This is a great opportunity to work with our founder, @maxroser.bsky.social, and colleagues at Oxford — and the data produced by the project will be hosted on Our World in Data.

When someone says "poppyseed" I automatically think "bagel," not "covert weapon to undermine heroin trafficking" but there you go.

Shameless plug: For a year, I've been working on a series about the vast systems that underlie life in most of the world. Built up over generations, these systems are the cathedrals of our time--but all too few of us know anything about them, and they're all at risk of failing. Here's the latest:

The Applied Exercise Science at the Univ Michigan has launched two searches for tenure-line (open-rank) and clinical (asst/assoc prof) faculty colleagues with expertise in the Social and Behavioral Sciences of Physical Activity.

GLP-1 in a pill shows up to 11% weight loss in 72 weeks. Not as good as best results from injections (some trials show over 20%), but excellent compared to other drugs and WAY better than diets.

Glad to see more test-to-treat dosing trials happening for nutrients. Single dose vs placebo paradigms with no consideration of baseline and achieved levels have resulted in largely null but nearly uninterpretable results. newsroom.heart.org/news/heart-a...

The FDA warned today that the number of infants hospitalized due to botulism contamination of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Formula is up to 15. There is a complete recall on this formula. Every baby reported sick ended up in the hospital because - no surprise here - botulism is bad news. Still...1/4

Hi Tamar! Good point—per mile is also useful to look at and probably gives the cleanest look at "risk while traveling" (with per capita more "societal burden"). There's some data available showing deaths per km—but only for OECD, so we can't get as broad a look globally, and it shows similar trends

What to Eat Now. Today is publication day! Today marks the official publication of my new book, What to Eat Now!  All 703 pages of it! Order it---ISBN 9780374608699---from Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Books-a-Million   Bookshop   Powells   Target It's a thoroughly revised version of What to…

I love the look! It could catch on.

This is crazy! The data from the study show patterns that make it nearly impossible for it to be legit. But we can learn a lot from the tone of the comments. "We have concerns about [x], please clarify." Out in the wild, this would be THESE IDIOTS FAKED THEIR STUDY!!

We know that ultra-processed foods are bad but we don’t know which foods are the ultra-processed ones seems like an unsound method.

"Schrödinger's causal inference" (n): The practice of making causal claims or interpretations within a scientific article - typically in the title, abstract, implications, or conclusion - while simultaneously warning that the study design is unsuitable for causal inference.

The Economist’s Britain section is looking for a new political correspondent. We prize independent thought, a spirit of inquiry and initiative, and for this role in particular: gutsiness. Apply by November 17th

What foods to avoid? Yes, foods high in sat fat, sugar, and salt (for different reasons). Also, foods that are calorie-dense (easy to overeat). But degree of processing doesn't always correspond to badness. www.npr.org/2025/11/10/n...

Hi writers! I’m looking to assign a couple of features for Slate before the end of the year. If you have anything in mind that you think would be a fit please send me a pitch! Jenée.Desmond- [email protected] or dm me. RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!

An engineer wanted to make a quiet high-speed train. “The question then occurred to me — is there some living thing that manages sudden changes in air resistance as a part of daily life?” The answer: the kingfisher. See my story today for more tales of bioinspiration. Gift link: nyti.ms/4otNQyl

Excellent post on how to evaluate a study. Does it really say what they say it says? Are there red flags? As ever, the reason we believe stupid sciency stuff is that research details are boring. But we all know where the devil lives.

Hey look! Good news. In an early, small, trial, a new gene-editing drug reduced cholesterol and triglycerides in high-risk heart-disease patients. Early. Small. But still. www.npr.org/2025/11/08/n...

This is a reminder that Kristallnacht is still in living memory. Living memory. And yet we forget.

I'll miss my friend and occasional (when I was lucky!) dining companion, Tom Sietsema, but delighted to welcome Elazar to the @washingtonpost.com.

We're hiring! Two posts related to sustainability, working with me at @ucc.ie. 1. A postdoc researcher, developing climate-aware energy systems scenarios: www.linkedin.com/posts/hannah... 2. An administrator, managing the new BSc Sustainability: www.linkedin.com/posts/hannah...

Single best way to improve lentil soup is sausage

When your opponent is drowning, it’s important to throw yourself an anvil.

