Science Times: Groundhogs, Out From the Scientific Shadows

Plus: The Texas Oil Heir Who Took On Math's Impossible Dare —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 1, 2022 Greta Rybus for The New York Times Groundhogs Emerge From the Scientific Shadows New research aims to shed light on the social habits of the popular, but often misunderstood, animal. By Brandon Keim and Greta Rybus TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE Which of the following is not true about mammals? All mammals are warm-blooded. All mammals have hair. All mammals give birth to live young. Mammals lived at the same time as dinosaurs. Brandon Thibodeaux for The New York Times Profiles in Science The Texas Oil Heir Who Took On Math's Impossible Dare James M. Vaughn Jr., wielding a fortune, argues that he brought about the Fermat breakthrough after the best and brightest had failed for centuries to solve the puzzle. By William J. Broad I. Heywood, SARAO Out There An Electrifying View of the Heart of the Milky Way A new radio-wave image of the center of our galaxy reveals all the forms of frenzy that a hundred million or so stars can get up to. By Dennis Overbye Corporal Phil Dye/RAF/Ministry of Defense, via Associated Press An Extraordinary Iceberg Is Gone, but Not Forgotten A chunk of Antarctic ice that was one of the biggest icebergs ever seen has met its end near the island of South Georgia. Scientists will be studying its effects on the ecosystem around the island for some time. By Henry Fountain Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. John Daw/Australian Wildlife Journeys Trilobites Orcas Are Able to Kill and Eat Blue Whales, Scientists Confirm Recordings in seas off Australia proved that the predatory prowess of killer whales is inescapable, even for the adults of the largest species that ever lived. By Annie Roth Vyacheslav Oseledko/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images In Dog DNA, Small Size Has an Ancient Pedigree New research finds a mutation that suggests the more diminutive canines' DNA dates back to ancient wolves. By James Gorman SpaceX SpaceX Rocket Part to Crash Into Moon 7 Years After Launch The four-ton piece of the rocket hasn't been heard from since it launched an American satellite called DSCOVR. It could make a 65-foot crater on the far side of the moon. By Kenneth Chang Ana Escobar/EPA, via Shutterstock Trilobites Your Body's Thirst Messenger Is in an Unexpected Place Scientists traced how a mouse's brain gets the signal that it had enough to drink. Something similar may happen in humans. By Veronique Greenwood Trilobites Two Simple Tricks That Help Owls Stay in Their New Homes A study shows that there is a way to successfully transplant burrowing owls to new habitats when developers build over their homes. By Matt Kaplan Trilobites Frogs Without Legs Regrow Leglike Limbs in New Experiment Scientists describe a process by which African clawed frogs can regrow an imperfect but functional lost limb. By Sabrina Imbler E.P.A. Chief Vows to 'Do Better' to Protect Poor Communities The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday will announce stepped-up enforcement and monitoring to help disadvantaged communities struggling with polluted air and water. By Lisa Friedman Old-Fashioned, Inefficient Light Bulbs Live On at the Nation's Dollar Stores A Trump administration weakening of climate rules has kept incandescent bulbs on store shelves, and research shows they're concentrated in shops serving poorer areas. By Hiroko Tabuchi Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. HEALTH Lilli Carré Personal Health How to Build Resilience in Hard Times In "The Myth of Closure," Pauline Boss offers guidance for moving forward amid the painful losses of the moment. By Jane E. Brody Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times Even Low Levels of Soot Can Be Deadly to Older People, Research Finds The four-year air pollution study, which followed 68.5 million older Americans, was the first of its kind. By Lisa Friedman Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times Phys Ed Walking Just 10 Minutes a Day May Lead to a Longer Life Ten minutes of moderate exercise daily would prevent more than 111,000 premature deaths a year, a new analysis found. By Gretchen Reynolds Sasha Arutyunova for The New York Times Be Here Now: How to Exercise Mindfully Bringing meditation into your movement can enrich your workout and help you feel clearheaded afterward. By Jenny Marder Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Scam or Not Do Neti Pots Really Work? Nasal rinsing has been used for thousands of years to relieve sinus inflammation, congestion, allergy symptoms and more. Here's what the evidence says. By Alice Callahan Ask Well Why Does Alcohol Mess With My Sleep? Tips for getting a better night's rest when your evening plans include drinking. By Amelia Nierenberg Jeremiah Stamler, Who Found Ways to Curb Heart Disease, Dies at 102 He was at the forefront of studies that found links between salt, diet and other risk factors and cardiovascular ailments. By Richard Sandomir Johan Hultin, Who Found Frozen Clues to 1918 Virus, Dies at 97 His discovery in the 1950s of the remains of a victim of the pandemic, in Alaska, gave scientists the opportunity to map the virus's genetic material. By Gina Kolata THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Joshua Bright for The New York Times New Research Hints at 4 Factors That May Increase Chances of Long Covid If further study confirms the findings, they could lead to ways to prevent and treat the complex condition. By Pam Belluck Dustin Chambers for The New York Times 'Stealth' Variant No Cause for Alarm, but Could Slow Case Decline A mutated version of the Omicron variant could slow the steep decline in cases, but it is not likely to change the overall course of the pandemic, scientists said. By Carl Zimmer Erin Schaff/The New York Times As Covid Shots for Kids Stall, Appeals Are Aimed at Wary Parents Getting more young school-age children vaccinated is crucial for ending the pandemic, public health officials say, and many are focusing on that group. By Jan Hoffman Bryan Anselm for The New York Times When Omicron Isn't So Mild For those with underlying medical conditions, the latest pandemic wave has still posed a threat. By Reed Abelson and Christina Jewett Julia Rothman How Far Should a Coronavirus Test Go? Many at-home antigen tests suggest inserting a swab only one-half or three-quarters of an inch into your nose. So why do some health care workers dig deeper? By Noah Pisner Allison Zaucha for The New York Times Yes, Omicron Is Loosening Its Hold. But the Pandemic Has Not Ended. With spotty immunity in the population and a churn of new variants, the coronavirus is likely to become a persistent but hopefully manageable threat. By Apoorva Mandavilli GHI/Universal History Archive — Universal Images Group, via Getty Images Guest Essay What We Can Learn From How the 1918 Pandemic Ended Overconfidence, indifference and weariness are perhaps the biggest dangers. By John M. Barry 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. 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