US Edition - Today's top story: Why fall yard care could start with doing less – but not nothing October 10, 2026 US Edition   Welcome to the Saturday edition of The Conversation U.S.’s Daily newsletter. Over the long holiday weekend, many Americans will head into their yards to tidy up after summer and prepare for winter. Manjot Kaur Sidhu, a horticulture professor at the University of Maine, has some reasons you might want to take it a little easier than you have in the past. In some parts of the country, leaves have yet to fall, but other places are starting to see the trees drop their summer greenery. Those leaves are a crucial part of your yard’s ecosystem and the broader environment in your community. They provide both nutrients and shelter for pollinators, beetles and other insects. That can include ticks, so Sidhu offers a way to balance the need for protection with the desire to do more for the environment. This week we also liked stories on the sometimes bizarre AI-generated political ads this election season, what it’s like to work on the Nobel-Prize-winning neutrino detector in Antarctica, and a novel way for lowering data center energy use – by storing heat underground. Did somebody forward this email to you? Subscribe to our daily and weekly newsletters here.   Jeff Inglis Environment + Energy Editor   Leaves on the ground are part of the natural cycle of nutrients. Manjot Sidhu Why fall yard care could start with doing less – but not nothing Manjot Kaur Sidhu, University of Maine Fallen leaves provide essential winter habitat for native pollinators and provide natural mulch for the soil. If you have to clear some leaves, don’t get rid of them entirely: Move them out of sight. Canadian essayist, poet and translator Anne Carson in New York City at the 2024 National Book Awards. Jay Dixit/WikiPortraits via Wikimedia Commons Anne Carson’s Nobel-winning, genre-defying work bridges the gap between ancient Greek literature and modern life Amy Cannon, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Whether via her fill-in-the-blank translations or guest appearances on indie rock albums, Anne Carson has infused antiquity with a contemporary tongue Hurricane Isaias just after making landfall near Destin, Fla., on Oct. 9, 2026. NOAA How Hurricane Isaias broke through to become the first Atlantic hurricane in an extremely quiet 2026 season Christopher Davis, UMass Amherst An atmospheric scientist explains what’s been going on in the atmosphere, and how El Niño and the jet stream both play important roles.   Why old dogs might be able to teach Alzheimer’s researchers new tricks Julie Moreno, Colorado State University As dogs age, their brains undergo similar changes to human brains, making them a valuable natural model to study dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Sexual assault survivors’ stories may shift over time – a psychologist explains why it doesn’t mean they’re lying Michele Patterson Ford, Dickinson College The brain’s acute response to the trauma of sexual assault can block a person’s ability to accurately assess what they experienced. We’ve tracked $80M of spending on almost 170 AI-generated political ads this year – it’s weird Travis N. Ridout, Washington State University; Erika Franklin Fowler, Wesleyan University; Michael Franz, Bowdoin College Almost 170 ads and $80 million in spending and only 31% with a disclaimer: Here’s what researchers found when they tracked AI in this year’s campaign ads. Primary voters are unrepresentative, inconsistent and very powerful Robert Boatright, Clark University; Institute for Humane Studies Primary winners represent the views of a small group of people who turn out inconsistently and often do not even represent the the views of the parties’ voters, to say nothing of the general public. I’m a physicist who worked on the Nobel-winning neutrino search – here’s how a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice became a telescope for ghost particles from space Tyce DeYoung, Michigan State University The 2026 Nobel Prize in physics recognizes Francis Halzen’s vision in building an unusual telescope in Antarctica, as well as the neutrino discoveries it’s made. A molecule’s ‘handedness’ can determine whether it’s an effective drug – 4 examples of pharmaceuticals where chirality matters Cedric Schaack, Wake Forest University; Mallory Green, Wake Forest University The 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry gave a hand to handed molecules – and the processes chemists use to create them.   Data centers make heat all year long – here’s how the ground can hold onto it until winter Whether it’s banning books or preventing Macklemore from touring, silencing artists often backfires Why older lawmakers may wait too long to step aside What 1,000 years of golden roses tell us about popes’ authority and influence, from Leo IX to Leo XIV The Conversation's News Quiz Francis Halzen, who has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in physics, did much of his amazing neutrino research at a South Pole observatory that shares a name with what famous hip-hop artist? 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