If Schumer actually does this insane deal, it’s fair to wonder if he’s making Republican bets on Fanduel. This is Terry Rozier-level politics.

Turning brewery waste into sweaters! If I had to do it all over again, I might pick materials science. It's totally fascinating what you can turn stuff into. That, or cognitive neuroscience. Hell, either pays better than journalism! www.chemistryworld.com/news/beer-ye...

ALERT: Baby Formula 13 cases of infant botulism reported from Aug through Nov 2025 coming in 10 states thus far. Please see web content for specifics on lot numbers and more. Special shoutout to our friends and colleagues at CDC and FDA who got this out quickly all while not being paid.

remember when the right was all "but states' rights!"

I think it's just possible that we turned a corner this week.

As a bonus, you'll be supporting folks believing stupid shit for years to come!

This one surely has something on offer for every one: In this cross-sectional mediation analysis, the "effects" of soft drink consumption on depression were "mediated" by abundance of Eggerthela in the gut microbiome. This was sent to me via dm and now you all got to suffer as well.

Write for us! Here are 26 ideas of articles we'd like to commission. www.worksinprogress.news/p/more-artic...

There's a new weight-loss drugs in town. It's not a GLP-1 (it's a "selective amylin receptor agonist" but I don't pretend to know what that is), and appears effective. Highest dose group lost 20% of their weight in 48 weeks. Lowest dose lost 9%. www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcover...

My former UC Davis colleagues Ermias Kebreab and Paulo de Meo Filho went on Marketplace to talk about using seaweed and CRISPR to mitigate cattle enteric methane emissions! www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1...

I gave a short and kinda provocative talk about climate communications at B.U.'s inaugural Media Innovation and Social Impact summit. I posted it on my free Substack, which is called Emissions; I haven't emitted much yet but please sign up, I'm planning to start. open.substack.com/pub/michaelg...

A committee. They want a committee. 🤦

An early indication that patients can reduce the frequency of GLP-1s after they reach their goal, and maintain the weight loss. www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcover...

Listeria kills. Check any pasta meals you bought from Trader Joe's, Albertson's, Kroger, Walmart, Giant Eagle, or Sprouts. Cooking doesn't kill listeria; it survives to kill us. Do not mess with it. www.npr.org/2025/11/04/n...

If it's 135 million pounds (in the text), that's 6 oz. per American. If it's 135 billion pounds (in the video) that's 400 pounds per American. They just fucking say shit.

Food economist here 🙋🏽‍♂️ would like to disagree and point out that grocery inflation since Trump took office has accelerated relative to the preceding months. Also those price increases for coffee, ground beef, chocolate, bananas, and canned goods in recent months? That’s in large part the tariffs!

the kids, not alright

The NYC election establishes, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the rent IS too damn high.

I think the lesson of Mamdani's victory has little to do with policy & isn't a blueprint for Dems' future. It's that people like optimism, friendliness, charisma, and a focus on the issues that affect them personally. We need more of this. Godspeed, Mayor Mamdani. @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social

We interrupt the rare cheerful political news to bring you some rare cheerful health news. Researchers have developed a nanoparticle-based vaccine that prevented several kinds of cancers in mice, apparently very effectively. www.umass.edu/news/article...

Context: I pay $1300 for a year of unlimited golf at my local muni course.

dawg not the steakhouse wedding font

Saute 1 lb. green beans (can be frozen!) in a super hot wok/pan until spotted black. Add grated ginger & garlic, then 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1 T. maple syrup, splash of rice wine vinegar & chili oil. When liquid is almost gone, add 1/2 pound of ground pork (or shrimp, tofu, nothing) Serve over rice

Take this seriously: At least 20 brands of supplements, labeled as containing either Brazil seeds (sometimes called nuts) or tejocote root have tested positive for oleander. And oleander is famously poisonous. 1/4

Wednesday Nov 5 I’ll be at my alma mater Tufts with Pulitzer winner and MIT KSJ director @usha.bsky.social discussing the importance of science journalism in this moment and the lessons and tools it offers us all Free and open to public w/ registration www.tuftstickets.com/event/lighti...

Since when is a 19% drop in adverse cardiac events and an 18% in mortality not clinically significant?? This review is bonkers. www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10....