As I write this, I’m closely monitoring reports of Hurricane Idalia’s track across central Florida into Georgia this afternoon after making landfall this morning. For background on how extremely warm waters likely contributed to this storm’s intensity, see this story by Florida International University hurricane scientist Haiyan Jiang from earlier this week, and a worthwhile explainer on what storm surge is from Penn State meteorologist Anthony C. Didlake Jr.

A lot has been written about how smartphones and social media can harm children’s mental health, but University of Washington physician Maida Lynn Chen hones in on a less-discussed problem: screens’ detrimental impact on sleep. As she notes, making good-quality sleep a high priority is central to overall mental and physical health, but the ubiquity of screens is contributing to widespread sleep deprivation, which can lead to serious health issues, such as childhood and adolescent obesity. She lists a few good practices for getting good sleep in our screen-dependent lives – something adults should practice as well.

Anyone who has spotted a fox or coyote in suburbs or cities can attest to the growing presence of carnivores in recent decades, which also includes big animals like wolves, bears and mountain lions. University of Michigan conservation scientist Neil Carter makes a case for federal policies to encourage people to learn how to coexist with these animals, rather than killing them to control them. Pointing to a number of local projects, he notes that relatively simple behavior changes, such as properly disposing of trash and erecting barriers to separate livestock from carnivores in risky places and times, can bring benefits to both wildlife and the communities they inhabit.

Also in this week’s science news:

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When teens can’t sleep, they often scroll online well into the night, which only exacerbates the problem. ljubaphoto/E+ via Getty Images

Screen time is contributing to chronic sleep deprivation in tweens and teens – a pediatric sleep expert explains how critical sleep is to kids’ mental health

Maida Lynn Chen, University of Washington

Exposure to screens before bedtime can contribute to chronic sleep deprivation, which raises the risk for anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts.
A federal policy could reduce instances of conflict between people and carnivores, like coyotes. Jason Klassi/iStock via Getty Images

Policy framework for coexisting with wolves, bears and mountain lions could benefit both people and the environment

Neil Carter, University of Michigan

Setting guidelines for human coexistence with carnivores usually falls to local community leaders. An expert explains why the federal government should step in.
Short naps at the right time of day can benefit alertness and overall health in myriad ways. Tara Moore/Digital Vision via Getty Images

Short naps can improve memory, increase productivity, reduce stress and promote a healthier heart

Steven Bender, Texas A&M University

Naps can be rejuvenating and beneficial to attentiveness and overall health, but the length of naps and the time of day are key.

Caroline Herschel was England’s first female professional astronomer, but still lacks name recognition two centuries later

Kris Pardo, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Astronomer Caroline Herschel’s work discovering and cataloging astronomical objects in the 18th century is still used in the field today, but she didn’t always get her due credit.

Acne bacteria trigger cells to produce fats, oils and other lipids essential to skin health – new research

Samia Almoughrabie, University of California, San Diego

Bacteria and lipids get a bad rap for causing breakouts and oily skin. But both play an essential role in helping your skin barrier stay strong against pathogens and insults from the environment.

AI and new standards promise to make scientific data more useful by making it reusable and accessible

Bradley Wade Bishop, University of Tennessee

The phrase ‘research data management’ might make your eyes glaze over, but it’s actually this behind-the-scenes work that allows for large-scale scientific discoveries and collaborations.

FDA’s greenlighting of maternal RSV vaccine represents a major step forward in protecting young babies against the virus

Annette Regan, University of San Francisco; Flor M. Munoz, Baylor College of Medicine

Nearly 100,000 US children under age 5 are hospitalized each year for an RSV infection.