To understand today’s wildfires, look to the past

+ ancient DNA in East Asia, limits to the 6-foot rule US Edition - Today's top story: Climate change and forest management have both fueled today's epic Western wildfires [View in browser]( US Edition | 16 September 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair A string of disastrous wildfires in the West so early in the wildfire season raises the inevitable questions: Why are things so bad and how much worse can will they get? The science is clear that climate change is contributing to longer seasons and more destructive fires, but forest management practices also [play a major role in explaining the current situation]( – and how to address it. Also in this week’s science and research news: how [studying ancient DNA]( provides clues to the spread of people in east Asia, why a warming Africa will see [less malaria but more dengue fever](, and how [indoor ultraviolet light can combat the coronavirus](. Martin La Monica Deputy Editor The Riverside Fire, viewed from La Dee Flats in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon on Sept. 9. USFS [Climate change and forest management have both fueled today’s epic Western wildfires]( Steven C. Beda, University of Oregon Debating whether climate change or forest management has caused the devastating wildfires in California, Washington and Oregon is a false choice. Pulverized ancient bone can provide DNA to scientists for analysis. Xin Xu Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology [Ancient DNA is revealing the genetic landscape of people who first settled East Asia]( Melinda A. Yang, University of Richmond By studying the DNA of people who lived in East Asia thousands of years ago, scientists are starting to untangle how the region was populated. How smoke moves inside a bar or outside in fresh air can help in visualizing how the coronavirus spreads. Shironosova/Getty Images Plus [What a smoky bar can teach us about the ‘6-foot rule’ during the COVID-19 pandemic]( Byron Erath, Clarkson University; Andrea Ferro, Clarkson University; Goodarz Ahmadi, Clarkson University; Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University The 6-foot rule for social distancing doesn’t account for all risks, particularly indoors. Here's what everyone needs to understand as cooler weather moves more activities inside. Other good finds - [Ultraviolet light can make indoor spaces safer during the pandemic – if it’s used the right way]( - [More dengue fever and less malaria – mosquito control strategies may need to shift as Africa heats up]( - [Women have disrupted research on bird song, and their findings show how diversity can improve all fields of science]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111