Live with wildfire – or retreat?

+ evolutionary psychology and romantic love; machine learning and drug discovery US Edition - Today's top story: A case for retreat in the age of fire [View in browser]( US Edition | 13 July 2022 [The Conversation]( Wildfires have become a distressingly common part of millions of people’s lives, including those living across large parts of the western U.S. In a provocative article, three experts in urban planning and environmental design from the University of California, Davis, say [that retreating from certain areas vulnerable to wildfire is unavoidable](. At the same time, they note, a number of development-related policies, such as limiting future development or stricter standards for new construction, are also part of at-risk communities’ toolkits for dealing with wildfires. A story on the history of syphilis challenges a long-held belief that the disease originated in the New World and was another result of the so-called Columbian exchange. Historian Marylynn Salmon weighs the evidence, both from documents and artwork as well as the ongoing work of a group of paleopathologists, to explain why she thinks it’s time to [drop syphilis from the “intellectual framework” the Columbian exchange provides]( and instead look at the ample evidence. And in case you missed it, some of the biggest science news of the year came out this week when NASA and President Joe Biden shared the first science-quality images from the James Webb Space Telescope. UMass Lowell astronomer Silas Laycock walks us through his first impressions of the images and explains the science being done in this mission, while barely containing his excitement. “[The real images are even better than anyone could have hoped for](,” he writes. Also in this week’s science news: - [Machine learning helps find benefits to drugs' side effects]( - [Geopolitical tensions strain international scientific collaborations]( - [Nonmedical treatments for migraines]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Martin La Monica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters After the 2018 wildfire in Paradise, Calif., many fire-damaged homes were razed. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images [A case for retreat in the age of fire]( Emily E. Schlickman, University of California, Davis; Brett Milligan, University of California, Davis; Stephen M. Wheeler, University of California, Davis Communities already retreat from flooding and in the face of sea level rise. Is retreat from wildfires next, and what would that look like? Does a painting from 1400 depict one of Jesus’ torturers as suffering from ‘saddle nose,’ a common effect of syphilis? Detail of an Austrian painting c. 1400 of the Passion of Christ, The Cleveland Museum of Art [Manuscripts and art support archaeological evidence that syphilis was in Europe long before explorers could have brought it home from the Americas]( Marylynn Salmon, Smith College The idea that Europeans brought new diseases to the Americas and returned home with others has been widely accepted. But evidence is mounting that for syphilis this scenario is wrong. This cluster of galaxies, called Stephan’s Quintet, is a composite image produced from two cameras aboard the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA/STScI [James Webb Space Telescope: An astronomer explains the stunning, newly released first images]( Silas Laycock, UMass Lowell NASA released five new images from the James Webb Space Telescope, revealing incredible details of ancient galaxies, stars and the presence of water in the atmosphere of a distant planet. - [Light pollution is disrupting the seasonal rhythms of plants and trees, lengthening pollen season in US cities]( Yuyu Zhou, Iowa State University Artificial light is upending trees’ ability to use the natural day-night cycle as a signal of seasonal change. - [Why does love feel magical? It’s an evolutionary advantage]( Benjamin Kaveladze, University of California, Irvine; Jonathan Schooler, University of California Santa Barbara; Oliver Sng, University of California, Irvine It’s not logical to believe your relationship is “meant to be.” But believing in destined love may have evolved as a way to keep couples together long enough to reproduce and raise children. - [What do molecules look like?]( Christine Helms, University of Richmond A physicist explains how atoms arrange themselves into molecules – and how scientists are able to image these tiny bits of matter that make up everything around you. - [Gut bacteria nurture the immune system – for cancer patients, a diverse microbiome can protect against dangerous treatment complications]( Kate Ann Markey, University of Washington Patients with blood cancer undergoing stem cell transplantation have a high risk of complications. The bacteria in their gut, however, can help their immune system recover and fight infections. - [Biopsies confirm a breast cancer diagnosis after an abnormal mammogram – but structural racism may lead to lengthy delays]( Marissa Lawson, University of Washington; Christoph Lee, University of Washington Early detection of breast cancer is critical to improving chances of survival. But racial and ethnic minority patients systematically have delayed diagnoses that reduce the benefits of screening. - [Cotton breeders are using genetic insights to make this global crop more sustainable]( Serina Taluja, Texas A&M University Plant breeding, informed by genetic analysis, could be critical to the future of one of the world’s oldest crops. - [Improving science literacy means changing science education]( - [Many medications affect more than one target in the body – some drug designers are embracing the ‘side effects’ that had been seen as a drawback]( - [It’s getting harder for scientists to collaborate across borders – that’s bad when the world faces global problems like pandemics and climate change]( - [Migraine sufferers have treatment choices – a neurologist explains options beyond just pain medication]( - Like this newsletter? 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