sanger-Katz Measles Deaths Soared Worldwide Last Year, as Vaccine Rates Stalled The new data, from the W.H.O. and C.D.C., alarmed public health experts, who fear the effect of the coronavirus pandemic this year could bring more bad numbers. By Jan Hoffman Phys ed How Exercise Might Affect Immunity to Lower Cancer Risk Working out may enhance the immune system’s ability to target and eradicate cancer cells, a study in mice suggests. By Gretchen Reynolds 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. 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