The @washingtonpost.com story on Tylenol & autism leaves out a MAJOR 2.5M sibling-controlled study of children in Denmark, which "found no evidence that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability." jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

We've reached 6,000 confirmed exoplanets! I talked with @aussiastronomer.bsky.social about where things go from here. (A great graphic by @unamandita.bsky.social visualizes the amazing jumps in planet finds since the first ones were confirmed in the 1990s.)

The buff-tip moth (Phalera bucephala) has mastered a very particular kind of camouflage. When they close their wings up, they resemble a broken twig. Native to large parts of Europe, there's regional pattern variation that reflects the local tree species. This one best resembles birch twigs?

Take my weekly science quiz for @sciam.bsky.social ! This week: psychedelics and sexual parasites www.scientificamerican.com/game/science... 🧪

This is really interesting. I learned something!

Congratulations to @maxkozlov.bsky.social for winning the 2025 Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award! The judges recognized his @nature.com investigations of turmoil at the NIH as essential, thorough and timely. Kozlov will be honored in November at #SciWri25. casw.org/news/max-koz...

Her work had such an impact on me as a new graduate student. Why wasn't I being taught about any of these amazing science women? Oh. That's why.

happy skynet becomes self aware day to all who celebrate

Scientific American magazine is 180 years old. To celebrate, they're offering digital subs for $18 (about half price). Offer ends 9/2. www.scientificamerican.com/getsciam/

Heads up science writers: Tomorrow 8/28 is the deadline to apply for a #SciWri25 Support Grant! Funds are available for both in-person and virtual attendees to help with travel, caregiving, and other costs. Plus: free registration. sciencewriters2025.org/grants/

Today marks 180 years of @sciam.bsky.social! I've been here for nearly 12 years and I couldn't be prouder to be a Scientific American. Here's my favorite cover, and the first special issue I edited. Happy 180th! sciam.com/180

COVID vaccines-which saved 1.4 million lives 2020-2024 (jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...) won't be easy to get now, though the disease still kills 100 people weekly. Today FDA changed approval to cover only senior citizens; kids/adults w/ health problems will have to jump thru unknown hoops.🧪🩺

To celebrate its 180th birthday (!!) @sciam.bsky.social is running a photo contest (details here: sciam.com/180contest) to take #SciAmInTheWild. Where do you read about science?

The Perseids are the best annual meteor shower, but this year’s show will be dimmed by a bright gibbous moon

Thanks to Dan Epstein for talking to me about the significance of recent events in Atlanta. I don't claim any credit for Jen's talent or success, but she's my "protegé" for the same reason I say that about EVERY woman who's out there umpiring baseball in 2025. They're all my babies! Look at us fly!

Holy crap. This is poetry. I have seen a sarcastic debunkening this melodious in quite some time.

Sludge, aka friction, in customer service interactions - it's planned, it's growing www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

About 80% of my grammar suggestions from Microsoft Word are “why not use a simpler word here for clarity?” No. Fuck you. I will use a complicated word for evocative precision whenever the muse’s clarion song demands ebullience, vivacity, torpor, or solemnity, you shit-ass suck machine.

Scientific American is turning 180! 🎉 Celebrate with us: 🎂 Explore our anniversary collection 🧩 Solve digital jigsaw puzzles of vintage covers 🏆 Stay tuned for a contest announcement tomorrow! sciam.com/180 #SciAm180

This graphic alone is like a fucking dissertation. Incredible stuff. Master class. Blows a massive hole in every govt's excuse that their level of gov't has no control over freeway spending.

Now on @sciam.bsky.social, by @nadiadrake.bsky.social: The U.S. has axed CMB-S4, its boldest cosmology experiment in generations. Tight budgets and crumbling infrastructure helped doom the project, which was meant to test cosmic inflation. RIP. www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-...

Tony Reavis on doping in elite running: tonireavis.com/2025/07/17/b...

My first story for @sciam.bsky.social eeee. And such a fascinating phenomenon: ~true polar wander~. Read more about what's causing Earth's poles to wander here: www.scientificamerican.com/article/eart...

We finally made it to Bluesky—just a few billion years after the Big Bang, and only slightly late to the party ✨🌌 We’re sharing some of our best stories from the year so far to kick off our Bluesky journey!

