Backpacks full of frogs

Edition: US - Today's top story: Live cargo: How scientists pack butterflies, frogs and sea turtles for safe travels [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 26 January 2019 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note Anyone who has taken their dog or cat on an airplane knows it takes planning and preparation. Now imagine moving endangered live animals hundreds of miles between labs or clinics and the outdoors. University of Florida entomologist Jaret Daniels, Tufts veterinarian Charles Innis and UC Santa Barbara biologist Roland Knapp describe the special measures they take to ensure [safe returns for butterflies, sea turtles and frogs](. Today, most city streets – even in America’s densest urban neighborhoods – are lined with trees. But in 19th-century cities, trees could be few and far between. Professor of landscape architecture Sonja Dümpelmann tells the story of an enterprising public health advocate named Stephen Smith, who was convinced that in New York City, where infectious diseases like cholera thrived, trees could save lives. When there was pushback from the legislature, [Smith decided to take matters into his own hands](. Need to figure out a route to a new location? Many people now navigate with the help of their phone’s GPS. But people who use paper maps [remember their way better]( – and may be better able to adapt to unexpected road problems or map errors. Jennifer Weeks Environment + Energy Editor Top Stories Scientists are raising Miami blue butterflies in captivity and reintroducing them in south Florida. Jeff Gage/Florida Museum of Natural History [Live cargo: How scientists pack butterflies, frogs and sea turtles for safe travels]( Jaret Daniels, University of Florida; Charles Innis, Tufts University; Roland Knapp, University of California, Santa Barbara How do you pack butterflies for shipping, or frogs for an overland hike to a new habitat? Three scientists explain how they keep threatened species safe on the road and in the air. In 1919, 1,376 new Norway Maples were planted along streets in Brooklyn. Department of Parks of the Borough of Brooklyn, City of New York [Not so long ago, cities were starved for trees]( Sonja Dümpelmann, Harvard University In 1910, along one 45-block stretch of New York City's Fifth Avenue, there were only 13 trees. Which is the right map for you? Icatnews/shutterstock.com [Why paper maps still matter in the digital age]( Meredith Broussard, New York University If you want to really learn your way around a new place, paper maps still trump digital options. Economics + Business [Vital economic data was likely lost during the shutdown – here’s why it matters to all Americans]( Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology The government collects reams of economic data that are vital to the functioning of companies, policymakers and even families. [Why the Davos elites are still relevant]( Christopher Michaelson, University of St. Thomas The high-profile absence of several world leaders including Trump from the World Economic Forum has led some to suggest its influence is in decline. A philosopher who has seen Davos up close disagrees. Education [Digital technology offers new ways to teach lessons from the Holocaust]( Jennifer Rich, Rowan University In anticipation of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a scholar explains how digital technologies can help close knowledge gaps about the catastrophe that claimed the lives of 6 million Jews. [Why it’s wrong to label students ‘at-risk’]( Ivory A. Toldson, Howard University Using the term 'at-risk' to describe students from challenging circumstances often creates more problems than it solves, a professor of counseling psychology argues. Health + Medicine [Gene drive technology makes mouse offspring inherit specific traits from parents]( Kim Cooper, University of California San Diego; Hannah Grunwald, University of California San Diego When geneticists create mice with special traits, there is no way to be sure that they will be inherited by the offspring. But a new genetic tool called a gene drive may fix the problem. [How corruption in forensic science is harming the criminal justice system]( Jessica S. Henry, Montclair State University Forensic science is only as good as the equipment and the people who calibrate it, some high-profile cases indicate. Thousands of innocent people have been harmed. Here's how. Science + Technology [I studied buttons for 7 years and learned these 5 lessons about how and why people push them]( Rachel Plotnick, Indiana University Buttons don't always make things easier – and using them can be fraught with peril and troubling power dynamics. [It’s cold! A physiologist explains how to keep your body feeling warm]( JohnEric Smith, Mississippi State University Winter comes with colder temperatures. You and your body can work together to stay comfortable. Politics + Society [Personal diplomacy has long been a presidential tactic, but Trump adds a twist]( Tizoc Chavez, Vanderbilt University Meeting with heads of state has become routine for presidents, but Trump's way with words and gestures rattles many in the diplomatic community. The biggest concern is his sweet talk to dictators. [There’s a wider scandal suggested by the Trump investigations]( Ofer Raban, University of Oregon The investigations into the financial dealings of Donald Trump and his associates join a growing body of evidence pointing to lax enforcement of certain high-level financial crime. Arts + Culture [Inside the Kingdom of Hayti, ‘the Wakanda of the Western Hemisphere’]( Marlene Daut, University of Virginia In 1811 a former slave named Henry Christophe anointed himself 'First Monarch' of the 'New World.' For 10 years, he ruled over a part of modern-day Haiti, becoming a global media sensation. [Razor burned: Why Gillette’s campaign against toxic masculinity missed the mark]( Alan Abitbol, University of Dayton Gillette isn't the only male-centric brand to have recently challenged masculine stereotypes. But advertising research can help us understand why it's been getting the most flack. Ethics + Religion [How to show gratitude to TSA workers]( Jeremy David Engels, Pennsylvania State University As people say thanks to those who are turning up for work without being paid, an expert explains what true gratitude really means. [Howard Thurman – the Baptist minister who had a deep influence on MLK]( Paul Harvey, University of Colorado Thurman was 30 years older than King: the same age, in fact, as King's father. Among his most significant contributions was bringing the ideas of nonviolence to the civil rights movement. Environment + Energy [You can’t control what you can’t find: Detecting invasive species while they’re still scarce]( Jake Walsh, University of Wisconsin-Madison It's cheaper to prevent biological invasions than to react after they happen. But it's hard to detect invaders while there are still just a few of them. Knowing when and where to look can help. [We can’t save everything from climate change – here’s how to make choices]( Benjamin Preston, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Johanna Nalau, Griffith University Climate change is happening and will intensify in coming decades. Some experts say it's time for a triage strategy that focuses investments where they are most likely to have an impact. [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111