Why are environmental defenders being murdered in Latin America? How are Brazilian protestors fighting back against Bolsonaro over the Amazon wildfires? Find out in ScienceSeeker's picks of the best posts for the week of August 26 - Sept 1, 2019 #SciSeekPicks #SciComm.

In this week's best from the world of science news, delve deeper into the catastrophic wildfires that ravage the Amazon, and find out how having a positive outlook may extend your life expectancy. Possibly two subjects that are mutually exclusive! ScienceSeeker editors' favourite posts within their respective areas of interest and expertise also cover many other important and exciting topics. Why not have a read, inform yourself, and indulge your scientific curiosity?

• Latin America saw most murdered environmental defenders in 2018 by Sarah Engel for Mongabay.com.

  

  Julián Carrillo, an indigenous leader from the Mexican state of Chihuahua, was murdered on Oct. 24, 2018.
  Credit:Amnesty International/Marianne Bertrand via Mongabay.org (CC-BY-ND)

• Amazon fires trigger protests worldwide by Jill Langlois and Elisângela Mendonça for Mongabay.com.
• U.S. recycling industry is struggling to figure out a future without China by Christopher Joyce for KQED Science.
• Scientists rescue historical data taken on floating ice island by Jenessa Duncombe at Eos.
• The one source of perfect crystals by Derek Lowe at Science Translational Medicine.
• How do we know how small an elementary particle is? by Ethan Siegel at Starts With A Bang.
• Being an optimist may help people live past 85 by Jacquelyn Corley at Scientific American.
• These sea slugs dine while they do it by Sandrine Ceurstemont at Hakai magazine.

Check back next week for more great picks!