100 years after the Scopes trial, in which John Scopes was found guilty of breaking a law against teaching human evolution in school, U.S. education is still under attack from the same religiously motivated political forces that led to the Scopes verdict 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/amer...

"Fool’s gold" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... "the past four decades, the White House has exerted increasing political control over the scientific work of federal agencies... " "institutionalizes a 'doubt science' approach to shaping policy. Political apparatchiks are now granted broad license"

Applications are open for CASW'S (@sciencewriting.bsky.social) annual award to an outstanding under-31 science journalist. Deadline June 30. Winner gets $1,000 & expenses to attend ScienceWriters2025. I'm excited to organize judging this year. DM if interested in judging: casw.org/awards-fello...

Just maybe assign your science reporters to write the story about the new members of the vaccine approval advisory commission. Not the politics gang. Just to try it.

Applications for two CASW awards are due June 30! The Clark/Payne Award honors a science journalist under age 31 and the Cohn Prize recognizes excellence in medical science reporting. Both awards include travel funds to #SciWri25. Apply or submit a nomination: casw.submittable.com/submit

TIL: turn off AI search return results in phone and computer browsers: tenbluelinks.org. Also in search bar, add "-ai" Suppresses ai returns for majority of searches.

NASA GISS, above "Seinfeld" diner in Manhattan, shuttered, reports @jojofoshosho.bsky.social www.space.com/space-explor...

i enjoy all news but this quote is cool

CASW has elected Richard Harris as its next president! Harris was a science correspondent @npr.org for 35 years and is author of the 2017 book Rigor Mortis. We are so grateful to outgoing president @robinlloyd.bsky.social for her five years of leadership. casw.org/news/richard...

sprouts, sushi buffet, prewashed greens or precut fruit; read the piece for more info www.huffpost.com/entry/what-f...

Talia's point is that the most effective way to not get poisoned is to vote for leaders who will support our regulatory agencies. But, if want all the individual "tricks" I will tell you what I do: 1. cook the hell out of everything 2. Order food at restaurants that has been cooked to hell...

It's the news you've been waiting for: #SciWri25 will take place in Chicago! We can't wait to see you there. casw.org/news/science...

What’s it like to be 70 years old in space? “All those little aches and pains heal up.” arstechnica.com/space/2025/0...

US students. Looking to apply to graduate school? Had an offer rescinded recently? The University of British Columbia in Canada will re-open the application portal in some departments for US students from April 14-18. Details: www.grad.ubc.ca/us-applicant... #ubc #AcademicSky #PhDSky #ScienceSky

This is a dynamic right out of my book #Strongmen... And here is my Lucid essay on autocratic backfire: open.substack.com/pub/lucid/p/...

Aaaah this is so beautiful! @artbyemilytull.bsky.social has perfectly captured the whimsical whispy-ness of the superb fairy-wren plumage. 🪶🌏

We polled Nature readers to ask if they were thinking of leaving the US for jobs abroad. Three-quarters of them (who said they were US-based scientists) said yes. 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Lovely story by @jack-tamisiea.bsky.social about the first known sounds made by sharks. Researchers described it as sounding like the sharks were "crackling." You can click through to hear it! 🧪

look up your NYC zip for vax rate in kids. "Measles is the most contagious disease that we know of and consequently, you need very high vaccination rates to prevent outbreaks" - Dr. Adam Ratner, NYU Langone’s Hassenfeld Children's Hospital. gothamist.com/news/how-wel...

RFK Jr. should "should shut up or step down," writes Donald G. McNeil, Jr. in this blistering op ed. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

one of my favorite science experiences ever. Do this! We saw many nurse sharks and maybe was it really a hammerhead?

everyone should listen to this in its entirety but journalists should listen to it multiple times. this is how you ask questions. you just keep asking simple, easily answerable stuff and the evasiveness becomes that much more glaring

"After UConn defeated Duke, then undefeated and ranked No. 1, on the road in February, Taurasi turned toward the Duke students who had been taunting her and placed her thumb and little finger to the side of her face. 'Call me,' she motioned in mocking payback." - NYT 🤣🤩🔥

UMASS Medical rescinds grad acceptances