+ 'I don't have time' is the wrong way to decline an invitation US Edition - Today's top story: How years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the Western megafires of today [View in browser]( US Edition | 3 August 2021 [The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair Nearly 90 large fires are burning across the drought-parched Western U.S. right now, and officials say the Bootleg megafire in Oregon will likely take until October to contain. More than 86% of the region is in severe drought or worse. Climate change is fueling this risk, but thereâs another problem that started long before drought turned forests into tinderboxes: A [century of stopping every fire as fast as humanly possible]( has jeopardized the forests and everyone living near them, write forest ecologists Susan Prichard, Keala Hagmann and Paul Hessburg. Also today: - [How House investigators hope to get to the bottom of Jan. 6](
- [Are allergies making life miserable? There may soon be an app for that](
- [Climate change in action: Evidence from five long-term research sites]( Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor
The Cedar Creek Fire burns in Washingtonâs Methow Valley in late July 2021. Jessica Kelley
[How years of fighting every wildfire helped fuel the Western megafires of today]( Susan J. Prichard, University of Washington; Keala Hagmann, University of Washington; Paul Hessburg, United States Forest Service More than 40 fire scientists and forest ecologists in the US and Canada teamed up to investigate why wildfires are getting more extreme. Climate change is part of the problem, but thereâs more. Politics + Society -
[House committee investigating Capitol insurrection has a lot of power, but itâs unclear it can force Trump to testify]( Kirsten Carlson, Wayne State University GOP Rep. Liz Cheney says the American people âdeserve the full and open testimony of every person with knowledge of the planning and preparation for Jan. 6.â Will they get it? Science + Technology -
[Sunny with a chance of sneezing â Iâm building a tool to forecast pollen levels that will help allergy sufferers know when itâs safe to go outside]( Fiona Lo, University of Washington Scientists are building a pollen forecasting model using meteorology, botany, pollen count numbers and satellite imagery to help people plan ahead. -
[What are dark patterns? An online media expert explains]( Jasmine McNealy, University of Florida Deceptively labeled buttons, choices that are hard to undo, web designs that hide options â these dark patterns are how some websites trick people into giving up their money and information. Environment + Energy -
[Climate change is already disrupting US forests and coasts â hereâs what weâre seeing at 5 long-term research sites]( Michael Paul Nelson, Oregon State University; Peter Mark Groffman, CUNY Graduate Center This kind of research, with consistent data collection at the same locations over time, helps support global understanding of climate change. Education -
[5 simple tips for parents who will still be co-teachers when kids go back to school]( Lorrie Webb, Texas A&M-San Antonio; Rebekah Piper, Texas A&M-San Antonio Teachers and students are likely to use a lot more online learning tools than they did pre-pandemic even after in-person classes resume. -
[Expansion of Second Chance Pell Grants will let more people in prison pursue degrees]( Andrea Cantora, University of Baltimore An experimental program to provide a college education in prison is about to increase its reach. Is there evidence that it will pay off? Economy + Business -
[Declined invitations go over more graciously when lack of money is cited instead of lack of time â new research]( Grant Donnelly, The Ohio State University; Ashley Whillans, Harvard Business School Several studies found that using the excuse âI donât have timeâ when declining an invitation harmed the relationship with the person who extended it. From our International Editions -
[Hamlet: a play that speaks to pandemics past and present]( Elizabeth Schafer, Royal Holloway University of London As COVID-19 restrictions ease, Ian McKellenâs take on Hamlet reminds us of how theaters dealt with similar situations during the bardâs time. -
[Africa can prevent Ethiopia from going down Rwandaâs path: hereâs how]( Edward Kissi, University of South Florida Africa needs to embrace a new approach that focuses on what countries in an embattled region â as a âcommunityâ of regional states â can do to intervene. -
[Why Jack Dorseyâs Square paid a record $39 billion for Afterpay]( Lien Duong, Curtin University; Sonny Pham, Curtin University In the first six months of 2021, Afterpayâs gross profit was $284 million â about 150% more than the $113 million profit it booked in the six months before the pandemic. --------------------------------------------------------------- Todayâs graphic [A map of the norheast coast of North America. There is a line indicating the usual range of blue crabs and dots corresponding to places beyond that range where there have been blue crab sightings.]( Youâre receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](.
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